Operation Manual

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE
65
! If you are making adjustments in the ASIO Control Panel for hardware
with an ASIO driver, you should make a note of the current buffer set-
tings before changing them.
4. While the song is playing, listen closely for pops and clicks and try lowering
the latency (buffer size/number).
5. When you get pops and clicks, raise the latency value a bit.
6. Close the Preferences dialog (and ASIO Control Panel, if open).
About Latency Compensation
In the lower right corner of the Preferences-Audio dialog, you will find a setting called
Latency Compensation. This value is used internally in Reason to compensate for the
latency when synchronizing Reason to another MIDI sequencer or similar. Usually, La-
tency Compensation is set to the same value as the Output Latency, but it is possible
to increase it (see page 61). Normally however, you shouldn’t need to touch this pa-
rameter.
Optimizing Your Computer
System
In this manual we do not have the possibility to give you detailed procedures for opti-
mizing your computer for maximum power. This is a subject that we could write com-
plete books on! However, we’d like to share a couple of important tips:
D Quit other programs that are running at the same time as Reason.
D Remove background tasks on your computer.
This might be any background utilities you have installed as well as networking,
background internet activities etc.
D Under Windows, make sure you use the latest and most efficient driver
for your audio card.
Generally, ASIO drivers are the most efficient, followed by DirectX and last MME.
D Only work on one Reason document at a time.
Songs that are open in the background do consume some processing power even
though they’re not playing.
D Lower the sample rate setting in the Preferences dialog.
While this also reduces sound quality, it is a very quick and convenient way to try
to play a song that your computer otherwise can’t handle.
Optimizing Songs
Below follows things you can check and change to make sure your song uses as little
computer processing power as possible:
Global
D Delete unused devices.
If a device isn’t actually doing anything, delete it from the rack.
D Use fewer devices.
For example, instead of using several reverbs as insert effects, replace them all
with one, set up as a send effect. By the same token, try to use one sampler play-
ing several different samples instead of numerous samplers playing one sample
each.
D Don’t use stereo unless it is required.
For example, if a sampler or Dr. Rex player is playing mono material, only connect
the Left output and leave the Right output unconnected.
Sample Players – NN19, NNXT, Dr. Rex and Redrum
D Only activate High Quality Interpolation when it is required.
Listen to the sound in a context and determine whether you think this setting
makes any difference. However, note that on a Macintosh G4, High Quality Inter-
polation does not require any more processing power.
D If you are playing back a sample at a much higher pitch than it was re-
corded at, consider sample rate converting the actual sample file to a
lower sample rate.
This will require an external sample editor with good sample rate conversion facili-
ties.
D Try to refrain from using stereo samples.
Filters – Subtractor, Malström, NN19, NNXT and Dr.
Rex
D Deactivate filters that are not used.
Observe that if the Cutoff is all the way up or the envelope is set to open the filter
fully, then the filter doesn’t affect the sound. Conserve processing power by dis-
abling the filter altogether.
D Where applicable, use the 12dB lowpass filter instead of the 24dB low-
pass filter.
See if you can get the same sonic result by using the 12dB filter, since it uses up
less processing power.