Snapping notes to the grid

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Shadowcaster
Posts: 5
Joined: 04 Sep 2016

04 Sep 2016

This is driving me crazy. If I record a keyboard line without quantization I typically butcher the timing. I'm a lame player... So I'll go into the note editor and try to snap the note to the correct beat. But when I have snapping enabled, say to quarter notes, it wont allow me to snap to the actual beat. Instead, it snaps to quarter note increments of my incorrectly timed note. Say for instance I played the note at 1.1.2.7 it will allow me to snap to 1.2.2.7 or 1.3.2.7 but not to 1.1.1.0. How do I actually snap to 1.1.1.0? Do I have to quantize and then used the mouse to drag the note? This is something that really drags down my creativity in Reason and it seems like such an obvious thing to need to do. Any help would be appreciated!

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Grumbleweed
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04 Sep 2016

Shadowcaster wrote:This is driving me crazy. If I record a keyboard line without quantization I typically butcher the timing. I'm a lame player... So I'll go into the note editor and try to snap the note to the correct beat. But when I have snapping enabled, say to quarter notes, it wont allow me to snap to the actual beat. Instead, it snaps to quarter note increments of my incorrectly timed note. Say for instance I played the note at 1.1.2.7 it will allow me to snap to 1.2.2.7 or 1.3.2.7 but not to 1.1.1.0. How do I actually snap to 1.1.1.0? Do I have to quantize and then used the mouse to drag the note? This is something that really drags down my creativity in Reason and it seems like such an obvious thing to need to do. Any help would be appreciated!
You select the notes you want to quantize and then quantize them (there's the F8 menu, the right click menu and I think CNTL K (or SHIFT K - whatever).
Just moving them about to the default snap setting is not how you do it.

Grum.

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Creativemind
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04 Sep 2016

Change the snap setting to 1/16 or 1/32 perhaps?
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Carly(Poohbear)
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04 Sep 2016

Shadowcaster wrote:This is driving me crazy. If I record a keyboard line without quantization I typically butcher the timing. I'm a lame player... So I'll go into the note editor and try to snap the note to the correct beat. But when I have snapping enabled, say to quarter notes, it wont allow me to snap to the actual beat. Instead, it snaps to quarter note increments of my incorrectly timed note. Say for instance I played the note at 1.1.2.7 it will allow me to snap to 1.2.2.7 or 1.3.2.7 but not to 1.1.1.0. How do I actually snap to 1.1.1.0? Do I have to quantize and then used the mouse to drag the note? This is something that really drags down my creativity in Reason and it seems like such an obvious thing to need to do. Any help would be appreciated!
In your example if you want to snap to 1.1.1.0. from 1.1.2.7 set the quantize value to 1/4 and click the Quantize option (all the options are on the Transport bar).

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Dante
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04 Sep 2016

I agree this behavior is annoying, unlike other DAW's, but the workaround is to just F8 / Quantize. I do that all the time and don't find it a drag on creativity at all.

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Creativemind
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04 Sep 2016

Oh yeah, ctrl and k will move the notes highlighted to the nearest line eh.
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Goriila Texas
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04 Sep 2016

That's what snap is for no other reason but to keep you in the resolution you've chosen in the grid. I know no other DAW that let's you free move notes when snap is on. If there is let me know so I won't ever buy it.

Shadowcaster
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04 Sep 2016

That's what snap is for no other reason but to keep you in the resolution you've chosen in the grid. I know no other DAW that let's you free move notes when snap is on. If there is let me know so I won't ever buy it.
All, I appreciate the feedback. Goriila Texas, I appreciate that your comment was probably just snark but I really am asking a valid question and there is a better workflow available, but apparently not in Reason. I should point out that I've been working with MIDI for over 30 years so I'm not exactly a newbie, just wobbly in Reason.

To show that I'm not completely out of my mind for expecting this to be built in behavior here is demo of how it works in my other DAW (Reason).

Image

And here is how it behaves in Reason which really IS a buzzkill to have to F8, select a quantize resolution, quantize and finally (if my playing was bad enough to require it) change the snap resolution and then move the note to where I wanted it.

Image

Shadowcaster
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04 Sep 2016

To show that I'm not completely out of my mind for expecting this to be built in behavior here is demo of how it works in my other DAW (Reason).
Opps I meant Reaper

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joeyluck
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04 Sep 2016

There's a couple other things that might help you.

- You can press the 'S' key to turn snap on and off.
- Or you can leave Snap off, but still nudge selections one snap unit left or right with:
Command + left/right arrow key (Mac) or Control + left/right arrow key (Windows)

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WillyOD
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05 Sep 2016

Yeah, like joeyluck said. Just turn snap off (S) move the note closer to the the line, and then quantize (Ctrl-K). (Or quantize through F8 tools).
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stratatonic
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05 Sep 2016

Creativemind wrote:Oh yeah, ctrl and k will move the notes highlighted to the nearest line eh.
Yup,,...that's K for Kwantize...

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Creativemind
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05 Sep 2016

stratatonic wrote:
Creativemind wrote:Oh yeah, ctrl and k will move the notes highlighted to the nearest line eh.
Yup,,...that's K for Kwantize...
LMAO - That's just tickled me pink. Nice one mate :lol:
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Creativemind
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05 Sep 2016

joeyluck wrote:There's a couple other things that might help you.

- You can press the 'S' key to turn snap on and off.
- Or you can leave Snap off, but still nudge selections one snap unit left or right with:
Command + left/right arrow key (Mac) or Control + left/right arrow key (Windows)
Didn't know you could press the 'S' key and turn snap on and off.

Thanks!

How long has that been a feature...I've been using Reason since 2012, version 6 and after.

The trouble is, the Props never give you a comprehensive list of EVERY new feature (no matter how small) on their site after a new release do they. I find this very annoying.
:reason:

Reason Studio's 11.3 / Cockos Reaper 6.82 / Cakewalk By Bandlab / Orion 8.6
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joeyluck
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05 Sep 2016

Creativemind wrote:
joeyluck wrote:There's a couple other things that might help you.

- You can press the 'S' key to turn snap on and off.
- Or you can leave Snap off, but still nudge selections one snap unit left or right with:
Command + left/right arrow key (Mac) or Control + left/right arrow key (Windows)
Didn't know you could press the 'S' key and turn snap on and off.

Thanks!

How long has that been a feature...I've been using Reason since 2012, version 6 and after.

The trouble is, the Props never give you a comprehensive list of EVERY new feature (no matter how small) on their site after a new release do they. I find this very annoying.
This is very handy:

http://reasonkeyboardshortcuts.com/reas ... shortcuts/

Might have to get in touch with https://twitter.com/danskitwit
to give thanks and kindly ask for an update :puf_smile:

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pushedbutton
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05 Sep 2016

You can activate 'Q Record' to quantise notes during recording, this is a practically hidden button above the quantise amount, just the left of the clock. Just set your quantise amount and activate Q Record before you hit record and you'll stick to the grid. Below this is the 'Quantise' button that is also quite poorly highlighted and will save you having to load up the tool kit with the f8 key. It might look like a label but no, it's a button.
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Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

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Funkspace
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23 Jun 2017

I'm finding the 'Relative Snapping' in Reason a bit limiting too. It works for some things, but not everything.

I remember when Cakewalk Sonar (now Roland) adopted both 'Snap By' (relative) and 'Snap To' (absolute).

'Snap By' is how Reason currently operates.

Having both forms of Snap is a real game changer. Also, when working with a collection of notes, 'Snap To' will snap the first note in the group to the grid, as determined by the Snap value. All other notes will retain there timing relative to each other behind the first note in the collection being moved. Something that Quantize will mess up quite easily.

I think the merits of having both a 'relative' and 'absolute' snap can not be understated. It would be extremely beneficial.

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selig
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23 Jun 2017

Funkspace wrote:I'm finding the 'Relative Snapping' in Reason a bit limiting too. It works for some things, but not everything.

I remember when Cakewalk Sonar (now Roland) adopted both 'Snap By' (relative) and 'Snap To' (absolute).

'Snap By' is how Reason currently operates.

Having both forms of Snap is a real game changer. Also, when working with a collection of notes, 'Snap To' will snap the first note in the group to the grid, as determined by the Snap value. All other notes will retain there timing relative to each other behind the first note in the collection being moved. Something that Quantize will mess up quite easily.

I think the merits of having both a 'relative' and 'absolute' snap can not be understated. It would be extremely beneficial.
Totally agree this should be in Reason. There's one other approach that you may be interested in that can achieve what you describe above.

Select a group/collection of notes, the use the Inspector to set the first note to the desired location. All other notes will retain their relative timing.

While it's hardly as intuitive as the "Snap To" feature in other DAWs (all others?!?) at least there is "a way" to achieve what you want!


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AttenuationHz
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23 Jun 2017

Yeah definitely needs to be other features added to it. There is a nudge function to the grid (ctrl/cmd ←/→) but that does not work as you would expect when snap is off it still follows the set grid. What I do is select the Tick value (end number) in clip position and use the scroll wheel to edit the value for a certain groove.
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etyrnal
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24 Jun 2017

Shadowcaster wrote:This is driving me crazy. If I record a keyboard line without quantization I typically butcher the timing. I'm a lame player... So I'll go into the note editor and try to snap the note to the correct beat. But when I have snapping enabled, say to quarter notes, it wont allow me to snap to the actual beat. Instead, it snaps to quarter note increments of my incorrectly timed note. Say for instance I played the note at 1.1.2.7 it will allow me to snap to 1.2.2.7 or 1.3.2.7 but not to 1.1.1.0. How do I actually snap to 1.1.1.0? Do I have to quantize and then used the mouse to drag the note? This is something that really drags down my creativity in Reason and it seems like such an obvious thing to need to do. Any help would be appreciated!
Yeah, I've always thought that was stupid as hell...

And any philosophical reason for it should take a very distant second place to actually quantizing or snapping to an actual musical subdivision.

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Raveshaper
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25 Jun 2017

You could always turn snap off and type in where the note should be manually. That's even less fun. I agree that by now it should work like Reaper, S1, Live, Bitwig, and Cubase do.
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Hauser+Quaid
Posts: 147
Joined: 06 Jun 2017

25 Jun 2017

Also agree that absolute snap should be implemented. But to be honest I've gotten used to Relative only and I use Q record anyway. The only time it comes up is she I'm programming something and I need to switch to triplets. But even then I'm already programmed to Cmd+K and it's all good.

mojomills
Posts: 3
Joined: 27 Jul 2017

27 Jul 2017

Hey all,

On OSX, you can create custom shortcuts in apps which is SUPER handy.

Here's my challenge to anyone who can figure it out:

In the Sequencer window, to the right of SNAP, you'll find snap values for everything from BAR thru 1/64 notes.
This corresponds to the sequencer grid and how every anything gets snapped quickly.

I HATE having to click this drop down every time I want to change the grid.
I made OSX shortcuts and they show up in the drop down list, BUT I still have to click the note value box to use the shortcut. That doesn't really get around having to click it in the first place.

If anyone knows a cool way to change SNAP values quicker than the old-fashioned click method, I'd like to know.

Thanks!

OverneathTheSkyBridg
Posts: 377
Joined: 15 Jan 2016

28 Jul 2017

There should be shortcut key commands for increasing and decreasing the snap resolution. In checking the shortcut keys PDF I think the A and Z keys would be perfect for this, leaving your hand in the same QWERTY range for editing and right next to the S key for snap on/off

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jlgrimes
Posts: 661
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01 Aug 2017

Goriila Texas wrote:
04 Sep 2016
I know no other DAW that let's you free move notes when snap is on. If there is let me know so I won't ever buy it.

Ableton actually does. Their snapping is somewhat magnetic. And they have a key command to temporarily turn off snapping completely. That said when Ableton went magnetic in v9 it upset a lot of users but I find it to work pretty good.

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