Using blocks

[WOO]

I just watched adam fieldings video where he broke down one of his production songs and his use of blocks. Can anyone recommend a few good videos on using blocks that is detailed in there implementation and different ways in which blocks can be used. I use them as a sort of a template to layout the structure of songs I like. For instance when the verses and chorus start and there length as well as other details in the songs structure. Thanks

[crimsonwarlock]

Adam did a series of livestreams that are all available on his YT channel, where you can follow his process step by step. I moved to blocks-based composition completely after binging all his livestreams. I picked up numerous other useful techniques from those streams. I'd say his videos are the best Reason tutorials available.

[Bes]

2024 is the year of the blocks

[antic604]

I think this is still the best video to date providing overview of how & why you should use Blocks:

It's sad that nothing changed in their functionality for ...13 years! It's such a great feature

[crimsonwarlock]

It's sad no problem that nothing changed in their functionality for ...13 years! It's such a great feature

Corrected that for you

[antic604]

It's sad no problem that nothing changed in their functionality for ...13 years! It's such a great feature

Corrected that for you

Yes, it's 80% there!

I'm basically missing 2 things:

1) It should be improved visually, i.e. more contrast - the block clips are so faint, that they look like a "ghost", especially with the darker themes

2) Blocks should be stackable, i.e. we should be able to have 2 or 3 blocks occupying the same position in the sequencer and have them "summed up", so that I could have "drums" in one block, "bass" in the other and they'd both play when overlapped; if 2+ blocks had data on the same track, user should be able to decide which block gets the priority

[antic604]

Adam did a series of livestreams that are all available on his YT channel, where you can follow his process step by step. I moved to blocks-based composition completely after binging all his livestreams. I picked up numerous other useful techniques from those streams. I'd say his videos are the best Reason tutorials available.

I'd say Chimp Spanner's are up there as well!

https://www.youtube.com/@PaulOrtiz/videos


I wish RS would commission a complete Reason tutorial from him, because the one he did on Cubase Pro 10 (for Groove3) is the best DAW video tutorial I ever saw (and I've seen quite a few).

[crimsonwarlock]

I'd say Chimp Spanner's are up there as well!

Yep, seen those too. However, his are more of the 'deconstruction' type where he walks through what he did. They are more like an overview of the process.

Adam's live streams are start-to-finish composition and production sessions. The amount of stuff he touches in one session is crazy. Of course you have to be willing to sit through these streams for an hour or more per stream/video. That didn't stop me from watching them all completely, and several for a second time.

[sycon]

I wish RS would commission a complete Reason tutorial from him, because the one he did on Cubase Pro 10 (for Groove3) is the best DAW video tutorial I ever saw (and I've seen quite a few).

Yeah, that would be great. His Reason 10 tutorial for Groove3 is excellent as well.

[xbitz]

Corrected that for you

Yes, it's 80% there!

I'm basically missing 2 things:

1) It should be improved visually, i.e. more contrast - the block clips are so faint, that they look like a "ghost", especially with the darker themes

2) Blocks should be stackable, i.e. we should be able to have 2 or 3 blocks occupying the same position in the sequencer and have them "summed up", so that I could have "drums" in one block, "bass" in the other and they'd both play when overlapped; if 2+ blocks had data on the same track, user should be able to decide which block gets the priority

Blocks should be stackable ... Having groups within a sequencer, where each top-level group has its own set of blocks, would personally make me happier. Practically speaking, I don't see how managing the partial muting of overlapping blocks could be sustainably handled in the long term. Having a distinct drum block set, bass block set, etc., clearly laid out in front of me makes it easier to manage. However, to effectively manage these together, we would also need arranger clips that would tie everything together( in any configuration)

Essentially, everything would function as before, only there would be drum blocks, bass blocks etc...Anyway, I have a strong suspicion that it's precisely because of the blocks that there are no groups in Reason yet, so this would kill two birds with one stone so I would vote a global block set for the sake of backward compatibility and let's have groups and blocks within top-level groups as well then combo instead ... admittedly, having groups within groups might not even be necessary it's can quite tricky as I see with blocks

[WOO]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have a few hours to burn. I think I'll start with some of adam fieldings.

[crimsonwarlock]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I have a few hours to burn. I think I'll start with some of adam fieldings.

I'm sure you will enjoy it. He's a great musician AND a great teacher.

One tip: keep a notebook handy to write down all the smart stuff he covers in every live stream.
I went back to many of them a second time to do just that

[cocoazenith]

I think this is still the best video to date providing overview of how & why you should use Blocks:

It's sad that nothing changed in their functionality for ...13 years! It's such a great feature

Thanks for this. I must've missed it somehow. I always assumed this way of working with Blocks was a smart workaround (for the limitations of Blocks) discovered by us users. But it seems it's the official endorsed way to use Blocks and that's good!

[Bes]

i don't remember this logo at all

Screenshot 2024-02-18 050748.png

[antic604]

i don't remember this logo at all
Screenshot 2024-02-18 050748.png

Yeah, seemed like they had bigger plans for Blocks. Too bad it ended up on the initial implementation. I don't think it was ever expanded, elaborated, etc. - like most Propellerhead products, I guess

[Mattvank]

After years of using reason and more and more time spend on a track and the frustration brings with it. I finally got into a longtime mystery of Blocks.
This video help me a lot.

[tt_lab]

Sorry for the off topic, but everytime I read the title of this thread I read "Using Bollocks". So inmature of me I guess.