DAW: Cockos – REAPER 2.5

Cockos updates the excellent shareware DAW / Sequencer - Reaper to version 2.5.
Here is the huge changelist for this time:

BIG STUFF

Uber track control group support (shift+G defaults to show group settings, Ctrl+Alt+G shows new Track Grouping Matrix)
REX2 file support, imported slices keep beat location if project tempo changes (todo support moving items across tempo changes, currently slices must be re-imported)
Dynamic Split interactive beat slicing and quantization

NEW GOODIES

Action: detect tempo, create measure from time selection (new or current time signature, one bar or many)
Action: extend or swap selection to next transient in selected items
Action: move items left/right by grid
Action: set/adjust arrange view grid size
Action: move cursor to next/prior zero crossing (Z, shift+Z by default)
Action: split item at prior zero crossing (alt+Z by default)
Action: move cursor to nearest transient in selected items
Action: adjust item rate while clearing preserve pitch
Action: set/clear item "preserve pitch" setting
Action: select all tracks in groups 1..32
Action: create chromatic MIDI notes from selected items
Shift+3/4,5/6 now map to item rate changes (10-cent, semitone), clearing preserve pitch
JS: utility/volume_pan with parameter smoothing (for use with param modulation)
JS: utility/phase_adjust now handles stereo (phase rotates each channel, not the stereo image)
JS: delay_sustain effect
JS: vca_master and vca_slave for emulating VCA-style control using audio routing
JS: spectropaint effect (woohoo spectral painting for fun!), fixes to gfxanalyzer and gfxspectrograph
New mute and solo button context menus with toggle/exclusive/clear options
Add-FX dialog: remembers recent searches in dropdown list
MIDI editor: rename current MIDI take from MIDI editor menu
Option to disable alt key opening menus in main, midi editor, mixer windows
Render stem actions now render pre-fader signal, new actions for old post-fader stems behavior
Prefs/editing behavior: slider for tab-to-transient sensitivity
Glue: glues items to project samplerate if project samplerate is set
Routing matrix: fixed some scrollbar bugs, improved tooltips, added track grouping view
Saving a project with copy/move that has media loaded into ReaSamplomatic and ReaVerb now copies that media to project directory
Option in Prefs/Appearance to allow choosing track group display modes (ribbons, lines, none)

SUBTLE IMPROVEMENTS

Better pooling of media file resources for better RAM use (especially with lots of splits)
Better automatic track naming, updating of UI on autoname
Better pooling of pitch shifter resources (track-pooled to avoid excess reinitializations)
Undo system: reduced memory use throughout (better granularity etc)
WavPack: updated to 4.50, fixed bug in metadata reading, BWF tag read/write
Recording volume/pan automation with ganged/grouped tracks is now supported
Better ganged/grouped vol/pan fader behavior (relative levels not lost at extremities)
MIDI media items no longer reset CCs at end, just pitch and notes
ReaEQ: better deferred display updating, uses LICE bitmaps (todo: full LICE conversion)
Removed excess ini file writing resizing midi editor CC lane
Removing presets in preset list now cleans up the preset file more

FIXED STUFF

MCP: multiple track selection follows MCP track order and visibility
Shift+Click for time selection behaves better with snap and other options
Shift+Click for loop selection in ruler now works correctly when time+loop selections locked
Fixed touch automation on track mutes
Screenset window now updates shortcuts when using alternate recording section
Prefs/Keyboard is back, has link to actions window
Improved threadsafeness of media creation and peak cache system
Fixed relative grid actions in midi editor showing display
Fixed auto-add of envelope setting initial (t=0) value
Fixed crash on JS with only outputs and opening pin manager
Fixes for tab to transient and zero crossing detection for heavily stretched items
Improved behavior of preference to not allow projects to override audio hardware sample rate
Fix for ReaNINJAM problems introduced in 2.45 (ogg end of stream behavior)
Fixed GDI leak in ReaEQ added in 2.42 (nyquist line drawing)
Fixed GDI leak in skinned-scrollbar code
Restore MIDI editor note row display state when reopening a project
AU: update generic UI on factory default preset loading
Fix for JS with only outputs crashing when plugin pin matrix opened
Fix for preset system storing large presets (ini file line size issue)
Fix for parameter modulation/automation reading when "run fx when stopped" is disabled
Moved many JS fx from old_unsupported back to their authors path

Price: From $50.00 USD
Read more about Reaper here.
REAPER is uncrippled unexpiring shareware.

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“Unlimited creativity with no track limit, free routing for sample-accurate MIDI and audio alike, sidechain control of any plugin” Link