Matrix 2: the Reason answer to clip launchers

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fieldframe
RE Developer
Posts: 1037
Joined: 19 Apr 2016

25 Mar 2018

A frequent request I've seen lately for Reason is an Ableton-style clip launcher, to enable real-time improvisation and performance. And after watching Nils Frahm play live last night (highly recommended; he puts on an incredible show), I realized a true Reason solution wouldn't just be a new sequencer view like toggling into Session view in Live. Reason's clip launcher should also be part of the rack. Just like how Nils records sequences and loops onstage with dedicated hardware, Reason should have a rack device that records and sequences in real time. Matrix can sequence, but you have to program and patch it manually. So here's my solution:

Make Matrix 2 a Player that can both record and play back sequences.

The player
In record mode, Matrix 2 would intercept and record all the notes you play through it, and when running, it would play back however many bars it's currently set to. And because it's in the Player stack, you could put Scales & Chords, Dual Arpeggio, or Note Echo before or after it. Naturally, because it's a Matrix, you could switch between banks of sequences, although it would be nice to also support sequence naming.

Matrix control view
Scrolling through the rack isn't ideal for performing. That's why every Matrix 2 you create would show up in a Matrix control view from which you could start and stop any Matrix, switch between different Matrix sequences, and arm Matrix recording. This view would also let you toggle other Players in a stack on and off, for maximum real-time creative control. Remote could also add support for track colors to work with hardware grid controllers, and Matrix 2 could also sync to Ableton Link and Reason's standard MIDI clock I/O for collaboration.

So, what do you think? Would this make Reason an awesome live environment for you?

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Data_Shrine
Posts: 517
Joined: 23 Jan 2015

01 Apr 2018

I think this could be really cool for certain types of music, but Live session' view also includes audio files. So this Matrix 2 should also be able to launch audio clips.

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QVprod
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01 Apr 2018

I'm personally in the "just buy Live if you want that" camp. I use it occasionally for launching drum loops here and there. Live is amazing at what it does. A Matrix 2 would fall short. Live can play both audio clips and midi clips, and every scene can has it's own individual bpm and time signature. Also the idea of it being a device means you'd have to attach one to every individual instrument which just becomes cumbersome for a feature that's built into every track in Live. The only way to truly replicate that workflow is to actually have a Session view where (just like Live) the tracks mirror the tracks in the sequencer.

tanni
Posts: 213
Joined: 19 Jul 2015

02 Apr 2018

maybe a new CLIP-MODE could be a solution. We have song-mode and block-mode in the sequencer. A new clip-mode were you can create midi and audiofiles in the sequencer (like in block-mode). The different clips than could be manage by a new Player-instrument like a Matrix 2 or so....than you can live-pattern and record your clips. After recording that you can arrange the pattern in the song-mode. After that you can also use the to-track function to build all details up in the song-mode....

scratchnsnifff
Posts: 1423
Joined: 21 Sep 2016

02 Apr 2018

tanni wrote:
02 Apr 2018
maybe a new CLIP-MODE could be a solution. We have song-mode and block-mode in the sequencer. A new clip-mode were you can create midi and audiofiles in the sequencer (like in block-mode). The different clips than could be manage by a new Player-instrument like a Matrix 2 or so....than you can live-pattern and record your clips. After recording that you can arrange the pattern in the song-mode. After that you can also use the to-track function to build all details up in the song-mode....
I agree, a dedicated sequencer mode would work best. They could incorporate the Rex player features like altering the decay pitch etc. it would be cool to see a live style clip window but somewhere when you click each clip you get the Rex editing options. Basically like a super octo-Rex but able to play full songs etc. I mainly want this feature to use Reason as a DJ tool. Sure it can be done, but itd be nice to see a properly integrated feature for performance. Just imagine having some of the rack extension effects as inserts to tracks. Song manipulation and DJing would be so much fun having tools like distellery, fritz, or the synapse effects! Maybe one day :)
Mayor of plucktown :evil:

EdGrip
Posts: 2343
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

04 Apr 2018

I'm interested in Reason incorporating some kind of clip/loop-based free sketching jam type feature like Live's Session view, but I too think it would be best if it were more Reason in its design.

I think we're part of the way there with Blocks. If Blocks were a bit more versatile, intuitive, and could operate on a level more granular than "whole sequencer", that would be part of the puzzle.

Matrix 2 is interesting, but as QV said, it would need to play audio - at least in a Simpler/Octo Rex type way. Also, if it's in the rack, they're going to be all over the place and a nightmare to navigate and corral. One solution could be something like the way the spectrum EQ window operates, with a drop-down so the EQ for any channel is directly accessible from the window. But, I dunno. I can't picture it being neat.

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