Too Long; Didn't Read

I highly encourage the user to read the full workflows documentation for the best chance of becoming an expert in ReaClassical. However, if time is short and you have an upcoming project for which you need to learn just enough to become dangerous, read the following quick workflow summaries.

Create a ReaClassical project

If not done already, create a new ReaClassical project via Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on macOS). The number of tracks should equal the combined number of stereo and mono microphone channels. If in doubt, pick a horizontal workflow.

Quick Setup

  1. Open Mission Control via C
  2. Name your tracks. Use suffixes like "left", "R", "Pair" etc so the automatic record input button can make intelligent decisions
  3. If planning to record, manually or automatically set your record inputs

Important

Save your project before continuing with other workflows.

Recording

  1. Select a parent track of a folder
  2. Press F9. This opens the ReaClassical Record Panel (also available directly via Alt+Enter) and arms the selected folder. Optionally set a session name by clicking the "Session name" text beneath the take number and typing.
  3. Monitor your signal
  4. Use the left-most buttons in the panel (or F9 again) to control recording, pausing and stopping
  5. Add ranking and notes while recording or after the fact
  6. Once all recording is completed, close the record panel (automatically disengages record-armed tracks).
  7. To give the musicians or the producer the takes so far, press Ctrl+Shift+D (Distribute Takes) to export every take as WAV, FLAC, Opus 160 or MP3 320

Importing

While it is always better to record in ReaClassical, occasionally you might need to use audio recorded by other engineers who used a different DAW.

Smart Import

Assuming that the filenaming contains at least a track name and take number separated by underscore e.g. cello_004.wav or cello_T004.wav:

  1. Ensure that you have first created an empty horizontal or vertical workflow ReaClassical project.
  2. Copy or move source material into the media subfolder inside your ReaClassical project folder (or the custom recording path set in Project Settings P, on the Media tab).
  3. Ensure that track names in the project match the channel text in the filenames
  4. If your filenames also contain a session name prior to the track name, the items will be grouped accordingly.
  5. Via the top ReaClassical menu, click on Project Management > Smart Import Audio (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+I) and, if using vertical workflow, choose distribution options.
  6. Open Mission Control to add special tracks such as aux & submix, make routing adjustments etc.

Manual Import by Dragging

  1. In your source folder, select items that should be aligned vertically (for example, every channel for particular take) and drag into the ReaClassical project being sure to drop onto one of the folders created by ReaClassical with a track count that matches the number of files you selected. Choose the option "Same time position on separate tracks"
  2. Continue as above for each take
  3. Open Mission Control C to add special tracks such as aux & submix, make routing adjustments etc.

Auditioning

Audition your material via mouse hover + A on parent or child tracks. Use mixer mute and solo buttons to further customize what you hear.

Editing

  1. Set destination IN and OUT markers via 1 and 2
  2. Set source IN and OUT markers via 3 and 4
  3. Press 5 to make the source-destination edit (2-, 3- or 4-point edit depending on how many markers you set), or F4 to make a time-stretched S-D edit (requires all 4 markers), or if only using destination IN marker and both source markers, F3 for an "assembly" or 3-point "insert" edit
  4. To finesse the edit, click on the right item of a crossfade pair and press F

Mixing

  1. Add FX, change routing, and optionally adjust volume, panning etc via Mission Control C
  2. For level changes over a passage (for example, pulling down a spot microphone), select the destination or source track, make a time selection and press I. Set the level and optional ramp in/out lengths and click Apply Automation. A time selection is required
  3. For "scenes" that change the whole mixer from one album piece to the next, open the Mixer Snapshot Manager via Shift+M, select an item on the first (destination) folder, adjust the mixer and click Set Snapshot.... Snapshots are tied to items and are recalled automatically during playback
  4. Before rendering, click Convert to Automation in the Snapshot Manager to turn the snapshots into real automation

Mastering

  1. The album is built on the first (destination) folder, so make sure your finished edit is there
  2. Remove all names from items on the parent track aside from those you want to be track starts. You can clear all items on the folder track via Ctrl+T
  3. Enter track start names via the Notes window N
  4. Press Y to open the metadata editor

Rendering

  1. Press Y to open the DDP Metadata Editor
  2. Choose the sample rate, bit depth and dither (and a track range if you only need some CD tracks)
  3. Click one of the Render buttons at the bottom of the window (DDP, Cue Audio, WAV, FLAC, Opus 160, MP3 320 or M: Stems), or Custom to open REAPER's render dialog first. For a quick loudness and peak check, use the dry run option in REAPER's render dialog (R)

Screen reader users (Clara)

Every workflow above has a keyboard-driven, screen-reader-friendly equivalent. See the Accessibility section for the overview and each workflow chapter for the details.