Getting Started with a Screen Reader

This chapter takes you from nothing installed to a named, ready-to-record project using only the keyboard and a screen reader. Each later chapter in this section follows a stage of the production in the same way, and the workflow chapters elsewhere in the manual link here whenever the screen reader route differs.

1. Install ReaClassical

Run the install command for your operating system from a terminal (macOS and Linux) or PowerShell (Windows), exactly as described in Install. The installer prints its progress as it works, asks where to install and creates a self-contained ReaClassical_<version> folder.

2. Install Clara

Clara is the accessibility bridge that lets ReaClassical speak through your screen reader. It is available for Windows and macOS.

  1. Launch REAPER from the new ReaClassical folder.
  2. Open the Terminal with Ctrl+Enter. A single-line input box asks for a "Command:".
  3. Type clara and press Enter.

Clara is downloaded and installed, any old OSARA plugin in the UserPlugins folder is removed, and REAPER restarts. From then on ReaClassical announces its actions, and its windows open as accessible, keyboard-driven versions. If you want to test announcements without Clara, the Terminal command debug=on prints them to the REAPER console and turns the accessible windows on for the current project; it is stored per project, so a new project starts with it off.

Placeholder

Recommended screen readers and settings for each operating system, and screen reader use on Linux, still need to be documented here.

3. Create a project

Press Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on macOS). The accessible Create Project walkthrough opens and speaks each step:

  1. An input box asks for the number of tracks per folder. The minimum is one, which creates a single stereo track per folder.
  2. Choose a Horizontal or Vertical workflow with ↑ and ↓ and press Enter. A horizontal workflow lays takes out left to right in one folder; a vertical workflow keeps like material together, with the takes of the same piece in separate, aligned folders. Neither is better (see Project Setup); you can convert later in Track Setup.
  3. For a vertical workflow, an input box asks for the number of source folders.

ReaClassical then hands you straight on to Track Setup so you can name your tracks.

4. Track Setup

Track Setup is the accessible counterpart of Mission Control. Open it at any time with C. Use ↑ and ↓ to move through the menu (it wraps round), Enter to choose an item and Escape to go back. Press H for a list of the shortcuts that apply where you are. The main menu is:

  • Track Naming: steps through every mixer track in turn so you can type a name for each. Use suffixes such as "left", "R" or "Pair" so that the automatic input assignment can work out which hardware input belongs to which track
  • Add Track and Remove Track: add a track to every folder (leave the name empty for a default name) or delete one from every folder
  • Reorder Track and Reorder Aux/Submix: pick up a track, move it, and put it down again; the audio and the assigned inputs move with it
  • Special Track Naming, Add Special Track and Remove Special Track: aux, submix, reference, room tone, live bounce, listenback and playback tracks
  • Other Commands: Convert Workflow, Connect All to RCM, Disconnect All from RCM, Auto Assign HW Outputs and Clear All HW Outputs
  • Mixer Control: work on a mixer track's FX chain and routing
  • Set Inputs: assign recording inputs, Auto (from the track names) or Manual

Every change you make here goes through the same code as the equivalent Terminal command, so the result is identical and is confirmed aloud. As in Mission Control, do all track management here and never directly in REAPER. See Mission Control for what each of these does.

5. Set your preferences

Press F5 to open Accessible Preferences. ↑ and ↓ move between options, Enter edits one, Backspace resets it to its default and Escape closes. A Reset All to Defaults row restores everything, and an Other Settings row holds the nudge amount, the item edge grow/shrink amount and the modifier multiplier. See Preferences.

6. Finding your way around

  • H inside a window lists that window's shortcuts for you to step through one at a time.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Shift+H (Menu Help) walks through the whole ReaClassical menu, announcing the shortcut beside each item. Up and Down browse a level, Enter opens a submenu or runs an item and Escape steps back.
  • ! repeats the last announcement.
  • Terminal help opens the full Terminal command guide.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Exit Mode) always returns you to the normal keys from any keyboard mode.
  • Alt+K (Panic Mute) silences everything that can reach your hardware outputs, and unmutes only what it muted.

If a window loses focus, pressing its shortcut again closes it and opens a fresh, focused one.