Cockos Reaper might not have the greatest name ever, but it’s an impressive audio/MIDI Digital Audio Workstation.

It’s relatively inexpensive, $225, or $50 for non-commercial use. It runs on Windows 98/ME/NT/2k/XP/Vista/WINE, and a OS X version is on the way.

A new version, Reaper v2.45, is available.

Here’s what’s changed:

• Tracks can be set to automatically record-arm when selected (per-track or globally, configurable)
• Muting tracks now fades signal to avoid clicks (default 5 ms, configurable)
• Solo in Front option (with configurable dim amount, action to adjust dim via mousewheel/surfaces)
• Internal midi organization updates, fewer stuck notes throughout (when switching takes, mute/solo, etc)
• Multimedia keyboard support, including default shortcuts
• MIDI editor: hide unused or unnamed note rows (preliminary)
• MIDI editor: new triangle (drum mode) view
• Cut/copy selected area of selected items now copies/pastes empty space
• Arrange view cursor updates on mouse modifier changes
• Option (prefs/mouse) to have right click marquee also select time without modifier
• MIDI editor previews now are volume adjusted and transposed according to the MIDI item setting
• MIDI overdub/replace modes now shift/scale velocity inversely to item settings
• MIDI overdub/replace recording now can record piano roll key hits
• MIDI editor: show play cursor whenever it can be reasonably located
• Glue now preserves sub-sample lengths of items
• Mute envelopes (track and send) now send note-offs when used in the middle of notes
• Actions to split items at edit cursor with select left, right, and no selection changes
• Actions to set/unset FIPM, set/unset loop points linked to time selection
• Actions to set/clear, save/restore snapping
• Actions to split item under mouse cursor, with optional select left/right
• Actions to move cursor to previous/next cue in selected items
• Actions window: now restores focus to MIDI editor after executing actions
• Fixed stem rendering issues with folders and MIDI items
• Fixed longstanding issue with midi sends and volume automation
• Fixed absolute 14 bit (pitch shift) mode for metronome volume action
• Fixed MIDI action binding updating relative modes of shortcuts
• Fixed right click marquee not obeying time selection lock
• Fixed custom actions not using plug-in registered names for storing command IDs
• Fixed precision errors when switching on item sections via media item properties
• Fixed bug when converting midi items to/from files (context not set properly)
• Middle mouse button now functions the same in the ruler as in the arrange
• Better window updating when doing fast tab to transients
• Better undo state point adding when changing track automation modes
• Made adjusting the loop selection not scrub if “move cursor to start of loop selection” is set
• DXi: send noteoffs on stop
• VSTi: now sends specific noteoffs instead of allnotesoff on stop
• VSTi: support for VST 2.4 sysex sending/receiving
• ReaSynDr: optional multi-out mode (one “instrument” per output)
• ReaInsert: sysex sending support
• ReaFIR: separate “Points (smooth)” and “Points (flat)” modes
• ReaPitch: removed zipper noises when changing volume and pan
• OGG writer: now generates more compatible OGG streams, adds encoder tag
• JS: plug-ins can disable anti-denormal input noise by setting ext_nodenorm=1 in @init
• Updated to Dirac LE 1.3
• Installer updated to NSIS 2.39

Also available: v2.45 OS X BETA (7.8MB – requires OS X 10.4 or 10.5, PPC or Intel Mac).

Also available: v2.45 Windows x64 BETA (3.3MB – requires Windows XP x64 or Vista 64 bit and 64-bit drivers/plug-ins).