Mastering Reaper’s Recording Modes

 How to Use Punch and Roll, Item-Based, and Time Selection Recording for Smooth, Professional Results

If you’ve been narrating audiobooks for a while, chances are you’ve already heard the term punch and roll. It’s a classic, trusted method used to re-record a flub while keeping your flow intact.

But Reaper, being the wonderfully flexible beast that it is, actually offers multiple ways to re-record audio—each useful in different situations. In this article, we’ll walk through three essential recording modes in Reaper:

1. Regular Punch and Roll

2. Record Over a Selected Item Only

3. Record Over a Time Selection Only

   
   

Let’s break them down step by step and talk about when to use each one.

1. Regular Punch and Roll – The Narrator’s Best Friend

What it is:

Punch and roll is the gold standard for audiobook narration. It is how all the big publishers expect you to work. It plays back the last few seconds before your mistake, then starts recording smoothly over the bad take—helping you stay in the zone. Press ‘1’ when using the Audiobook Guy config to access this method.

How to use it:

1. Place your edit cursor just before the mistake (or at an easy ‘punch-in’ point like at the end of a sentence, or before a breath).

2. Hit record (by default: press R, The Audiobook Guy config: shift space).

3. Reaper will play a pre-roll (usually 2–5 seconds), then automatically start recording from the cursor. Read along with the pre-roll to get back into the exact tempo and cadence you left off with.

4. When you stop recording, the new take will replace the old one seamlessly, as if the mistake never happened. 

Pro tip:

While you’re learning, always check your punch-in points after the take to ensure they’re smooth, especially if you punch in halfway through a sentence.

Setup tip:

Download The Audiobook Guy Reaper Config. All of these recording modes are ready to go, and I have loads of other shortcuts to speed up your work! To find out how to install it check out our How to Set Up Reaper guide.

When to use:

• Any time you are recording an Audiobook or long-form voice-over.

• You have completed a long take and want to fix the last line while keeping everything else.

• You want a smooth flow that matches your natural delivery.

2. Record Over a Selected Item Only – Laser-Focused Fixes

What it is:

This mode allows you to replace only a specific audio item (or “clip”). Reaper won’t record outside of it, even if you keep talking!

How to use it:

1. Split the section you want to fix into its own audio item (hit S to split).

2. Select just that item.

3. Arm the track and hit record.

4. Reaper will record only inside that selected item. 

Setup:

• This is built into Reaper—no settings to change! Just hit ‘2’ in The Audiobook Guy config.

• Just make sure only one item is selected on the armed track when you hit record.

When to use:

• You want a clean re-record of an exact phrase without risk of overwriting nearby content.

• You’re punching in a small fix and want hard boundaries.

Pro tip:

Great for punching in corrections during post-production!

3. Record Over a Time Selection Only – Flexible, Controlled Overdubbing

What it is:

Instead of targeting an item, this mode lets you record only within a selected time range, no matter what items are on the track.

How to use it:

1. Drag to make a time selection over the section you want to fix.

2. Place your edit cursor where you want playback to start (before the time selection).

3. Arm the track and hit record.

4. Reaper will play from the cursor and start recording only during the time selection.

5. Recording stops at the end of the selection.

Setup:

• Just hit ‘3’ in The Audiobook Guy config

When to use:

• You want a specific re-record of a time-based region, even if it spans multiple items.

• You need to punch in a fix across multiple clips or edits.

• You’re replacing narration at a specific timestamp. (Great when fixing voice over on a video project!)

Final Thoughts

Each of these recording modes gives you a different kind of control—and as a narrator, having the right tool for the moment saves hours in editing. Here’s a quick recap:

Mode	Use When…
Punch and Roll	ALWAYS, but especially for audiobooks and long-form voice-over.
Record Over Selected Item	You’re targeting a specific phrase with surgical precision
Time Selection Recording	You want flexible, bounded recording across time rather than item

Bonus: Try My Reaper Narration Setup

Want these tools at your fingertips? I’ve built a custom Reaper config just for audiobook narrators and voice over artists, including:

• One-click Punch and Roll

• Item-based and time-based punch actions

• Streamlined shortcuts and macros

👉 How to set up The Audiobook Guy Config here 

Got a favorite method? Or want help setting this up?

Drop a comment on the blog or join our narrator’s forum and let’s chat shop!