How To Use This Resource:

This document provides Windows keystrokes and hints to accompany the free Ten Typical Tasks with Scott audio training series.

Navigate by heading to find the episode you're currently listening to, keystrokes mentioned will be here roughly in the same order, sometimes with extra hints thrown in. These notes have been made with that episodic approach in mind. Don't try reading the entire document end to end, it won't be useful that way, you'll find the amount of repetition throughout frustrating.

01 Prerequisites for Screen Reader Users:

No specific keystrokes mentioned in this episode, it's all about recommendations of the things you'll need to get the most from this training. Everything mentioned below can be found in the Links folder, check that out if you need help locating these things online.

• Install the latest versions of REAPER, SWS, and OSARA.
• If you're a JAWS user, install Snowman's JAWS scripts for REAPER. They're intended to be used alongside OSARA.
• Ideally, a full sized keyboard with your operating system using US layout. Layout is the more important of those recommendations, alternative keystrokes for smaller keyboards are included along the way.
• I run a couple of welcoming, super supportive groups along with other good folks who know the ropes. see the Links folder for RWP email group and REAPER Access on WhatsApp.

02 Creating a new project:

• Control+N: New project.
• Alt+Enter: Project settings...
• Control+S: Save project.

03 Creating and working with tracks:

• Control+T: Insert and name track.
• UpArrow: Go to previous track.
• DownArrow: Go to next track.
• Control+Shift+Space: OSARA: Report track/item/time/MIDI selection (depending on focus).
• Shift+UpArrow: Go to previous track (leaving other tracks selected).
• Shift+DownArrow: Go to next track (leaving other tracks selected).
• Control+A: Select all items/tracks/envelope points (depending on focus).
• Shift+Space: OSARA: Enable noncontiguous selection/toggle selection of current track/item (depending on focus).
• Shift+Escape: Unselect (clear selection of) all tracks/items/envelope points.
• F2: Rename last touched track.
• Control+X: Cut items/tracks/envelope points (depending on focus) ignoring time selection.
• Control+C: Copy items/tracks/envelope points (depending on focus) ignoring time selection.
• Control+V: Paste items/tracks (note: although REAPER only mentions items and tracks in the name of this action, it can actually paste anything that can be put on the clipboard).
• Delete: Remove items/tracks/contents of time selection/markers/envelope points (depending on focus).
• F5: Mute/unmute tracks.
• F6: Solo/unsolo tracks.
• F7: Toggle record arming for current/last touched track.
• F8: Cycle track record monitor.
• F9: Invert track polarity/phase.
• Control+Shift+F5, F6, F7, F8 or F9: Reports which tracks are muted, soloed, armed, monitoring or have polarity inverted.
• Alt+F5, F6, F7, F8 or F9: Unmutes, unsolos, unarms, resets monitor or polarity for all tracks in the project.
• Alt+UpArrow: Nudge track volume up.
• Alt+DownArrow: Nudge track volume down.
• Alt+LeftArrow: Nudge track pan left.
• Alt+RightArrow: Nudge track pan right.
• Control+LeftArrow: Select and move to previous item.
• Control+RightArrow: Select and move to next item.
• Context menu reminders: Applications key or Shift+F10: Show first context menu (depending on focus).
• Control+Applications key or Control+Shift+F10: Show second context menu (depending on focus).
• Alt+Applications key or Control+Alt+Shift+F10: Show third context menu (depending on focus).

04 Quick Tour of the Most Often Used Windows:

• Control+F12: OSARA Configuration dialog.
• Control+P: REAPER Preferences dialog.
• F: View FX chain for current/last touched track.
• P: View FX parameters for current track/take (depending on focus).
• Up or Down arrows: Adjusts parameter sliders in small increments.
• PageUp or PageDown: Adjusts parameter sliders in larger increments.
• Home or End: Moves parameter sliders to maximum or minimum.
• Control+Tab or Control+Shift+Tab: Move to next or previous slider in Parameters dialogs. (Note: not mentioned in the audio as it's a newer OSARA feature).
• Enter or Escape: Closes Parameters dialog, adjustments are real-time, so they're always preserved even if you hit Escape.

05 Importing and Editing Audio:

• Control+Home: Go to start of project.
• Control+I: Insert media files....
• Control+Shift+J: Report edit/play cursor position, transport state and nearest markers and regions.
• Control+LeftArrow or Control+RightArrow: Select and move to previous or next item.
• Control+X: Cut items/tracks/envelope points (depending on focus) ignoring time selection.
• Control+Shift+Period: Move cursor to end of items.
• Control+V: Paste items/tracks.
• PageUp: Move edit cursor back one measure/bar.
• Space: Play/stop.
• Control+Space: Play/pause.
• LeftArrow or RightArrow: Move cursor left or right (earlier or later) one pixel (Note: REAPER measures this amount of movement in pixels, but in practice, "scrubbing" is how we describe moving this way).
• LeftBracket or RightBracket []: Set start or end point of time selection.
• Tab: Move to next transient.
• Control+Shift+Space: Report track/item/time/MIDI selection (depending on focus).
• Delete: Remove items/tracks/contents of time selection/markers/envelope points (depending on focus).
• A: Select and split item under edit or play cursor.
• Alt+Shift+P: Cycle ripple editing mode.
• Comma or Period: Move items/envelope points left or right (earlier or later respectively).
• Alt+Period: Grow right edge of items.
• Win+Shift+Comma: Trim left edge of item to edit cursor.

06 Navigating the Timeline (an introduction to project markers and the Jump dialog):

• M: Insert marker at current position.
• Shift+M: Insert and/or edit marker at current position.
• PageUP or PageDown: Move edit cursor back or forward one measure/bar.
• Control+PageUp or Control+PageDown: Move edit cursor back or forward one beat.
• Control+J: Jump (go) to time window.
• Control+Shift+J once: Report edit/play cursor position in primary format, transport state and nearest markers and regions.
• Control+Shift+J twice quickly: Report edit/play cursor position in secondary format, transport state and nearest markers and regions.

07 Recording Audio (Scott checks levels, then records an electric guitar through an FX chain):

• Control+T: Insert and name track.
• Applications Key or Shift+F10: Show first context menu (depending on focus). Hitting this with a track selected gets the context menu where you can choose/change the audio input if needed.
• F7: Toggle record arming for current/last touched track.
• Alt+W: Configure Peak Watcher for current track/track FX (depending on focus).
• Shift+A when in the FX window: Add FX Chain.
• B: Toggle FX bypass for current/last touched track.
• Alt+shift+M: Show metronome/pre-roll settings.
• Control+shift+M: Toggle metronome.
• Control+Home: Go to start of project.
• R: Record.

08 Working with MIDI (Scott records a virtual instrument and tweaks the performance):

• Alt+I for Insert menu, then V to choose the "Virtual instrument on new track" option.
• Alt+B: Show virtual MIDI keyboard (usable in a pinch, but better to play on a MIDI controller if you have one).
• Alt+Shift+DownArrow or Alt+Shift+UpArrow: Nudge volume of selected tracks down or up.
• Control+Home: Go to start of project.
• R: Record.
• Control+Shift+6 on top numeric row: Set grid to 1/16 (other numbers set other grid divisions).
• Control+Shift+Q with a MIDI item selected: Quantize item positions and MIDI note positions to grid.
• E with a MIDI item selected: Open in built-in MIDI editor.

NumPad MIDI editing keystrokes:

• NumPad1 or NumPad3: Shorten or lengthen notes one grid unit. Add Alt to shorten/lengthen by pixels instead.
• NumPad2 or NumPad8: Move notes down or up one semitone. Add Alt to move by octave instead.
• NumPad4 or NumPad6: Move notes left or right one grid unit. Add Alt to move by pixels instead.
• NumPad7 or NumPad9: Note velocity -01 or +1. Add Alt to adjust by 10 instead.

Qwerty MIDI editing keystrokes:

• N or Shift+N: Move notes down or up one semitone. Add Alt to move by octave instead.
• L or Shift+L: Shorten or lengthen notes one grid unit. Add Alt to shorten/lengthen by pixels instead.
• P or Shift+P: Move notes left or right one grid unit. Add Alt to move by pixels instead.
• V or Shift+V: Note velocity -01 or +1. Add Alt to adjust by 10 instead.

• Control+Space: Play/pause (pause near a note you want to edit, then explore with arrows).
• Shift+LeftArrow or Shift+RightArrow: Move to previous or next note or chord and add to selection.
• PageUp or PageDown: Move edit cursor back or forward one measure/bar.
• Control+F2 or Enter: Event properties.
• Control+F4 or Control+W: Close MIDI Editor window.

09 Recording, punching and Comping Vocals (an introduction to working with takes):

• Control+T: Insert and name track.
• Applications Key or Shift+F10: Show first context menu (depending on focus). Hitting this with a track selected gets the context menu where you can choose/change the audio input if needed.
• F7: Toggle record arming for current/last touched track.
• Control+Home: Go to start of project.
• LeftBracket or RightBracket []: Set start or end of time selection.
• PageDown or PageUp: Move forward or backward one measure/bar.
• Alt+I for Insert menu, bottom-most choice is Empty space at time selection.
• R: Record.
• A: Select and split item under edit or play cursor.
• Control+Shift+P: Report ripple editing mode.
• Alt+Home: Move edit cursor to start of current measure/bar.
• Alt+\: Cycle through record modes (time selection auto-punch is the one Scott uses during this tutorial).
• T or Shift+T: Switch items to next or previous take.
• Escape: Remove (unselect) time selection and loop points.

10 Working with Plug-ins, saving presets and setting up a send:

• F on a track to add FX (Scott chooses ReaEq in this tutorial).
• Control+B in the FX window: Toggle bypass for selected FX.
• Shift+Space in the FX window: Clicks buttons (we use Shift+Space in this window so that Space can still play/stop your project).
• P with a track or item selected: View FX parameters for current track/take (depending on focus).
• Up or Down arrows: Adjusts parameter sliders in small increments.
• PageUp or PageDown: Adjusts parameter sliders in larger increments.
• Home or End: Moves parameter sliders to maximum or minimum.
• Control+Tab or Control+Shift+Tab: Move to next or previous slider in Parameters dialogs. (Note: not mentioned in the audio as it's a newer OSARA feature).
• Enter or Escape: Closes Parameters dialog, adjustments are real-time, so they're always preserved even if you hit Escape.
• Alt+Applications key or Control+Alt+Shift+F10: Show third context menu (depending on focus). When pressed with tracks selected, this is a fast way to create/remove sends or receives.
• Alt+Shift+DownArrow: Nudge volume of selected tracks down.
• A in the FX window: Adds FX to the bottom of the FX chain.
• Control+End: Go to end of project.
• Control+LeftArrow or Control+RightArrow: Select and move to previous or next item.

11 Rendering Files:

• Control+Alt+R: Render project to disk. This is what you might hear called export or bounce in other DAWs.
• Enter in the Render dialog: Clicks the Render button, useful to know because there are a lot of options, sometimes it's easier to just hit Enter instead of moving to the actual button.
• Escape: Closes the Render dialog without saving changes you've made, or closes the confirmation screen after rendering is complete.

Credits:

Scott and JennyK worked their balls off. Scott worked way harder though. Can you guess who's typing this part?

Last update: April 1st 2025.