Using Reaper to smooth out peaks?

[Mike Stranks]

Looks like I’m not very good at this then, like everything else, you’ve got to like doing it to make a good job of it, and a I hate editing.

I don't know Reaper, but it seems like you're possibly using the wrong 'edit' command. In my editor when I 'delete' it just removes it and automatically realigns the audio. Of course, if you get it wrong you simply 'undo' and try again.

In this case I'd highlight the offending peak - often just a few milliseconds - then reduce the level on the highlighted portion, 'commit' (or whatever 'do it term you prefer) and then go on my way.

Just guessing so apologies, but are you possibly using a 'copy and paste' technique?

As for editing, I get enormous satisfaction from taking rough, fluff-ridden, snuffle-heavy audio and making it into something where 'you can't hear the join'. But then I have been doing it for over 45 years and the relief not to be rocking tape and cutting the stuff is huge!

[Hugh Robjohns]

Hugh - 10ms is the length of a tape crossfade? 30 ips? I find that interesting because in the DAW my crossfade length of choice is around 9 ms because it just feels right. Interesting.

On quarter-inch tape (6.35mm), a 45-degree razor cut would cover a quarter-inch of tape. And at 15 ips (381mm/s) the time taken to replay a 1/4-inch of tape is 16ms (6.35/381).

However, assuming we're talking about a stereo half-track machine, that razor cut only has to cover less than half the width of the tape (roughly around a third, allowing for the guard bands, actually) for each track, so the cross-fade into the new material actually lasts around 6ms.

Obviously, at 30ips the crossfade duration would be half that. And if a steeper 30-degree razor cut was employed it would be about 3-4ms at 15 ips ...and half that again at 30ips.

Also worth noting -- purely for interest -- that when editing analogue tape one channel normally crossfades slightly (4-8ms) before the other (depending which way up the edit block is!) -- unless you get sophisticated and cut fishtail edits with brass scissors!

H

[Ariosto]

I use Reaper all the time to edit narration and also music and I have never had a problem. I have it set up so when I overlap the two sections it automatically makes a cross fade and I don't even measure how long the fade is as long as it works seamlessly. I can even cut and replace a word and a tiny sound with no problems. I think Reaper is a really good DAW.

[Arpangel]

Thanks for all your help folks, but I find editing a real pain, that’s why I never wanted to become a sound engineer.
I’m going to try recording as much as I can in Midi, that way Incan easily reduce the velocity of one note, and that would do it. But that won't work with acoustic piano!

[James Perrett]

Ok - a quick guide to editing a single note in Reaper...

First make sure that you have set Reaper up to apply short crossfades between regions.

Select the note you want by clicking dragging the mouse across the timeline at the top or in some empty space above or below the track.

Highlight the region to be edited by clicking in it and then hit Shift+S to split the region before and after the note.

Go to the top of the region containing the note and drag it down to reduce the volume.

And that's it!

It takes much longer to read than to actually do it.

[Arpangel]

Ok - a quick guide to editing a single note in Reaper...

First make sure that you have set Reaper up to apply short crossfades between regions.

Select the note you want by clicking dragging the mouse across the timeline at the top or in some empty space above or below the track.

Highlight the region to be edited by clicking in it and then hit Shift+S to split the region before and after the note.

Go to the top of the region containing the note and drag it down to reduce the volume.

And that's it!

It takes much longer to read than to actually do it.

Thanks James, but that’s exactly what I’ve been doing, but I "glue" the spilt item back together after the edit, more practice I think.

[Mike Stranks]

Just a thought chaps...

Could someone perhaps do a short vid (not pics) of real-time screen-shots showing how they do this in Reaper?

Pictures and words and all that...

[Arpangel]

Just a thought chaps...

Could someone perhaps do a short vid (not pics) of real-time screen-shots showing how they do this in Reaper?

Pictures and words and all that...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hETaycChzE

[permanent_daylight]

I believe when you split in reaper there will be fade-in, but fade-out.
Crossfading, if the automatic option is on requires dragging or extending the track.
Gluing just 'bounces' the item as it was.

So to create crossfades: it seems like you just need to zoom in and drag the end and start points of this section.

They would actually only change length of volume fade since the audio would be identical.

Other way is easier. Just use volume envelopes. Make four points and pull down.

[James Perrett]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

[Arpangel]

Not for note editing is a real skill, and I don't have it, add to that note the ambience that surrounds it and you’re in for all sorts of trouble, it’s a real pain.

[Drew Stephenson]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

I think that's something you've changed at some point James. I'll check later on if i remember.

[Kwackman]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

I think that's something you've changed at some point James. I'll check later on if i remember.

That video linked above explains it.
From memory "ALT" + "X" turns it on and off.

[permanent_daylight]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

AFAIK, Reaper will only crossfade when items overlap. If you split, they don't overlap. So you get a fade out then fade in consecutively, not a crossfade.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

It's not a default action, that's for sure, and I can't see an option for it in the preferences (although that doesn't mean it's not there hidden away somewhere)... However, I suspect you've written a macro or something to do this.

I never edit audio in Reaper -- I always use SADiE and I'd forgotten why until this came up: Repear's default action appears to cut a hole at every edit point by fading down to silence and back up again, so it's no wonder that edits can't be made to work properly!

[permanent_daylight]

It can be annoying at times for sure.
But then it may be equally annoying if for every clean split it didn't cut at where you told it to cut.

Especially over looped parts, I've never been able to get the auto crossfade on that right either, so I avoid it to copy+paste many times instead.

One thing is if you do this in bulk, you CAN select all the splits and then it will drag them all into a crossfade simultaneously.

TURNING crossfade off to split is also a no as you will get the click glitch sound as familiar for unfaded audio.

There are many options however and reaper is highly customisable. I've never explored macros, commands or whatever. It usually can do anything you want but through a complicated question of "how???"

And usually MY answer is 'manually' or workaround.

[Hugh Robjohns]

But then it may be equally annoying if for every clean split it didn't cut at where you told it to cut.

The midle of the crossfade should be at the chosen edit point.

Which means for a clean split, the fade-out starts a couple of missliseconds early and finishes a couple of millieconds late. I've never once found that to be a problem... but if it ever was, it would be trivial to slide the output point a tad earlier/later, as required, or reduce the fade-out duration.

I'd certainly take that as an very occasional requirement over having to faff about to create crossfades at every single edit point....

[James Perrett]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

It's not a default action, that's for sure, and I can't see an option for it in the preferences (although that doesn't mean it's not there hidden away somewhere)... However, I suspect you've written a macro or something to do this.

I'm fairly sure that I've never written any macros for this so it is an option somewhere. I've just tried my stand-alone copy of version 6 and that doesn't crossfade so I'll see if I can work out how to do this.

[James Perrett]

It's not a default action, that's for sure, and I can't see an option for it in the preferences (although that doesn't mean it's not there hidden away somewhere)... However, I suspect you've written a macro or something to do this.

Found it!

Go to Options->Preferences->Project->Media Item Defaults and tick the box next to Overlap and crossfade items when splitting, length:

You can also choose the crossfade length, the crossfade shape and whether you want to allow different fade shapes for each side of the edit.

[Drew Stephenson]

James has, once again, beaten me to it.

[Mike Stranks]

I never edit audio in Reaper -- I always use SADiE and I'd forgotten why until this came up: Repear's default action appears to cut a hole at every edit point by fading down to silence and back up again, so it's no wonder that edits can't be made to work properly!

Aahh! I thought it might just be me...

Although I don't use Reaper - or SADiE - I have my DAW set-up so that if I want to do anything but the crudest of 'chop that chunk out' stuff I flip into my editing software - completely different package. That allows me to do all sorts of stuff that, I suspect, I couldn't even contemplate in the DAW. Horses for courses.

And of course, I'm not mainstream at all. Much of what I'm doing is tidying pre-recorded audio, prior to processing and mixing various elements in the DAW to produce either a radio prog/podcast or a soundtrack to which pictures will subsequently be added.

[Sam Spoons]

I do use Reaper, many years ago Wavelab was my goto stereo editing software but since going over to Mac's I haven't used WL. I haven't missed it a bit as I find Reaper does everything I could wish for and is just as easy to use. Makes my life simpler too using just one audio app for everything.

That crossfade tip is something I will use in future though

[Hugh Robjohns]

Found it!

Go to Options->Preferences->Project->Media Item Defaults and tick the box next to Overlap and crossfade items when splitting, length:

Brilliant -- well found. I thought I'd been through that menu, but obviously not! That does the trick. Thanks James. (I'll still be doing most of my editing in SADiE, but it's nice to know Reaper would be a realistic alternative now.)

[Arpangel]

Before I posted my instructions I checked and my copy of Reaper automatically does a crossfade on split points without the need to manually create a crossfade. Now I'm not sure whether that's something I've changed or a default but, if it isn't a default, it would be sensible to make it a default setting in your default template.

It's not a default action, that's for sure, and I can't see an option for it in the preferences (although that doesn't mean it's not there hidden away somewhere)... However, I suspect you've written a macro or something to do this.

I never edit audio in Reaper -- I always use SADiE and I'd forgotten why until this came up: Repear's default action appears to cut a hole at every edit point by fading down to silence and back up again, so it's no wonder that edits can't be made to work properly!

Sadie? Yes, I know a couple of friends that still use it. It’s favoured by classical engineers for note-for-note editing.
But I’ll check my settings in Reaper, and change them now if necessary.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Sadie? Yes, I know a couple of friends that still use it. It’s favoured by classical engineers for note-for-note editing.

And by a lot of mastering houses, and by a lot of location recording engineers... It's just been updated to 6.1.8 as well...