# Huge Reaper project file sizes **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Tags:** Reaper, Windows\ **Created:** [April 30, 2025, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078 "2025-04-30T07:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BredS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@BredS](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/BredS)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/1 "2025-04-30T07:53:23Z")
Typically my Reaper project file sizes are c. 5mb, including projects with multiple instances of Scaler 2. I have auto backup set for every 8 minutes in my Reaper settings. However, I’ve noticed that there are now frequent long hanging / delays when using Scaler 3 within Reaper, and that my Reaper project file sizes are now hundreds of mb, which may be connected to these delays. I’ve never had project file sizes this huge before. I’ve only v recently purchased Scaler 3, so am using the latest version. ---
**Author:** ![BredS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@BredS](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/BredS)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2025, 9:25am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/2 "2025-04-30T09:25:45Z")
P.S. I’ve now checked the Reaper project files in Notepad and can confirm that it’s the “VST3i: Scaler 3 (Scaler Music)” “Scaler 3.vst3” data that is making up the vast majority of the project data. It appears to include data that is repeating, or very similar, many 1000s of times. Example extract …“ICAgICA1NiwKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgMTAzLAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAxMjEsCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgIDQ4LAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA2OSwKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgMTE0LAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICA1MCwKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgNTEsCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDU1LAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICA3MiwKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgMTA5LAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA3MywKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgNzksCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDQzLAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA5NywKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgNzksCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDU2LAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA3MSwKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgOTAsCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIDgxLAogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAxMTQsCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg ICAgICAgICAgIDgyLAogICAgICAgICAgICAg”… ---
**Author:** ![Steven](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/forum.scalermusic.com/steven/32/10738_2.png) [@Steven](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/Steven)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2025, 2:20am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/3 "2025-05-26T02:20:32Z")
Hi @BredS. Thanks for your post and apologies for the delayed response. We’ve logged this with our dev team, who will investigate further. Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![BredS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@BredS](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/BredS)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2025, 2:02am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/4 "2025-09-15T02:02:42Z")
Hi Steven. Just to make you aware that using the latest version, it’s still producing similar huge Reaper project files, sadly making it unusable for me until it’s fixed (I’m assuming it’s fixable, and if so, any idea on an expected ETA?) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Miki](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/forum.scalermusic.com/miki/32/572_2.png) [@Miki](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/Miki)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/5 "2025-09-16T02:00:46Z")
Just my grain of salt. I created a new Reaper (Win) project. Initial RPP size with only Scaler 3 (no chords): about 10 200 lines, size 1.33 MB. Added four chords: 17 000 lines, size 2.23 MB Added four more chords: 20 500 lines, size 3.57 MB Added Chord Follow (Felt Piano by default): 21 000 lines, 6.29 MB Changed Felt Piano to Hybrid Orchestra: same number of lines, size 9.11 MB Replaced Hybrid Orchestra by Arturia B3: 211 000 lines, 11.9 MB I checked my regular Reaper project files: with 6 to 7 instruments about 15-18 MB. Added Scaler, 22 MB. Added Kontakt with Strat to Scaler, around 28 MB. Once all saved, rpp goes to 500 MB or more and about 8 million lines. If I remove Kontakt from Scaler, RPP goes down from \>500 MB to 25 MB. If I add Kontakt/Strat to Reaper, but not in Scaler: 30 MB. it looks that it is Scaler 3 plugins management that adds the size. In spite of the size, I was able to work normally with the RPP file. Quite slower, but functional. The repetitive characters are just a way how Reaper displays plugins and their settings. Auto backups can be several times the size of the original project file (I believe they are cummulative as long as the project is open and makes additions every 8 minutes or any other backup time setup in Reaper) . ---
**Author:** ![BredS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@BredS](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/BredS)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 5:02am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/huge-reaper-project-file-sizes/22078/6 "2025-09-17T05:02:51Z")
Thanks, appreciated. I’m finding it’s hugely slowing down things for me in the project, particularly long hangs during auto backups (which I need due to 3rd party plugins sometimes crashing things - inc. Scaler 3). The original .rpp files are just as large as the backups (i.e. same size). I’m still stuck with finding this unusable when using at as a plugin within Reaper. I’ve got a reasonably modern setup (SSDs etc.). I’m hoping the devs here can find a solution, otherwise I’ll only (rarely) be running Scaler 3 stand-alone (which doesn’t really suit my workflow), and continuing the revert to Scaler 2 within Reaper.