Grim Crash with Reaper

[rayc]

Grrr,
I've found Reaper crashing about 10 mins into my latest project over the last few days. I'd done a lot of vocal comp editing and - hours worth - and now the project version that had that editing won't even open.
I reinstalled the version of Reaper I was using - 4.3 I think - & no luck then I installed a 5.1 version and still no go.
I worked my way back to June 11th to a project that'd open and play nicely.
It seems some thing I did - or a VST I added - caused grief on an industrial scale for me.
Oh well, I'll try to get the singing training template rebuilt and then try to sing in tune enough to get by.
Such is life.

[JD01]

It probably was a VST - I've had this problem before when trying to use 32 bit VSTs in the 64 bit reaper. Wasn't happy at all! While it didn't completely crash reaper, it made projects totally unusable as it crashed all of my other VSTs!

[JD01]

If I were you I'd start with ReaVSTs, followed by decent bought VSTs and ones that come with products like your interface (I have the Focusrite scarlet suite which is excellent) then add other VSTs one at a time to see if they work.

Really all you need for vocal processing, especially if you're just trying to learn using ReaTune is a decent compressor and some reverb. I've had no trouble using the Camel Crusher as a final vocal effect to add a bit of spice to things.

[rayc]

If I were you I'd start with ReaVSTs, followed by decent bought VSTs and ones that come with products like your interface (I have the Focusrite scarlet suite which is excellent) then add other VSTs one at a time to see if they work.

Really all you need for vocal processing, especially if you're just trying to learn using ReaTune is a decent compressor and some reverb. I've had no trouble using the Camel Crusher as a final vocal effect to add a bit of spice to things.

Thanks James,

The project wouldn't stay up long enough for me to suss out what & why.
I like the Red Suite from Focusrite BUT none of the components work in XP.
I also have trouble remembering whether I'm working in a 32 or 64 bit environment - Doh!
Time for a post it note on the edge of the screen I think.
I've managed to rebuild things with a more recent version of Reaper - strange looking but only one variation that bothers me, (opening automation), so things should work out - along your recommended lines with almost exclusively Rea stuff with the addition of PSP Vintage warmer but I must've added something else.
Ta mate.

[JD01]

I found everything went tits up in a fairly big way when I tried using the Antres compressor bundle. Shame, 'cos I quite liked the Modern Compressor and Distressor.

[Greg_L]

I use Antress stuff with no problem at all.

[JD01]

I use Antress stuff with no problem at all.

Yeah, you recommended it to me 'cos I liked the vocals on one of your songs. I think you're using 32 bit though aren't you?

[Greg_L]

Yeah, you recommended it to me 'cos I liked the vocals on one of your songs. I think you're using 32 bit though aren't you?

I have no idea. I don't know a bit from a shit.

[JD01]

Yeah, you recommended it to me 'cos I liked the vocals on one of your songs. I think you're using 32 bit though aren't you?

I have no idea. I don't know a bit from a shit.

If your system is 32 bit they should run easily. If your system is 64 but you end up having to make alterations or get that weird bridging arrangement and they end up really unstable.

Given how old Ray's OS is, he's probably getting the reverse problem if he tries to run 64 bit VSTs on a 32 bit system

[Greg_L]

I'm on Windows 7. 64 bit. No idea what that means for Reaper or plug ins.

[JD01]

Me neither really... we're now into the realms of Tadpui knowledge.

[rayc]

I should probably upgrade my computer but the thought of reinstalling everything is more than a little depressing. A new machine with a solid state 2nd drive would be good but expensive PLUS the price of Windows, in Australia, is insane.
I hang onto the current one until I've transferred all of my old Cakewalk projects, track by track, into Reaper then back everything up externally THEN maybe bite the bullet.

[vomitHatSteve]

I'm on Windows 7. 64 bit. No idea what that means for Reaper or plug ins.

Reaper automatically bridges plugins between 32 and 64 bit since something like late v3. As time's gone on, the bridging has gotten more automatic and seamless. (That said, it's still no guarantee.)

now the project version that had that editing won't even open.

That's actually fixable without any re-installing. You can right click > "Open with..." a Reaper project file and pick notepad or wordpad. The whole file is just text, so you can find whatever is breaking things and remove it. (Make a backup first)

Say my LePou amps are crashing again, and I can't even open my project.

reaper1.png

The red-highlights represent a single track. If you know HTML or XML or any such markup languages, it's much like that.

reaper2.png

Red shows the entire FX chain for that track. Green shows all the details for a single effect.

Simply cut-out the offending effect, reload the project, and voila!

reaper3.png

You can also remove media items ("<ITEM") and do all kinds of neat changes to corrupt a project!

[Greg_L]

wtf

[JD01]

[WhiskeyJack]

Well i was going to offer up some solutions but like steve flew in here on his code witch broom and totally schooled us.

Ray, I was going to make the suggestion of maybe just copying all the audio out of the folder for that project into a new folder and rebuild the file and just do a do over. adding the FX one at time until you find the dirty culprit of what might be happening.

that's what i'd do because i am not a Vomit Hat Scientist.

[Minerman]

Another way to do something similar as VHS is to:

Open a new project in Reaper
Go to "File" at the top left
Open your project, but at the bottom of the pop-up window where you select your project, you'll see 2 options:

Reaper FX recovery mode.PNG

Select "Open in FX Offline Recovery Mode", & your project will open with all you plugins offline...

Then, right-click each plugin one at a time & select "Online FX" until you find the vst plugin that's causing problems...

Of course, this is only a solution to find if the problem is a vst plugin, but it may help you to narrow the problem down...

Hope it helps, lemme know if I can do anything else...

[WhiskeyJack]

Another way to do something similar as VHS is to:

Open a new project in Reaper
Go to "File" at the top left
Open your project, but at the bottom of the pop-up window where you select your project, you'll see 2 options:

Reaper FX recovery mode.PNG


Select "Open in FX Offline Recovery Mode", & your project will open with all you plugins offline...

Then, right-click each plugin one at a time & select "Online FX" until you find the vst plugin that's causing problems...

Of course, this is only a solution to find if the problem is a vst plugin, but it may help you to narrow the problem down...

Hope it helps, lemme know if I can do anything else...

Shit that's a good one miner!!!

[Minerman]

Shit that's a good one miner!!!

Sorry I ain't around much anymore dude, but maybe I can help with some things...

[Armistice]

ray - it's time. Sorry.

Now you're retired on that fabulous public service pension I'm sure you can cover a new PC / Win 10 somehow. Best to do it now while the other one still works and you can move across over time, than wait until nothing works at all and you have no choice. You're running a very modern DAW on a very old, unsupported OS - it's only going to get worse.

Yes, it'll cost you a couple of grand and heap of time but do it now and you'll have a machine that will see out your recording days no problemo.