Waves VSTi on Reason

[Shiva666]

Hey Peeps,

I am sure this question has been asked before, Is there a way to incorporate Waves Vsti plugins into Reason 8.3?

Thank You!

[Benedict]

Simplest answer is NO.

You can ReWire and route Audio through the VST or play VSTi from the ReWire Host (Cubase etc). Otherwise you can export the part, process and re-Export/Import to Reason.

IMO that is a PITA and I would rather work in Reason alone as that way what I do stays in reference to the mix. Once I can understand how an effect achieves what it does I can make something similar in a Combi. Of course that isn't for everyone and some toys don't duplicate well. If so I either suck it up and export or find another trick that flows well in Reason.

[Shiva666]

Thanks Benedict! .. I was so looking forward to use Waves plugins in Reason....

[The_G]

I have 4 ways of working:

1. Just in Reason (no VST/AU)
2. Reason as slave to Logic or Live via rewire (VST/AU)
3. In Reason first then export stems and process in Logic or Live (VST/AU)
4. Just in Logic or Live (VST/AU)

Tracks 1-3 on my EP are #1 and track 4 is #3. My new single is #1, but the album I'm working on is mainly #2.

[QVprod]

Actually it is possible without Rewire as well. The process is convoluted though, and still requires a host program, but essentially using soundflower (or similar program) in both Reason and the host daw (where you use your fx plugins) you can route the inserts of a Reason mix channel to the hardware interface outputs to the effect and then back through the hardware inputs into either the same mix channel or a separate track. Basically like using outboard gear.

Screen Shot 2016-04-14 at 9.57.30 AM.png (370.03 KiB) Viewed 4272 times

[XysteR]

Yes it is possible - Very easy to do also. It is effectively the same as using an external hardware instrument. All you need is a host to contain your VST (I use savihost), loopmidi, and an audio interface with a 'loopback' function (or soundflower if your interface doesn't support loopback)

My default Reason template is setup ready to use my hardware: Virus Ti2. VSTs: Serum, Massive and Reaktor. I don't need to do anything at all to get my virus into Reason. For the VSTs, all I do is run loopmidi and press the 'loopback' button on my audio interface. So easy!

This is why I'm not really bothered about VST support in Reason - It's just so simple to get any VST instrument into Reason.

[tumar]

It's just so simple to get any VST instrument into Reason.

No, it's not. It needs a lot of effort and software-fu, raises latency etc. Try to use Waves or IK Multimedia compressors/eq with Reason.
Simplest way is to use normal, real DAW with vst/au plugins. Or deal with Reason and its philosophy.

[pjeudy]

It's just so simple to get any VST instrument into Reason.

No, it's not.

Yes it is!

All one needs is to be realistic. Don't ecpect every single Vsti instruments to work flawlessly, the ones that work...well they just work. And the ones that don't work right well, they just don't.

Reaktor worked for me and a small hand full of otheres, I was ok with those because I understood that this was a hackaround. But since I'm in Studio One now, I don't need this work around.

[XysteR]

It's just so simple to get any VST instrument into Reason.

No, it's not. It needs a lot of effort and software-fu, raises latency etc. Try to use Waves or IK Multimedia compressors/eq with Reason.
Simplest way is to use normal, real DAW with vst/au plugins. Or deal with Reason and its philosophy.

I said VST 'instruments' - I don't use any VST effects - I have all the effects I'd ever need, or want in Reason anyway. I have no real problems with latency using Serum, Massive and Reaktor in a VST host and looping the audio to Reason via my audio interface. All I have to do is double click loopmidi to get these instruments into Reason. It is so easy - Well I don't have any problems with it. It is effectively the same as getting my virus in Reason. I can understand possible latency problems with Soundflower. It is always better and easier if you have a loopback feature in your audio interface.

[Ahornberg]

It's just so simple to get any VST instrument into Reason.

No, it's not. It needs a lot of effort and software-fu, raises latency etc. Try to use Waves or IK Multimedia compressors/eq with Reason.
Simplest way is to use normal, real DAW with vst/au plugins. Or deal with Reason and its philosophy.

I said VST 'instruments' - I don't use any VST effects - I have all the effects I'd ever need, or want in Reason anyway. I have no real problems with latency using Serum, Massive and Reaktor in a VST host and looping the audio to Reason via my audio interface. All I have to do is double click loopmidi to get these instruments into Reason. It is so easy - Well I don't have any problems with it. It is effectively the same as getting my virus in Reason. I can understand possible latency problems with Soundflower. It is always better and easier if you have a loopback feature in your audio interface.

Which audio interface do you use or recommend for that?

[tumar]

And don't forget that soundflower is not very reliable. I had it many times crashed, then whole audio setup went dead.

[QVprod]

I think some of us are talking about two different things. OP said Waves VSTi. Since waves is mostly known for fx (I forgot they have 2 synths), I automatically thought he meant routing to vst fx which is indeed a bit more complicated than using a vst instrument.

...and then people started talking about loopmidi, Reaktor and Massive... I think we're all confused, at least I am. Shiva666, please clarify.

[pjeudy]

I think some of us are talking about two different things. OP said Waves VSTi. Since waves is mostly known for fx (I forgot they have 2 synths), I automatically thought he meant routing to vst fx which is indeed a bit more complicated than using a vst instrument.

...and then people started talking about loopmidi, Reaktor and Massive... I think we're all confused, at least I am. Shiva666, please clarify.

I'm thinking the same!

[groggy1]

The short answer is that you CAN get your Waves plugins to work without Rewire, but there's no joy in it.

I use Saffire Pro 14 audio card, which has great daw<->daw loopback capabilities. It's an awesome card to use if you want to control VST *instruments* from within Reason (i.e. no Rewire). And you can use those same capabilities to route audio from reason into your DAW, use the Wave plugins, and then route the audio back to Reason.

However, once you start routing audio effects this way, the latency gets quite high, so don't expect it work "live": Audio has to go from Reason->DAW->Reason->Audio card... That's a lot of audio latency that adds up. Trying to get the latency low on that without clicks and pops is hard.

The other reason there's no joy is because you can only have ONE channel working this way, at least with Saffire Pro 14. I.e. if you want to add an audio effect to a Reason instrument, you can. But if you want to add two different audio effects in your external DAW at the same time, you can't (since you only have ability to easily route one audio channel into your external DAW). So you end-up having to bounce the audio down, and it gets to be a pain.


So here's my advice:
1) Reason by itself - fun
2) Reason plus VST *instruments* in another DAW using loopback audio - the greatest thing since sliced bread. You'll have so much fun, you won't be able to wipe the smile off your face.
3) Reason plus VST *effects* in another DAW - no joy here, sorry

[cjb123]

Actually it is possible without Rewire as well. The process is convoluted though, and still requires a host program, but essentially using soundflower (or similar program) in both Reason and the host daw (where you use your fx plugins) you can route the inserts of a Reason mix channel to the hardware interface outputs to the effect and then back through the hardware inputs into either the same mix channel or a separate track. Basically like using outboard gear.

Hi QVprod. I realize your post is from a year back or so but can you elaborate on this if you have time? I've tried your method - using Soundflower as audio device in both Reason and Logic but get no audio back to Reason. There's probably something I'm missing. How would you rout it in the host (Logic if you work with it)? Can you talk me through again?

[QVprod]

Actually it is possible without Rewire as well. The process is convoluted though, and still requires a host program, but essentially using soundflower (or similar program) in both Reason and the host daw (where you use your fx plugins) you can route the inserts of a Reason mix channel to the hardware interface outputs to the effect and then back through the hardware inputs into either the same mix channel or a separate track. Basically like using outboard gear.

Hi QVprod. I realize your post is from a year back or so but can you elaborate on this if you have time? I've tried your method - using Soundflower as audio device in both Reason and Logic but get no audio back to Reason. There's probably something I'm missing. How would you rout it in the host (Logic if you work with it)? Can you talk me through again?

If I were to guess, it could be that Reason is still rewiring to logic. In which case there would be no way to route audio into Reason. Make sure Rewire is disabled in Logic (if possible) or start Reason first. I may do a video on this soon.

[Oquasec]

reason 6.5 and lower, midiox or rewire [since all of reason is programmed like that]
reason 7 and up [emi rewire]
minihost modular savihost etc for when you not feeling like dealing with a second daw.

[Running 32-64bit at the same time possible this way why some people prefer that]

[cjb123]

Thanks! Yeah I did try it multiple ways - and made sure reason was not rewiring to logic - including starting up reason first, but no luck on it so far. i'm fine with soundflower/EMI for getting external audio like from kontakt player into reason, and using rewire to get audio from reason into logic (of course). It was the idea of running audio from reason to logic (using soundflower), adding processing there ( the OP was wondering about waves for example) and then routing the processed audio back to reason using soundflower again. Just no luck with the attempts I've made so far. Reason 9 btw.

[Oquasec]

You could just use voicemeter and an external vsthost like minihost modular that would simplify that.
If yo uhave an interface with internal loopback drivers you don't need anything listen above also, which is a huge reason I'm considering a new interface if I get tired of voicemeter.

Rewire also turns other daws into automatically routed loopback devices you can route reason's emi to without the need for a native interface's loopback driver. I know this because I only use windows and linux.

[cjb123]

Well - good idea Oquasec but I'm on mac and no interface loopback capabilities either - thanks for that though!

[Oquasec]

You'd need soundflower and voice-meter then unless that's windows exclusive? I think mac has external ones too?...

[QVprod]

Thanks! Yeah I did try it multiple ways - and made sure reason was not rewiring to logic - including starting up reason first, but no luck on it so far. i'm fine with soundflower/EMI for getting external audio like from kontakt player into reason, and using rewire to get audio from reason into logic (of course). It was the idea of running audio from reason to logic (using soundflower), adding processing there ( the OP was wondering about waves for example) and then routing the processed audio back to reason using soundflower again. Just no luck with the attempts I've made so far. Reason 9 btw.

Tried a video but the laptop doesn't want to screen record while running two DAWs so pictures will have to do.

Here's a rex drum loop playing from Reason through a reverb in Live and routed back into Reason.



I have the insert section 'to devices' routed into the hardware device outputs and the 'from devices' routed to inputs.



Here are the inputs of Live. Live is set to Soundflower 64



Note I used an aggregate device in Reason with the internal speakers and soundflower 64ch so the output to input line up is staggered whereas live is just set to Soundflower 64. Outputs 3/4 in Reason appear as inputs 1/2 in Live. Whereas outputs 1/2 from live corresponds to inputs 1/2 in Reason. It's key to make sure all necessary inputs and outputs are activated in both DAWs' preferences. Reason doesn't automatically enable all inputs and outputs.

Keep in mind though, you may need to compensate for latency when doing this.

[mreese80]

I have a simple method for this. I have the mpc software as well. I just bounce whatever i'm using to audio file. i apply the affects and than drag and drop directly into reason. This might not be the way you'd want to do it but it only takes 2 seconds.

[cjb123]

Appreciate that QVprod! Thanks - I'll look into creating an aggregate device and what that entails and see where i get. Thanks for taking the time to post that info!

mreese80, I was looking for a way to send a track from a session in reason to a VST/AU host and be able to process it there and bring it back into the reason session - basically allowing for live tweaking of the effects in the vst host - logic in my case - and having that be a part of the mix back in reason. It's proving to be a pretty tricky scenario - for me anyway!

Oquasec, thanks for your ideas as well.

[aeox]

I admire anyone who can have multiple DAWs open at once. If I have to open another DAW to achieve something, then I need a new DAW.

I've never felt the needs to use another DAW alongside Reason.