To reverse audio in REAPER, select an audio item, right-click it, and choose Item processing → Reverse items as new take. REAPER renders a reversed copy of the audio and adds it as a new take on the same item, so the forward recording is kept and you can switch back at any time. Trim the item to its last audible sound first so the reversed version does not start with silence.
Where is the reverse command in REAPER?
In the item’s right-click menu, under Item processing. That submenu holds the commands that render something new from an item’s audio, and Reverse items as new take is one of them. The same command is available in the Actions list, where it can be searched by name and bound to a key if you reverse often.
Select first. The command runs on every selected item, so a single click-select reverses one clip, while a marquee selection across several tracks reverses each item separately. That per-item behavior matters: if a vocal phrase is split into three items, running the command on all three gives you three short reversed pieces in their original order, not the phrase played backwards. Glue them into one item before reversing when you want the whole phrase flipped as a unit.
The result appears instantly as a new take, and its waveform draws mirrored — the attack of each sound at the right edge, the decay trailing off to the left. REAPER writes the reversed audio as a new file in the project’s media folder, so the project remains portable and the reversal survives closing and reopening the session.
Why does REAPER reverse to a new take instead of the file?
Because REAPER’s items can hold multiple takes, and a reversed take is the safest place for a destructive-looking operation. The original source file is never touched. The item gains a second take that points at the new reversed file, and whichever take is active is the one you hear.
This avoids the trap common in DAWs that reverse the underlying file directly, where every region sharing that file flips at once. In REAPER, reversing one copy of a looped drum fill affects only that item. The other copies keep playing forward.
It also makes comparison easy. Switch between takes on the item to hear forward and reversed in context, at the same position, with the same track FX. Once you have committed, you can crop the item to its active take to drop the forward version from the item, or leave both in place as an undo that survives across sessions. The rendered reversed file stays in the media folder either way until you clean up unused media.
Which reverse method should you use in REAPER?
Four routes cover almost every case, and the choice depends on whether the sound you want reversed includes effects.
| Method | Works on | Keeps the original | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reverse items as new take | Audio items | Yes, as a take | Dry recordings, samples, single hits |
| Glue, then reverse | Split or edited audio items | Yes, as a take | Phrases chopped across several items |
| Apply track/take FX as new take, then reverse | Audio or MIDI items with FX | Yes, as a take | Instrument parts, reverse reverb |
| Browser or phone reverser | Any file, REAPER closed | Yes | Quick flips outside a project |
The first is the default. The second fixes the per-item problem described above. The third is the route for anything that depends on plug-ins, including virtual instruments. The fourth is useful when the audio came from elsewhere and you just want a reversed WAV to drag in.
How do you reverse a MIDI part or a sound with effects?
Render it to audio first, then reverse the audio. Right-click the item and choose Apply track/take FX to items as new take. REAPER plays the item through the track’s FX chain — the virtual instrument for a MIDI item, plus any effects after it — and captures the result as a new audio take. Run Reverse items as new take on that rendered take.
Two details save time. First, extend the item past its last note before rendering if the instrument or effects have a long release. Anything that rings beyond the item’s end is cut off, and a truncated release sounds abrupt once it becomes the beginning of a swell. Second, bypass the track’s FX after rendering if the rendered take already includes them, or the effects are applied twice on playback.
Keep the MIDI take on the item. The rendered audio is a snapshot of how the part sounded at that moment, and if the notes or the instrument patch change later you will want to re-render from the editable version.
How do you make reverse reverb in REAPER?
Flip, print, flip back. The take system makes each step easy to audition.
- Reverse the dry item as a new take.
- Add a reverb such as ReaVerbate to the track, set mostly wet with a long decay.
- Extend the item’s end so the reverb tail has room, then use Apply track/take FX to items as new take to print the reversed audio through the reverb.
- Reverse that printed take.
- Bypass the reverb, and align the end of the swell with the forward note it introduces on another track.
What you hear is the reverb decay running backwards into the note — a rising, breathy build that resolves on the downbeat. It works on single vocal words, snare hits, and guitar stabs. The broader technique, including timing and tail length, is covered in reverse reverb, and the drift problem that affects any flipped clip is explained in how to reverse a sample.
How do you line up reversed audio on the beat?
Align the end, not the start. A forward sound is built around its attack, which after reversal sits at the right edge of the item. That peak is what the ear locks onto, so it should land where the original hit would have — usually a downbeat or the start of the next note.
Turn snapping on, drag the item so its right edge or its loudest point sits on the grid line, and let the swell begin wherever it falls. Then add a short fade-in at the item’s new start to remove any click from a waveform that no longer begins at zero. REAPER’s item fade handles make this quick.
If the reversed swell is too long, trim from the left rather than the right, so the peak stays anchored and only the quiet beginning of the swell is shortened.
Can you reverse audio without opening REAPER?
Yes, and for a single file that is often faster than loading a project. The free audio reverser runs in a browser tab, accepts MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, and WebM or records from the microphone, and flips the audio locally — nothing is uploaded, which matters for unreleased stems. An A/B control compares forward and reversed before you download a free WAV to drop into a track. For other free desktop editors, how to reverse audio in Audacity covers the same job there.
On a phone, Reverse Audio PRO records, reverses, and plays back on one screen for capturing sounds away from the studio. The paid tier adds speed from 0.25× to 3.0×, pitch across ±12 semitones, ten effects, and WAV/M4A export, sold as a weekly or yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Steps are at reverse audio on iPhone and reverse audio on Android.