Relative (Sample Library) Sample Path
My number one feature request for reaper!!!
I feel like this could benefit a lot of people and hopefully wouldn't be too hard too implement.
PROBLEM:
I keep a large sample library synced across 3 computers (studio I work at, laptop, main mixing computer). Even though these all have the same files, and I have made a database of my sample library in reapers sample browser; I still need to import each file into a reaper project folder if I'd like it to open flawlessly on every computer. This is extra time and hard drive space that could be saved.
SOLUTION:
Most samplers (such as TX16w, Sforzando and Kontakt) and lots of daws (Ableton has a library path for instance) allow relative sample paths. When opening a project on a different computer that path is automatically scanned for the referenced file. Projects are portable across systems, without needing to include every referenced sample in the project itself.
REAPER could use a similar system and there are numerous benefits.
BENEFITS:
Allowing for a relative file path in the preferences, or automatically allowing sample databases to be searched as relative file paths would speed things up a lot for people like me who use multiple computers. There are loops, samples and impulses i use every single day, that really shouldn't have to copied into every project.
A MASSIVE ADDED BENEFIT:
The lack of a relative sample path negatively effects FX chains and Track Templates when sharing across systems. Since REAPER's built in sampler(reasamplmatic5000) and IR reverb (ReaVerb) use absolute paths (or relative paths based on project locations) for their samples, they cant find the associated files when used from different locations. A relative sample path would allow the sharing of track templates and FX chains across computers without having to re-link the samples every time (Just put the files you want to use all the time in your relative path). To me this would make track templates/FX chains LITERALLY twice as useful, and that isn't an over-exaggeration.
ANOTHER ADDED BENEFIT:
Users could share scripts, templates, fx chains, Reasamplmatic5000 chains etc. that require samples. All you would have to do is put the necessary samples in your relative path, scripts could even do that automatically.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
Two things to consider would be:
- NEVER allow the "Save Project As..." Dialogue to "move" a sample out of a relative sample library file path. because people are dumb when they are being creative and that could be bad.
-the "Save Project As..." Dialogue should have a new option for "copy files from Library sample path?". So you can choose whether you would like any loops, samples or impulses you are using from you sample library to be copied into the project file. (if you need to share it with someone else or archive it etc.)
Hopefully I have explained this well enough.
Thanks!
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