For those who create in Reason and mix in another DAW: what's your workflow?

[MikeMcKew]

Title basically says it. I'm curious about how other people navigate this, as it seems to be a common thing for people to do. Do you bounce stems? Each individual track? Do you bounce effects returns as separate tracks or baked into the sound itself (if that makes sense)? How do you approach mixing in your DAW of choice after you've gotten tracks from Reason?

Interested in hearing about why one would or wouldn't do this!

[sleep1979]

reason is fully featured now tbh pitch edit etc if u cant do it all in reason with vst support u dont know your shit tbh

[sleep1979]

i dont mean u mike i meanin genaral

[MikeMcKew]

Haha thanks for clarifying.

I see where you're coming from, but as is being discussed in an adjacent topic (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7502969), mixing in Reason can be a bit clunky. I love Reason's interface, but jumping all over the rack to tweak inserts can be cumbersome. I do find the SSL mixer to be fantastic, however!

This is in contrast with more traditional DAWs, where you might have a list of inserts on each track in an easy-to-access format.

i dont mean u mike i meanin genaral

[QVprod]

reason is fully featured now tbh pitch edit etc if u cant do it all in reason with vst support u dont know your shit tbh

Like Mike said. It's not about ability to mix in Reason, it's the workflow involved. While Reason is a perfectly capable app to mix in, it wasn't built with audio engineers in mind (which was an actual tag line when Record was released). More traditional DAWs allow certain tasks to be done faster. Things like accessing the mixer faders and inserts on the same page without scrolling a rack and editing multiple tracks simultaneously.

To answer the OP, If it's an instrumental that I'm not recording or mixing vocals to, then I'll do the mix in Reason. If there are vocals involved then I bounce all stems. If I I have fx sends in reason I'll bounce those too sometimes but I always replace them to have more control in the mix phase. Baked in fx are only there if it was a sound design decision. From there I reorganize them (as they'll be in alphabetical order) and gain stage if necessary.

[Data_Shrine]

Basically I've made a template in Reason, and a template in my other DAW, and they work just fine together. It took some time to sit down and do this, but it was totally worth it.

I usually only use the Reason sequencer for patterns, automation or drum beats (if made in Kong). It's also easy to control Reason' instrument with my MIDI controller (just have to keep making those Remote maps for RE's). Sometimes I record & bounce audio around.

I haven't made a projet using Reason-only for years, but it's always been a big part of them anyway

[drloop]

Haha thanks for clarifying.

I see where you're coming from, but as is being discussed in an adjacent topic (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7502969), mixing in Reason can be a bit clunky. I love Reason's interface, but jumping all over the rack to tweak inserts can be cumbersome. I do find the SSL mixer to be fantastic, however!

This is in contrast with more traditional DAWs, where you might have a list of inserts on each track in an easy-to-access format.

i dont mean u mike i meanin genaral

I use three monitors, one for the mixer, one for sequencer and one for the rack.
I find it easier to mix in Reason compared to other DAWs since I can see all plugins inserted to a track without having to open a new window to edit them.
When you select a track in the sequencer, the mixer channel and the rack of the sequencer channel will be shown on the other screens.
It gives me a overview that I haven’t found in any other daw, absolutely amazing workflow.
But using Reason with one monitor like 1920x1080 is not a nice experience.

[dmcghee]

I personally record and mix exclusively in Reason. I track and mix using a couple of racks of analog preamps, compressor/Limiters, EQs and great microphones.
Reason routing let you get as deep as you want
using digital and analog gear.

Just use the very best plugins, analog gear you can afford. It is all about creativity and writing great songs and musicianship.
If you can’t get it done in Reason you won’t be able
to make great music in any DAW.

Just because Reason is not the so call industry standard doesn’t mean you can’t make great recordings.

As a great friend use to say... “It’s not the Toys it’s the Noise“

I hope this helps

[eusti]

Am a bit confused what's happening here... I mean, yes, we most likely are fans of Reason here as this is reasontalk... But if people ask about the workflow using Reason as a sound source for mixing in another DAW why do people feel the need to answer "if you can't do it in Reason..."?

It feels a bit like someone asking for directions to a burger place and people responding "burgers are no good, you really should go to the juice bar"... Ok, yes, there might be a point there, but really???

D.

[QVprod]

Am a bit confused what's happening here... I mean, yes, we most likely are fans of Reason here as this is reasontalk... But if people ask about the workflow using Reason as a sound source for mixing in another DAW why do people feel the need to answer "if you can't do it in Reason..."?

It feels a bit like someone asking for directions to a burger place and people responding "burgers are no good, you really should go to the juice bar"... Ok, yes, there might be a point there, but really???

D.

Agreed there's a bit of misunderstanding with some replies here. He's asking for the workflows of people who don't mix in Reason.

[ravisoni]

Back during Reason 5 days (don't look at my funny, I know what you're thinking when I say Reason 5), ahem, but back during R5, I would rewire it into cubase. I would bounce each track from Reason and import it into cubase, except the drums. I always found it was easier to mangle the drums within reason itself. Within cubase, iirc, there would always be a reason track playing, so I would simply mute each channel that was bounced and only keep drums active, mix the drums in Reason, and add any final, glue-type effects on to the reason track in Cubase itself. I always liked being able to hold my drums together as "one unit, under one (Reason) track".

[sleep1979]

Haha thanks for clarifying.

I see where you're coming from, but as is being discussed in an adjacent topic (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7502969), mixing in Reason can be a bit clunky. I love Reason's interface, but jumping all over the rack to tweak inserts can be cumbersome. I do find the SSL mixer to be fantastic, however!

This is in contrast with more traditional DAWs, where you might have a list of inserts on each track in an easy-to-access format.

i dont mean u mike i meanin genaral

i do agree with you there

[MikeMcKew]

Thanks for the answers so far.

Just to give some perspective, I don't have any trouble mixing in Reason, and I've created plenty of songs from start to finish using only Reason.

I'm a bit of a DAW junkie however, and I came from using Pro Tools before using Reason. My motive for asking this question is that I'm curious about combining what I see as the strengths of different programs in a productive way.

Everyone has a different way of working, and there's no right or wrong!

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Iapetus 9]

I don't see the point in jumping DAW's just to mix. I bounce a stem or two if I'm gonna use one of those old timer 32 bit VST's LOL. The Reason mixer is just as good as any, and I think it's terrific to mix with.

[selig]

If I DO mix in an external app, I go old school (habit) and export "tape" tracks.

I'm mixing a project now for an artist and have to keep requesting individual tracks instead of stems (especially for drums) - I guess it's a "control" think, but it's the way I learned to mix (so why stop now?).

[QVprod]

If I DO mix in an external app, I go old school (habit) and export "tape" tracks.

I'm mixing a project now for an artist and have to keep requesting individual tracks instead of stems (especially for drums) - I guess it's a "control" think, but it's the way I learned to mix (so why stop now?).

By stems in this case, are you referring to sub mixes? I could see that being annoying as well. I've had to mix some hiphop tracks like that in the past where the beat maker provided all the drums as a stereo file. Unfortunately it was a leased beat situation and not a producer the artist had a personal connection with so I had to deal with it.

[avasopht]

The workflow for me is pretty simple. I make an export with effects on, and off, because sometimes you needed those inserts (including the master). Prior to the export I will also give each type of drum its own channel, and where necessary send instruments from combis to separate channels.

As to why, this was before Rack Extensions, so I wanted to run my tracks through the stuff I had in Logic.

I'm also a fan of separation of concerns, so for some tracks I create a separate project with every track bounced and work strictly with the waves. Bringing your exports to another DAW can help put you in a different frame of mind.

[selig]

If I DO mix in an external app, I go old school (habit) and export "tape" tracks.

I'm mixing a project now for an artist and have to keep requesting individual tracks instead of stems (especially for drums) - I guess it's a "control" think, but it's the way I learned to mix (so why stop now?).

By stems in this case, are you referring to sub mixes? I could see that being annoying as well. I've had to mix some hiphop tracks like that in the past where the beat maker provided all the drums as a stereo file. Unfortunately it was a leased beat situation and not a producer the artist had a personal connection with so I had to deal with it.

Yes, IMO "stems" = "sub mix". It could be others see it differently, I don't think there's any official definition.

By "tape" tracks I mean all audio minus any console additions. Exceptions would be for a tuned and comped vocal, or direct guitars that were re-amped in any way (no need for the original tracks unless someone messed up the tuning/comp/amp settings). This is pretty much from the Tom Lord-Alge PDF for when I've submitted tracks to him (and others) for mixing, although this was a few years back now.

[djadalaide]

Bounce in-place, (convert to sample?) then save. There is no point in having more audio data repeated over and over again. Unless its one performance per track

[avasopht]

Bounce in-place, (convert to sample?) then save. There is no point in having more audio data repeated over and over again. Unless its one performance per track

Yes, but then you'll have to import that into the DAW piece by piece.

[djadalaide]

Bounce in-place, (convert to sample?) then save. There is no point in having more audio data repeated over and over again. Unless its one performance per track

Yes, but then you'll have to import that into the DAW piece by piece.

Select all files

[normen]

I have one PC with Reason and one Mac with Logic and I connect them oldschool via MIDI and audio through the audio interfaces of the respective computers. Additionally both audio interfaces main outputs are connected to a monitoring matrix. Most MIDI keyboards and performance controllers are connected to the Reason PC, most mixing control surfaces to the Mac.

So I treat Reason like an actual synth rack where you'd load the patch and then record the part to tape. To minimize latency while playing I listen to both the Reason PCs audio interface and the Macs output directly through the monitoring matrix at the same time, mixed 50-50. To sequence typical synth "babbling" I like to use rack devices from the trusty Matrix to LectricPandas offerings but sometimes also do little "arrangements" in Reason for synth parts.

The other way around when theres a more defined composition or a predefined MIDI arrangement where it's about assigning some synth sounds to parts I let Logic play them directly through the MIDI connection and Reasons Hardware MIDI interface option.

Then for mixing I can record the synths into Logic either sequentially or through multiple audio channels (I can have up to 8 interconnected) but often times the mix will just work when bounced and added to the bounce of the Logic project in the mastering project. It's not like Reason is lacking mixing tools if I need to balance the synth sounds. And the sound of the interfaces outputs mixed in the monitoring matrix vs. the bounced outputs mixed in the project is pretty much indiscernible. Yes, there is a difference when A/Bing but no favorite between the two.

[avasopht]

Select all files

Yes, and then positioning them. It's much quicker to export, and then cut in the DAW.

[djadalaide]

Select all files

Yes, and then positioning them. It's much quicker to export, and then cut in the DAW.

Mixing in a lot of cases involves re-arranging!

Keep it creative in every stage of the process, why not?

[avasopht]

Mixing in a lot of cases involves re-arranging!

Keep it creative in every stage of the process, why not?

Only if desired.

If I wanted to rearrange, I'd rearrange.

But if I'm bouncing from Reason to Logic then I will bounce first. Then I can be creative to my heart's content.