DAW software lacks innovation

Or write your own software, build up support for it, and create a loyal and enthusiastic user base. It's a helluva lot easier to type five generalized paragraphs than to do the actual work. And there are other, radically different approaches out there. Bidule, Csound, Temper, etc. Show us what you got, home slice.

Jens, No need to feel so defensive. :-) Its not about the specifics, its about the general design of Reaper. And all other DAW software Ive tested too, because theyre pretty much the same. Let me ask you: How long time did it take before you fully understood the signal routing in reaper? Was it hard? For me it was, and Im not new to this. Can you always configure all projects exactly like you want them? Just imagine how calculation was done before the spreadsheet metaphore (Excel etc). DAW software is at that point, BEFORE someone came up with a much simpler work model. I could outline a new work model for DAWs, but that would be long-winding again, that you dont like... ;-)

This is just a case of mindsets. I think some of us just view life differently. There's always going to be a minority for any kind of software approach. The software developers don't make any profit from designing for the minority. A company would have to have "BALLS" to put out a DAW with no demo crippling and assume people would pay money for it even though they could just keep using it. Ahem...

For me, the routing in Reaper is one of the best features. I was able to understand it quickly, and it's extremely capable. I'm not saying that I'm smarter than you.. I'm suggesting that peoples' abilities with software are vastly different. So to you what is a lack of innovation is an excellend design to me. Please be open minded that your experience is not necessarily true for everyone. That way you can avoid a blanket generalization.

B-On, Let me tell you something. Reaper is my first experience with computer recording. I have had 20+ years recording using 4 and 8 track machines. That is where MY experience began. Reaper is only an extension of that same practice but simpler. Or more complicated, depending how deep you need to go. I now have software to last a lifetime of learning. I have learned so much but, at my own pace. Just my two cents! Bardo

Have you looked at Tracktion? Version 2 was amazing, and from what I can tell fits most/all of the criteria you mentioned. Unfortunately, it didn't sell well, so Mackie put out a steaming turd called Version 3 and hasn't even bothered to fix some giant bugs. Oh well.

Well I have to agree with the OP that REAPER is more or less a "traditional" DAW. Of course there is an emphasis on evolution more then innovation. I tend to think the DAWs that attempt to innovate too much end up too obscure. So, there's a comfort factor to consider. B-on don't go away! I, along with most others here I imagine, would LOVE to hear your thoughts on some innovations you think would benefit us. This is a company where you may see some of those ideas take fruition.

I do not think that B-on is somehow critic about Reaper. You can discuss the problems and solutions in Reaper Bug Reports section or How To's section. I think he is expecting it to be somewhat different even advanced in ideas about music. Oh, please excuse me if it is only about the source coding and not for the music. There is a sentence which tells: "If you do not know where you are going you will get somewhere else!" I think in music industry scandal is always a successive strategy. That's why I think that some conceptual innovative "scandal" could be the Reaper furor if supported by Reaper. And to be innovative you do not have necessary think about the future because: "Every new thing is a well forgotten old!" So lets make Reaper innovative and not competitive. Cause personaly I do not need "The cheaper clone of Cubendo, Sonartude or Logictools". Everything is about the profit and money in this world. But I think there are programmers which make an art with the possibilities of their minds, not only for the fast and furious, multi-functioning code ever. Reaper can win with "technology", not with debugness (is there a suitable word for that in english ). And yes, that is a talk, not a walk. Because to make the walk you first will have to know where you are going, 'cause you might get somewhere else. :) The market competition is not about the price. It is about the creative inventions which take the place in a certain industry. The price battle is a matter of speculation (you see the petrol). Hm-m, there are alternative technologies a few peoples talk about from a century I think. :)

its not about sensitivity, its about "whats the point" and basically posts like this that lack specifics can easily be interpreted as trolling, although im sure thats not what the OP intended, people dont take kindly to that, anywher.

This is somewhat amusing, given the relentless pressure on the Reaper team to build stuff, 'just like other Daws'. A quick glance through a brief search in the feature requests would reveal the number of threads and posts asking for Tool icons, like the rest, just to give one example....... :)