Propellerhead's Reason

[palmerfusty]

Hey All,

I'm getting to know Propellerhead's Reason software (as part of working as a side player with a band whose (great singing) leader is a devotee). I must say that as a tool to arrange and work out parts it seems pretty fantastic. I find the interface quite excellent, though it might not be the best out there (doesn't seem at first glance to me as deep as some other software). That said, I'd love to enhance it's functionality. Are there plug-in modules or additional instruments available to enhance the proverbial palette? Maybe a user's group? I love software (even as an old fogie guitar player), but I'm not very familiar with Reason; sorry if this is a dumb question.

Thanks!

PF

[chikkenguy]

ive never heard of any plugins... what reason really needs is an audio input so you can use it to process sounds like it was a plugin.

i think propellerheads has a forum on their website.

[kcrusher]

Nope, no plug-ins, though you can use AKAI sample libraries in either NN-19 or NN-XT as well as .wav or .aiff samples in Redrum.

The only way to really 'enhance' Reason is to run it in Rewire mode thru a sequencer like Logic, DP or Cubase. You can then add effects and such to the channels coming from Reason.

[drliebs]

I have grown to love the NN19 and NNXT samplers. Actually I use it for my drum sampler as the control over layers and the amount of samples has made my drum sounds much better. You can load any wave files in it to create your own patches. I basically set it up with rewire as a virtual synth/sampler rack and let cubase do all of the processing, mixing, arranging plug-ins etc...I find this works very well.

I have tried it with sonar and it works but I had a harder time getting it communicating. Not that it can't be done, I just didn't spend the time. I wish cubase had a better way of detecting transients then the hitpoints. I like to replace crappy drums with the nice samples and it is more difficult to do this then it is with sonar. What would be really cool is if you could load audio tracks into reason and extract the transients. [/img]

[jca83]

The only way to really 'enhance' Reason is to run it in Rewire mode thru a sequencer like Logic, DP or Cubase. You can then add effects and such to the channels coming from Reason.

Totally.

I use DP and Reason together... I MIDI sequence in DP, port it to Reason through a sampler or use Redrum or whatever, then record it back in DP as audio and then use audio plug-ins all over that.

That makes Reason essentially just a big rack of sound modules. Hey wait! that's what it is. it's a little tedious, but it'd be the same if you had a big rack of MIDI modules and wanted effects on them too.

You could also get ProTools going and rewire Reason to PT. Then you could do glitch-pop stuff with your beats and chop them up....

[drliebs]

I am not sure if you can run effects on reason instruments (before converting them to audio) in DP, I know you can in Cubase SX. I do this so I can get an idea of how it is sounding before I dump them down to actual audio files. I can't get the waves plugings working happily until they are audio, it seems like it takes to much out of my CPU, but I get an idea with some of the vst effects, then dump them down raw. Then I just mix normally.

[rfbutter]

Although there are no plug ins, I love to dump my reason projects into protools, then route them out through my outboard gear, then back in. If you keep tracks seperate when exporting from reason to pro tools, you can do anything you want with each individual sample or loop.

[Milkmansound]

That is my one and only gripe with reason - there is no VST support. Anyone ever used Cakewalk's Project 5? That is another great program, and it does support VST instruments and rewire. Too bad they only make it for PC...

[kcrusher]

I'm actually happy that Reason doesn't support VST's - once you get into adding too many 'features', a program will get more and more unstable. Reason is so rock solid and, if I want VST stuff, I'll just Rewire it into Logic.

[drliebs]

here here on the rock solid, I don't think reason by itself has ever caused me a problem other than occasionally wanting to see the sound bank cd's again (for no good reason)

I have thought of this technique but I haven't tried it, anyone think it will work? When you export your mix, export as a surround sound mix, pan the VST's one for each channel and export them as individual files. I have done this in stereo and can get two seperate tracks at a time, it might be nice to get four or more at a time.

[Mr. Dipity]

That is my one and only gripe with reason - there is no VST support. Anyone ever used Cakewalk's Project 5? That is another great program, and it does support VST instruments and rewire. Too bad they only make it for PC...

My gripe with Reason, and the reason I don't use it is that it can't import and export midi files. This makes it pretty difficult to use with anything other than itself.

[jca83]

My gripe with Reason, and the reason I don't use it is that it can't import and export midi files. This makes it pretty difficult to use with anything other than itself.

i am pretty sure it can import and export midi files. the mac full version can, anyway.

[Mr. Dipity]

My gripe with Reason, and the reason I don't use it is that it can't import and export midi files. This makes it pretty difficult to use with anything other than itself.

i am pretty sure it can import and export midi files. the mac full version can, anyway.

I stand corrected! Maybe this is a 2.0 feature.

Excellent! This makes it way more usefull as a stripped down, 'live' program.

[jca83]

Excellent! This makes it way more usefull as a stripped down, 'live' program.

speaking of "live", what does everyone think of that?

edit: ableton live, that is.

to me, it's a little more than what i need. but i have some friends who do a lot of live electronic music, experimental and dance both, and think it's a godsend. it's pretty handy, i admit, but i've never had time to get through the interface enough to do anything really useful.

[joel hamilton]

I have used reason a ton since it first came out, and I still love it. it is way more than a sketchpad if you work it hard enough.

I used to have a separate ASIO interface just to have 8 outs from reason running along side protools locked Via the IAC bus and MTC.

I have done things like create tempo maps based on live takes, and have reason chase the drummers original live take to lock a clap sample, or a low sine bass for the chorus's or ehatever. This thing can be a real audio tool.

I really like it. I need to learn LIVE next, but I just havent had to, as most of the people I have recorded that use it, just give me a stereo send from a little converter or output, and play the laptop more live than with reason. I have done shows where reason was the backing track for otherwise HUGE arrangements (zero 7 style) with a live band as well.

Fun.