12.25

IMPORTING AND EXPORTING AUDIO530
About this chapter
This chapter describes the various techniques you can use to import and export audio to and from Reason.
Importing audio
Audio formats, sample rates and tempo matching
The Reason sequencer supports import of mono and stereo audio files of various formats, sample rates and resolu-
tions. Reason also supports import of REX (ReCycle rcy, rex and rx2) files. You can import several audio files at the
same time, with each audio file ending up on a separate Audio Track in the sequencer - or on separate Comp Rows
in a selected Audio Clip. You can import files of different formats on the same Audio Track - or even in the same Au-
dio Clip. One audio file could be an 8-bit mono file sampled at 22.05 kHz, the next a 24-bit stereo file sampled at 192
kHz, etc. Reason automatically converts sample rates and resolution with preserved audio quality. If the imported au-
dio file includes tempo data that Reason supports, Reason automatically matches (stretches) the audio file to fit the
current Song Tempo, without affecting the pitch.
• if the imported audio files’ sample rates differ from the current audio hardware sample rate, Reason will auto-
matically sample rate convert.
This will first be done with a real-time algorithm, allowing for immediate playback. In the background, a high-quality
sample rate conversion is performed. This is indicated by the CALC indicator on the transport panel. When done,
Reason will automatically switch to playing back the high-quality version and the CALC indicator will go out.
The CALC indicator indicates when Reason performs high-quality stretching of audio.
About tempo matching imported audio
When you import an audio file, which has tempo data that Reason can read, the audio will be automatically stretched
to fit the current tempo in the song. However, if the tempo in the imported audio is unknown, you could manually
tempo match (stretch) the imported audio in a couple of ways:
• By using the Scale Tempo “tool” to manually stretch the audio clips, see “Tempo scaling Clips”.
• By using the Scale Tempo function in the Tool Window, see “Scale Tempo”.
• If the imported audio has a steady - but unknown - tempo, you can adjust the imported audio to the song
tempo as described in “Matching imported audio to the song tempo”.