Roland Cloud and how to (sort of) get it working with Reason

[Sargie]

I got a subscription to Roland Cloud for Christmas. Unfortunately, Roland Cloud does not work with Reason, due to Reason not supporting VST3 or AU formats (should have read the Roland FAQ before asking for it )

I hope Propellerhead implements VST3 or AU support in Reason as part of their current VST improvement plan... but in the meantime I needed a work around.

I don't use other DAW's, I've used Reason since version 1 came out (it was the first DAW I ever bought) and that's it. I do own a couple of other DAW's (Garageband, a restricted version of BitWig, Odessi) but I have never used them. I tried to use them as part of the solution I came up with below but found them to be complicated compared to what I was used to.

This is what I came up with and I hope it might help some others with similar issues.

This is done using a Mac.

***

Step One

Download Hosting AU (http://ju-x.com/hostingau.html).

This is a simple, free DAW that allows you to host various plugin format including AU3.

Step Two

Download Soundflower (https://github.com/mattingalls/Soundflo ... /tag/2.0b2).

This is a simple, free program that allows you to route audio between applications on the Mac.

Due to the security restrictions in Mojave it is a little more complex to install than I remember the last time I used it... Just make sure you follow the instructions on the webpage linked above.

Step Three

Using Audio Midi Setup (part of MacOS), create an Aggregate Device that includes your Audio Device and Soundflower (I used the 2ch version of Soundflower).

Step Four

Run Hosting AU. In the main window, load an Instrument into Track A (first box under the Track A tab), set the Master output (fourth box under the Master tab) device to be Soundflower. In the Hosting AU menu, make sure "Receive MIDI from is set to "All" (or the specific port if you know what it is).

Step Five

Run Reason. In preferences, make sure the Audio Device is set the the Aggregate Device you created in Step Three.

Step Six

Add an External MIDI instrument to the Reason Rack. Using the drop down menu, set the MIDI device to be Hosting AU.

Program some notes into this MIDI notes for this track into the Sequencer and loop the selection. Press play on the Reason transport controls.

If you have done everything correctly so far, you should see Hosting AU and the AU instrument responding to the MIDI input.

Step Seven

Add an Audio Track to the Reason Rack. Using the Audio Input drop down Menu, select Stereo Input then select the correct Audio Input from the choices below. If you don't know what these are, check the Audio Input section of the Hardware Interface at the very top of the Reason Rack. You should see the VU meters moving on the appropriate Audio Input channels.

Enable Audio Monitoring for the track.

You should hear the sound from the AU instrument hosted by Hosting AU in Reason.

Issues

When using MIDI data from the External MIDI instrument in Reason to record audio from an Instrument hosted in Hosting AU, there is a very small delay before the audio is recorded. This does not happen if playing the instrument from a Controller. If anyone knows how to possibly fix this, I'd appreciate knowing!

Let me know if you try this approach and have any questions. I'll be happy to help.

Best,

Sarge

[hurricane]

OR

Get yourself a wrapper like Kushview's Element (which you can snag now for about $26) and use that to load VST3/AU plugins directly inside Reason like a VST plugin.

[Micha1973]

All Roland synths are in 64 Bit/ vst 2.4 also 🤨

[LarsK]

All Roland synths are in 64 Bit/ vst 2.4 also 🤨

From Roland Cloud FAQ:
"Reason does not support VST3 or AU format plug-ins, but does support VST2. The only macOS Roland Cloud plug-ins that are available in VST2 format are Concerto and Sound Canvas VA."

[Sargie]

Hurricane: Thank you - that's cool - I shall check that out! Where did you see it for $26? Right now its half price at $74.95.

[Sargie]

I gave Elements a try... It crashed Reason more times in 30 minutes than I think it's crashed in the last 20 years combined. It's also, to me at least, pretty unintuitive.

I downloaded a demo of "Blue Cat's Patchwork" which seems to be a similar product.

So far, this has yet to crash and is a lot more intuitive, at least to me.

Anyone else got any recommendations?

Thanks!

[hurricane]

I gave Elements a try... It crashed Reason more times in 30 minutes than I think it's crashed in the last 20 years combined. It's also, to me at least, pretty unintuitive.

Interesting because it's never crashed on me. Once the standalone version scans all your plugins, you're pretty much set. All you have to do is patch the synth you want to use by dragging the cables to the appropriate spots, like this, for example:

Screen Shot 2018-12-28 at 10.10.58 PM.png (27.76 KiB) Viewed 5099 times

Pretty simple. Once you set your VST3/AU synth like in the pic, you can then save the whole thing as a preset and do so for all your VST3 plugins. And then you'll never have to mess with it again.

Element does way more than what I use it for. I only use it for VST3 synths inside Reason. Works perfectly, and with the code that's on the page you looked at, the price drops to $26. Patchwork is $101.

The free version might have enough functionality so you may not even have to pay for it.

[Sargie]

Hey Hurricane,

Thanks for persisting!

I've figured out how to get the discount... It helps if I actually read the page properly

KV Element also seems to be less processor intensive than the Blue Cat device. I can't even run the Jupiter 8 VST through the Blue Cat device but I can run it and play it using KV Elements.

I am going to spring for KV Elements then - at $26 it is a deal!

Would you be so kind as to tell me how to save the setups as a preset? I can drag the Synths into the window and get them connected correctly as in the pic but I can only seem to save "Sessions"... and I can't load them into the VST version.

Thanks!

Sarge

[hurricane]

What I do is create an instance of Element with each VST3 chained up and ready, then save each one as an FXB through Reason's VST shell:

Screen Shot 2018-12-29 at 12.19.10 AM.png (49.48 KiB) Viewed 5087 times

And so then I have this:

Screen Shot 2018-12-29 at 12.14.42 AM.png (13.94 KiB) Viewed 5087 times

Now when I want to load an instrument I just drag and drop it to the rack.

[EnochLight]

I got a subscription to Roland Cloud for Christmas. Unfortunately, Roland Cloud does not work with Reason, due to Reason not supporting VST3 or AU formats

HUh?!! Roland Cloud works fine in Reason 10.x.

This is done using a Mac.

Ahhhhhhhhh... there's the problem. Windows 10 FTW!

[Sargie]

Hurricane,

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the tips. I did not know you could do that.

Still getting the plugin crashing if I delete / reinstall it from the rack but I can work around that for now.

EnochLight, yes - very irritating!

Best,

Sarge

[MDTerps2015]

I gave Elements a try... It crashed Reason more times in 30 minutes than I think it's crashed in the last 20 years combined. It's also, to me at least, pretty unintuitive.

I downloaded a demo of "Blue Cat's Patchwork" which seems to be a similar product.

So far, this has yet to crash and is a lot more intuitive, at least to me.

Anyone else got any recommendations?

Thanks!

Patchwork is pure gold but a dsp killer depending on what you got going on in it. I just use it with scaler and instachord and the synth of my choice saved as presets.

[hurricane]

Still getting the plugin crashing if I delete / reinstall it from the rack but I can work around that for now.

That's unfortunate. Works fine for me though - I'm on Mojave using the latest version of Element. Before that I was on Sierra and it also never crashed.

[bitley]

Cool work-arounds. How about free or cheap DAWs that support ReWire? Tracktion? Etc

[huggermugger]

I use Voltage Modular. The Nucleus version (the starter) is usually free, and the Core Upgrade, which includes the Plugin Hosts, often comes on sale for $50. The Plugin Hosts handle VST2, VST3, and AU. And you get excellent connectivity with Reason's CV and Gate control.

[JonJ]

Another vote for Voltage Modular.

VST3 (2).PNG (932.15 KiB) Viewed 2690 times

[avasopht]

What I'd much prefer is a wrapper that loads a single VST as I only have one plugin that's VST3 only.