What do you suck at in Reason?

This forum is for discussing Reason. Questions, answers, ideas, and opinions... all apply.
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Chizmata
Posts: 918
Joined: 21 Dec 2015
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03 May 2022

rorystorm wrote:
01 May 2022
Compression. Never been able to get my head round it.
Getting my vocal levels right, man its always too soft or too loud, obviously! Not helpful that my voice isn't the greatest and I sound like a cross between a fog horn and a Southland farmer.
i feel you. for myself, i have figured out the following way to apply compression (not vocals though), maybe it can help you too:

1st set ratio to max, att/rel to zero
2nd fiddle with the threshold and listen what elements of the sounds are "caught" by the compressor
3rd when your compressor "catches" the right things, set att/rel to your liking, maybe adjust the threshold a bit after that.
4th finally set the ratio.

i think an easy mistake to make is to set the threshold too low. catching lower sounds can actually reduce the compression effect on the louder sounds.

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Chizmata
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03 May 2022

gribbly wrote:
01 May 2022
Mixing full stop, just can't do it :/
The book "Mixing Secrets for the small studio" by Mike Senior is really good to help develop your mixing skills.
i second this. its a great book!

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arnigretar
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03 May 2022

avasopht wrote:
02 May 2022

Not acknowledging current trends.
That's great though! People should follow their own paths.

But I could say I suck at using Europa. Thor still is capable of doing everything I want + Subtractor and Malström. I have of course used Europa, but I hardly do it. Great synth though. Just so used to use thor that I just keep doing that. Oh yeah, and I still suck at using the SSL mixer. Hahaha. I just use the EQ: LPF and HPF and then the inserts. Have never touched anything else there. But I don't know... can't say it's worriying me. I'm still writing music. Some times I just still stick a Mixer 14:2 in the rack in my projects. Each to their own I guess.
https://futuregrapher.bandcamp.com/

Reason 12, Ableton Live 10 Suite, Roland Cloud, Arturia V9, Korg Legacy 3, Soundtoys 5, Waves Mercury, Sonic Charge Bundle, N.I.: Massive, Reaktor 6, FM8. + a lot of Hardware. Windows 7/10.

Popey
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03 May 2022

plaamook wrote:
03 May 2022
Actually getting followers to work is often tricky. Dialling it in right where I want it.
I often give up and do it manually.
No ones perfect eh
Glad I am not alone with this. Irony is that the gui and cables was what brought me to choose reason as it was closest to hardware and cabling stuff up is what I suck at.

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chimp_spanner
Posts: 2908
Joined: 06 Mar 2015

03 May 2022

Sidechain compression. I'm never really sure the best way to do it. I either fake it and use Pump as a send (triggered by MIDI) but it doesn't compensate for delay properly, and as soon as you have something that introduces delays, you have to manually adjust the offset of the curve.

If I do it "properly" I'm never sure the best way. Sometimes I will use Send 8, which goes to a spider, which goes to sidechain inputs. Or sometimes I'll use a parallel channel. But I'm never sure which is the right way. I do wish it was a bit easier though. The downside of cabling I suppose.

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plaamook
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Location: Bajo del mar...

03 May 2022

Popey wrote:
03 May 2022
plaamook wrote:
03 May 2022
Actually getting followers to work is often tricky. Dialling it in right where I want it.
I often give up and do it manually.
No ones perfect eh
Glad I am not alone with this. Irony is that the gui and cables was what brought me to choose reason as it was closest to hardware and cabling stuff up is what I suck at.
Do you have this?...
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... cv-shaper/
Lectric's CV Janitor.
Also try using the follower on Sweeper. Gives you a bit more control over attach and release etc.
At the moment that combo is the best way I know to do it in reason.
I'm open to suggestions of course.
Perpetual Reason 12 Beta Tester :reason:

You can check out my music here.
https://m.soundcloud.com/ericholmofficial
Or here.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC73uZZ ... 8jqUubzsQg

Popey
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03 May 2022

plaamook wrote:
03 May 2022
Popey wrote:
03 May 2022


Glad I am not alone with this. Irony is that the gui and cables was what brought me to choose reason as it was closest to hardware and cabling stuff up is what I suck at.
Do you have this?...
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... cv-shaper/
Lectric's CV Janitor.
Also try using the follower on Sweeper. Gives you a bit more control over attach and release etc.
At the moment that combo is the best way I know to do it in reason.
I'm open to suggestions of course.
I do not have that so thanks for the recommendation. Price point is about what I can afford at the moment too (cannot beat a freebie).

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DaveyG
Posts: 2499
Joined: 03 May 2020

03 May 2022

I hardly suck at anything in Reason these days because I have other DAWs to suck at instead. :D

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TritoneAddiction
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Posts: 4219
Joined: 29 Aug 2015
Location: Sweden

03 May 2022

In Reason specifically: All the technical stuff like CV and wires and stuff. Also using block mode. Regroove. To this day I still haven't even tried Regroove.
Musically: Making long drawn out tunes. It's like I can't do it.

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Chizmata
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03 May 2022

TritoneAddiction wrote:
03 May 2022
In Reason specifically: All the technical stuff like CV and wires and stuff. Also using block mode. Regroove. To this day I still haven't even tried Regroove.
Musically: Making long drawn out tunes. It's like I can't do it.
regroove is fantastic! you can microshift notes in a loop, extract that as own groove and apply a scaleable version of it to anything. dunno if thats for you but its really good.

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tallguy
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03 May 2022

Chizmata wrote:
03 May 2022
regroove is fantastic! you can microshift notes in a loop, extract that as own groove and apply a scaleable version of it to anything. dunno if thats for you but its really good.
Agreed. I avoided ReGroove for years. Now I use it all the time.

I have been looking around at other DAWs recently, comparing them to Reason, seeing what I would miss. ReGroove would be one of those.

Still avoid blocks like the plague though

Barriott
Posts: 81
Joined: 19 Feb 2016

03 May 2022

Mastering. I absolutely loath it.

I've been using ozone. Normally just tweak the auto master alittle.

Never really been fully happy with the final sound.

I guess there's a reason mastering engineers get the big bucks

robussc
Posts: 463
Joined: 03 May 2022

03 May 2022

dakta wrote:
01 May 2022
Mixing full stop, just can't do it :/

Get a lot of my entertainment out of making melodies but getting a professional finish? forget it
If you can afford it I found the mixing course here super helpful: https://www.recordingrevolution.com/products/

I’ve read lots of books on the subject but nothing clicked until I actually did the mixing alongside a professional. He uses ProTools but much easily translates to Reason.
Software: Reason 12 + Objekt, Vintage Vault 4, V-Collection 9 + Pigments, Vintage Verb + Supermassive
Hardware: M1 Mac mini + dual monitors, Launchkey 61, Scarlett 18i20, Rokit 6 monitors, AT4040 mic, DT-990 Pro phones

KGB
Posts: 87
Joined: 22 Nov 2016

10 May 2022

Definitely CV routing. I used to suck at mixing and mastering until I started to understand the small things about mixing. Now I think that I understand the process enough to where I can release commercial projects and feel proud of them.

thedjjudah
Posts: 151
Joined: 02 Dec 2016

10 May 2022

Definitely mixing and mastering for me, but I think the more songs I complete, the better I'll get at it.

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mimidancer
Posts: 636
Joined: 30 Sep 2021

11 May 2022

Mastering

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selig
RE Developer
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Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

11 May 2022

This thread inspired me for my next livestream tomorrow, read more here if interested:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=7527983
Selig Audio, LLC

Steedus
Competition Winner
Posts: 1009
Joined: 31 Aug 2015
Location: Melbourne, AU

12 May 2022

C-can it be everything? 🙃

Seriously though mixing and mastering is my biggest personal hurdle. I feel like whenever I have things mixed right, once I export to master everything gets screwed up. How are you supposed to mix stereo stuff (panned tracks and effects) to the right level when running through mixing plug-ins just screws with the leveling afterwards? Is it bad mastering? Bad mixing? (Probably both) ehhh

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homemadenoise
Posts: 44
Joined: 03 Feb 2021

13 May 2022

Ok. Many of the same things as other like mixing but most significantly cymbals. Never happy how the sound in the mix or even find the right cymbal sounds. Maybe I just don't like cymbals?

Nielsen
Posts: 100
Joined: 05 Nov 2017
Location: Denmark

13 May 2022

Surgical EQing with a narrow Q. All my attempts doing it always end up sounding dull, but I keep hearing so many good things about it. Also, I really don't know how to identity and fix any possible phase issues.

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killhamster
Posts: 132
Joined: 02 Aug 2019
Location: Portland, OR
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13 May 2022

I'd like to think I have a good handle on mixing, mastering, programming, and all the technical bits, but I know I'm not as strong at just writing melodies. Sure, this isn't just a Reason problem, but Reason is all I use so...

I used to get around this by writing with a friend who wasn't as good at the technical and percussion programming parts, but very strong with melodies and such. Now I'm on my own and feel I end up relying a lot more on the players to come up with leads and basslines and such :puf_unhappy:

GigiJ
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Apr 2022

27 Feb 2023

Programming drums. Since I'm no drummer had to find a way around it.

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sequence
Posts: 47
Joined: 20 Jan 2015

01 Mar 2023

I suck at mixing and even more at mastering!
Love the making the song part, is when I start comparing with professional recordings and start mixing/mastering that I tend to screw things up.

Compressors are also one of those that I understand in theory, but never quite feel when using them.

RobC
Posts: 1832
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

01 Mar 2023

I suck at trying to easily and quickly adjust timing mistakes on vocals.
All I would need is to click a start and end point, then drag and maybe stretch a bit.
Of course, we can cut a new clip, or maybe do it even in comp mode, and then stretch ~ but a select, drag, stretch, done - would be much faster. Unless I missed something. I have R12.

robussc
Posts: 463
Joined: 03 May 2022

01 Mar 2023

I really believe that to become a better mixer you have to do some mixes alongside a professional. Back in the old days you might be lucky enough to get a job at a pro recording studio and learn as you go. These days there are way more people needing to acquire the skills and there aren't enough pro studios to go round, but there are online courses. I've completed the recording revolution course and while my mixes are still not quite where I'd like them, they're a darn site better than they were and I now have a structured approach to mixing that I can build from. The course uses raw multitrack recordings of a few different tracks as a starting point and works on the mixing each one to a final radio ready mix. The instructor uses Pro Tools but I found it relatively straightforward to adapt it to the stock Reason mixer and processors.

https://www.recordingrevolution.com/mix ... lusive-oto

Warren Huart is also offering help for mixing at his Produce Like a Pro website: https://producelikeapro.com I've joined, but it's a lot less structured than the recording university approach and I've not yet gone through any of the multitracks so I can't speak to its effectiveness in training you (I was looking to it to get feedback on my mixes).

But there are two resources that could really help those that feel like their mixing efforts are disappointing. They do cost money, but being able to do a good mix is a pretty key skill to acquire.
Software: Reason 12 + Objekt, Vintage Vault 4, V-Collection 9 + Pigments, Vintage Verb + Supermassive
Hardware: M1 Mac mini + dual monitors, Launchkey 61, Scarlett 18i20, Rokit 6 monitors, AT4040 mic, DT-990 Pro phones

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