InstallingReaperOSARAAndSWS

Installing reaper and dependencies for audio

If you want more free resources check out
http://www.cucat.org/au/freeaudio

Before you can open reaper, we first need to install a few things in order to make it work for us. By default, reaper does not support screen reader functionality natively but with some help from a few extra programs, this becomes a lot easier to work with.

Installing Reaper

Head over to http://www.reaper.fm and download the 32-bit latest copy of reaper for Windows. At this time, there are a number of advantages to installing a 32-bit Reaper over a 64-bit Reaper.

• 32-bit Reaper is more stable and crashes less than the 64-bit version.
• 32-bit Reaper will allow you to access 32-bit DirectX affects which are inaccessible from a 64-bit program.

64-bit reaper does tend to render faster than the 32-bit version and can access much more memory than the 32-bit version. In practice however very few projects require 64-bit Reaper. If you seriously think you need this consider installing a portable copy for experimentation. the course will assume 32-bit Reaper.

Once you have downloaded the installer, run it and accept the defaults. At the end of the install you will be asked if you wish to launch reaper. It may pay to do this and set your default audio devices to something sensible before you continue so you do not get surprises when you start to edit.

Installing SWS/S&M

SWS is an extension to Reaper that adds all sorts of handy extensions and features to the base Reaper install. SWS is required by the default keymap installed with OSARA so it is a good idea to install it now. Head over to
http://www.sws-extension.org/ and grab the 32-bit version of the extension for your 32-bit Reaper. People playing with portable Reaper or 64-bit installs proceed at your own risk and if it breaks you get to keep both pieces.

Make sure reaper is closed before you install.

Accept the defaults in the installer and allow the program to install.

installing OSARA

OSARA stands for Open Source Access to the Reaper Application and is the bridge that allows Reaper to be used by those using screen readers. Go to the
OSARA GitHub Page You can fetch an executable installer from the OSARA development Snapshot page which unless it moves can be found here:
http://www.nvaccess.org/files/osara/snapshots.html Download the latest snapshot and install it.

A download from the snapshot page above is recommended so you get the latest and greatest version.OSARA is development code so do expect some bugs and strangeness although most of the core functionality is in production use by many people. If you find a bug that you can reproduce, discuss it with the class and possibly file a ticket on the issue.

During the install, you will be asked if you wish to install the default OSARA keymap. If you have not made any changes to Reaper's keyboard settings it is safe to install the OSARA keymap. If you have made changes to your Keyboard settings in Reaper you may wish to say no here, and manually import the OSARA keymap later. Those just getting started with OSARA should just install the base keymap.