Loop Recording With Pre-Roll in REAPER

Pre-Roll is when you hear the project playing for a set time before the recording punch point. Normally REAPER will only use the pre-roll for the first lead-in to recording, so when looping there's no pre-roll.

In this video I'll show you 2 workarounds to include pre and/or post-roll to every loop recording so you can hear the part in context. No scripting or custom actions needed.

Option 1 - Time selection autopunch mode + unlinked loop points
By unlinking the loop points from the time selection you can make them each different lengths.
Set your time selection to where you want to punch in the recording, and set your loop points to include a few bars before the time selection.

Option 2 - Item selection autopunch + time/loop points and empty items if needed
By selecting an item in Item Selection Autopunch mode you can record new takes into an item. If you use a time or loop selection also, you can include pre-roll to your looping.
If there is no item to select in that section of the track, insert empty items (from insert menu) as placeholders.

More videos in this series about recording modes in REAPER

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[Daniel-krpx]

Thank you 🎉🎉whew!..I’m new to Reaper so I’ve been going in circles to figure out how to punch in with a small lead in time!
Subscribed & I will keep learning the ropes! This is exactly what kind of straight forward walkthroughs I’ve been looking for.
Keep up the good work man thank you so much 🎉🎉

[hilltop]

Great method for composing songs. Many thanks, was looking for this!

[fwd]

I was literally wondering how this was possible two days ago! Also about unlinking the loop/edit timeline selection. I was worried the Pro Tools had the edge for a second. Been using Reaper 11 years and learning every day. Great tutorial as always!

[chalkboardjamtracks]

Thank you Jon for solving a problem that's bugged me for ages. There really should be an option or action for "Pre-Roll before punch-in on every repeat", and I thought I was being dumb for never being able to find it.

[WilliamKitchens]

Thanks for the options and taking time to share the available techniques!

The first I use. I do hope Reaper adds the Pre-roll feature in Loop Recording in a update… imagine trying to track 20+ Vocal lines and having to stop to make these settings for each line…. I use to record complete passes but have found I can nail the phrasing and pitch better by digging in on each line by simply loop recording several passes. The ability to create a quick time selection between lyrical markers and start recording immediately from the vocal mic would be much more efficient than having to manually create preroll loop points for each line. I say thus in hope that Reaper is watching 🤓

[adamgranatella]

I really like the first method. I've been working around this by recording on different tracks then trimming/dragging the parts I want into the main tracks. It works, and I think for a single track is fine, but it can get messy with multiple tracks. More than once someone has click/sneeze/dragged an item onto the wrong track. Thanks for this Jon!

[cobraofearth]

Thanks for this, I searched specifically for it.

[deltavistastudio]

Thanks again John, Another thing I didn't know REAPER could do.
I could have used it for a vocalist situation a couple years back... next time it will be easier. : ^)

[elmolewis]

Thanks for this great video. Very informative, as usual.

[emyhR]

Thank you for this! Exactly what I was looking for

[sauerkrautoneverything]

Thanks for the tutorial.
When I first started using Reaper, I thought it was weird that there wasn't a count in before every take when loop recording after selecting "Count-in before recording". (Literally, thought the program was broken, and still do.) That pause/count-in, in my opinion, is necessary to reset one's brain or think of a better way to play w/e one is playing.

[calixtus]

I don' t manage to do section of loop and a section of punch as you did

[billionare]

How do i record from start of loop. Lets say the play head is halfway through the bar but i want to punch in at the start of loop again.

[dezt]

This is not exactly what I was looking for, I wanted something like we have into this loop guitar pedals, to record one lane then when it starts looping it plays what I've just played and let me record (or not) a new lane to complement what I was playing, this is for live performances + recording.

[Drummersatx]

How would you loop a selection but have the recording continue past the loop for one long continuous take? Some of my drum fills and ideas last longer than the looped selection. Ive resorted to copying and pasting the looped selection over and over to act as a loop. Any info greatly appreciated.

[BBand]

This is exactly how I worked in Cubase 5 (yes I've been using Cubase 5 for almost 15 years now), except that I had to manually delete the pre-roll from each take by dragging the take to the start of the section I actually wanted to record.

[eltonwild]

Can you do a video explaining metadata for independent artists? Like how I do that using reaper

[abteenz]

is it possible to record a set amount of time in a loop? like record 4 times and stop automatically?

[XELOhh]

Man thanks for this video learned alot from you. I have a question how to use the pan feature in midi editor. I have used Kontact .. Komplete Kontrol, , Sample Tank but none of them can pan with the options in the midi editor. Do you know of a way to use this or a video that you have or can do to show a way to use the pan in the midi editor.

[Vagen_d]

My gosh this should be default behavior. Should be a right click option on the loop playback button to enable pre roll when looping.