Nektar on the fly

[alphaper]

Hi, my problem has always been the mouse.
Since I had a ordinary keyboard from 2003 I could make arrangements
on the fly. Like, verse, chorus etc simply by pressing a button to sink down
to a calmer state drums and vice versa. And the accompany was also something
interesting.
Everything was so good making melodies exactly how I wanted.

Today I have to use the mouse even more. First I have to make a loop.
Click to stop it, calculate exactly how many bars I want to record. I don't
want to calculate, I want to feel when it's time to change loop-"bank".

Why am I using reason then? Well, I can make really good parts. But I cannot
make any songs any more.
The intersection of loop-"bank" 1 and a loop "bank" 2 is making me doing two
different songs that don't match at all.

I wonder if Nektar p6 can make this on the fly. I've seen it on youtube that
guys making their beats with music. But they never save it. Neither noone
showing how to make a sweet intersection to a second part and back again.

I know it may come to a bit of macro-programming but if someone someway could
guide me would be great!

Even a short yes maybe could lead me to figure it out how to do it. Or a link to a tutorial.

Thanks!

[EnochLight]

Hi, my problem has always been the mouse.
Since I had a ordinary keyboard from 2003 I could make arrangements
on the fly. Like, verse, chorus etc simply by pressing a button to sink down
to a calmer state drums and vice versa. And the accompany was also something
interesting.
Everything was so good making melodies exactly how I wanted.

Today I have to use the mouse even more. First I have to make a loop.
Click to stop it, calculate exactly how many bars I want to record. I don't
want to calculate, I want to feel when it's time to change loop-"bank".

Why am I using reason then? Well, I can make really good parts. But I cannot
make any songs any more.
The intersection of loop-"bank" 1 and a loop "bank" 2 is making me doing two
different songs that don't match at all.

I wonder if Nektar p6 can make this on the fly. I've seen it on youtube that
guys making their beats with music. But they never save it. Neither noone
showing how to make a sweet intersection to a second part and back again.

I know it may come to a bit of macro-programming but if someone someway could
guide me would be great!

Even a short yes maybe could lead me to figure it out how to do it. Or a link to a tutorial.

Thanks!

I'll say this much: Nektar Tech's P6/P4 is the closest thing you will ever get to having Reason "behave" like an old hardware workstation. It is unmatched in its control and integration. And as far as saving, you can save QWERTY keyboard macros on the Panorama so with one button press, your project can be saved.

But composing on the Panorama keyboard series does have its limitations. At the end of the day, whether you are using Blocks to compose in Reason or Song Mode and doing it linearly, you will find that you need to pick up the mouse and keyboard eventually to move things around and edit. But that's the whole power and point behind computer-based music production, right?

I guess my point is, if you're in the market for a new hardware controller and use Reason (or Logic/Nuedo/Cubase/Bitwig), you could do far worse than Nektar Tech's Panorama P4/P6 series. Also, its Rack Extension support and integration is unrivaled. Just a fair warning: pads are "eh". Not terrible, but nowhere near as nice as a specialized pad controller.

Check out this series for working with a P4/P6:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpDjne ... 2gP0_kNZTA

[alphaper]

Thanks for your reply,
I wonder though, if it is possible to macro it out to a button the song position.
Let's say I make a very long loop. Finsing a nice melody. Shorten that section. Then
do a long loop again. But this time, via a button press I can start the chorus or something in between
when it feels ready.
Is that possible? Any tutorial?

[EnochLight]

Thanks for your reply,
I wonder though, if it is possible to macro it out to a button the song position.
Let's say I make a very long loop. Finsing a nice melody. Shorten that section. Then
do a long loop again. But this time, via a button press I can start the chorus or something in between
when it feels ready.
Is that possible? Any tutorial?

The Panorama P4/P6's Transport has a looper mode that may help. With the looper active the pads act as an array of loop markers automatically set across a Reason song at an adjustable loop length. Hitting a pad will move Reason's Left and Right locator points to the positions corresponding to the pad. Pressing Panorama's “Go to Left marker” button will immediately move playback to the new position. The Looper is a great way to navigate Reason while building up a composition from Panorama but also allows for real-time performances or on the fly experimenting with the organization of Reason songs.