Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Comments
Oh, as if there wasn't enough to try, I also like ZenBeats. Possibly one of the most consistent cross-platform apps out there. I haven't tried it with plugins, but it does handle MIDI Channels fine -- after you find the hidden advanced MIDI setup. It's biggest downside is slow start-up. Again, I haven't tried it with a plugin.
The default Reaper theme is kind of ugly (particularly the MIDI editor), but I'm rather fond of the themes from this guy:
https://walthariatelier.com/mowerx/reathemes/
I use Alternate and like it a lot.
Also for reaper the following youtube channels are excellent:
https://www.youtube.com/c/IDDQDMusic
https://www.youtube.com/c/REAPERMania
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheREAPERBlog
If you're starting off then this playlist is very useful:
Then IDDQDMusic and Kenny G both do great tutorials on getting to grips with Reaper. IDDQD's tutorials on MIDI editing in Reaper are highly recommended.
You'll also want to install SWS Extensions:
And ReaPack
https://reapack.com/
Which is a package manager for Reaper.
One of Reaper's things is that it has a ton of user created plugins (if you want to get into DSP stuff, Reaper is pretty easy imo). Some of the good ones are:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoU5ZhDHHAm6KilILToHRvg/videos (Tukan Studios - these things are insanely good)
https://github.com/JoepVanlier/JSFX
https://geraintluff.github.io/jsfx/
https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=213501 (its just a really good parametric equalizer - no big deal)
There are others.