Using Reason in live...

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reason.fan
Posts: 43
Joined: 06 Apr 2015
Location: GRENOBLE - FRANCE

21 Jun 2017

Hye
I recently found a band where i can play keyboards. i actually use my macbook pro, a Novation Launchkey 61 mk2 and i also have a little Reloop Keypad.
So it's a very light setup but i like this !!!
But, since years, i only play at home so...it's a little bit different :-)
I discover the songs so i need to have a lot of sounds to try.
In a song, i use about 20 racks (combi or vsti) in different kinds.
I can use 2 buttons of the Launchkey to make "previous rack" or "next rack"
I also have to buttons to make "previous patch" or "next patch".
Is there a way to program mici cc buttons to be able to go directly, without the mouse, form a rack to another (for example from rack 2 to 10 ) ?
Any suggestion for better "live" use is welcome !
Thanks by advance
Eric

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artotaku
Posts: 652
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Location: Munich, Germany
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21 Jun 2017

AFAIK there are no remotable items to navigate through the rack. There are workarounds by mapping mouse movement or computer keyboard shortcuts to MIDI by using third party tools (e. g. on Windows) but these solutions are a bit fragile IMO.

If you want to somehow control all of the rack devices of a song from one central point you could use CV signals and Hamu´s Mod panels (https://shop.propellerheads.se/product_ ... nel-tutti/), Peff´s Alias8 or Zvorks Volt SL-1 and connect the CV outputs to the combinator CV inputs or any other devices that have CV inputs. With the latter device you can even have different tempo switched "scenes".
You´d then map the controls of your controller to the CV device.

If you create multiple Mod Panels with a MIDI track you could switch between different settings by changing the MIDI track.

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Data_Shrine
Posts: 517
Joined: 23 Jan 2015

25 Jun 2017

Yeah Reason is not suited for live performance.. I remember some trick in a video with Chris Vrenna, when he was with Marilyn Manson, he showed how he switched instruments (or was it patches??) using "favorites" in the browser. But that was in pre-R8' browser, I dunno I guess maybe it still works ?

Reason is best used rewired to Ableton Live for live performances (that's how I do it). Even so it's not perfect.

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Oquasec
Posts: 2849
Joined: 05 Mar 2017

25 Jun 2017

You can so far only toggle devices using cv.
The simpler method is mapping directly to the modules like redrum to do it.

Ableton has a clip launcher that launches any clip mapped to each pattern.
Last edited by Oquasec on 25 Jun 2017, edited 1 time in total.
Producer/Programmer.
Reason, FLS and Cubase NFR user.

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QVprod
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25 Jun 2017

Using Reason live in this way works best for definitive set lists. Unfortunately there is no way of assigning program changes. The CV mentioned method above might work if your primarily playing synth lines, but not so much if you're playing chord heavy material.
The only other way would be to use Advanced midi and assign sounds/devices to different midi channels, but that would limit you to only 16 sounds per controller. The other thing is many midi controllers don't have a simple way of changing midi channels.

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artotaku
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Location: Munich, Germany
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26 Jun 2017

QVprod wrote:
25 Jun 2017
Using Reason live in this way works best for definitive set lists. Unfortunately there is no way of assigning program changes. The CV mentioned method above might work if your primarily playing synth lines, but not so much if you're playing chord heavy material.
Regarding the chords, let me add: if the chords should be triggered by a sequence in a pattern organized way there are some more or less cumbersome workarounds.
  • Matrix Sequencer: the Matrix sequencer plays a certain sequence. Since it´s single notes, we need to create chords based on it, so it is routed to a combinator CV/Gate In. In the combinator there must be some instrument (AutoArp/Korde/AutoTheory) that can receive MIDI notes and can create chords to CV/Gate signals. In case of Korde, the chords can be created with a Scales & Chords player attached to it. The CV/Gate Out signal is then routed to any synth instrument.
  • RPG8/Reason Sequencer/CV Switch: This is an idea I think Dioxide once posted in a thread. Create a MIDI track for an RPG-8 in the Reason sequencer and add any chords to the MIDI track. The RPG-8 converts the MIDI notes to CV note/gate. The RPG-8 needs to be connected to a CV Switch RE. Now, when doing so with multiple RPG-8 you can switch between different chord progressions in a quantized/pattern like way.
Last edited by artotaku on 26 Jun 2017, edited 3 times in total.

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Oquasec
Posts: 2849
Joined: 05 Mar 2017

26 Jun 2017

Most methods could also involve devices with unhooked audio cables too I think.
Like that vocoder, you can hook up a pitchwheel device and put other devices that you want sound in in a 0% mixer then use something swap between the devices connected to the mixer cuz the line modules have cv cables at the back of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMkmnX6mOb8
Last edited by Oquasec on 24 Jan 2019, edited 1 time in total.
Producer/Programmer.
Reason, FLS and Cubase NFR user.

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artotaku
Posts: 652
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26 Jun 2017

Oquasec wrote:
26 Jun 2017
Most methods could also involve devices with unhooked audio cables too I think.
Like that vocoder, you can hook up a pitchwheel device and put other devices that you want sound in in a 0% mixer then use something swap between the devices connected to the mixer cuz the line modules have cv cables at the back of them.
If you mean switching audio output of different synths in a pattern based way, yes, e. g. Peff´s Directre is a nice solution for that. Or any device where the volume can be controlled by CV and if not pack it in a combinator so it can. A downside may be CPU performance in a liveset. Since all of the devices still receive MIDI note input they calculate sound which increases processing time spent.

reason.fan
Posts: 43
Joined: 06 Apr 2015
Location: GRENOBLE - FRANCE

26 Jun 2017

Thank you all for your answers.

Well, the strange thing is this story is always the way to select a rack: even with a mouse, it's not so easy to point it at the beginning of the left corner of the rack.
Very strange choice form the developpers, it would have been so much easy for users to have a "select button" on each rack,and , i can dream, a button which would be activated within midi cc.
but, i dream, i dream...:-)

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pacorobles
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Joined: 03 Nov 2016
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28 Jun 2017

Data_Shrine wrote:
25 Jun 2017
Yeah Reason is not suited for live performance.. I remember some trick in a video with Chris Vrenna, when he was with Marilyn Manson, he showed how he switched instruments (or was it patches??) using "favorites" in the browser. But that was in pre-R8' browser, I dunno I guess maybe it still works ?

Reason is best used rewired to Ableton Live for live performances (that's how I do it). Even so it's not perfect.
I've been meaning to do this for some time. What kind of issues do you encounter?
Best,
Paco
:reason: 9.5

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Data_Shrine
Posts: 517
Joined: 23 Jan 2015

01 Jul 2017

pacorobles wrote:
28 Jun 2017
Data_Shrine wrote:
25 Jun 2017
Yeah Reason is not suited for live performance.. I remember some trick in a video with Chris Vrenna, when he was with Marilyn Manson, he showed how he switched instruments (or was it patches??) using "favorites" in the browser. But that was in pre-R8' browser, I dunno I guess maybe it still works ?

Reason is best used rewired to Ableton Live for live performances (that's how I do it). Even so it's not perfect.
I've been meaning to do this for some time. What kind of issues do you encounter?

It actually worked fine with Reason Essentials. When I updated to Reason full version, it was 8, now 9, the problem of having to select the instrument track, even if I had the correct enabled track in Ableton, started showing up. Before, I could just select my track in Ableton (either with the mouse/trackpad or my MIDI controller), and the correct instrument would be selected, or producing sounds. Very simple. Now with the full version of Reason, I also have to go in Reason and select, with the mouse, the correct instrument. If not, it will always play whatever instrument is selected in Reason. So I actually have to select something (like an empty combinator) if I'm not playing something off Reason, in rewire mode. I am really not sure why but it seems that Reason now receives MIDI as if it passed through everything, unfiltered, ignoring the host.

If anyone has any idea how to solve this, I'd be an happy man.

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Faxxer
Posts: 112
Joined: 28 May 2016
Location: Lawton Oklahoma USA
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25 Jul 2017

I once used Reason for just the mixer and effects live for our band... we have a Tascam US-1800 so we had 4 mics, a six string, a bass guitar, and my synth (via combinator using Bitley's fairlight platinum sound pack).... Our music isn't really loud or rigorous so it went off as one of the best live concerts we've had in recent years. Now as for latency...it was there but not invasive or disruptive.
:essentials: :adapted: :re: :PUF_take: :refillpacker: :recycle: :rebirth: :reason: :record: :refill: :ignition: :o

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