Using hardware instruments
For starters it would be good to know what hardware instrument you're trying to use.
101 guidelines for using hardware.
There are many approaches to workflow, but I will use mine rather than confusing with options.
Generally I will build up an arrangement using software instruments, and then replace each track with the hardware instruments. Why? Because it is faster, I do a lot of editing because of my limited performance skills, and because I will be multi-tracking my mono-timbral synthesizers.
So start by make the arrangement the same as you normally would, using stock synths/REs/VSTi's.
Now to record your first hardware instrument:
- you need to send your MIDI notes out to your hardware synth to play it. (unless you are just playing your synth using it's own keyboard)
- you need to capture the AUDIO output from your synth and record it into Reason.
So lets say you want to start with the bassline. You used a Subtractor originally and you want to instead play your Moog:
- Create an external MIDI device (EMI)
- Drag the notes from your Subtractor patch onto your new EMI track.
- In the rack view, send the EMI Midi data to your synth (which I assume by now you've connected to Reason via a MIDI interface). Choose the MIDI interface and the MIDI channel of your synth.
- play the song. Hopefully you hear your Moog playing the synth bassline, through your monitors.
Now you need to record the audio from your Moog.
- create a new AUDIO track.
- presumably your Moog is Mono, so no need to change the audio track to accepting a stereo input. But if you were using say a stereo synth then you will be recording two channels from your audio interface, so change the audio track to stereo.
- .. and also set the audio track to choosing the channel(s) on your audio interface that is connected to your Moog.
- press the little speaker icon on the audio track
- play the song. it should sound a bit weird, because your Moog will be playing through your audio interface and straight to your monitors, AND it will also be playing into your audio track, which Reason will be playing thru the speakers. There will be a bit of latency (delay) in the audio going thru Reason, so you'll hear the doubled/delayed sound. That's fine and perfectly normal. (if it bothers you, then you can stop that if you can turn off monitoring on your audio interface)
- select the audio track with your mouse so it's your recording focus and then from the beginning of your song hit record
- sit back and watch your new Moog bass line being recorded into Reason.
After you've done this, mute the EMI track, or mute the actual midi clip in the EMI track. You don't need to play it any more because now you have recorded your synth audio.
After all of this, now you play your song back and you're very annoyed because your bassline is out of time
. That's because there is latency in the whole process, so now what you do is go into the audio clip you recorded, turn off grid snap, cut the little bit of silence at the beginning of the clip, and drag the audio forward a bit so the notes are playing when they should.
That's it. Now you can move on to your next track!!!
There may be any number of issues you discover here while you are learning but hopefully that gives you an overall process you can work through, and troubleshoot along the way.
Many people would look at this and wonder why anyone would bother with hardware, and that's a fair assessment! But please persevere and good luck, because IMO it's a lot of fun and you can get some great results. And there's a great feeling looking at the dusty old synth in your studio and knowing you actually used to to create a song
There are many approaches to workflow, but I will use mine rather than confusing with options.
Generally I will build up an arrangement using software instruments, and then replace each track with the hardware instruments. Why? Because it is faster, I do a lot of editing because of my limited performance skills, and because I will be multi-tracking my mono-timbral synthesizers.
So start by make the arrangement the same as you normally would, using stock synths/REs/VSTi's.
Now to record your first hardware instrument:
- you need to send your MIDI notes out to your hardware synth to play it. (unless you are just playing your synth using it's own keyboard)
- you need to capture the AUDIO output from your synth and record it into Reason.
So lets say you want to start with the bassline. You used a Subtractor originally and you want to instead play your Moog:
- Create an external MIDI device (EMI)
- Drag the notes from your Subtractor patch onto your new EMI track.
- In the rack view, send the EMI Midi data to your synth (which I assume by now you've connected to Reason via a MIDI interface). Choose the MIDI interface and the MIDI channel of your synth.
- play the song. Hopefully you hear your Moog playing the synth bassline, through your monitors.
Now you need to record the audio from your Moog.
- create a new AUDIO track.
- presumably your Moog is Mono, so no need to change the audio track to accepting a stereo input. But if you were using say a stereo synth then you will be recording two channels from your audio interface, so change the audio track to stereo.
- .. and also set the audio track to choosing the channel(s) on your audio interface that is connected to your Moog.
- press the little speaker icon on the audio track
- play the song. it should sound a bit weird, because your Moog will be playing through your audio interface and straight to your monitors, AND it will also be playing into your audio track, which Reason will be playing thru the speakers. There will be a bit of latency (delay) in the audio going thru Reason, so you'll hear the doubled/delayed sound. That's fine and perfectly normal. (if it bothers you, then you can stop that if you can turn off monitoring on your audio interface)
- select the audio track with your mouse so it's your recording focus and then from the beginning of your song hit record
- sit back and watch your new Moog bass line being recorded into Reason.
After you've done this, mute the EMI track, or mute the actual midi clip in the EMI track. You don't need to play it any more because now you have recorded your synth audio.
After all of this, now you play your song back and you're very annoyed because your bassline is out of time
. That's because there is latency in the whole process, so now what you do is go into the audio clip you recorded, turn off grid snap, cut the little bit of silence at the beginning of the clip, and drag the audio forward a bit so the notes are playing when they should.That's it. Now you can move on to your next track!!!
There may be any number of issues you discover here while you are learning but hopefully that gives you an overall process you can work through, and troubleshoot along the way.
Many people would look at this and wonder why anyone would bother with hardware, and that's a fair assessment! But please persevere and good luck, because IMO it's a lot of fun and you can get some great results. And there's a great feeling looking at the dusty old synth in your studio and knowing you actually used to to create a song
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Carly(Poohbear)
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Just to add to what Raymond has said.
The External Midi Instrument (EMI) is pre Reason 11, in Reason 11 it's now called the Midi Out Device.
This may help in setting up your external midi hardware to talk to Reason.
The External Midi Instrument (EMI) is pre Reason 11, in Reason 11 it's now called the Midi Out Device.
This may help in setting up your external midi hardware to talk to Reason.
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