Propellerhead Reason Specifications

, Operation Manual Version 2.5, English14 Channel Expandable Mixer , Analog Polysynth , Graintable Polysynth , Digital Samplers , REX-loop Player ,

THE SEQUENCER 8 Recording Recording and Playback Basics The basic procedures for recording and playback are described in the Getting Started book. He

REDRUM98Others| Connection | DescriptionSend Out 1-2 Outputs for the send signals controlled with the S1 and S2 knobs, as described on page 94.Stereo

12D Subtractor Synthesizer

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER100IntroductionSubtractor is an analog-type polyphonic synthesizer based on subtractive syn-thesis, the method used in analog sy

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER101! Please note that the descriptions of the waveforms sound or timbre is merely meant to provide a basic guideline, and should

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER102D In Octave steps The range is 0 - 9. The default setting is 4 (where “A” above middle “C” on your keyboard generates 440 Hz)

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER103Noise GeneratorThe Noise Generator could be viewed as an oscillator that produces noise in-stead of a pitched waveform. Noise

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER104When phase offset modulation is activated, the oscillator creates a second waveform of the same shape and offsets it by the a

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER105✪ With the Noise Generators default settings, this will sound much like colored noise. But by changing (lowering) the Noise G

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER106D 24 dB Lowpass (LP 24)Lowpass filters lets low frequencies pass and cuts out the high frequencies. This filter type has a fa

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER107D Bandpass (BP 12)A bandpass filter cuts both high and low frequencies, while midrange fre-quencies are not affected. Each sl

THE SEQUENCER 9 Recording automation of a device parameter 1. Make sure there is a sequencer track for the device. For the instrument devices and the

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER108D NotchA notch filter (or band reject filter) could be described as the opposite of a bandpass filter. It cuts off frequencie

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER109Filter 2 A very useful and unusual feature of the Subtractor Synthesizer is the presence of an additional 12dB/Oct lowpass fi

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER110DecayAfter the maximum value has been reached, the value starts to drop. How long this should take is governed by the Decay p

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER111Mod EnvelopeThe Mod Envelope allows you to select one of a number of parameters, or Des-tinations, to control with the envelo

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER112DestinationThe available LFO 1 Destinations are as follows:SyncBy clicking this button you activate/deactivate LFO sync. The

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER113RateThe Rate knob controls the LFO’s frequency. Turn clockwise for a faster modu-lation rate.AmountThis parameter determines

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER114The following parameters can be velocity controlled:Pitch Bend and Modulation WheelsThe Pitch Bend wheel is used for “bending

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER115Modulation WheelThe Modulation wheel can be set to simultaneously control a number of param-eters. You can set positive or ne

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER116External ModulationSubtractor can receive common MIDI controller messages, and route these to various parameters. The followi

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER117Modulation Inputs! Remember that CV connections will not be stored in the Subtractor patch, even if the connections are to/fr

THE SEQUENCER 10 Background: How recorded controllers are handled Even though the recording procedures are practically the same, the sequencer handle

SUBTRACTOR SYNTHESIZER118

13D Malström Synthesizer

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER120IntroductionThe Malström is a polyphonic synthesizer with a great number of different rout-ing possibilities. It is based on th

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER121The Oscillator sectionThe two oscillators (osc:A and osc:B) of the Malström are the actual sound gen-erators, and the rest of t

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER122Controlling playback of the graintableEach oscillator features three controls that determine how the loaded grainta-bles are pl

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER123The Modulator sectionThe Malström features two Modulators (mod:A and mod:B) These are in fact an-other type of oscillators, cal

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER124D Note that these knobs are bi-polar, which means that if a knob is in the middle position, no modulation is applied. If you tu

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER125D To activate/deactivate a filter, click the On/Off button in the top left corner.When a filter is activated, the button is lit

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER126Filter controlsEach filter contains the following four controls:D Kbd (keyboard tracking)By clicking this button so that it is

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER127The ShaperBefore filter:A is an optional waveshaper. Waveshaping is a synthesis method for transforming sounds by altering the

THE SEQUENCER 11 D You can punch in on recorded pattern changes, to replace a section of the track. This works the same as punching in on controllers

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER128RoutingThe Malström puts you in total control of how the signal should be routed from the oscillators, through the filters and

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER129Both oscillators with one filter eachWith this configuration, the signals from osc:A and osc:B will go to filter:A and filter:B

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER130The output controlsThese two parameters control the output from the Malström in the following way:VolumeThis knob controls the

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER131The Pitch Bend and Modulation wheels• The Pitch Bend wheel is used for bending the pitch of notes, much like bending the string

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER132The Modulation wheel controlsThe Modulation wheel can be set to control a number of parameters. You can set positive or negativ

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER133Sequencer ControlThe Sequencer Control CV and Gate inputs allow you to play the Malström from another CV/Gate device (typically

MALSTRÖM SYNTHESIZER134Connecting the signal from the Malström itselfIf you connect one or both oscillator outputs to the audio input(s), the internal

14D NN-19 Sampler

NN-19 SAMPLER136IntroductionA sampler could be described as a device capable of recording and reproduc-ing audio material, like a tape recorder. Unlik

NN-19 SAMPLER137About Audio File FormatsThe NN-19 can read audio files in the following formats:• Wave (.wav)• AIFF (.aif)• SoundFonts (.sf2)• REX fil

THE SEQUENCER 12 Copying REX loops and Patterns to Sequencer Tracks As described on page 188, you need to use the “To Track” function when using the

NN-19 SAMPLER138About Key Zones and SamplesLoading a Sample into an empty NN-191. Create a new sampler device.2. Click on the sample browser button.Th

NN-19 SAMPLER139Creating Key ZonesA “key zone” is a range of keys, that plays a sample. All key zones together make up a “key map”.To create a new key

NN-19 SAMPLER140About Key zones, Assigned and Unassigned SamplesWhen you load samples and rearrange your key mapping, you will often end up with sampl

NN-19 SAMPLER141✪ If all samples originate from different sources, and all or most of them are pitched slightly different (a not uncommon sampling sce

NN-19 SAMPLER142Automap SamplesIf you have a number of samples that belong together, but haven’t mapped them to key zones you can use the “Automap Sam

NN-19 SAMPLER143NN-19 Synth ParametersThe NN-19 synth parameters are used to shape and modulate samples. These are mostly similar to the parameters us

NN-19 SAMPLER144The Filter SectionFilters are used for shaping the overall timbre of the sound. The filter in NN-19 is a multimode filter with five fi

NN-19 SAMPLER145Envelope SectionEnvelope generators are used to control several important sound parameters in analog synthesizers, such as pitch, volu

NN-19 SAMPLER146WaveformLFO 1 allows you to select different waveforms for modulating parameters. These are (from the top down):DestinationThe availab

NN-19 SAMPLER147Velocity ControlVelocity is used to control various parameters according to how hard or soft you play notes on your keyboard. A common

THE SEQUENCER 13 Redrum notes When you use this function with the Redrum, you should note the following:• The notes will have the pitch of the corres

NN-19 SAMPLER148RetrigThis is the “normal” setting for playing polyphonic patches. That is, when you press a key without releasing the previous, the e

NN-19 SAMPLER149ConnectionsOn the back panel of the NN-19 you will find the connectors, which are mostly CV/Gate related. Audio OutputsThese are the m

NN-19 SAMPLER150

15D NN-XT Sampler

NN-XT SAMPLER152IntroductionFeaturesThe basic functions of the NN-XT are very similar to those of its sampler com-panion in the Reason rack - the NN-1

NN-XT SAMPLER153Loading Complete Patches and REX FilesAs previously alluded, you can load complete sample patches as well as individ-ual samples into

NN-XT SAMPLER154Using the Main PanelAll of the controls on the main panel are used for globally modifying certain pa-rameters for all of the samples i

NN-XT SAMPLER155High Quality InterpolationThis switch turns High Quality Interpolation on and off. When it is activated, the sample pitch is calculate

NN-XT SAMPLER156Overview of the Remote Editor panelIt is in the Remote Editor Panel that the main NN-XT action is going on, espe-cially if you’re crea

NN-XT SAMPLER157Sample ParametersThis area shows the current values of basic parameters you can set for each separate zone, such as root key, play mod

THE SEQUENCER 14 Editing - About Snap When you select and edit material (both in the Arrange View and the Edit View), the Snap (Snap to Grid) functio

NN-XT SAMPLER158Selections and Edit FocusAlmost all operations in the remote editor are performed on one or more se-lected zones or on the zone with e

NN-XT SAMPLER159Selecting zones via MIDIYou can also select zones via your MIDI keyboard. By clicking the button marked “Select zones via MIDI” above

NN-XT SAMPLER160Adjusting ParametersAdjusting Synth ParametersThe synth parameters are the ones that occupy the bulk of the remote editor panel (see p

NN-XT SAMPLER161Managing Zones and SamplesCreating a Key MapWhen you add an NN-XT sampler to the rack, its key map display is always empty. That is, i

NN-XT SAMPLER162Adding More Samples to the Key MapYou can add additional samples to an existing key map in the same way as de-scribed above.1. Make su

NN-XT SAMPLER163Duplicating ZonesYou can duplicate any number of already existing zones (containing samples or empty). 1. Select the zone(s) you want

NN-XT SAMPLER164Moving a Group to another Position in the ListD Click on the group in the Groups column and drag up or down with the mouse button pres

NN-XT SAMPLER1654. Repeat the procedure with as many zones as you wish, to create a complete key map.By using the Lo Key and Hi Key controlsDirectly b

NN-XT SAMPLER166Moving Zones by Dragging the Zone BoxesYou can also move entire zones horizontally, thereby changing their key ranges.1. Select all th

NN-XT SAMPLER167Sorting Zones by NoteThe Edit menu and the NN-XT context menu contains an item called “Sort Zones by Note”. This option lets you autom

THE SEQUENCER 15 Editing in the Arrange View The Arrange View allows you to view several tracks at the same time, and pro-vides a good overview of th

NN-XT SAMPLER168Tuning Samples Manually In addition to setting the root note, you may need to fine tune your samples, in or-der for them to match othe

NN-XT SAMPLER169Layered, Crossfaded and Velocity Switched SoundsCreating Layered SoundsYou can set things up so that two or more zones have overlappin

NN-XT SAMPLER17 0Overlapping Velocity RangesLet’s change the values above slightly:D Zone 1 has a velocity range from 1-60.D Zone 2 has a velocity ran

NN-XT SAMPLER17 1About Crossfading Between ZonesAt the bottom right in the sample parameter area are two knobs marked “Fade In” and “Fade Out”. These

NN-XT SAMPLER17 2Setting Crossfading for a ZoneManuallyTo set up a crossfade for a zone, proceed as follows:1. Select one or more zones that you want

NN-XT SAMPLER17 3Sample ParametersThe Sample parameter area is found below the screen. For details on how to ad-just them (depending on whether one or

NN-XT SAMPLER17 4AltThis parameter is described on page 172.OutThe NN-XT features eight separate stereo output pairs (see page 184). For each zone, yo

NN-XT SAMPLER17 5Legato and RetrigLegatoLegato works best with monophonic sounds. Set Key Poly (see above) to 1 and try the following:D Hold down a ke

NN-XT SAMPLER17 6The following parameters can be modulated:F.FreqThis sets modulation control of the Filter’s cutoff frequency (see page 179).Mod DecT

NN-XT SAMPLER17 7The Velocity controlsVelocity is used for controlling various parameters according to how hard or soft you play notes on your keyboar

THE SEQUENCER16Duplicating EventsTo duplicate the selected events, hold down [Option] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and proceed as when moving events.D Yo

NN-XT SAMPLER17 8The Pitch sectionThis section contains various parameters related to controlling the pitch, or fre-quency, of the zones. Pitch Bend R

NN-XT SAMPLER17 9The Filter SectionFilters can be used for shaping the character of the sound. The filter in NN-XT is a multimode filter with six diff

NN-XT SAMPLER180The Modulation EnvelopeThe Modulation Envelope parameters let you control how certain parameters, or destinations, should change over

NN-XT SAMPLER181The Amplitude EnvelopeThe Amplitude Envelope parameters let you control how the volume of a sound should change over time - from the m

NN-XT SAMPLER182The LFOsNN-XT features two Low Frequency Oscillators - LFO 1 and LFO 2. “Normal” oscillators generate a waveform and a frequency, and

NN-XT SAMPLER183Waveform (LFO 1 only)Here, you select which type of waveform should be used for modulating the des-tination parameters.Click the butto

NN-XT SAMPLER184ConnectionsOn the back panel of NN-XT are a number of connectors. Many of these are CV/Gate related. Using CV/Gate is described in the

16D Dr. Rex Loop Player

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER186IntroductionThe Dr.Rex Loop Player is capable of playing back and editing files created in ReCycle, another product created by P

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER187Adding a LoopTo add a loop into the Dr.Rex Loop Player, proceed as follows:1. Open the browser by selecting “Browse ReCycle/REX

THE SEQUENCER17Deleting events by single clickingD Select the Eraser tool and click on the event you want to delete.When using the Eraser tool to dele

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER188Creating Sequencer NotesTo be able to make your REX loop start at the same time as other sequencer or pattern data, you first ha

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER189Slice HandlingSelecting SlicesA selected slice is indicated by being highlighted in the waveform display. To se-lect a slice, us

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER190Dr.Rex Synth ParametersThe Dr.Rex synth parameters are used for shaping and modulating the sound of the REX loops. These paramet

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER191Filter Frequency The Filter Frequency parameter (often referred to as “cutoff”) determines which area of the frequency spectrum

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER192LFO SectionLFO stands for Low Frequency Oscillator. LFOs are oscillators in the sense that they generate a waveform and a freque

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER193Velocity ControlVelocity is usually used to control various parameters according to how hard or soft you play notes on your keyb

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER194Setting Number of Voices - PolyphonyThis determines the polyphony, i.e. the number of voices, or slices, Dr.Rex can play simulta

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER195ConnectionsOn the back panel of Dr.Rex you will find the connectors, which are mostly CV/Gate related. Using CV/Gate is describe

DR. REX LOOP PLAYER196

17D Matrix Pattern Sequencer

Operation Manual by Synkron: Ludvig Carlson, Anders Nordmark and Roger Wiklander.The information in this document is subject to change without noti

THE SEQUENCER18Using GroupsSometimes it is practical to work with a section of events as one entity. This is done by Grouping the events. You may for

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER198IntroductionThe Matrix is a pattern-based device. Matrix doesn’t generate sound on its own, but has to be connected to anot

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER199Programming Patterns! Pattern programming basics is covered in “Programming Pattern Devices”.TutorialThe programming proced

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER200D If you now click or drag in the upper grid section with the pattern playing, you can hear how the note pitches change.The

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER201About Unipolar and Bipolar CurvesOn the back panel of the Matrix you will find a switch, allowing you to select be-tween “U

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER202Setting Pattern ResolutionMatrix always follows the tempo setting on the transport panel, but you can also make Matrix play

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER2034. More on recording pattern changes on page 10.D An alternative way to do this is editing directly in the Pattern Edit lan

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER204Example UsageAs mentioned previously, the Matrix is a very flexible device. Here follows a few examples of how you can use

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER205Triggering SamplesThe Gate CV output can be used to trigger samples, either in Redrum or in the NN-19 or NN-XT Sampler.D Co

MATRIX PATTERN SEQUENCER206

18D ReBirth Input Machine

THE SEQUENCER19Selecting GroupsTo select a Group, just click on it in the Arrange View.This Group is selected.D If you hold down [Shift] and click, yo

REBIRTH INPUT MACHINE208IntroductionThe ReBirth Input Machine is a device dedicated to receiving audio from the Propellerhead program “ReBirth RB-338”

19D BV512 Vocoder

BV512 VOCODER210IntroductionThe BV512 is an advanced vocoder device with a variable number of filter bands. It also has a unique 1024-point FFT vocodi

BV512 VOCODER211Setting up for basic vocodingThis tutorial describes how to connect and use a typical vocoder setup. We as-sume here that you have a M

BV512 VOCODER21210. Route MIDI to the carrier device by clicking in the MIDI symbol col-umn for its track in the sequencer.11. Play a chord or a note

BV512 VOCODER213Using the BV512 as an equalizerThe BV512 has a unique equalizer mode, in which the device works purely as an insert effect (the modula

BV512 VOCODER214BV512 parametersOn the front panel of the BV512 Vocoder, you will find the following parameters and displays:| Parameter | Description

BV512 VOCODER215ConnectionsThe back panel of the BV512 offers the following connections:Individual band levelsThese are CV outputs and inputs. • The u

BV512 VOCODER216AutomationAll parameters on the front panel can be automated in the standard manner. The individual band levels (the bars in the lower

BV512 VOCODER217D For a more distinct and precise sound, try using a narrow pulse waveform.You get this by selecting e.g. a sawtooth wave on the Subtr

THE SEQUENCER20Dividing GroupsYou can divide a Group into two by clicking with the Pencil tool at the desired position and dragging to the end of the

BV512 VOCODER218Controlling the Hold functionAs described see page 214, pressing the Hold button on the front panel “freezes” the current filter spect

BV512 VOCODER219D Connect the gate outputs on a Redrum device to individual band level inputs.With this connection (and no device connected to the Mod

BV512 VOCODER220Using the BV512 as a reverbThis is a very special trick which can be quite cool. Proceed as follows:1. Create a Redrum device.The “voc

BV512 VOCODER221Creating a stereo reverbWhat you’ve got above is a mono reverb. Here’s how to make it stereo:1. Select the Subtractor and create a Spi

BV512 VOCODER222

20D The Effect Devices

THE EFFECT DEVICES224Common Device FeaturesWhile the specific parameters for each device are described below, some fea-tures and procedures are common

THE EFFECT DEVICES225Scream 4 Sound Destruction UnitScream 4 is a very versatile stereo in/out sound destruction device, capable of warping any sound

THE EFFECT DEVICES226Description of the various Damage Type algorithmsHere follows a basic description of the ten Damage Types available, and what par

THE EFFECT DEVICES227Cut section (EQ)The sliders in the Cut section are tone controls, allowing you to cut or boost the level by up to 18dB in the low

THE SEQUENCER21The Edit ViewThe Edit View allows you to perform detailed editing to the events on a single track. This is also where you create notes,

THE EFFECT DEVICES228CV inputs and outputsOn the back of the Scream 4 you will find CV inputs for controlling the following four parameters:D Damage C

THE EFFECT DEVICES229Using the Body section as a sound enhancer/phaser/wahNothing stops you from using the Body section on its own, without Damage. Tr

THE EFFECT DEVICES230RV7000 Advanced ReverbThe RV7000 is a high quality reverb processor. It features nine different reverb and echo algorithms, rangi

THE EFFECT DEVICES231• Settings are made with the eight dials around the graphic display. The func-tions of the dials differ depending on the selected

THE EFFECT DEVICES232Selecting an algorithmYou select a reverb algorithm in the remote programmer panel:1. Click the remote programmer arrow button on

THE EFFECT DEVICES233RoomEmulates a medium-sized room, with the following parameters:HallEmulates a hall.The parameters are the same as for the Room a

THE EFFECT DEVICES234SpringAn emulation of a spring reverb as can be found in guitar amplifiers, organs, etc. The spring reverb has the following para

THE EFFECT DEVICES235Multi TapThe Multi Tap delay produces up to four different delays with separate delay times, panning and level. The whole set of

THE EFFECT DEVICES236With this algorithm, raising the Decay setting on the main panel will make the re-verse reverb start earlier and build up under a

THE EFFECT DEVICES237The EQ sectionThe equalizer in RV7000 affects the wet reverb sound only and is used for shap-ing the character of the reverb. The

THE SEQUENCER22D The Hand tool can be used for scrolling the view.Just click, hold and drag in the desired direction.D For extensive editing, you may

THE EFFECT DEVICES238The parameters for the Gate section are:CV InputsOn the back of the RV7000 you find three CV inputs. These are:| Parameter | Desc

THE EFFECT DEVICES239RV-7 Digital ReverbReverb adds ambience and creates a space effect. Normally, reverb simulates some kind of acoustic environment

THE EFFECT DEVICES240DDL-1 Digital Delay LineThis is a mono delay (where the output can be panned in stereo) that can be synchronized to the song temp

THE EFFECT DEVICES241D-11 Foldback DistortionThe D-11 is a simple but effective distortion effect, capable of producing any-thing from just a whisper

THE EFFECT DEVICES242The Filter ParametersThe ECF-42 filter section has the following parameters:The Envelope ParametersThis is a standard envelope ge

THE EFFECT DEVICES243Pattern Controlled Filter - An ExampleThis example shows how to use the ECF-42 and the Matrix to create pattern controlled filter

THE EFFECT DEVICES244CF-101 Chorus/FlangerThe CF-101 is a combined chorus and flanger effect. It adds depth and move-ment to the sound by adding a sho

THE EFFECT DEVICES245PH-90 PhaserThe PH-90 Phaser is a classic phaser effect with some special features for fine-tuning the sound. It can create the c

THE EFFECT DEVICES246UN-16 UnisonThe UN-16 simulates the sound of several detuned voices playing the same notes simultaneously. The voices are individ

THE EFFECT DEVICES247PEQ-2 Two Band Parametric EQWhile there is a simple two-band shelving equalizer available for each channel in the mixer, the PEQ-

THE SEQUENCER23background colors of the grid, making it easier to find the right pitch when drawing and moving notes!This is the lane to use when edit

THE EFFECT DEVICES248Spider Audio Merger & SplitterThe Spider Audio Merger & Splitter is not an effect device, but a utility. It has two basic

THE EFFECT DEVICES249Spider CV Merger & SplitterThe Spider CV Merger & Splitter is not an effect device, but a utility. It has two basic funct

THE EFFECT DEVICES250D Create an “arpeggiator” using two Matrix devices and the Spider CV Merger & Splitter.By merging the Note CV output from one

THE EFFECT DEVICES2518. Adjust the Matrix 2 curve for step 1 (the only step used) so that it is in the middle of the bipolar curve as the picture show

THE EFFECT DEVICES252

21D Menu and Dialog Reference

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE254Reason Menu (Mac OS X)About ReasonThis menu item opens up a dialog that informs you about the version of the pro-gram and

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE255Song Information...This brings up a dialog that allows you to add contact information, comments about the song, etc. Furth

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE256Song Self-contain Settings...A self-contained song contains not only the references to the used files, but also the files

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE257Import MIDI File...Reason can import standard MIDI files (SMF). This allows you to import MIDI data to Reason from other a

THE SEQUENCER24Moving notesD To move a note, click and drag it to a new position. If several notes are selected, all will be moved. The individual dis

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE2582. Make sure the Loop/End markers are at the correct positions.If you want to export the loop, you need to set the left an

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE259D You can also Paste the track(s) into another song.Note that only the tracks (complete with contents) are copied and past

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE260If referenced samples are missingPatches for the Redrum, NN-19 and NN-XT contain references to samples. Just like patches,

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE261Automap SamplesThis menu item applies to the NN 19 Sampler. If you have a number of samples that belong together but haven

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE262Copy REX Loop to TrackThis menu item is used for the Dr. Rex loop player device. To be able to make your REX loop start at

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE263! Note that for the Matrix, Alter affects both the Gate, Note and Curve CV!Alter DrumThe Alter Pattern function modifies e

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE264Matrix notes• After performing “Convert Pattern Track to Notes”, you need to move the contents to another track, or re-rou

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE2653. Make settings for one of the functions in the dialog and click the Apply button next to the settings.All settings can b

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE266Copy ZonesThis menu item is used with the NN-XT sampler. It copies the selected zone(s), and all of its settings - includi

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE2671. Select the zones you want to group together.The zones don’t have to be contiguous in order to be grouped. Regardless of

THE SEQUENCER25Deleting notesYou can delete notes in two ways: D Select them and press [Backspace] or [Delete], or select Delete from the Edit menu.D

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE268Preferences – GeneralMouse Knob RangeThis lets you adjust the response sensitivity of the various knobs in Reason when man

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE2697. Close the Preferences dialog.The next time you launch the program or select New from the File menu, the new song docume

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE270D If there is no specific ASIO driver, you should select the Direct Sound driver for the audio hardware. This makes Reason

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE271Audio Card Driver – Mac OS 9This menu lists all the available Audio Card Drivers on your system, and lets you select which

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE272D If you are using an ASIO driver specifically written for the audio hardware, you can in most cases make settings for the

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE273Latency CompensationThis control should normally only be adjusted when synchronizing Reason to ex-ternal MIDI Clock.Becaus

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE274Preferences – Sound LocationsSound and Patch Search PathsReason songs and patches can contain references to other files on

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE275Create MenuSequencer TrackTracks are automatically created when you create instrument devices in the rack. Still, you may

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE276Edit Keyboard RemoteD To get an overview of which parameters are remote controllable se-lect “Edit Keyboard Remote” from t

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE277Toggle Rack Front/RearThis switches the rack between the front and rear views. A quicker way to do this is to press [Tab].

THE SEQUENCER26Creating velocity ramps and curvesYou can also edit the velocity of several notes at once, in two ways:D By dragging the Line tool acro

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE278Windows Menu (Mac OS Version)Detach/Attach Sequencer WindowSelecting this will detach the sequencer pane from the rack, an

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE279Register Reason NowThis takes you to the Propellerhead Software registration pages. Once regis-tered you can download free

MENU AND DIALOG REFERENCE280

22D About Audio on Computers

ABOUT AUDIO ON COMPUTERS282General InformationAudio QualityThe general audio quality in a computer based synthesizer system depends on two things:D Th

ABOUT AUDIO ON COMPUTERS283Reason’s built in sequencer is not affected by latency!When Reason’s sequencer is playing back a song, the timing between n

ABOUT AUDIO ON COMPUTERS284• Not all cards come with ASIO drivers. If in doubt check with the audio card manufacturer.• Using a card via an ASIO drive

ABOUT AUDIO ON COMPUTERS285Mac Audio Cards with an ASIO DriverAn audio card with an ASIO driver is your best option if it is available. ASIO does not

ABOUT AUDIO ON COMPUTERS286

23D MIDI Implementation

THE SEQUENCER27D By using the Controller pop-up menu on the sequencer toolbar, you can hide or show individual controllers from the sequencer.Shown co

MIDI IMPLEMENTATION 288 About This Chapter This chapter briefly describes the way various MIDI messages are implemented in Reason. It is mainly inten

D Index

INDEX290AADSR 109AlterNotes 33, 265Pattern (Matrix) 202Pattern (Redrum) 93Arrange View 15ASIO Control Panel 66ASIO Driver 283, 285Attach Sequencer Win

INDEX291CVAbout 36Merging 249Routing 39Splitting 251vs. Gate 200CV Trim knobs 39DD-11 Distortion 241DDL-1 Delay 240Decay/Gate Switch 94Default Song 26

INDEX292Follow Song 277GGateAbout 36Programming in Matrix 199Routing 39vs. CV 200Gate (Matrix) 198Gate (RV7000 Advanced Reverb) 237Gate mode (Redrum)

INDEX293MalströmAbout 120Filters 124Graintables 120, 122Modulators 123Oscillators 121Routing 128Routing external audio to 133Shaper 127Master Tune 269

INDEX294PatchesBrowsing 259Exporting 257Malström 120Missing Sounds 260NN-19 137NN-XT 153Redrum 89RV7000 230Scream 4 225Subtractor 100Pattern ChangesCl

INDEX295Resolution (Audio) 258Resolution (Redrum Pattern) 91ReverbRV-7 239RV7000 230ReWireLatency 283Setting Up 49With ReBirth 208REX filesLoading in

INDEX296SongsCreating New 254End position 258Opening 254Optimizing 68Publishing 255Self-contained 256Setting up the Default Song 268Splash Picture 255

D Table of Contents

THE SEQUENCER28Selecting sections of a controller trackTo select a section of the “subtrack” for a controller, click and drag a selection rectangle wi

THE SEQUENCER29Inserting and Editing Pattern ChangesPattern changes are viewed and edited in the Pattern lane:A pattern change is shown as a yellow “t

THE SEQUENCER30Selecting Pattern ChangesTo select a section of Pattern lane, click and drag a selection rectangle with the Arrow tool. If Snap is on,

THE SEQUENCER31QuantizingThe Quantize function moves recorded notes to (or closer to) exact note value positions. This can be used for correcting erro

THE SEQUENCER32Quantizing to GroovesThe Quantize pop-up menu also contains three items named “Groove 1-3”. These are three different, slightly irregul

THE SEQUENCER33TransposeThis function transposes the selected notes up or down, by the specified num-ber of semitones.VelocityAdjusts the velocity of

THE SEQUENCER34Importing and Exporting MIDI FilesReason can import and export standard midi files (SMF). This allows you to transfer MIDI data between

2D Routing Audio and CV

ROUTING AUDIO AND CV36About the various signals that can be routedThis chapter describes the various ways you can route signals in Reason. The followi

ROUTING AUDIO AND CV37Color CodingCables are color coded in the following way, making it easier to discern between the various connections:• Audio con

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 7 The Sequencer 8 Recording12 Copying REX loops and Patterns to Sequencer Tracks14 Editing - About Snap15 Editing in the Arrange

ROUTING AUDIO AND CV38Bypassing Auto-RoutingD If you wish to create a new device, without any auto-routing taking place, press [Shift] when creating t

ROUTING AUDIO AND CV39Using CV and GateCV/Gate is used for modulating and triggering device parameters. Each sepa-rate Device chapter lists the availa

ROUTING AUDIO AND CV40

3D Routing MIDI to Reason

ROUTING MIDI TO REASON42About the Various MIDI InputsAll MIDI Inputs are set up in the Preferences-MIDI and Preferences-Advanced MIDI dialogs This cha

ROUTING MIDI TO REASON43Sending MIDI Data to ReasonSetting up MIDI Inputs under Mac OS 9Under Mac OS 9, Reason requires OMS to receive MIDI. How to in

ROUTING MIDI TO REASON44Sending MIDI Data from Other ApplicationsUsing ReWire 2The preferred method for sending MIDI data into Reason from another app

ROUTING MIDI TO REASON45Mac OS XAs of this writing, the only way to route MIDI between applications in any practi-cal way is to use ReWire 2. See page

ROUTING MIDI TO REASON46D You have sequencer software installed on the same computer as Reason.This requires the “OMS IAC Driver” under Mac OS 9, or a

4D Using Reason as a ReWire Slave

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 81 The Mixer 82 Introduction82 The Channel Strip84 The Mixer signal flow84 About the EQ modes84 The Auxiliary Return Section84 Th

USING REASON AS A REWIRE SLAVE48About this ChapterThis chapter describes how to use Reason as a ReWire slave, that is with Rea-son delivering audio to

USING REASON AS A REWIRE SLAVE49Preparations for Using ReWire - Mac OS 9 onlyWhen you use ReWire, some of the system resources normally occupied by Re

USING REASON AS A REWIRE SLAVE50Using the Transport and Tempo ControlsBasic Transport ControlsWhen you run ReWire, the transports in the two programs

USING REASON AS A REWIRE SLAVE513. If desired, double click on the labels in the right column, and type in another name.These labels will be used in t

USING REASON AS A REWIRE SLAVE52Details About Various ReWire HostsThe Propellerhead Software website provides updated information on how to configure

5D MIDI and Keyboard Remote Control

MIDI AND KEYBOARD REMOTE CONTROL54IntroductionIt is possible to assign computer keyboard commands and/or MIDI controller messages to most Reason devic

MIDI AND KEYBOARD REMOTE CONTROL55Example MIDI SetupsThere are several possible variables when it comes to what type of MIDI setup you are using. Plea

MIDI AND KEYBOARD REMOTE CONTROL56Editing MIDI Remote Mapping1. To get an overview of which parameters are MIDI remote controlla-ble select “Edit MIDI

MIDI AND KEYBOARD REMOTE CONTROL57Keyboard RemoteAssigning keyboard remote commands is very similar to MIDI remote mapping. However, as there is no MI

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 151 NN-XT Sampler 152 Introduction152 Panel Overview153 Loading Complete Patches and REX Files154 Using the Main Panel156 Overvie

MIDI AND KEYBOARD REMOTE CONTROL58Saving Remote SetupsMIDI or Keyboard Remote setups are always stored with the song. But perhaps you wish to be able

6D Synchronization

SYNCHRONIZATION60ReWire users – Read This!This chapter is about synchronization via MIDI Clock, and does not apply to us-ers of ReWire. If you are usi

SYNCHRONIZATION61Under Windows, if you can’t find the MIDI Input you want to use, there is either something wrong with the installation of the interfa

SYNCHRONIZATION623. Pull down the MIDI Clock pop-up and select the corresponding MIDI routing utility port.Windows: Reason set up to sync to MIDI Cloc

SYNCHRONIZATION63If Latency Compensation isn’t enoughThere might be situations where you can’t compensate enough in Reason to make two software applic

SYNCHRONIZATION64

7D Optimizing Performance

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE66IntroductionReason is a program of infinite possibilities. You can create as complex songs as you like, using endless racks of

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE671. Open a song and start playback.You want to choose a song that is reasonably demanding, i.e. with more than just a few track

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 253 Menu and Dialog Reference 254 Reason Menu (Mac OS X)254 File Menu258 Edit Menu275 Create Menu275 Options Menu277 Windows Menu

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE68Optimizing SongsBelow follows things you can check and change to make sure your song uses as little computer processing power

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE69RedrumD Do not use the Tone feature available on channel 1, 2 and 9.In other words, make sure the Tone controls and their acco

OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE70

8D Transport Panel

TRANSPORT PANEL72OverviewThe transport panel has standard controls for the sequencer transport, but also features controls for setting tempo, metronom

TRANSPORT PANEL73Tempo and Time SignatureThe tempo and time signature settings can be adjusted on the transport panel. The left tempo field sets the t

TRANSPORT PANEL74Additional Transport Panel ItemsClickWhen this is activated, you will hear a click on each beat, with an accent on the downbeat of ea

TRANSPORT PANEL75D If the Audio Out Clipping indicator lights up, and the signals are be-ing sent directly (not via a Mixer) to your Hardware Interfac

TRANSPORT PANEL76

9D Reason Hardware Interface

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

REASON HARDWARE INTERFACE78IntroductionThe Hardware Interface is where you connect Reason with the “outside world”. This is where MIDI is received, an

REASON HARDWARE INTERFACE79Audio OutReason supports up to 64 audio output channels.D Each output features a meter and a green indicator which will be

REASON HARDWARE INTERFACE80

10D The Mixer

THE MIXER82IntroductionThe Mixer 14:2 allows you to control the level, stereo placement (Pan), tone (EQ) and effect mix (AUX Sends) of each connected

THE MIXER83Channel Strip Controls:| Item | Description |Value RangeChannel Fader The channel fader is used to control the output level of each corresp

THE MIXER84The Mixer signal flowThe basic signal flow for a channel in the Mixer is as follows:Note that the Solo function is true “in-place” solo, me

THE MIXER85ConnectionsAll input and output connectors are as usual located on the back panel of the Mixer 14:2. Special connectors are used for “chain

THE MIXER86Chaining MixersTwo chained Mixers are connected like this, the top Mixer being the “Master” Mixer.If you need more Mixer channels, you can

11D Redrum

1 D The Sequencer

REDRUM88IntroductionAt first glance, Redrum looks styled after pattern-based drum machines, like the legendary Roland 808/909 units. Indeed, it does h

REDRUM89Using PatchesWhen you create a new Redrum device it is empty. Before it can play back any audio you must first load a Redrum patch (or create

REDRUM90Creating an Empty PatchTo “initialize” the settings in the Redrum, select “Initialize Patch” from the Edit menu or the device context menu. Th

REDRUM915. Select a Redrum channel, by clicking the “Select” button at the bot-tom of the channel.The button lights up, indicating that this channel a

REDRUM92D When you use different dynamics, the resulting difference in the sound (loudness, pitch, etc.), is governed by the “VEL” knob set-tings for

REDRUM93Pattern FunctionsWhen a Redrum device is selected, you will find some specific pattern functions on the Edit menu (and on the device context m

REDRUM94The Effect Sends (S1 & S2)On the back panel of Redrum you will note two audio connections labeled “Send Out” 1 and 2. When you create a Re

REDRUM95D In Gate mode (switch up), the sound will play for the set Length, and then be cut off.Furthermore, if a sound set to Gate mode is played fro

REDRUM96D When Start Velocity is set to any other value than zero, the LED above the knob lights up.D A negative Start Velocity amount is only useful

REDRUM97Using Redrum as a Sound ModuleThe drum sounds in Redrum can be played via MIDI notes. Each drum sound is triggered by a specific note number,