Drone notes

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wils
Posts: 44
Joined: 04 Dec 2017

02 Jan 2018

Hi.

Issue: when I play a chord (or indeed a single key), in addition to that chord I'd like another fixed note to play (say c3), no matter what else I play.

I can't see a way of doing this in Reason so if anyone's aware of how to do it, please let me know! I guess it's going to come down to having two+ synths in a combinator, and somehow changing the scale to "none" on one of them so it plays the same note whatever key is pressed, but I don't know how to do that...

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aeox
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Joined: 23 Feb 2017
Location: Oregon

02 Jan 2018

wils wrote:
02 Jan 2018
Hi.

Issue: when I play a chord (or indeed a single key), in addition to that chord I'd like another fixed note to play (say c3), no matter what else I play.

I can't see a way of doing this in Reason so if anyone's aware of how to do it, please let me know! I guess it's going to come down to having two+ synths in a combinator, and somehow changing the scale to "none" on one of them so it plays the same note whatever key is pressed, but I don't know how to do that...
If i'm understanding your needs correctly, it should be possible.

For example in Thor, you can turn down the "KBD" parameter on a second oscillator so that it only plays one note.

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Loque
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Joined: 28 Dec 2015

02 Jan 2018

Do you ist a Player and that is your problem? Attach it to a combinator, play now for the Combinator to have chords and use the synth inside to play additional notes on the sequencer. Real playing is not possible, except you scale the notes inside a combinator and play your bored outside the Combinator is scale.
Reason12, Win10

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MannequinRaces
Posts: 1543
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

02 Jan 2018

Why does it have to be in a combinator? Seems a lot easier to separate it out.

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ejanuska
Posts: 680
Joined: 27 May 2016
Location: USA

02 Jan 2018

Hook the note output of a Matrix to the note input of the synth you want to drone.
Don't hook up the gate.
Set the pattern length on the Matrix to 1.
Set the Matrix note to C3 or whatever note you want to play.
Put your drone synth and other synth in a combinator so that both will be triggered by the incoming gate.

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mbfrancis
Posts: 647
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Location: Orange County, CA
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02 Jan 2018

aeox wrote:
02 Jan 2018

If i'm understanding your needs correctly, it should be possible.

For example in Thor, you can turn down the "KBD" parameter on a second oscillator so that it only plays one note.
Basically this...or if you want I'd just create a synth doing the same thing w/ the KBD knob in the combi that only plays one note. Depends if you want it to have the same timbre.
Producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. I make indie pop as Port Streets, 90s/shoegaze as Swooner, and Electro as Yours Mine.

calebbrennan
Posts: 315
Joined: 16 Aug 2016

02 Jan 2018

Because I love playing over drone notes I created a combinator with oscilateing synth drones emulating Bag pipe and tamboura sounds because I love indian and irish music's use of drone.

They are set up to interweave in the mixer at random time interval with fader controls going up and down in a 32 bar motif .

It's fired off by just one notein the sequencer and works great when recording

The issue is if you want to use it live and stop and start it you would need a peddle board to activate or deactivate the drone when needed at your yoga retreat gig.

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Soft Enerji
Posts: 407
Joined: 16 Jan 2015
Location: East Lismore, NSW Australia

03 Jan 2018

calebbrennan wrote:
02 Jan 2018
Because I love playing over drone notes I created a combinator with oscilateing synth drones emulating Bag pipe and tamboura sounds because I love indian and Celtic music's use of drone.

They are set up to interweave in the mixer at random time interval with fader controls going up and down in a 32 bar motif .

It's fired off by just one notein the sequencer and works great when recording

The issue is if you want to use it live and stop and start it you would need a peddle board to activate or deactivate the drone when needed at your yoga retreat gig.
There ya go........fixed that for ya :roll:

wils
Posts: 44
Joined: 04 Dec 2017

03 Jan 2018

Many thanks for all the answers, setting the KBD parameter to 0 is the simplest (where an instrument has it, of course). I'm intrigued by the Matrix solution, but I don't think that would work for "live" playing?

Now... I guess if I wanted a drone piano (playing say C3) in NN-XT I'd just have to copy that sample (inc velocities) to all the other notes? Or is there a super-quick convenient way of doing that? Haha there isn't, is there?

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ejanuska
Posts: 680
Joined: 27 May 2016
Location: USA

03 Jan 2018

wils wrote:
03 Jan 2018
Many thanks for all the answers, setting the KBD parameter to 0 is the simplest (where an instrument has it, of course). I'm intrigued by the Matrix solution, but I don't think that would work for "live" playing?

Now... I guess if I wanted a drone piano (playing say C3) in NN-XT I'd just have to copy that sample (inc velocities) to all the other notes? Or is there a super-quick convenient way of doing that? Haha there isn't, is there?
Live Matrix...You would have to program a combinator button to control the Matrix Pattern button. Turning off the Pattern button will stop the Matrix. That is why setting the number of steps to 1 is optimal, other wise the Matrix will run until the end of the pattern. That may be what you want, IDK. Anyhow, then program the combi button to respond to a MIDI button input.

An alternate solution would be using a PSQ-1684. That's what I would use. There are various ways with that thing.

NN-XT...I would first try slowing down the attack and release so that you can't tell what the note is hit or released. Then just keep triggering with a Matrix, PSQ-1684, Propulsion, etc. If you time it right you can end up with some cool slow vibrato in the drone.
Last edited by ejanuska on 03 Jan 2018, edited 1 time in total.

wils
Posts: 44
Joined: 04 Dec 2017

03 Jan 2018

ejanuska wrote:
03 Jan 2018
Live Matrix...You would have to program a combinator button to control the Matrix Pattern button. Turning off the Pattern button will stop the Matrix. That is why setting the number of steps to 1 is optimal, other wise the Matrix will run until the end of the pattern. That may be what you want, IDK. Anyhow, then program the combi button to respond to a MIDI button input.

An alternate solution would be using a PSQ-1684. That's what I would use. There are various ways with that thing.

NN-XT...I would first try slowing down the attack and delay so that you can't tell what the note is hit or released. Then just keep triggering with a Matrix, PSQ-1684, Propulsion, etc. If you time it right you can end up with some cool slow vibrato in the drone.
Cool, thanks for the info. As always with Reason, the workaround might not be elegant, but it's fun.

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