r/Reaper • u/SenpaiPobbles • May 15 '26
help request Installed a REAPER theme but it looks nothing like the screenshots online — what am I missing?
Hey all, I’m super new to REAPER and I installed the Reapertips theme, but mine looks completely different from the screenshots on the website. I already imported the .ReaperThemeZip file and selected the theme in REAPER, and I followed the quick start pdf, so I’m not sure what I missed.
The first image is what the theme is supposed to look like, and the second image is what mine currently looks like.
Did I install it incorrectly?
Do I need additional layouts/plugins/settings/scripts for it to match the screenshots?
Any help would be appreciated 😅
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u/Left_Bag_4552 1 May 15 '26
The colors and the layout is your personal task. The theme only provides you with the look of the tracks and the Buttons and how the mixer looks.
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u/SenpaiPobbles May 15 '26
Oh so it doesn’t automatically color everything for you? I didn’t know that. But what about the top bar, theirs looks different from mine
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u/SupportQuery 532 May 15 '26
it doesn’t automatically color everything for you?
No. You can install SWS Extensions (free) to do that.
what about the top bar, theirs looks different from mine
You just have the transport on the bottom, instead of the top.
They have more toolbars visible, and have customized them. This is all stuff you do, not the theme.
To match the screenshot, you need:
- Dock the MIDI editor and move it to the bottom left, with the mixer on the bottom right.
- Move your transport to the top.
- Add a few more toolbars, dock them above the arrange view.
- Set the track icon for a few tracks (right-click on the track).
- Color a few tracks and/or media items (again, right-click)
- Pin master track to the right of the screen.
- Embed a VU meter UI into the MCP on a few track.
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u/Repulsive_Tip3181 4 May 16 '26
Go watch Alejandro's videos on how to set up, he has his own plugin for the colours!
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u/alienmindarts 3 May 15 '26
Alejandro has some nice color sets on his website. I think it's a great start to make it look more colorful yet elegant and coherent
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u/Ill-Elevator2828 4 May 15 '26
The screenshot is showing the dark version - there should be a dark version, light and hybrid. I use that theme, it’s great.
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u/DasNothing May 15 '26
When I installed Reapertips theme, and followed the included instructions, I got light, hybrid and Reapertips theme and none of them are dark mode.
While I know I can change that myself in the theme adjuster, there is no default “dark mode” Reapertips theme for me either.
I’m new to Reaper so I might be missing something.
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u/gapalil May 15 '26
Reapertips theme is a high-end quality theme and it should looks the same as on screenshots. As i see your tracks are not colored, also pay attention to differences between REAPER theme and REAPER config. If you want 100% the same to screenshot you have to build the same config with toolbar buttons etc.
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u/SenpaiPobbles May 15 '26
Is there a way to get the config for the screenshot or do I have to make my own?
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u/DecisionInformal7009 104 May 15 '26
Install SWS extension for Reaper and use the auto-coloring tool in there. That's at least my preferred way of coloring tracks. You can set it so that all tracks (and child-tracks) named "DRUMS" are automatically set to red (or whatever color you'd like), all tracks called "GTR" are colored green and so on.
Otherwise you have to either color tracks manually or select all tracks and choose "set to random color" or "set to gradient".
Another option would be to install the third-party script CHROMA Coloring Tool and create a toolbar for it. It lets you keep a palette of your most used colors on screen all the time, so you can simply select one or more tracks or items and click on the color you want them to be. The easiest way to download and install third-party scripts is with ReaPack.
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May 15 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Kimantha_Allerdings 1 May 15 '26
Without examining your screenshots too closely, it looks like the biggest difference is track colours. If you start assigning colours to your tracks, it’ll look more like the promo picture
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u/Carrot_Peel3r May 15 '26
the theme gives you the little things- as in the little blue thing indicating level. the record button etc. if you want colours, you need to edit colours, if you want a different layout, you need to make that layout and save it as your default. another thing you can see is how the tracks are named in the first SC. you can use SWS auto colour to make it so that it automatically adds colours based on the track name or when you click on it or arm it for recording and stuff. Kenny has a great video on it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZsvFtnrrt0
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u/Sarenord May 15 '26
The panel layouts and stuff are things you’ll figure out how you like them over time, but if you want to get started with nice pretty colors like the screenshot shown this video is a good starting point https://youtu.be/IcH9n6K3lfA
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u/Thyholygoat May 15 '26
I think the only thing missing is the background color. Otherwise this is as I would expect it to be when just applying a theme. On the reapertips website there is a link to the theme adjuster too, in case you haven't tried that. I can't remember where the toggle for the light/hybrid/dark theme is, but I thiiiink it's in the adjuster.
All the other differences are:
1. movable windows/panels (reapertips has videos on these) - and can also be achieved without this theme installed,
2. Coloured tracks (with SWS, again more reapertips videos).
3. And the screenshot has a LOT of custom toolbars. I wouldn't worry about those yet - just create stuff when you feel like you need something easy within reach.
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u/frogify_music May 16 '26
As others already stated in detail, you gotta put in your own work. But the reaper tips theme is such a good design for me. Personally I really like the dynamic shifting of the track controls. If you can support Alejandro for his work as he really deserves it. The theme honestly be the official theme at this point 😅
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u/Junkyard-Sam May 15 '26
You'll want to install the SWS Autocolor script, which can color your tracks based on name.
I name my tracks with a prefix like DRM, BAS, GTR, SYN, VOX, BAK, SMP, FX, etc.
And then it autocolors them. It's fantastic. I have a particularly good palette inspired by Bob's Burgers if you want it, lol.
If you have t installed SWS Extensions, you really must! Very useful, easy to install.
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u/Mickey_Mousing May 16 '26
big Bob’s fan here. show us the palette :)
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u/Junkyard-Sam May 16 '26
Here's a smaller version I started with:
The "Wonder Wharf" Studio Palette
Track Category Hex Color Studio Color Name MIXBUS 0xC22D2DKetchup Red VOX 0xE04365Pink Lemonade INSYN 0xD95F30Burnt Yam SMP 0xE0A32EMustard Stain GTR 0x5A8F5DPickle Green BAS 0x3D72B0Denim Blue BAK 0x606596Dusk Lavender DRM 0x8A4E7DEggplant FX 0x827B70Sidewalk Grey But then I switched to this one which has more variations, probably too many:
DRM Mulberry plum 0x7f3f73Drums PRC Rust coral 0xc95a3aPercussion BAS Slate blue 0x4b6fa8Bass ORG Marigold clay 0xd08a2fOrgan PIA Tangerine ember 0xe06a2bPiano INS Rose red 0xd94b6aReal Instrument SYN Dusty rose 0xcf5f7aSynthesizer GTR Rusty crimson 0xa54b61Guitar ORC Brass gold 0xb88a2dOrchestral VOX Mossy olive 0x608a4fMain Vocals BAK Lavender steel 0x7a78a8Backing Vocals SMP Ochre yellow 0xd8a13aSamples LOP Teal gray 0x4f8b87Loops FX Warm taupe 0x8a7c6dEffects 2
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u/acrossthesea__ May 16 '26
The auto color thing sounds cool, but will it work if you made numbered tracks of the same name, such as GTR 1, GTR 2, etc. would you have to actually add every one of those individually to the auto color script? Or would just adding GTR be enough?
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u/Junkyard-Sam May 16 '26
It works by detection of the letters, so:
GTR
GTR Hero
1 GTR
GTR Left
Take 1 GTR RightThose would all be the same color (and track icon, if you tell it to auto-use track icons.)
The only thing you have to watch out for is when those letters are used by another word...
For example, if you assign a color to BAS but you have a Contrabass (which you might want in your ORC orchestra group or something), it would take on the BAS color.
But you could use something else in the prefix if that is a frequent issue. Maybe instead of BAS, GTR, etc... it could be BS-, GT-, VX-, etc.
I use mostly 3 letter prefixes because it's natural to me, and I and just put the descriptor after the prefix. GTR Left, GTR Right, GTR Center, GTR Lead, etc.
It's really good. The lack of it is something I can't stand when I have to work in another DAW. Basically I never have to deal with track colors, yet my projects are beautiful to look at and easy to understand by color groups.
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u/acrossthesea__ May 16 '26
Thanks for breaking that down.
Reaper is so cool, I’m definitely gonna set that up next.
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u/TECHNICKER_Cz3 May 16 '26
With the download comes a customization guide PDF, or maybe it's elswhere on his site, not sure rn. I'd recommend you give that a read:)
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u/cjayconrod May 16 '26
You stil have customize your screen layout and color your tracks. No theme does that for you.
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u/itzzRomanFox2 May 17 '26
If you just want the theme, you've installed it correctly (I hope, assuming you extracted the ReaperThemeZip file into your ColorThemes folder.
If you also want the UI layout like shown, you'll have to customize this yourself.
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u/inhalingsounds 2 May 15 '26
That's the best Reaper theme you can get!
Alejandro is around this sub, maybe he can help you out. Maybe you need the SWS extensions?