Reaper: is Cockos still alive and well?

[frame]

Having recently returned to using Reaper after poking at it a bit a long time ago, I did the decent thing and bought a license. I was emailed a long string of characters that far exceeded the code the software seemed to be expecting, so I contacted Cockos support. No reply, so I tried to register on their user forum to enquire there and got an automated response telling me to await confirmation, only that hasn't arrived either. Anyone got any insights? Hopefully the company's still functioning as they have my $60. Any info?

[James Perrett]

Well Justin and Schwa certainly seem to be actively developing the software. They were last seen fixing bugs in the next version yesterday.

These are the instructions for registering Reaper - have you followed them exactly? Normally it will detect that your license key is in the clipboard when you choose the About menu option.

Instructions:

1) Download and install REAPER, if you have not already, from https://www.reaper.fm/download.php

2) Select the license key above, including both "--- cut ---" lines.

3) Copy the text (using Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+C on macOS, or by choosing "Copy" from your mail program's Edit menu).

4) Run REAPER, or REAPER is already running, open the Help menu and choose "About REAPER.".

5) If you successfully selected and copied the license text, REAPER will ask you if you wish to import the license.

6) If REAPER does not prompt to import the license, check to make sure that the license text is in the clipboard. You
can do this by running Notepad or TextEdit, and pasting the license key text into it. Once the text is in the
clipboard, closing and re-opening REAPER's about box will cause REAPER to look for the license key again.

If you have trouble with importing the key, you can reply to this message and we will try to help you.

[frame]

Perhaps I should clarify the problem, so here's an extract from my email to Cockos. I've replaced some of the characters with the same number of Xs just in case there's any security aspect:

My installation of Reaper (it's on another machine that I don't use online due to the OS no longer being secure) is asking for a 32-character code, but what I've been sent doesn't seem to be that! Can you help? Thanks/

Thank you for your REAPER license purchase!

This email contains your license information -- please save this email, and keep a copy in a safe place.

Purchase reference: FastSpring Order REAPxxxxxxxxxxxxx

--- cut ---
Name: xxxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxxxxxxx
Version: 7 (valid through 8.x)
Type: Non-commercial
Created on: xxxxxxxxxxxx

:REAPER LICENSE
sI7530MCUAtdPQzYvi4tYf0IqezRKJc4P1C5Oxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
wMsLXywJa5DJOTsv+0G2/aA57+7EBZ8xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0c/K3KhmP
iKnfS9QNXg2FIYdBDHxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxngXlqjpn08JwclWG88w6Bm
D1GbdPL4CZEw73bxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGFMkU1tzlVdwxqyqcoFkiucw
h8V8LZK9GFQQ+AEw1jwxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxKeid+s4YYbYBvUBjZdvTKLTT
4C/zdo5bumg24Q71/NxxxxxxxxxxxxxGA+socU8BA==
:END
--- cut ---

[James Perrett]

Do you have a working copy of Reaper on the machine (albeit with the nag screen)?

If so, before you run Reaper copy the --cut-- lines and all the text between them to the clipboard. It is important to copy the --cut-- lines and not just the text between them.

Run Reaper and then choose Help->About.

Does it detect the text on the clipboard?

[Martin Walker]

Hi frame, and welcome to the SOS Forums!

Just to double-check for you, I've just done a test by removing the license key from my own Reaper install, so that its title line reverted to REAPER V7.43 - EVALUATION LICENSE (this is what James has just described as a working copy of Reaper with the nag screen)

I was emailed a long string of characters that far exceeded the code the software seemed to be expecting

I just copied my long license key onto the Windows clipboard using the Ctrl-C shortcut (just as James describes above), opened Reaper and clicked on Help/About REAPER and it opened a dialog that read:

reaper-license.jpg (20.31 KiB) Viewed 1978 times

Clicking on the OK button licensed my copy automatically (it was exactly what the software was expecting!), but even if I instead clicked the Cancel button, Reaper just took me to the Purchase tab of its About dialog, where I could instead click on the 'Import license key' button.

Honestly, I've never come across an application that makes it easier to authorise.

Martin

[shufflebeat]

I’ve just changed my laptop and moved my licence from the old one (Windows) to the new one (Mac) with no issue. It was the same licence so no jiggery-pokery from the sales dept requiring more £££, classy - very Reaper.

@OP - the format you show and describe looks very similar to the one I shipped across.

[frame]

I'm using an early version of Reaper, so while I'd prefer not to upgrade it I can only assume I'll have to. This is what I get when I attempt to register it - nothing to do with importing anything. I can only assume that this method no longer works. My actual question was whether anyone had proof of life at Cockos due to their email silence as detailed previously, so thanks for that info, anyway.

[color=#0000FF] [i]Link removed as it is inaccessible — HR[/i] [/color]

[shufflebeat]

If you’ve just bought a licence then it’s for an up to date version. Grab it with both hands and make full use of the devs’ efforts. I can’t think of any benefit of old over new, except for the Windows Vista retro warmth, of course.

The regular updates I get are as good an indicator as any that Cockos are alive and kicking, despite not answering unsolicited emails. I suspect their answer would be, “full instructions have been provided”.

Any issues I’ve had have been addressed by other Reaper users on the forum which, incidentally, is probably a better way to attract the attention of the devs as they are fairly frequent contributors as users themselves.

[James Perrett]

I'm using an early version of Reaper, so while I'd prefer not to upgrade it I can only assume I'll have to.

If you look at the message that they sent you then you'll see that it specifically mentions versions 7 and 8. The only reason I can think of for trying to use an early version would be to use it on a Windows 98 computer. Version 7 works on Windows XP and later and is still just as efficiently coded as the older versions.

[frame]

All good and indeed true, so the fact that the license won't work on earlier versions should have been made clear at the point of purchase rather than in a message sent after the fact, should it not? The reason I liked using the early version was the saving of RAM overhead on the older laptops that I prefer to use for live work. I'm aware that this has become more efficient as versions have progressed, but as I implied in my original post, I've not actively kept up with any of the interim versions between earliest and latest. In any event, none of this has anything to do with Cockos setting up both a support address and a forum and then ignoring attempts to engage with them (these weren't 'unsolicited emails' as someone suggested here).

[ef37a]

You had me worried for a moment there frame so I have just checked Reaper I paid for on this Lenovo W11 laptop I have got for my son.
Phew! All is well. Reaper booted into view PDQ and no nag!

Dave.

[Drew Stephenson]

If you go to the bottom of the Reaper homepage there's a download option and you can get to the old versions from there, right back to v1.

But fundamentally yes, the absence of any response from the support line is very disappointing.

[Albatross]

Yes Drew but you need the specific license for the release range to run them nag free. I still run 2.58.

You know that they are really good guys over at Cockos. I bet if you email them and tell them the exact issue and that you want to use your $60 to run a specific older version they may well fix you up. You might have to wait a bit but I bet they will help you. And it is possible to run an old version and newer versions on the same machine with multiple licenses. Give them another try.

[Philbo King]

If you have a license for an old version you never have to buy another to keep running it.

[Drew Stephenson]

Yeah, my understanding was that licences were completely backward compatible?

[Wonks]

It took Steinberg almost 3 months to respond to my Cubase licensing query, and it wasn’t an issue that could be solved via a forum.

I don’t know how long you’ve waited for a response from Cockos, but I bet it’s not as long as that.

[Zukan]

It took Steinberg almost 3 months to respond to my Cubase licensing query, and it wasn’t an issue that could be solved via a forum.

I don’t know how long you’ve waited for a response from Cockos, but I bet it’s not as long as that.

They must love you. I bet you wore your Sos mankini when raising a ticket.