Reason Templates: The Good, The Bad, The Amazing.

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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

03 Jul 2018

I’ve been watching a few online producers videos from YouTube and stumbled across the use of templates to streamline your workflow. However, as I look into my own DAW Reason, my questions are tremendous. Where do I start? What problems am I trying to solve? What should be my template setup? How many templates do I need for different outcomes?

These are just a few that came across my mind. As a music producer and engineer that solely uses Reason for my audio needs, I like the idea of opening a empty slate, but I do see how “time” is of the issue when I want to get straight to creating.

I want to open this topic mostly to hear from others. What problems you faced, how did you solve them, and what has been your overall workflow machine gun for your production in Reason?

I look forward to reading your insights and inspiration.




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tibah
Posts: 903
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

03 Jul 2018

First of all, creating yourself a template isn't really solving a problem, at least not for me. It's all about already creating and doing these cumbersome tasks that you do on every track or to have those 2-3 instruments ready that you would reach to anyway.

A first thing would be to set a BPM. Always work around the 90 BPM mark? Set it as your template tempo! 128 BPM House guy? Same as well!
Next are things like send effects and go-to instruments. Always use that delay and reverb, no matter the project? Set them up. Always want to have a ReDrum ready? Always need that piano to write chords and melodies? Do whatever you feel you *need* to have or always do to get going and then save that as a template and set that in Reason's preferences.

As for different templates for different things, you could do one for sound design/noodling and the other one for arrange/production/mixing. I always jump between these 2 stages so that doesn't work for me. I'm also a blank canvas guy, so I don't use templates at all.

My overall work-flow machine gun is not related to templates, but I think Reason itself. Things like how automation works (in clips, that can be edited, reversed, stretched) or creating dubs for an instrument to stack notes are just some things to mention.

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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

03 Jul 2018

tibah wrote:First of all, creating yourself a template isn't really solving a problem, at least not for me. It's all about already creating and doing these cumbersome tasks that you do on every track or to have those 2-3 instruments ready that you would reach to anyway.

A first thing would be to set a BPM. Always work around the 90 BPM mark? Set it as your template tempo! 128 BPM House guy? Same as well!
Next are things like send effects and go-to instruments. Always use that delay and reverb, no matter the project. Set them up. Always want to have a ReDrum ready? Always need that piano to write chords and melodies?

As for different templates for different things, you could do one for sound design/noodling and the other one for arrange/production/mixing. I always jump between these 2 stages so that doesn't work for me. I'm also a blank canvas guy, so I don't use templates at all.

My overall work-flow machine gun is not related to templates, but I think Reason itself. Things like how automation works (in clips, that can be edited, reversed, stretched) or creating dubs for an instrument to stack notes are just some things to mention.
Nice information. Looks like we have very similar workflows. Salute and thanks for sharing!


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QVprod
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Joined: 15 Jan 2015
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03 Jul 2018

Same as above, I rarely use templates. Templates are best used when your process for creating is repetitive. If you're always going to use Kong, then put Kong in the template. Typically use a certain kind of synth for bass? Then put that in the template. Certain blend of instrument layers (such as for orchestral type genres) then load your patches and or combinator mixes in the template.That's pretty much the way you go about it. For me though, I find I work better dragging things in as I need them.

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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

03 Jul 2018

QVprod wrote:Same as above, I rarely use templates. Templates are best used when your process for creating is repetitive. If you're always going to use Kong, then put Kong in the template. Typically use a certain kind of synth for bass? Then put that in the template. Certain blend of instrument layers (such as for orchestral type genres) then load your patches and or combinator mixes in the template.That's pretty much the way you go about it. For me though, I find I work better dragging things in as I need them.
Good input. I too work the same way when beginning to craft up some new tunes. Cheers!


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michael.jaye
Posts: 302
Joined: 18 Jan 2015
Location: Sydney, Australia
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03 Jul 2018

At the very least, my template will have a kick set up (Redrum/Kong) and split to different locations to trigger sidechaining. Also basic send FX.

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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

03 Jul 2018

michael.jaye wrote:At the very least, my template will have a kick set up (Redrum/Kong) and split to different locations to trigger sidechaining. Also basic send FX.
Not too shabby! That’s a good idea for getting quick beat rhythms. Cheers!


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Carly(Poohbear)
Competition Winner
Posts: 2871
Joined: 25 Jan 2015
Location: UK

05 Jul 2018

My default template just consists of monitoring tools only. (Skope, Spektrum, Gtune, VAC-6, Selig Gain and flowers).

No instruments and no FX. I like my Reason to be a blank canvas, by adding any instruments or FX that canvas is no longer blank and you have set yourself up already pointing towards a direction before you have even started.

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wendylou
Posts: 465
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: Area 51
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05 Jul 2018

#metoo, I let song creation evolve into what is to be added to the rack. Just have a few default master bus devices already in place.
:puf_smile: http://www.galxygirl.com -- :reason: user since 2002

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aeox
Competition Winner
Posts: 3222
Joined: 23 Feb 2017
Location: Oregon

05 Jul 2018

If you find yourself repeatedly setting something up a particular way over and over again(reverb/delay sends, sidechain stuff, etc), it helps to add that to a template IMO. You can have different templates for different things and call upon them only when needed. Otherwise, you can start with a complete empty project (or with a few mix/master buss tools.)

For bass music, sometimes I like to route a lot of synths through the same effects chain but without a ton of "ssl" mixer channels. So I have a setup where 14 instances of eXpanse are wired into the reMIX mixer, which then feed into a single mixer channel. So it speeds things up a GREAT deal when I'm in the creative spirits.

jimmyklane
Posts: 740
Joined: 16 Apr 2018

05 Jul 2018

Yep, I have all of the audio outs already assigned and the 8 audio sends sent via hardware outputs to 100% wet channels on the console. I use a lot of hardware, and try very hard to NOT have to touch my physical patchbays, but rather change routings either in Reason or on the console itself. The 3 Templates that I use are for

Writing/composing
Mixing
Mastering

All with corresponding workflows attached.
DAW: Reason 12

SAMPLERS: Akai MPC 2000, E-mu SP1200, E-Mu e5000Ultra, Ensoniq EPS 16+, Akai S950, Maschine

SYNTHS: Mostly classic Polysynths and more modern Monosynths. All are mostly food for my samplers!

www.soundcloud.com/jimmyklane

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Reasonable man
Posts: 589
Joined: 14 Jul 2016

05 Jul 2018

I have the greatest template ever built by a member of the human race. I have an entire drum rack of kong , several redrums dr otco's etc. Mostly all kicks are routed to same mix channel via merger etc same with most of the drum elements with 90% of sidechaining, eq compression and saturation happening before it gets to the ssl . All channels are pre-grouped and i have 4 effects send combies with line mixers in em to segregate different combies of effects. It has automation curves pasted into it. It took me 6 solid weeks to build and wire up and it's truly magnificant.

The problem is that its too complicated for my Panorama p6 to make sense of as regards channell seleting ( group channels aren't recognose either) and before a note is written it takes up 3/4 bars on my DSP meter .... which translates into it being unusable.
Hence Reasons biggest flaw .... cpu/dsp optomisation.

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kuhliloach
Posts: 880
Joined: 09 Dec 2015

06 Jul 2018

I like clean new projects AND being able to access custom resources very quickly. To solve this I've made a broader "template" using my organizational approach. It's basically two steps.

The first step is the design of my Reason folder (not referring to the Reason program folder). Within is a folder for my song files, a folder for combinators, and several other folders all named after an instrument, effect, or any important category such as a folder called "DIMITAR" that contains Dimitar Nalbantov's Kuasa patches. Having this folder organized in advance is almost like having a template song and WAY better than digging around for something each time you need it.

The second step is within Reason itself where I use the Favorites area to make shortcuts to important resources.

It's all about saving clicks. This all may seem super obvious but doing this "behind the scenes" work makes a "template" out of the entire Reason experience. If you have a favorite RV7000 patch or a drum machine you always use you could make a song template, dig through complex hierarchies each time you need it, or do what I mentioned here which is a middle ground. It also makes for easy backup.

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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

06 Jul 2018

Reasonable man wrote:I have the greatest template ever built by a member of the human race. I have an entire drum rack of kong , several redrums dr otco's etc. Mostly all kicks are routed to same mix channel via merger etc same with most of the drum elements with 90% of sidechaining, eq compression and saturation happening before it gets to the ssl . All channels are pre-grouped and i have 4 effects send combies with line mixers in em to segregate different combies of effects. It has automation curves pasted into it. It took me 6 solid weeks to build and wire up and it's truly magnificant.

The problem is that its too complicated for my Panorama p6 to make sense of as regards channell seleting ( group channels aren't recognose either) and before a note is written it takes up 3/4 bars on my DSP meter .... which translates into it being unusable.
Hence Reasons biggest flaw .... cpu/dsp optomisation.
Man you’re gonna have to send me this. I’m super excited to see this!


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iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

06 Jul 2018

aeox wrote:If you find yourself repeatedly setting something up a particular way over and over again(reverb/delay sends, sidechain stuff, etc), it helps to add that to a template IMO. You can have different templates for different things and call upon them only when needed. Otherwise, you can start with a complete empty project (or with a few mix/master buss tools.)

For bass music, sometimes I like to route a lot of synths through the same effects chain but without a ton of "ssl" mixer channels. So I have a setup where 14 instances of eXpanse are wired into the reMIX mixer, which then feed into a single mixer channel. So it speeds things up a GREAT deal when I'm in the creative spirits.
Nice!!!


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User avatar
iamshad
Posts: 24
Joined: 15 Jul 2015

06 Jul 2018

kuhliloach wrote:I like clean new projects AND being able to access custom resources very quickly. To solve this I've made a broader "template" using my organizational approach. It's basically two steps.

The first step is the design of my Reason folder (not referring to the Reason program folder). Within is a folder for my song files, a folder for combinators, and several other folders all named after an instrument, effect, or any important category such as a folder called "DIMITAR" that contains Dimitar Nalbantov's Kuasa patches. Having this folder organized in advance is almost like having a template song and WAY better than digging around for something each time you need it.

The second step is within Reason itself where I use the Favorites area to make shortcuts to important resources.

It's all about saving clicks. This all may seem super obvious but doing this "behind the scenes" work makes a "template" out of the entire Reason experience. If you have a favorite RV7000 patch or a drum machine you always use you could make a song template, dig through complex hierarchies each time you need it, or do what I mentioned here which is a middle ground. It also makes for easy backup.
Awesomeness! I too had the same setup. Unfortunately after having to restore my setup a few times the late few months, I’ve lost several “favorite” setups. That’s why I wish Reason would allow you to save you favorites sections as a stand-alone file. I miss my old setups.


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