ReaDelay is an incredibly flexible delay plugin with a ton of options. With ReaControlMIDI, you can create custom mappings for any plugin or control surface and quickly recall them with just one click. ReaControlMIDI is a powerful MIDI control plugin that allows you to easily map any knob, slider, or button on your MIDI controller to any parameter in the DAW. If you’re unfamiliar with compression, check out Saher Galt’s tutorial, which to me is the best explanation for beginners: You can choose from several predefined compression styles or dig into the parameters to craft your own unique compression sound. ReaComp is a compressor-limiter plugin that’s perfect for taming dynamic range, controlling volume levels, and adding punch. Reaper comes pre-loaded with some incredible stock plugins, including mixing plugins and some powerful utility plugins. When you install Reaper, it will ask if you’d like to install Reaper’s stock plugins.

Best Reaper pluginsĪlright, now that we’ve covered the logistics of manipulating Reaper plugins, let’s dive into some of the best Reaper plugins for producing music. If you want to disable specific plugins, click the FX button to reveal the FX window and un-check the boxes of whatever plugins you want to bypass. In Reaper, you can disable all plugins on a track by clicking the power button on that specific track. Alternatively, you can click the “FX” button on any track and delete or add VSTs to your liking.Right-click the Track area and click “Insert virtual instrument on new track…”.Once your plugins have been added to Reaper, you can now open and use them. Click “Re-scan” to add the plugin to your Reaper plugin index.Make sure to extract your plugin files into one of those folder paths.The path field is where Reaper will search for plugins.In the left-hand pane, scroll down to VST.

Open the Preferences window via Options -> Preferences.

Troubleshooting issues and FAQs about Reaper pluginsīefore we get into the good stuff, let’s talk about the logistics of how to add plugins to Reaper.We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s dive in. In this comprehensive post, we’ll explore all the best plugins for Reaper, what they do, and how to find free alternatives for popular plugins so money is never an obstacle to your creativity. Heck, between you, me, and the rest of the internet, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on mixing plugins, and sometimes I still reach for the stock Reaper alternatives. And opening up the software for the first time can be very overwhelming, especially for folks who aren’t natural tinkerers.īut if you’re willing to dig a bit, Reaper is home to some perfectly good built-in plugins that can give you everything you need to produce amazing music. I’ve used Reaper to produce video game soundtracks, record singer-songwriter tracks, and even edit videos from time to time.īut for all Reaper’s benefits, one thing it does not do is hold your hand. I love the open-source feel of the DAW, the company’s overall philosophy and generosity, and Reaper’s incredibly supportive and creative community. Let me just say - Reaper will always have a special place in my heart. If you’re brand new to music production and you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get started, this post on using Reaper plugins is for you.

Free reaper obs plugins