Advanced Block Mode?

[Enterface]

Although I don't use it that much in it's current state, I would really like to see a more evolved version of Block Mode that can not only be used as an arrangement tool as it is currently, but that can also allow the triggering of Blocks in a matrix style interface similar to that of session mode in Ableton Live. It seems to me that the closest thing that Reason users have is an RE by Retouch Control called JammeR Loops Trigger Module but it only allows for you to trigger REX loops. It would be amazing to be able to create your loops as a Block that could consist of any sound source available within the Reason sequencer (i.e. soft synths, samplers, audio tracks, REX loops, etc.). Does anybody know of a work around for this? I'm all ears.

[Faastwalker]

Great idea. I'd love to see an evolution of the Blocks feature to give it more options on how it can be used. At present I don't use it at all.

[Enterface]

Great idea. I'd love to see an evolution of the Blocks feature to give it more options on how it can be used. At present I don't use it at all.

Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same boat. I see a lot of potential here for live performance applications.

[Miles Static]

Absolutely! With blocks, the foundation is already there and not only would it be a great performance tool but it could undoubtedly fuel creative writing sessions.

[Enterface]

Absolutely! With blocks, the foundation is already there and not only would it be a great performance tool but it could undoubtedly fuel creative writing sessions.

As you said the foundation is there, they just need to add a means of triggering the Blocks once created. The main reason that I generally avoid using Blocks in the first place is due to the fact that I am already so accustomed to the arrange view after using Reason for a while. I'm sure that many "legacy" Reason users also feel this way. This is why I think that live triggering of Blocks would make Block Mode a much more useful tool than it is currently.

[Olivier]

I also think blocks would be cool to be used for this. The obstacle i see is that with blocks as they are now it would potentially be possible to start two blocks that have parts that operate on the same device. I dont think i would want that. Automation lanes can potentially clash, some instruments may be set to monophonic etc etc. it could turn out that this can be exploited creatively, but it could also mean you'd have to make these blocks mutually exclusive for playback. Exceptions like that might make it too complicated to use creatively and fluidly.
To make this an inspirational performance tool, it should be elegant, simple and somewhat predictable. Blocks playing the same instruments to me aren't... But who knows how a feature like this would turn out to work.

I'd love to see what would be the props' way to crack this. I wouldnt be surprised if a creative performance tool like that would pull in lots of extra users too. Because of the way reason works, and the possibilities of blocks, i think it would add a nice set of new features that potentially can go deeper then the way this currently works in Live.

[Gaja]

@eauhm it's where track freeze will come in, which could help put this forward.
It creates a little bounce of the block you launch, so instruments and automation lanes will be frozen in block mode.

[Olivier]

@eauhm it's where track freeze will come in, which could help put this forward. It creates a little bounce of the block you launch, so instruments and automation lanes will be frozen in block mode.

Hmmm.. thats an idea but i really wouldn't want to see it implemented that way.
It would basically turn it into a block-sample player. If we really have to go through the wait of freezing blocks, then the whole immedeacy and on the flyness gets broken. Thats not good for creativity.
Also, to me, one of the beautifull possibilities, thanks to the interconnectedness of reason, is to be able to for example have different sets of automation in blocks, and apply these to other playing blocks. That would be a feature that would set it apart from the other part-triggering options currently available.

[Gaja]

Yeah I was hoping there would be a way to do that without having to wait, cause that would render it unusable in a live context.
But how would you do it then? Would you have an extra Rack with device aliases for each block, making them true copies as soon as you change somethting that would change the first block? That would probably eat up tons of cpu...

[Olivier]

Yeah I was hoping there would be a way to do that without having to wait, cause that would render it unusable in a live context. But how would you do it then? Would you have an extra Rack with device aliases for each block, making them true copies as soon as you change somethting that would change the first block? That would probably eat up tons of cpu...

I don't think having seperate racks is a solution. As you say it eats CPU and how does that work with CV going from one device to the other ?

[ Sorry for wall of text... going a bit meta... i'm sorry ]

Continuing..

I've been thinking about it how launching capabilities would fit in Reason but i haven't completely cracked it. I don't want them to just implement something Live can allready do. It has to fit Reasons nature.

To me one of the things i notice when using Reason is that i experience it to be more like an instrument then just a set of tools (i know those words basically mean the same thing ) The skeumorphism works for me. I'm an extreme visual thinker. I can see all devices in my minds eye and i know how they are interconnected. In other daws i end up with a list of parameters in boxes that i have to remember. I can work with it, but its just mehhh... not exciting at all.

So... I would prefer a big feature like launching capabilities to really speak to the core of my Reason experience. That is that of a big instrument build out of a rack of many. Instruments are what invite me to play. When i play, i make music.

From my view, because i experience Reason as a big instrument, any big creativity feature should enhance my experience of Reason as a muscial instrument. A launching feature should therefore cover all aspects of the instrument. To me this means being able to launch audio clips, note and automation clips seperately.

I could then for example start a pulsar clip with a saw tooth in it to wobble an allready playing bass, or start that awesome filter sweep with added goodnes using an FX device.
Now that would be a system that defenitely brings something new to the table over what i think current daws are capable.

Back to blocks.

I thought: "can we use blocks for this?" Being able to start many clips at the same time would be great.. But then i realised in that case you almost inevitably have to freeze them because you risk launching clips targeting the same device. Besides the fact that this may as well mess up your mix, because it would negate the possibilities i'm seeking thats just not the kind of upgrade i want. It would lock the instrument for play and i don't want that.

So for the system i'm thinking off i can't but end up with a something that doesn't use blocks as we know them or just not at all. It ends up having to be analogous to Live's system. That is; launchable parts but, with a the addition of seperately triggerable automation parts.

So then we're back at, why not Rewire Live...?!
Because it can be done better then rewired through Live. And it deserves a spot in Reason because when done right, it is a true enhancement to the core being of Reason as an instrument. Especially when you add launchable automation. It will make Reason more of an instrument than it allready is.



But lets leave this up to the Wizards in Stockholm. They'll do what they see fit anyway, and they have a tendency to surprise, so lets see where we end up

[Gaja]

Thanks for that wall

I agree that it is a delicate matter, and if Blocks are used would have to include some kind of freeze functionality. It's one of the points where Reasons strong points can turn into obstacles for feature implementation.
I also really dig the idea of individually launchable automation, MIDI and audio clips.
I'd really like to know the Props take on this. If implemented well, it would be a serious upgrade!