KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Sadly, REAPER does not have a built-in drum machine or MIDI drum generator. REAPER is an incredible DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Still, it must improve in virtual instruments, audio samples, or a drum machine.
REAPER Drum Machine
As a music producer, it’s essential that you know your needs and what equipment is best for your studio setup.
You will waste your time and money on the wrong gear if you do not.
I have been using REAPER for over five years and understand its features and functions significantly.
In this article, we will see if REAPER has a built-in drum machine and if you can use the DAW to arrange drum tracks.
Does REAPER Have A Drum Machine?
Unfortunately, REAPER does not have a built-in drum machine or MIDI drum generator.
I love REAPER, and it is my DAW of choice. Still, it does not include as many built-in music production resources as other DAWs, such as FL Studio or Logic Pro. This is part of the reason that the license cost for REAPER is so reasonable.
READ NEXT:
If you want to use a drum machine, maybe you want to make beats. Check out our article on whether REAPER is good enough to make beats.
Can You Use A Third-Party Drum Machine/Drum Generator In REAPER?
Yes! REAPER works very well with almost all third-party plugins and virtual instruments.
You will have no problem using your favorite drum plugins in REAPER.
Can You Program Drums In REAPER?
Although REAPER has no built-in drum machine, you can still program and arrange drum tracks.
With REAPER’s tools, functions, and resources, you will use your virtual drum machine plugin or drum samples of choice.
For example, you can use REAPER’s MIDI editor to adjust the velocity of and quantize MIDI data. On top of this, the DAW has many more helpful features for programming drums.
READ NEXT:
Check out our article on using drum samples in REAPER to learn how to use REAPER for your drum machine needs.
Is REAPER Good For Editing?
Yes! Whether you are working with audio or MIDI, editing in REAPER is a breeze.
This is one of the main reasons that it is my DAW of choice.
REAPER MIDI Editor
Let’s take a look at the REAPER MIDI editor. This is a tool within REAPER that allows you to edit MIDI data.
You can use it to quantize and adjust the velocity of MIDI data and rearrange the MIDI notes.
Quantizing MIDI Drum Parts In REAPER
To quantize a MIDI drum part in REAPER, open up the MIDI editor by double-clicking the MIDI part you want to work with.
From here, click the ‘Q‘ icon in the toolbar to open up the quantize function.
Now you can set and adjust your parameters for how you want to quantize your MIDI data. As you can see, many different controls will allow you to quantize your MIDI drums precisely as you need.
Using REAPER, quantizing drum tracks is about as easy as it gets.
Final Words
As you can see, REAPER does not have a built-in drum machine as some other DAWs do.
You can still use it to arrange and program drum parts using your third-party virtual instruments and audio samples.
I have been using REAPER for years and have never had trouble arranging killer drum tracks!
Although it requires purchasing some of your own third-party plugins and resources, arranging drums in REAPER is a breeze once you do so.
The MIDI editor and other features make working with MIDI in REAPER a breeze.
Related Questions
Does REAPER Come With Plugins?
Yes, REAPER comes with a complete collection of mixing and mastering plugins.
This collection includes EQs, compressors, reverbs, delays, noise gates, limiters, saturation plugins, and anything else you might need to produce professional music.
Does REAPER Come With Any Virtual Instruments?
Unfortunately, REAPER does not come with virtual instruments other than ‘ReaSynth.’
ReaSynth is a very basic synthesizer plugin. It is very limited in its function, but it can be helpful in some situations.
Is REAPER Free?
REAPER is available for a free 60-day trial, but it is not free.
After your trial, you must purchase a license to use the digital audio workstation legally.
Can You Use An Electronic Drum Kit With REAPER?
Using REAPER, you can easily record physical instruments such as an electronic drum kit.
Remember, depending on your computer and drum kit; you might need an audio interface to do so effectively.
Can You Use REAPER To Quantize MIDI Data?
Yes, REAPER’s MIDI editor has a quantize function that you can use to quickly and easily quantize MIDI data.
READ NEXT:
Once your drums are programmed, it’s time to process them. To learn this, read our tutorial on how to EQ drums.
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