Reaper basics and cheat sheet 03/10/2019. 

By Chris Turner
ultimatethesecond@gmail.com

This document contains:

A subset of commonly used shortcut keys.
A few tips.
links to resources 

As this is a plane text document, in lu of headings, I have used asterix, "*" to divide sections. 2 ore more asterix represent sub sections.

These notes relate to the Windows version of reaper.

*. Installation:

you will need reaper itself. Both 32 and 64 bit editions exist. 
http://reaper.fm/download.php

The Osara extension which provides much of the accessability for screenreader users:
https://osara.reaperaccessibility.com

The SWS extension is recommended.
http://www.sws-extension.org/

Install in the usual way but start with Reaper.

**. Adding the keymap.

Once installed, we need to import the keymap. So within Reaper, activate the Osara actions list with F4.

Tab over to import / export and choose import. 

A standard file browser appears, if you shift tab a couple of times, you should be in a list of various Reaper keymaps. Choose the Osara one and press enter.

*. General.

Actions list.
F4.

Presents various actions including keyboard shortcuts and the keyboard map.

Open Reaper preferences:
Ctrl, p

Check / uncheck boxes in dialogues:
= / -

or try:
space / shift space

**. Getting help.

Osara keyboard help:
F12

Adjust osara preferences:
ctrl, F12


*. Transport

Play / stop:
space
Pause:
ctrl, space

Play / pause item:
ctrl, space

Repeat:
ctrl, r

Move forward / back one measure:
pg up, pg down.

Move forward / back one beat:
ctrl pg up, ctrl pg down.

Move to next transient:
tab

Arm track:
F7

Toggle monitoring:
		F8

Metronome on / off:
ctrl, shift m

Metronome options.
Alt, shift m.

Tap tempo:
h

Record:
R

Jump to time:
ctrl, j

Hear position in MBT:
ctrl, shift j

Press twice quickly for HMS.

Increase play rate by 6%:
shift, +

Decrease play rate by 6%:
shift, -

**. Ripple.

Toggle ripple:
alt, p

Report ripple status:
ctrl, shift, p

**. panning options.

Right click on pan fader to change mode. Also see in actions. First one is deprecated.

*. Track actions

Add track at end of project:
ctrl t

Duplicate selected track:
d

Rename selected track:
f2

Track routing:
i

Master track routing:
shift, i

Or for a subset of common routing options on the selected track::
alt, applications

View parameters for currently selected item or track:
ctrl, shift p

	Create track folder.
Shift enter.

Finish creating track folder.
Shift enter twice.

Select input and other options when focussed on track.
Applications key 

If the focus is on an object, you may have to press esc or arrow away and back to the track you wish to change.


View parameters for track / item:
ctrl, shift p
**. Track grouping.

Group:
alt, G

*. Monitoring levels.

The osara extension gives us an accessible peak watching tool.

Open peak watcher:
ctrl, shift w

Check channel 1 of first assigned track:
alt, f9

Check channel 2 of first assigned track:
alt, F10

Check peak of channel 1 on  second track:
alt, shift,  f9

Check peak of channel 2 on  second track:
alt, shift f10

To reset peaks:
alt, f8

During playback, check master peak:
alt, shift, f. Or alt shift f10

Check peak level on demand:
Channel 1.
j, 

Channel 2.
k

To read peak values of master track on demand.
Channel 1.
shift, j

Channel 2.
shift, k

Check peak value on rendered project:

Untick the box saying close render dialogue once done.

Use review cursor to investigate screen.

Annalise RMS and peak value:

ctrl, shift, k


*. Item editting.

**. Selecting items.

Select item left or right:
ctrl, left, right

Select item left or right, keeping previously selected items:
ctrl, shift left / right.

Select all items on track:
ctrl, alt, a

Select all items in time selection:
shift, alt, a

Play selected item:
ctrl, alt, space

Solo selected item:
Alt, f6

Mute selected item:
alt, f5

Adjust volume of selected item:
shift, pg down / pg up

Select all items on track:
ctrl, alt a

Select all items in time range:
shift, alt, a

Select items under edit cursor on selected tracks:
shift, a

Select all items in project:
ctrl, a

Normalise selected items:
shift, n

Report selected items:
ctrl, shift, space

Nudge selected items left:
numpad 4
,

Nudge selected items right:
numpad 6
.

Go to start / end of looped item:
alt, shift home / end

Duplicate selected item:
ctrl, d

Fade selected item into cursor:
ctrl, alt i

Fade out selected item at cursor:
ctrl, alt o

Copy selected items in range, smart copy:
ctrl, shift, c

Cut selected items in range, smart cut:
ctrl, shift, x

Paste:
ctrl, v

Clear time selection and loop points:
esc

Clear track / item selection:
shift, esc

Pitch item properties up one semi tone:
shift )

Pitch item properties down one semi tone:
shift, (

Reset item pitch:
ctrl, backspace

Select prev / next item:
ctrl, left / right

Select all items on track:
ctrl, alt, a

Duplicate item:
ctrl, d

Item properties:
shift, f2

Item source properties:
ctrl, f2

**. Splitting and gluing.

Split currently selected item at edit cursor:
a

Split items at edit or play cursor:
s

Glue items:
ctrl, u



*. Timeline actions.

Place left time marker:
[

Place right time marker:
]

Select from play cursor to beginning:
shift, home.

Select from play cursor to end:
shift. end

Adjust left marker left:
ctrl, [

Adjust left marker right:
Ctrl, ]

Adjust right marker left:
alt, [

Adjust right marker right:
alt, ]

Clear selection:
esc

Deselect everything:
shift, esc 

Preview selection removal:
alt, space

Add a position marker:
m

Add strech marker at current position:
ctrl, m

Edit marker at cursor:
ctrl, shift enter

Delete all markers in time selection:
shift, del

Move marker to play cursor.
ctrl, numrow

**. Zoom.

Zoom in:
numpad +

Zoom out:
numpad -
Or alt, shift and + or - on main keyboard.

*. Automation.

View envelopes for last touched / current track:
shift, l

Toggle track volume envelope visible:
ctrl, alt v


Toggle track pan envelope visible:
ctrl, alt, p

Select necxt take / track envelope:
ctrl, l

Select previous take / track envelope:
ctrl, shift l

Insert envelope point for currently selected envelope:
shift, e

Edit envelope point at current position:
shift, alt e


*. Effects, sends, and effects tips.

Open FX chain dialogue:
f


Add an effect:
Depending on your preferences, if the focus isn't in a filter edit field where you can search for an effect to add, press a.

Rename a selected effect:
F2

Add effect to master track:
shift, f.

Remove selected effect:
del

To replace a selected effect in the chain:
ctrl, r

Move fx up or down in fx chain:
ctrl, shift, alt pg up / pg down

Bypass selected effect:
ctrl, b

Add preset:
shift spacebar on the plus button.

Reaper separates manufacturer from user presets. Object nav is needed to get to the user presets.

Example using NVDA's navigation keys on the number pad.

Nvda 2.
NVDA 6
NVDA Enter
NVDDA 8
NVDA2 
NVDA 6

Otherwise, to find one of your own presets, when on the preset list press the first letter of it's name.

The following apply in track view.

open FX parameters list for the current track:
p

View the master fx parameters:
shift, p

Toggle bypass all fx:
b


**. Creating sends.

Insert a new track, name it and add chosen effect. Example reverbe.

On the tracks we wish to send to the reberbe bus, in the routing options, tab over to where it says sends. Cursor down until you hear the one you want to add and stop. Be careful in this control as it's easy to add unwanted sends. The last option in the list in particular will add a send to every track, which is most likely not what you want.

After having added a send, the focus is shifted. It's easier to get to the send's controls by pressing escape, then i to go back into the routing options and tab over to the send level, pan, delete send controls.


The reverbe track in this example will have a corresponding receive element in it's track routing options. 

**. Channel routing fx

For example, to effect only one left / right channal of audio with an effect. In the effect dialogue find the 2 in 2 out button. Do not click as this will show the inaccessible pin connecter dialogue refered to by sighted users.
Instead press shift F10
here you can change the effect is recieving and sending to track channels 1 and 2. Uncheck the appropriate ones to have the effect only on one side.

**. Multichannel processing with single channel fx.

As an example, create a track with 6 channels. This is so we can separate stereo pairs of lows, mids and highs.

Add the js 3 channel splitter to the effects chain. This will split our source into 3 channels as above.

Now add the desired effect we want to process these 3 channels.

IN this effects controls window, set the listening channels to correspond to the section of the frequency spectrum you want to effect. These options are found in the 2 in 6 out menu, accessed with shift f10.

To reassemble the source into a single stereo channel, add the js 3 channel joiner plugin at the end of the chain.

Example: Using a  side chained single band compressor to duck high end frequencies.

Let's say we have a shower sound effect on track one and speach on track 2.

1. Make track 1 an 8 channel track. This is because we are using the 3 band splitter but also need 2 channels to sidechain to the compressor. We do not want to hear these but they will receive the speech from track 2.

2. Add the js 3 band splitter.

3. Add raeComp. Our single band compressor.

4. In the raeComp effects window, go to the 2 in 4 out button, and press shift f10. as we only want to use the auxiliery inputs and we only want the high frequency from channels 5 / 6, choose aux inputs 5 / 6.

5. As above. choose only outputs 5 / 6, to correspond with the high frequency portion.

6. Add the 3 band joiner.

7. On track 2, create a send to channels 7 / 8 and uncheck the master.

8. Adjust compressor settings to taste.

**. Linking fx parameters.

To have fx parameters modulated by another effect or midi command:

Within the fx chain dialogue, go to param button and press shift space.
Go to parameter modulation / midi link.
Check, link from midi or fx parameter. (Other sources are available in this dialogue, LFO, etc.)

Pay attention to the values. If a parameter being linked from, is of a type that has positive and negative values, i.e, starts at 50%, change the offset and or bassline, value here to reflect this.

Note. According to cavi lecture on this. Not all JS plugins work with this linking.

Example using bionic delay linking left and right groove controls.

1. Add the bionic delay to the track.
2. In the fx chain dialogue go to parameter context menu.
3. Go to the fx parameter submenu.
4. Go to modulation / midi link and choose the parameter to be linked, in this case, right groove.
5. Check the enable parameter modulation box and then choose from the menu, self, left groove.

**. Modulating fx parameters with LFO.

Get to this the same way as above but this time check the lfo option and adjust to taste.

To adjust the baseline, you must cursor up and down on the enable modulation checkbox. This is because it doesn't appear in the tab order.

Things to look at as well. 
Strength.
Baseline
Shape
Tempo

*. The MIDI editor.

Insert midi object at time selection:
shift, insert

Select object and open the midi editor:
ctrl, alt e

Set grid for quantization:
Use the number row.

Use left and right cursors to navigate through the object.

Use shift + cursors to select events.

Quantize to grid:
ctrl, alt q

Open event properties:
ctrl, F2


Switch to event list.
alt, 3

Switch to piano roll.
alt, 1



*. q bus generator.

Create q bus.
Select trakcs and press q.

useful actions for multiple tracks:

sws parent. 
Disabled master parent send on selected tracks.

*. snapshots

Snapshots are actions within the sws extention.

Open snapshots window:
Extensions menu.

New snapshot and edit name:
ctrl, shift, alt n

Save over current snapshot:
shift, alt s

Recall prev / next snapshot:
ctrl, alt, numpad 7 / 9

Recall current snapshot:
ctrl, alt numpad 8

By using the radio buttons and checking and unchecking the boxes in the snapshots dialogue, you can chose which elements are recalled from that snapshot.

Some useful actions:
Add selected tracks to all snapshots
delete selected tracks from all snapshots
set snapshots to mix mode
clear all snapshot filter options
save current filter options


*. sub projects

These will let you select tracks to move to a sub project for ease of management and to save resources. The material the tracks contain will be rendered as an item in the main project. You can make adjustments in the sub project, save and the item in the main one will be rendered and updated next time you load it.


Move tracks to a sub projet:
alt, u

Insert new sub project:
ctrl, alt, u

move items to sub project:
ctrl, alt u

Giving markers specific names allows you to change what gets rendered.
End of project:
=end

Notes:

DO not link a sub project to more than one main project.

If when using markers in a sub project to render an item, the item in the main project must be the same or greater size to contain it.
c

*. The sws lfo generator 

This is found in the extention menu. This works on track envelopes.

Example. Use an lfo to modulate the volume envelope.

1. Arm a track's volume envelope.
2. Press o, to open sws lfo generator.

Adjust values. The frequency is 

Frequency: Tempo linked.
Delay: designates where in the envelope the cycle will start. Also tempo linked.
Hint. Try sync 1/1 and delay 1/2.

*. Envelope processor.

Another sws extention feature. This works on the selected envelope. 

*. Envelope following.

Example. Beeping robot.  modulating a track with audio input. Using 2 tracks. 1 with a tone generator and the second with the modulation source. 

1. add the  js tone generator to track 1.

2. Change track 1 to having 4 channels.

3. Go to the fx parameter button, parameters, modulation and midi, choose parameter to be modulated. In this case, bass frrequency.

4. Check audio control sidechain as the source. Set the channels it listens on to, 3 and 4. 

5. On track 2. Create a send to channels 3 and 4 of track one. Uncheck master.

*. Tape stop fx

Example using tape stop effect.

1. Add tape stop effect.
2. Go to parem button.
3. GO to fx parameter list, modulation / midi link, choose stop / start.
4. Check use lfo.

An easier alternative using stretch markers to achieve the tape stop effect for a selected item:

1. Select the item you want to effect.

2. Insert stretch marker with ctrl m

3. Open the edit options for the marker with ctrl, shift, enter. 

4. Uncheck the link start / stop rate.

5. Leave the start rate at 1.0. Change the end rate to 0.1, the lowest i.e., slowest rate possible.

*. Cycle action editor

Found in the extention menu. Use jaws cursor or nvda object nav.

1. right click to add new cycle action, give it a name. You can press F2 to rename.

2. Right click to add steps. A step designates what happens on one key press. You can have multiple actions per step. A cycle action can't end on a step. Add actions to steps.

3. Click apply.

*. Rae Console.

Bring up the SWS extension console:
alt, c

After entering a command, use ctrl enter to execute and exit the console.

General form of commands goes.
command. target. option.
a = arm
i = input
m = mute
n = name
o = solo
p = pan, relative.
P (upper case) = pan. Absolute.
s = select
S (uppercase) = select, keeping current selection
v = volume, relative
V (upper case) = volume, absolute

To negate a command, preceed it with -:
-

Select track:
s#

To select more than one track, use upper case S. For example, selecting tracks 2 and 7:
S2, 7

Select a couple of ranges of tracks. E.g. tracks 1 through 4 and 9 through 12:
s1-4, 9-12

Wildcards

You can use the usual * as a wildcard. Examples below.

Select all:
s*

To select by name, using a wildcard:
S bass*

Solo the bass tracks:
o bass*

Name a track:
N# trackname

Set input on currently selected track. For example set input 2:
i2

To use a stereo input on the currently selected track. For example inputs 1 and 2, use s:
i1s

Set midi input. For example, using midi device 3:
i3m

Press ' to get sws command parameters.

Shift pitch up / down:
alt shift, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 0.

Nudge volume take up / down.
Shift pg up / down:

Nudge section loop length shorter / longer:
Alt, numpad 1, 3. 

Nudge section loop start earlier / later:
Ctrl numpad 1, 3

Nudge section overlap shorter / longer:
Alt numpad 7, 9

Nudge selected envelope points down / up:
Alt numpad 2 / 8

*. Links and resources
Reaper download:
http://reaper.fm/download.php

Reaper accessibility wiki:
https://reaperaccessibility.com/index.php/Main_Page

Osara:
https://osara.reaperaccessibility.com

SWS extension:
http://www.sws-extension.org/

Other reaper compatible files and settings:
https://stash.reaper.fm

CAVI courses:
http://wiki.cucat.org/index.php/Main/Audiogiveaway

Reaper Without Peepers email list:
https://groups.io/g/rwp