, English 3.
Operation Manual by Synkron: Anders Nordmark The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Propellerhead Software AB. The software described herein is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to any other media expect as specifically allowed in the License Agreement.
D Table of Contents
2 5 Installation 43 Audio Basics 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 10 Welcome! About the manuals What is in the Reason package? Requirements About the Audio Hardware About MIDI Interfaces Upgrading vs.
71 Introduction to the Combinator 101 Song File Handling 72 73 75 What is the Combinator device? Creating a layered instrument Combi patch - a tutorial About the Programmer 77 Using Pattern Devices 78 78 79 79 80 80 81 About this chapter What are Pattern Devices? Selecting Patterns Programming a Pattern Clearing a Pattern Using Cut, Copy and Paste Pattern Functions 102 103 104 104 104 104 105 105 106 83 The Browser 84 85 86 86 88 90 92 93 93 95 Background About the Browser Opening the browser B
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 D Installation
Welcome! About the manuals Thank you for purchasing Reason 3.0! This is the Getting Started manual, covering the basic features and procedures in Reason. It also contains a tutorial section and a guided tour, to help you get going with the program. Version 3.0 is the third major update of Reason, and this time we have designed the update with live playing in mind.
What is in the Reason package? Requirements Below you will find the minimum requirements for running Reason: ! When you purchase Reason, the package contains the following items: D The Program Disc CD. This contains the Reason installer, electronic documentation in Adobe Acrobat format, and an installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader. There will also be additional files such as promotional material, demo versions of other Propellerhead Software products, etc. D The Factory Sound Bank CD.
About the Audio Hardware The audio hardware is the computer equipment that converts the digital signals from Reason to analog audio signals (for connection to an amplifier, headphones, or similar). This equipment could be a standard stereo sound card, a USB audio interface, the built-in audio hardware on a Macintosh or some more advanced audio card with several inputs and outputs, digital connectors, etc.
About MIDI Interfaces While it is possible to use Reason without an external MIDI controller (by playing patterns and loops only, or drawing notes and automation in the sequencer), this would not allow you to use the program to its full potential. From now on we assume that you are using a MIDI interface and some kind of external MIDI controller (typically a MIDI keyboard with a built-in USB interface).
Installing the Software Running the Installer Now it’s time to install the actual Reason software: D Insert the Reason CD labeled “Program Disc” into your CD-ROM drive. What to do next depends on whether you are installing on a Mac or a Windows computer. Windows: 1. On the CD-ROM, locate the file called “Install Reason” and double click on it. Under Windows, the installer may automatically start when you insert the CD, depending on your system settings. 2. Follow the instructions on screen.
2 D Setting Up
About this Chapter This chapter describes the settings you need to make before you can start using Reason. These are necessary in order to get any sounds from the program and to be able to play and control Reason via MIDI. First run - Reason Setup Wizard If you followed the instructions correctly in the last chapter, Reason should be running, and the first dialog in the “Reason Setup Wizard” guide should be open. This only appears the very first time the program is run.
About the Preferences The basic settings for audio and MIDI are done in the Preferences dialog. This is opened from the Edit menu (or, if you are running Mac OS X, from the Reason menu). Setting up the Audio Hardware In case this wasn’t done in the Setup Wizard, you need to establish a connection between Reason and the audio hardware. This is done by selecting a driver - a software component that acts like a link between the program and the audio hardware. Proceed as follows: 1.
Mac OS X About Latency and other Audio Settings D Select the option that corresponds to the hardware you want to use (the built-in audio connectors or some additional audio hardware that you have installed). In the audio page, you will find a number of additional settings for audio. The most important ones are Buffer Size and the corresponding readout for Output Latency. Windows D If you are using audio hardware for which there is a specific ASIO driver, you should select this.
Setting up MIDI In Reason, MIDI keyboards or remote control devices are called control surfaces. MIDI input from control surfaces is handled by a system called Remote. Here are some of the main features: In case you specified a master keyboard in the Setup Wizard, and you don't have any other control surfaces, you don't have to do anything else. But if you want to add additional control surfaces or edit your settings, this is done in the Preferences.
6. An image of the selected control surface model is shown, often along with some information text - read this carefully. For some control surfaces, you need to select a specific preset to use the surface with Reason - this is noted here. If your control surface model isn’t listed If you can’t find your control surface listed on the Manufacturer or Model pop-up menus when you try to add it, this means that there’s no native support for that model.
Other functions D To edit a surface, double click it in the list (or select it and click Edit). This lets you change its name and MIDI port settings, if needed. D To delete a surface, select it in the list and click Delete. D You can turn off a surface by deactivating its “Use with Reason” checkbox. This could be useful if the surface is connected to your system but you only want to use it with another program, etc. D There is also an “Advanced MIDI” page in the Preferences.
3. At the middle of this page, there is a section entitled “Default Song”. You have three choices: “Empty Rack”, Built In” and “Custom”. • • • Select which one you want to use by clicking the corresponding radio button. Empty Rack - This is an empty rack. Well, almost empty, since it contains the Reason hardware interface. Built In - When this is selected, launching Reason will open a basic demo song.
3 D Quick Tutorial
About this Chapter 9. Near the top of the rack is a mixer device - make sure this is visible. You may need to scroll the view using the vertical scrollbar to the right in the rack (or the scroll wheel on your mouse, if it is equipped with one). This chapter is a quick introduction to the basics in Reason, laid out as step-bystep tutorials. At the end of the chapter you will also find a “guided tour”, describing the different areas and devices in the program. ! The scrollbar.
You may also want to add some effects to the music. In this song, there are two effect devices connected: a delay and a chorus/flanger. These are connected as send effects from the mixer, allowing you to specify how much of each mixer channel signal should be sent to each effect. 13. Raise the Aux send level knobs at the top of a mixer channel. Send 1 is connected to the delay, while send 2 goes to the chorus/flanger.
Now you could try playing the Subtractor synth “live” (provided you have a MIDI keyboard or similar hooked up): 7. In the sequencer, click in the “In” column for the synthesizer track (to the left of the name), so that a keyboard symbol is highlighted. This symbol indicates that incoming MIDI is routed to the track. And since the track is connected to the Subtractor device, any notes you play on your MIDI keyboard will be sent to the synth. MIDI routed to the Subtractor track. 8.
It’s possible to play the drum machine device via MIDI in the same way, but let’s try creating a pattern with the built-in pattern sequencer instead: 13. Click the folder button in the lower left corner of the Redrum panel. This opens the patch browser for the drum machine, allowing you to select a Redrum patch (a drum kit). Note that there are folder buttons for each drum sound channel too - these let you add drum samples one by one and create your own drum kits.
17. Click the Select button for one of the drum sounds. In Redrum, you add drum beats for one sound at the time. 18. Click on the first step button (marked 1). The button lights up, indicating a drum beat. Now try recording some synth notes in the sequencer: 22. Click in the In column for the synthesizer track in the sequencer so that the MIDI connector symbol appears. 23. Click the record button in the transport panel. The button lights up, indicating record standby mode.
32. Click and drag the Filter 1 Freq slider on the Subtractor panel. The changes you make will be heard immediately. 33. Click stop twice to end recording and go back to the beginning of the song. If you look at the Subtractor panel, you will note that there is a green frame around the filter slider now. This indicates that the parameter is automated. 34. Play back the song again. You will see the filter slider moving, exactly as you moved it during recording.
Guided Tour On the following pages you will find a brief “guided tour” through the program. This helps you get familiar with the different devices and their uses. The Back The Rack If you press [Tab] or select Toggle Rack Front/Rear on the Options menu, the rack will be “turned” to show you the back. This is the virtual rack, the heart of Reason. At the top of the rack you will always find the Hardware Interface, which allows Reason to communicate with the audio hardware and MIDI interfaces.
The Transport Panel When the arrange view is selected, you will see the tracks lined up vertically, with the recorded events indicated as colored bars (red for notes, yellow for pattern changes and blue for controllers). A ruler at the top of the view shows the meter positions. The panel at the bottom of each song document window is called the transport panel.
The Devices Combinator The following devices are available in Reason: Reason Hardware Interface This device handles Reason’s communication with your hardware. The upper half of the hardware interface contains settings for MIDI input, allowing you to select a separate MIDI channel for each device when controlling Reason from an external multi-channel MIDI source.
Line Mixer 6:2 NN-19 Digital Sampler This is a simple mixer with 6 stereo channels and one stereo effect send/return. It can be used in situations where basic mixing facilities will suffice. Ideal for mixing device outputs within Combinator patches. Subtractor Analog Synth The NN-19 allows you to load samples (Wave, AIFF, SoundFonts or REX files) and create multi-sample patches by mapping samples across the keyboard.
In addition, the NN-XT also allows you to create layered sounds, where two or more samples can be played simultaneously. This is done by mapping different samples across the same keyboard range. Another useful feature is the possibility to set up velocity switched key maps. This lets you control which samples in a layered key map will actually sound depending on how hard or soft you play on your MIDI keyboard. Redrum Drum Computer Dr. Rex Loop Player The Dr.
The MClass Mastering effects consists of four high quality sound processors, suitable for (but not in any way restricted to) use as mastering effects, i.e. to process the final mixed output from Reason. The MClass effects can selected as a Combi (with all four effects chained), or as individual effects. The Factory Sound Bank contains MClass Combi patches with settings optimized for various mastering and sound enhancement applications.
RV-7 Digital Reverb CF-101 Chorus/Flanger This is a reverb effect with ten different reverb algorithms, ranging from hall and room simulations to special effects. You can fine-tune the effect with the knobs on the device panel if you like. The reverb is normally used as a send effect. The CF-101 does double duty as chorus (for making textures rich and swirly) and flanger (for creating sweeping, metallic effects).
PEQ2 Two Band Parametric EQ While the mixer device has basic two-band EQ on each channel, sometimes you may need some more precise control over the tone color. For this purpose, you can use the PEQ2. This device contains two independent parametric equalizers, with controls for frequency, gain and Q value. Spider Audio Merger & Splitter The Matrix Pattern Sequencer The Matrix is a stand-alone pattern sequencer, somewhat similar to a vintage analog sequencer.
34 QUICK TUTORIAL
4 D Common Operations and Concepts
About this Chapter Making Settings This chapter describes some general methods and techniques employed throughout Reason. It also contains some terminology, useful for better understanding of the program and the manual. To make your work with Reason as effective and rewarding as possible, we recommend that you read this chapter.
Sliders Buttons Many modes and functions are controlled by clicking buttons. Most of the buttons in Reason have a “built-in” LED, indicating whether the button is pressed or not. Numerical Values To move a slider, click on the slider handle and drag up or down. D You can also click anywhere on the slider to instantly move the handle to that position. D If you press [Shift] and drag, the slider will move slower, allowing for higher precision.
Tool Tips If you position the pointer over a parameter on a device panel and wait a moment, a tool tip will appear. This displays the name of the parameter and its current value. This helps you fine-tune settings, set several parameters to the same value, etc.
Undo If you now select Undo, your latest action (the tempo change) will be undone, and moved to a “Redo list”: UNDO Virtually all actions in Reason can be undone. This includes creation, deletion and reordering of devices in the Rack, parameter value adjustments, editing in the sequencer and tempo/time signature adjustments. You can undo up to 10 actions. REDO 4. Change pan 3. Adjust Attack 2.
Window Techniques Using more than one Reason Song window You can have several Reason Songs open at the same time. Each will appear in a separate Reason window, complete with rack, sequencer and transport bar areas. Each window can be moved, minimized and resized using standard Mac/ Windows procedures. Views, Panes and Dividers On screen, Reason is divided into different areas or “panes”.
Scrolling and Zooming D Where applicable, different panes can be scrolled and zoomed individually. Reason offers a few different options for scrolling and zooming in the rack and the sequencer. Scrolling with the scrollbars Whenever there is information “outside the screen”, horizontal and/or vertical scrollbars will appear.
D You can also click and drag with the Magnifying Glass to create a selection rectangle. The view will then be zoomed in so that the selected area fills the lane. Enclosing these notes in a selection rectangle... ...will zoom in so that they fill the view. Scrolling and zooming with the mouse wheel If you’re using a mouse equipped with a scroll wheel, this can be used for the following scrolling and zooming operations: D Scrolling up and down in both the rack and in the sequencer.
5 D Audio Basics
About this chapter This chapter contains some useful information about how audio is handled by Reason. Some of it may seem a bit technical, but we recommend that you read it, to get the most out of Reason. How Reason communicates with your audio hardware Reason generates and plays back digital audio - a stream of numerical values in the form of ones and zeroes.
About Sample Rates and Resolutions Sample rate and resolution are properties of digital audio, which determine the quality of the sound. Generally, higher sample rate and resolution result in better audio quality (but also larger audio files and higher demands on computer performance and audio hardware). This table shows some common sample rate/ resolution combinations: | Sample rate: About using high resolution audio Reason has the capability to play back samples with practically any resolution.
About Audio Levels Master Tune When playing back in Reason, you should keep an eye on the Audio Out Clipping indicator on the transport panel. If this lights up, the audio level is too high, resulting in clipping (digital distortion). By default, Reason plays back a “middle A” at 440 Hz, which is the standard tuning in most instruments.
6 D Managing the Rack
About this Chapter Creating Devices As you have seen by now, the central part of Reason is the rack. This is where you create and configure your devices, and make parameter settings. This chapter describes all the procedures for managing the rack, that is, procedures and techniques common to all devices. Device parameter specifics are described in the Operation Manual pdf. To create a new device, select the desired item on the Create menu.
Selecting Devices Deleting Devices Some operations (e.g. cutting, copying and deleting devices) require that you select one or several devices in the rack. This is done according to the following rules: To delete one or several devices, select them and use one of the following methods: D To select a single device, click on it in the rack. The selected device is displayed with a colored border (based on the color scheme selected for your operating system).
In this example an RV-7 reverb device is moved: In this case, the red line indicates that the reverb device will be inserted to the left of the phaser. ! Moving devices in the rack does not affect the order of the sequencer tracks and vice versa. Duplicating Devices To make a copy of a device in the rack, hold down [Option] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and drag it to a new position. This is the result. Note that the filter device is moved to the left, to fill out the gap.
A Quick Note on Routing Routing an Insert Effect between the Hardware Interface and another device ! D If you select the Hardware Interface and then create an effect, the effect will be connected as an insert effect between the Hardware Interface and whatever device was connected to the Hardware Interface inputs (normally the outputs of a a Mixer device). This is the intended way to connect the MClass Mastering Suite Combi, at the very end of the signal chain.
Manual Routing To connect devices manually, you need to flip the rack around to see the back. This is done by pressing [Tab] or selecting “Toggle Rack Front/Rear” from the Options menu. There are two ways to route audio from one device to another: by connecting “virtual patch cables” between inputs and outputs, and by selecting connections from a pop-up menu: Using Cables ! For the cables to be visible, the option “Show Cables” must be activated on the Options menu. See below. 1.
These cables are green, indicating effect device connections. Disconnecting Devices Again, there are two ways to disconnect devices: D Click on one end of the cable, drag it away from the jack and drop it anywhere away from a jack. or D Click on one of the connectors and select “Disconnect” from the context menu that appears. This cable is yellow, indicating a CV connection. These cables are red, indicating connections between instruments and mixer devices.
Routing MIDI to a Device There are several ways to send MIDI from a control surface to a Reason device, as described in the Operation Manual. However, in this book we stick to the most common method: to route MIDI via the sequencer. With this method, incoming MIDI (e.g. from your master keyboard) is sent to one of the tracks in Reason’s sequencer. The sequencer will then pass it on to a device in the rack (the device to which the track is routed).
Note that the mixer channel tape strips show the name of the device directly connected to the mixer! This means that if you have an instrument device routed through an insert effect, the mixer channel tape strip will show the name of the insert effect device (as this is the device directly connected to the mixer channel). In this case, you may want to rename the insert effect device, to indicate the connected instrument.
56 MANAGING THE RACK
7 D The Sequencer - Basics
About the Sequencer The sequencer is your main composition tool in Reason. This is where you record notes, controllers, device parameter automation and pattern changes. In this chapter you will find descriptions of all basic procedures; recording, playing back and handling sequencer tracks. For descriptions of editing, quantizing, using groups, etc., please refer to the Operation Manual pdf. It is possible to have tracks that are not connected to any device.
Sequencer window handling D When editing the contents of a sequencer track, the right part of the sequencer area can be divided into different lanes. Typically, you would view the note information in one lane, controller curve in another lane, etc. You can adjust the size of the lanes by dragging the dividers between them. The sequencer area below the rack. The basic window techniques in Reason have been described on page 40.
Working with the sequencer in a separate window The sequencer window can be detached from the rack and used in a separate window. This could be useful for instance if you are working with a large number of tracks or if you are viewing many sequencer lanes at once.
A note about using Reason with two monitors If you have a computer system with two monitors, you can do the following: Managing Tracks D Use one monitor for viewing and managing the rack only. Creating Tracks D Detach the sequencer as described above, and dedicate one of your monitors to the sequencer only. As described on page 48, tracks are automatically created when you create instrument devices in the rack. Still, you may need to create additional tracks (e.g.
D You can also select the next or previous track in the list by using the up and down arrow keys on the computer keyboard. D To connect a track to a device in the rack, pull down the pop-up menu in the Out column and select one of the devices. D It is possible to select several tracks, by pressing [Shift] and clicking. This allows you to e.g. move or delete several tracks in one go.
Deleting Tracks To delete one or several tracks, select them and press [Backspace] or [Delete]. D If the track to be deleted (and this track only) is connected to a device, the following alert message will appear: About the two Views While the left part of the sequencer area always contains the track list, there are two different view modes for the right part: Arrange View and Edit View. You switch between the two views by clicking the button in the top left corner of the sequencer area.
About the Ruler, Song Position and Locators Transport Controls Overview Regardless of which view mode is selected, you will find a horizontal ruler at the top of the sequencer display. This indicates the meter positions, that is, the positions in bars and beats. The transport panel is located at the bottom of each song document window. This is where you activate playback, recording, fast forward/rewind, etc.
Setting Up for Recording Recording Before you can start recording, you need to make some settings: To record MIDI from an external MIDI instrument, proceed as follows: Tempo and Time Signature 1. Make sure MIDI is routed to the desired track, see page 62. The track with MIDI input is always automatically record enabled. The tempo and time signature settings are located on the transport panel. D You can specify any tempo between 1 and 999.999 bpm (beats per minute).
Recording more tracks Replacing a section of a previous recording Once you have recorded something, you can continue recording on other tracks, while hearing the first recording play back. Just remember to route MIDI to the desired recording track. If you have made a largely successful recording, in which only a section needs to be redone, you can use Replace mode for this: D You can change the MIDI routing during recording if you like.
Playback and Positioning ! D Adjust the song position numerically in the value display below the transport buttons. The song position is shown as three digits: bars, beats and sixteenth notes. If you are using ReWire, transport functions can be handled by either application. See the Operation Manual pdf. Play and Stop D To play back from the current song position, click the play button or press [Enter] on the numeric keypad. D To stop playback, click the stop button or press [0] on the numeric keypad.
Using the Loop In loop mode, the sequencer will repeat a section over and over again, during playback or recording. You specify the section to be looped by setting the left and right locator: D Set the left locator (the start of the loop) by dragging the “L” marker in the ruler. Or, you can hold down [Option] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and click in the ruler. Mute and Solo To mute a track means to silence it, so that no data is sent from the track during playback.
What else can I do in the sequencer? This chapter has only touched briefly on the capabilities of the sequencer. In the Operation Manual pdf you will find detailed descriptions of the following sequencer functions and procedures: • • • • • • • Recording pattern changes and control automation. Rearranging recorded material in the Arrange View. Editing recorded notes, controllers and pattern changes. Quantizing and using grooves. Manual creation of notes and controllers. Using groups.
70 THE SEQUENCER - BASICS
8 D Introduction to the Combinator
What is the Combinator device? About the Combi patch format The Combinator saves files in the Combi (.cmb) patch format. When you load a Combi patch, all devices included in the Combi, their corresponding parameter settings and internal audio and CV connections are instantly recalled. The Factory Soundbank includes many preset Combi patches, divided into various categories. There are two basic types of Combis; Instrument and Effect Combis.
About external and internal audio routing Creating a layered instrument Combi patch a tutorial In this step-by-step tutorial we will show you how to create a simple Combi patch, starting with an empty Combinator device. The objective is to create a layered instrument Combi that includes both instrument and effect devices: At the back of a Combinator you can find the following audio connectors: 1. To make things easy to follow, start with an empty rack.
If you flip the rack around, the Combi outputs have been auto-routed to inputs on the mixer device, but as the Combi is currently empty there are no connections to the “From Devices” inputs yet. 5. Select a Line Mixer 6:2 device from the Create menu. The mixer is added to the Combi. The master output of the Line mixer is autorouted to the “From Devices” connectors.
7. Select a NN-XT from the Create menu. The NN-XT is added to the Combi, with its L/R Master outputs auto-routed to the Line mixer. As you can see, the area below the Combinator Controller panel encloses the devices in the Combi, like a “rack within the rack”.
D You can change Key Range values by clicking in the Key Range Lo/ Hi fields and moving the mouse up or down with the mouse button pressed. The horizontal strips in the area below the keyboard reflects the set Key Range for the corresponding instrument device. You can also change the Key Range by dragging the end handles of the strip.
9 D Using Pattern Devices
About this chapter As of this writing, Reason includes two pattern-based devices: the Redrum drum computer and the Matrix Pattern Sequencer (additional pattern devices may be added in upcoming versions). While these two devices are very different in most ways, they handle patterns following the same basic rules, as described in this chapter. ! D You can also run a pattern device separately (without starting the main sequencer or other pattern devices) by clicking the Run button on the device panel.
Selecting Patterns Programming a Pattern Each pattern device has 32 pattern memories, divided into four banks (A, B, C, D). The actual programming procedure differs for the different devices (see the Operation Manual pdf for descriptions of the Redrum and Matrix, respectively). However, some basic principles are common for all pattern devices: Steps Patterns consist of a number of discrete steps. For each step, you can enter a note, a CV value or various properties, depending on the device.
Let’s say you have a 16 step pattern with resolution set to 1/16. The length of each pattern step is then one sixteenth note, and the whole pattern plays back over a whole 4/4 bar (16 sixteenth notes = one whole bar). Using Cut, Copy and Paste Now, if you change the resolution to 1/32, each step will be a 1/32 note - half its original length. There are still sixteen steps. This means that the whole pattern plays back over half a bar (16 * 1/32 = 1/2).
Pattern Functions When a pattern device is selected, you will find some specific pattern functions on the Edit menu (and on the device context menu). Below the three basic types of pattern functions are listed. However, the exact names and functionalities depend on the device type - refer to the Operation Manual pdf for details. Shift The Shift functions move the notes in a pattern one step to the left or right, or transposes them one semitone up or down (depending on the device).
82 USING PATTERN DEVICES
10 D The Browser
Background Reason File Formats The following table lists the file formats that you can browse and open using Reason’s Browser: About ReFills A ReFill is a kind of component package for Reason which can contain patches, samples, REX files, Soundfonts and demo songs. If you like, you could compare ReFills to ROM cards for a synthesizer. On your computer, ReFills appear as large files with the extension “.rfl”.
| File type | Extension | Description Scream 4 Patch .sm4 This is a patch for the Scream 4 distortion effect, containing all panel settings. REX files .rx2, .rcy or .rex REX files are created in another Propellerheads application, the ReCycle loop editor. They contain audio loops chopped into slices, with one slice for each significant beat in the loop. By loading a REX file into the Dr.
Opening the browser Browser elements You can use any of the following commands to open the Browser dialog (what file types you can browse for depends on which method you used to open the Browser dialog): D By selecting “Open” from the File menu. This opens the Song Browser where you can select to open a saved Song. D By selecting “Browse Patches” on the Edit menu with a patch device selected (or by clicking the “Browse Patches” button on a device panel).
Show pop-up menu This is only available in the Patch browser (it is otherwise grayed out). It determines what patch types are shown in the files and folder list view and thus which patches can be selected. See page 90. Where pop-up menu Locations list This is a list of shortcuts to different locations. You can manually add any locations (on any local drive) to this list. Selecting an item in this list will open the corresponding folder/ReFill as the root in the main files and folder list - see page 88.
Info and details Navigating in the Browser The Info section in the left corner can show Song/ReFill splash images and the Details section will show information about the item currently selected in the file and folder list. Exactly which information is shown depends on the file type. For example, samples or REX files contains information about the file format and length of the selected file, while a selected song file can display comments from the author (Song Information, see page 103), etc.
About hierarchic and flat lists Selecting and auditioning patches In certain circumstances the Browser will display a flat list without any folder hierarchy. In such cases there will be an extra “Parent” column displaying the parent folder location for all files. The “Where” pop-up will then contain a shortcut to a selected file’s parent folder. Flat lists are shown in the following cases: In the Patch Browser, selecting a patch automatically loads it in the background (i.e.
Selecting multiple files Cross-browsing - an example: It is possible to select multiple files in the Browser, by using standard [Shift] or [Ctrl] (Win)/[Command] (Mac) selection techniques. This, however, does not mean that the selected files can be loaded. 1. You are playing a Subtractor device but feel that the sound isn’t quite what you had in mind, so you open the Browser to check out some other patches.
Special instances of cross-browsing About patch formats and sampler devices There are a few instances when replacing an existing device by browsing might lead to lost connections: As both the NN-XT and NN19 sampler devices can load patches in the NN19 (.smp) and REX (.rx2/.rcy/.rex) formats, there has to be certain rules regarding cross-browsing. D When a device is replaced by another device type, audio connections may be lost.
Using the Search function Executing the search D Clicking the “Find” button will execute the search according to your specifications. After the search, the search result is shown as a flat list in the Browser, and the Where pop-up field reads “Search result”. The Search function allows you to search for files by name and/or type. Search criteria The Browser mode (patch, song etc.) determines what file type(s) you can search for, just as when you are manually navigating in the Browser.
Opening files When you have navigated to the desired folder (on your hard disk or within a ReFill) and located the desired file, you open it by double clicking it in the file display or by selecting it and clicking the OK button. As described earlier, patches and samples are loaded directly upon selection, so clicking OK doesn’t actually “open” the file, it simply confirms the selection, and closes the Browser dialog.
D By selecting the folder, the currently selectable contents of the Favorite list is shown in the Browser list. What is selectable/shown depends as usual on the current Browser mode. If you select a Favorite List folder that contains samples, these will only be shown if the Sample Browser is selected. 1. Set up a Reason song with a mixer device (and send effects if desired). 2. Create an instrument device, for example a Combinator. It doesn’t matter which instrument device you choose at this point.
Handling Missing Sounds The Missing Sounds dialog Sampler patches, drum machine patches and Soundfonts contain references to samples - files on your hard disk. The same is true for songs that contain samples (in sampler or drum machine devices) or REX files.
Selecting Download ReFill The Replace and Search Locations functions (see below) are performed on the files that are selected in the list. This allows you to replace some files manually (necessary if the files have been renamed or are outside the Locations), have the program find other files automatically and skip the rest of the files.
11 D Working with Patches
About Patches Selecting a Patch A Reason patch contains settings for a specific device. As explained in the chapter “The Browser”, patches can either be separate files on your hard disk or files embedded in a ReFill. To select a patch for a device, use one of the following methods: D Click the folder button in the Patch section on the device panel. Eight device types use patches: D Subtractor & Malström synth patches contain all settings on the device panel.
D If you click on the patch name display on the device panel, a pop-up menu will appear, listing all patches in the current browse list- see page 93). This allows you to quickly select another patch, without having to step through each one in turn. Saving Patches Saving device settings in a song When you save a Reason song, all settings for all devices are automatically included in the song file - there is no need to save the patches separately.
! Note that you can save a patch under the same name and location without having the save dialog appear by holding down [Option] (Mac)/[Alt] (Windows) and clicking the floppy disk button on the device panel. Be aware that this overwrites the original patch! ! Note also that you cannot save into a ReFill! This means that if you have opened a patch from within a ReFill, modified it and want to save it, you need to save it as a separate file.
12 D Song File Handling
About Self-contained Songs The song is the main file format in Reason. A song contains the device setup and all settings in the rack, as well as everything you have recorded in the sequencer. However, this is not always sufficient! Should you open your song on another computer or send it to another Reason user, you would also have to bring all samples and REX files used by the devices in the song. To make this easier, Reason allows you to create “self-contained” songs.
Song Information Selecting the Song Information item on the File menu opens a dialog in which you can supply various information about the song. To add a splash picture, click the folder button at the upper right corner, and locate and open the picture file in the file dialog that appears. ! Splash pictures must be JPEG files (Windows extension “.jpg”) with a size of 256 x 256 pixels. To remove the splash picture from the song, click the cross button.
Saving a Song Opening a Song To save a song, proceed as follows: 1. Pull down the File menu and select Open. The Reason song browser window appears. 1. Set up the self-contained settings as desired (see the previous page). 2. Pull down the File menu and select Save (or press [Command] / [Ctrl]-[S]). If this is the first time you save the song, a regular file dialog will appear. 3. Specify a name and location for the song and click Save.
Creating a New Song 7. Navigate to the song you created earlier, select it and click “OK”. The name of the song appears in the textbox. To create a new song, select New from the File menu. This makes a new song document window appear. D By default, the new song will contain a mixer and an MClass Mastering Suite Combi. If you want to start with your own selection of devices (or an empty rack), you can customize your default song, as described below.
Exporting as an Audio File 5. Specify a name, location and file type (AIFF or Wave) for the audio file, and click Save. This opens a Settings dialog. When you have created a complete song, you may want to mix it down to make it playable for other people (who don’t use Reason). Of course, you could connect the audio outputs of your audio hardware to a tape recorder or similar, and simply record the song.
D Index
A Alter 81 ASIO Driver 8, 13 Audio Card Driver 13 Audio File Formats 45 Audio Hardware 8, 44 Audio Levels 46 Audio Out 44 Audio Out Clipping 46 Auditioning patches (Browser) 89 Automatic Routing 51 D Back panel 52 Bit Depth 106 Browser About 85 Cross-browsing 90 Favorites 93 Locations 89 Search function 92 Buttons 37 Default Song 105 Detach Sequencer Window 60 Devices Connecting MIDI to 62 Creating 48 Cut, Copy and Paste 50 Deleting 49 Deleting with Track 63 Duplicating 50 Folding 55 Moving in the Rack 4
Initialize Patch 100 O K Open Song 104 Orkester Sound Bank 10 Out column 62 Overdub/Replace switch 66 Key Commands Syntax in Manual 36 Transport 64 Zooming 59 Knobs 36 L L Marker 68 Latency 14 Left Locator 68 Levels 46 Locations (Browser) 89 Loop Mode 68 M M Column 68 Magnification 41 Magnifying Glass tool 41 Master Tune 46 Metronome Click 65 MIDI Connecting 9 Routing to Tracks 62 Setting up inputs 15 MIDI Connector symbol 62 Missing Sounds 95 MME Driver 8, 13 Mouse Knob Range 36 Mouse wheel 42 Multip
Rack Navigating 48 Turning around 52 Randomize 81 Reason Factory Sound Bank see Factory Sound Bank Reason Setup Wizard 12 Reason Song Archive 104 Rec column 66 Record enabling several tracks 66 Recording 65 Redo 39 ReFills About 84 Downloading from Browser 96 Replace vs.
Tracks About 58 Connecting to Devices 62 Creating 61 Deleting 63 Duplicating 62 Moving 62 Naming 61 Routing MIDI to 62 Selecting 61 Transport Panel 64 Tuning 46 U Undo 39 Use High Resolution Samples 45 V Value Editing (Numerical) 37 W Web Site 103 Wheel mouse 42 Windows Multimedia Driver 8 Z Zooming 41 INDEX 111
112 INDEX
