Record and edit music with Reaper

Your computer can act as a powerful audio-editing tool and Reaper is an affordable way to get started.

Ominous as the name might sound, it stands for Rapid Environment for Audio Production, Engineering and Recording.

Installation is simple. The most complicated part is selecting an audio device the Settings window the first time that Reaper starts. There is plenty of help on offer from the Reaper website and you can download a 400-page manual as a PDF.

Reaper has a 64-bit audio engine that can use as many tracks as the computer can handle. It includes sidechain support. This is where an effect on one track is controlled by the audio from another, common in dance music to lower the volume of the bass line in sync with drum beats.

MIDI audio is supported as well and Reaper can be used with many different control surfaces such as keyboards, faders and even game controllers.

There are plenty of plug ins supplied with Reaper and it can use almost any third-party plugins including VST, VSTi, DX and DXi.

Reaper is a small install compared to many other music-making programs although this is mostly due to the fact that there are no audio samples included in the package. It can even be run from a USB memory key for recording and editing on the move.

This is not a free product but home users can buy it for just $40, which is a real bargain compared to many other similar programs. This download is a 30-day trial.