It’s far too easy to get into a confusing and messy situation with the reaper takes system, especially when working with multiple tracks at once.

Here is my workflow for managing takes during the recording process. I’ll make a video of this later.

Options and preferences
Preferences > Project> Media Item Defaults – loop source recorded items OFF
Options> Record Mode Normal
Options> Autocrossfade media items when editing OFF *
Options> New recording that overlaps existing media items – Split existing items and creates new takes (default)
Options> Show all takes in lanes OFF **
Options> Take Lane Behaviour – Display empty takes ON
Options> Take Lane Behaviour – Allow selecting empty
Options> Show overlapping Media items in lanes OFF

All of these options and preferences could be set with a custom toolbar button, and another to revert to normal recording mode.

Tracking
Arm all tracks.
After first recording group items.
Extend right-edge of items beyond end of song. *
If a take ends short, extend the item to the full length of the song *
After punching in extend left and right edges to complete length of song. *
Don’t do any editing until you are finished recording.

item_end

Comping
Turn auto crossfade on again.
Delete anything obviously bad or unusable. Comping from 4 or 5 solid takes should be more than enough.
Usually the last take is best. Start your edits here.
Go through the song and split when you reach an error. Go to previous take with keyboard shortcut ** and continue editing.

Custom Toolbar
You may find it helpful to use a custom toolbar with common take edit actions such as:
Previous take
Next take
Crop to active take
Implode items across tracks into takes
Explode takes of items across tracks
Delete active take from items
Paste as new take in item

* normally you would keep this on but it will prevent take organization during tracking because dragging the edge will result in a long crossfade.

** when multi-track recording you need this off because grouping doesn’t work when selecting takes with the mouse. It is very important to use key commands or toolbar buttons for previous and next take.
** v5.24 added grouped take switching via mouse. You might still find it easier/faster to switch with the keyboard.

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20 responses to “Working with Takes in REAPER”

  1. Phillip Barker Avatar

    The last take is the best? That’s the one where I usually throw the instrument down in disgust and start editing

  2. Fredrik Källberg Avatar
    Fredrik Källberg

    the keyboard shortcut to switch takes solution is exactly what i was going to go and search for today! It pays to visit the reaper blog before google.

  3. Mike W Avatar
    Mike W

    I have to agree with Phillip. It always seems like the first or second take is the best. Where you were most inspired. I do other takes to correct a part in first take. Please make a video of your procedure. I have to admit. editing “takes” is a weak point for me. Seems like I go though a lot of steps to do it right. i’m sure there is a much simpler way than what I’m doing.

    1. Admin Avatar
      Admin

      One thing I’ve never understood, If first or second take is best why keep on recording?

      I just thought of something to add to the post – delete anything obviously bad or unusable. Comping from 4 or 5 solid takes should be more than enough.

      1. Mike W Avatar
        Mike W

        Because someone with 30 years+ experience such as I. Am never happy with a first take. Even one note or timing or a hundred other things I always feel I could do better. Only to discover after your tenth take or so, you realize that energy or inspiration you had in that first take you will never match. Alas your best bet is to patch it up with bits and pieces from other takes to fix the few things you didn’t like to begin with. Even that doesn’t work a lot of times. So you just leave that first take alone blemishes and all… Being a perfectionist is the devil….. LOL

  4. Frank Nitsch Avatar
    Frank Nitsch

    I also would love to see a video demonstrating your workflow with takes. What i don’t really get is the thing with extending even punched in recordings to the length of the song and your explanation of splitting as soon as you hear an error. That’s clear, but then selecting the previous take? Maybe I have a slight idea what you mean, but not 100% sure.
    The main problem I always have with multiple takes is this: I notice there is some part that needs to be redone. I would separate it using splits before and after the error. The I select it (the take with the error), choose “auto-punch selected items” as the recording mode, create a time selection for looping over the same part multiple times – starting a bit before the item and ending a bit after it. This is what happens: when I stop recording in the middle of the part, it will split the takes at that point. It’s a PAITA to deal with this messed up situation. My assumption was that choosing something different from “Split existing items and creates new takes (default)” for “Options> New recording that overlaps existing media items” could be the solution, but it looks like you’re using this with no problems. I would love to learn more about this and how you deal with takes. 😉

  5. Tigegrdyret Avatar
    Tigegrdyret

    Fine article, but you seem to be just telling us what you do without giving any explaination to the benefits of your workflow.

    1. Admin Avatar
      Admin

      you make a good point, I didn’t explain that well. If you don’t use my workflow you end up with a split in your items wherever you start and stop recording, you end up with take lanes of different lengths and when changing takes on multiple tracks is confusing.

  6. Eoghan Tyrrell Avatar

    Is there a way to stop left-mouse-click from selecting a different take? I have shortcuts assigned to cycle through takes. I would like to reserve left-mouse-click for item selection only and be able to select different items without changing take.

    1. Admin Avatar
      Admin

      2 ways: A, Lock the item. B, disable “show multiple takes in lanes” option. Only the active take is visible.

  7. per gunnar Merakerli Avatar

    can I ask you pleasw . I come from the ONAR platform, and I am used to be able to record audio, like I record MIDI. that is : to record onver a track with audio, be able to hear all recorded, an then of, course be able to listen to all clips recordod over previous audio. I see that many of the big name DAW dont ahve this feature, I and I really dont unsderstand why ??

  8. George Keenan Avatar
    George Keenan

    Hi there. Did you ever produce a video that illustrates your process? If so I was unable to (easily) location it. If you did would you provide a link to it. Great work and thanks

  9. George Keenan Avatar
    George Keenan

    Never mind. Found this https://youtu.be/AL4bTfe4pfs

  10. Tony P Avatar
    Tony P

    How can you make it default so that every new take gets its own new track?

  11. lissagc Avatar
    lissagc

    I am doing some dubbing from home, as the studios I work for are obviously trying to limit the number of actors/engineers, for all of our protection. Unfortunately (or fortunately) there is a greater need for content and I am a TERRIBLE engineer and not particularly tech savvy.

    Can you tell me if there is a way for me to consolidate all takes within a track, into one file to send to my director? In some episodes, I have 15 minutes of video between my lines and I need to jump from timecode to timecode to get it done. but I need the track to be sent as one file. Does that even make sense???

    1. Admin Avatar
      Admin

      Hi Lissa
      I think I can picture what your project looks like.

      I’d suggest marking the parts you want to keep with Regions, then copy or move the regions into order in another part of the project. When you’re ready to export, make a time selection from the start to end of the parts you want to send, then render as a WAV file.

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