Mixing with a Screen Reader
This chapter follows the mixing workflow. The mixer itself is controlled with Mixer Mode, the snapshot manager and the automation windows are keyboard-driven, and every change is announced.
Setting Up the Mixer
Use Track Setup (C) to add FX chains, routing, aux and submix tracks and hardware outputs. Open a track's FX chain or routing from Track Setup's Mixer Control, or from Mixer Mode with F and R. See Getting Started with a Screen Reader.
Mixer Mode
Press Alt+S for Mixer Mode. ↓ and ↑ move between the mixer, aux, submix and other special tracks, and a single key changes the level, pan, mute, solo or polarity of the current track without touching REAPER's track selection. Grouping keys build groups of tracks. See Mixer Mode for every key. Press Enter to hear the current track's status and I its input.
Mixer Track Grouping
The accessible Mixer Track Grouping window manages groups of mixer tracks. ↑ and ↓ browse the groups and a New group row creates one. Enter opens a group, where you can rename it, choose which special tracks are members and switch on or off whether each of mute, solo, pan, fader, automation and polarity fans out across the group.
Mixer Snapshots
Snapshots are mixer scenes tied to items on the first (destination) folder.
- To capture one quickly, select an item on the first folder and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S (Snapshot Add)
- Shift+M opens the accessible Snapshot Settings, which covers the same ground as the sighted Mixer Snapshot Manager: the bank picker, adding and updating a snapshot, browsing, recalling, deleting and annotating existing snapshots, the recall settings (auto-recall, the gap folder, the nine per-parameter recall switches, switching mid-gap and background auto-recall) and converting to or clearing automation
- Before you render, convert to real automation. Snapshots recall in real time and are unreliable in a faster-than-realtime render
See Mixing for how recall, banks and conversion work.
Volume and FX Automation
I opens the Automation Navigator, a keyboard walkthrough for inserting automation over a time selection. Make a time selection first. You choose the track (press Shift+Enter to toggle several tracks and apply to them in one pass), then the envelope or FX parameter, then the level and optional ramp in and out. You hear the level you are choosing while you dial it in, but ramps cannot be previewed.
Ctrl+I opens Edit Automation for an existing automation item. Alt+D and Alt+E show and hide automation lanes, Shift+← and Shift+→ move between automation items and Ctrl+Shift+↑ and Ctrl+Shift+↓ move between envelope lanes.
The first time you create an automation item, ReaClassical turns on automation mode, which locks the source-folder items and sets ripple editing to all tracks, so a ripple edit on the destination carries the automation along.
Hardware Outputs and Panic Mute
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T toggles the mute on RCMASTER's own hardware output sends. If any is unmuted it mutes them all, and it only unmutes when all are muted. Alt+K is Panic Mute, which silences everything that can reach your hardware outputs and later unmutes only the tracks it muted itself. It is available in every keyboard mode.
Checking Levels
- Alt+P announces the RCMASTER peak level
- Shift+P opens the accessible Peak and Overs Check, which announces the peak position and the number of overs, moves the edit cursor to the peak and lets you browse the overs
- The Terminal has fast level commands, such as setting a fader or muting by track number. See The Terminal