REAPER 7.73

REAPER (by Cockos): Professional, Lightweight, and Deeply Customizable DAW

REAPER from Cockos is a full-featured digital audio workstation (DAW) prized for its performance, flexibility, and value. With a compact installer, native builds for Windows, macOS (including Apple Silicon), and Linux, and wide plugin support (VST, VST3, AU, JSFX), REAPER delivers professional recording, editing, mixing, and mastering tools in a low-overhead package that suits hobbyists and studios alike.

Why REAPER Stands Out

• Generous evaluation and licensing: REAPER offers a fully functional evaluation period with no artificial track or feature limits. Licenses are reasonably priced (discounted and commercial tiers), making the DAW highly accessible for individuals and small businesses.
• Small footprint, high performance: The installer is compact and REAPER is optimized for low CPU and memory use, enabling stable multitrack sessions on modest hardware.
• Extensive plugin and format support: Hosts VST, VST3, AU (macOS), JSFX and more; runs third-party instruments and effects with predictable stability.
• Powerful routing and automation: Flexible audio/MIDI routing, folder tracks, sends/receives, sidechaining and deep automation let you build complex signal chains.
• Deep scripting and customization: ReaScript (Lua, EEL, Python), JSFX and a rich API let users create custom actions, macros, and extensions (ReaPack is widely used for community scripts and packages).

Core Features and Workflow

• Multi-track audio and MIDI recording with punch-in/punch-out, loop recording and comping tools.
• Precision editing: ripple editing, transient detection, time-stretching, pitch-shifting, item-based FX and crossfades.
• Integrated mixer with per-track FX chains, flexible sends/returns, and full automation lanes.
• Video import and sync support for basic picture editing and scoring to picture, useful for game audio and multimedia projects.
• Batch file rendering, region-based exports, and extensive file format compatibility for delivery-ready stems and mixes.

Customization, Scripting, and Community Extensions

REAPER’s strength is how much you can shape it: skins and theme tweaks, customizable toolbars, keyboard shortcuts and mouse modifiers. ReaScript enables advanced automation and custom tools; a large community shares scripts, themes and extensions via ReaPack and the Cockos forums, keeping a steady flow of user-created utility and workflow improvements.

Compatibility and Hardware Integration

• Native support across Windows, macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Linux builds; installers and portable versions available from the Cockos download page.
• Supports common control surfaces, MIDI controllers, OSC and networked control for hands-on mixing and performance control.
• Works with audio interfaces at ASIO, WASAPI, Core Audio or ALSA levels and supports high sample rates and large buffer sizes for flexible latency management.

Updates, Support and Documentation

Cockos publishes frequent updates and changelogs that add features, fix bugs and refine performance. Official documentation, built-in help, active forums and community tutorials make learning and troubleshooting straightforward for new and advanced users.

Notes on Naming: Unrelated Mobile Title

If you search for "Reaper" you may also encounter a separate mobile game called Reaper by Hexage (available on Google Play). That title is an action game and is not related to Cockos REAPER, the DAW described here.