I want to add a couple things or maybe clarify a few things. 1. you can do anything in RB that just about any other product can do, it can de-ess, it can compress, it can EQ. It can use 3rd party plugins. 2. Reaper is a very powerful and streamlined, and yet complex DAW. I have had it since version 4. I use it and yet find it a pain to hunt down stuff and a joy to do simple tracking in. I have had Cakewalk/Sonar since the floppy home studio days. Used Sonic Foundries Acid pro versions 2, 3, 4. I have used Studio one versions 2, 3, and 4. Used Multitrackstudios (a powerful robust program.) used Harrison Mixbus and love it. Used Powertracks and RB both powertracks since version 3 RB since inception. I have tracked and mixed well over 150 songs. I have done head-to-head comparisons, i can't tell the difference when done. I have seen the value in each and seen that they are all good in many ways. Same results different roads.

To say that RB would not have a following if it was a separate product is silly. It is not, it is free and it is unique. It is also very capable. I used it exclusively for a while and back then it didn't have a real comping feature that was easy to use. That was the only reason i move to other programs. Now that it has that capability i and using it for almost every project. I do not miss anything the others have. I am able to start from scratch there. or start from BiaB and move over with three clicks. Is it better than Reaper. NO! is it less capable? NO!

It boils down to workflow, and familiarity. Bob is correct!

HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96