Richard JE Cooke

How to install Reaper, Drum Pro, and Helm synthesizer in Ubuntu Linux fast & easily

It used to be hard, now it's quick, and it works. This quick set of steps shows to install Reaper as fast as possible, as well as two free VST plugins - a clear synthesizer with useful presets, and a decent drum machine.

The commands

• In a console run sudo apt install jack
• Install PlayOnLinux through the software manager
• Download 32 bit Reaper, Helm, Drum Pro
• Run PlayOnLinux and install all three apps in the same virtual drive (you can use the default drive)
• Run Reaper, select the default WaveOut audio (it won't play yet), restart PlayOnLinux and Reaper (audio now works)
• Set the VST plugins folder to include Helm and Drum Pro (/home/PlayOnLinux's virtual drives/drive_c/Program Files/VstPlugins and the Steinberg folder too)
• Add two new tracks in a Reaper project, add your free synth and drums and write music. Easy.

Stuff that doesn't work

I ignored anything online I found about wineasio because I couldn't get it to work.

I tried LMMS too but it couldn't run either plugin - they showed up as blank GUI boxes. And installing the Linux version of Helm seems pointless as all Linux DAWs run only Windows VSTs.