Going from Song View to "Block" view. How to copy data over?

[KevTav3000]

I did stuff stuff in the Song view. I started using Blocks view for better organization, but when I switch over, it's shows no data on the tracks.

How do I get the Audio/Midi to be added in that view, from the Song? I know I'm going in reverse but wondering if it's possible by some quick method I don't know of.

Thanks

[Toki]

If I understand you correctly, you want to copy your MIDI / Audio clips over from song view to Blocks view. Assuming you have enabled blocks from the options menu you'll first need to create a block in song view. This is as simple as double clicking in the timeline alongside the Block/Song buttons. This will default to Block 1 but you can quickly change it to another block from the dropdown (and/or rename it in blocks view).

Now, to get to your question about moving data. In song view you'll want to use the razor tool on the timeline to cut out the section you intend to put in blocks i.e. cut out a chorus section if it isn't perfectly cut to fit your block already. Then you simply select the entire section in song view, cut, double click the block you want to copy the data into, then paste. Your MIDI and Audio clips will now be in the selected block.

It's worth noting that the timeline for Song and Blocks modes are not the same. e.g. if you copied a section from bars 7-9 in song view it will not appear in the same place in blocks view, it'll just be bars 1-3. The Blocks timeline is more about the length of the block, and is not relative to your place in the song as such. In song view you can just place each block where you want it in the timeline. You can quickly swap out blocks using the drop down menu in song view.

In addition, any edit you make in a particular block will be mirrored in all other blocks of the same type. So, if you make an edit to the chorus, that same edit will appear in every chorus block, therefore if you want a modified chorus for chorus 2, create a "Chorus 2" block and copy over the data from "Chorus 1" then make your edits. It's an excellent feature for updating your entire song with small edits in one fell swoop but you need to be aware that this may not be what you are aiming to do if you only want to edit a single section of your song.

Blocks can be a bit disorientating when you start to use it. You can easily forget you are using it and start writing your clips in song view again. This is fine, but just be aware that your blocks MIDI/Audio data (data within a block) is separate from the data in song view, and that simply recording a clip in song view where a block resides does not make it part of that block, the clip will simply sit atop the block in song view and not be copied along with the block. You must move data into blocks from song view manually, or record directly into a block in blocks view.

I think that covers it.

[mimidancer]

Toki is correct and has covered blocks well. If you plan to work in blocks, make that the default in your reason start-up file. My projects all begin in a block named Sketch. Before saving this as my default. prenamed other blocks. And chose colors that would let me know quickly what to expect in that color. Often in the sketch block, I work linearly and it may end up containing many different blocks. But when I go to arrange I will put the parts into the correct block to organize it. When I record many parts go through multiple blocks, instead of trying to cut them to fit. I perform those parts in the song mode over top of the blocks. In some songs, I simply use blank blocks to mark sections and perform everything in song mode. Still, the color behind my clips keeps everything neatly marked and organized. I guess I am saying I like blocks too.

[Mich01]

You can copy/paste the desired clips from your songmode to the desired block (and v.v.).
When you enable a block in song-mode you then see the clips off that block in your sequencer. You can override the block-clips by recording or pasting another clip the particular track in songmode.

Enjoy Michel