How to combine different pianos and make one sound?

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Felipe Turbay
Posts: 9
Joined: 17 Feb 2019

17 Nov 2019

Hello guys,

when mixing a song I have realized that when i mixed more than one processed piano it sound much better. For example I work with Addivtive keys and radical piano. In the sequenser I get two lines i.e. one for the addictive keys and one different for the radical piano. However, is there a way that I can combine both sounds and create one from it, so that when I hit a key in my midy controller i get automatically such combination?

Thanks in advance for any support and information!

Sincerly,

Felipe

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bitley
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17 Nov 2019

Best question Felipe: This is when you use the fantastic Combinator.

Start with a small mixer & add all synths you want after that. All inside one combinator.

It's by far the most capable "instrument" in the entire rack.

There are many example combinator patches in the factory sound bank so you might use one of them and edit it by removing & adding instruments to your liking.

All the knobs and buttons can be assigned in any wild combination. One knob can control up to at least 10 different things at the same time even. From 0 to 100 or from 10 to 0 or from on to off, or vice versa. It can do anything and everything. :-)

(Anyone who says it's limited simply doesn't know how it works)

Felipe Turbay
Posts: 9
Joined: 17 Feb 2019

17 Nov 2019

Thanks Bitley! I just drag the two instruments below the combinator but I am only hearing the first on the top, how do you active the second one?

Thank you!

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diminished
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17 Nov 2019

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xboix
Posts: 281
Joined: 22 Oct 2019

17 Nov 2019

Felipe Turbay wrote:
17 Nov 2019
Thanks Bitley! I just drag the two instruments below the combinator but I am only hearing the first on the top, how do you active the second one?

Thank you!
Quickest way is to put two instruments in the rack, highlight them both then right-click and select "combine".

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visheshl
Posts: 1235
Joined: 27 Sep 2019

17 Nov 2019

Create a combinator, inside the combinator, create a mixer, below the mixer create one piano, below that create another piano. Make sure both piano's are routed to channels of the mixer and the out of the mixer is routed to the combinator

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selig
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17 Nov 2019

When combining/stacking multiple instruments I often prefer to keep the combined instruments with their own Mix Channels instead of using a small mixer in the Combinator.
Easy way to do this is to create the two pianos first so they are routed to their own Mix Channels, then drag JUST the instruments into the Combinator. That way you have the best of both worlds IMO, one MIDI/Note track to control all instruments in the Combinator, AND every instrument going to their own Mix Channel. From there you can create a Bus for the Mix Channels if you need "global" control of the group.
Selig Audio, LLC

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visheshl
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Joined: 27 Sep 2019

17 Nov 2019

Also make sure your midi is on the track of the combinator not on the individual instruments track. If there's no track of the combinator, right click on the combinator and create a track for it, now select that track to play your notes or drag the midi notes from the piano track to the combinator track

Felipe Turbay
Posts: 9
Joined: 17 Feb 2019

17 Nov 2019

guys, thanks for your input! its working!

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bitley
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17 Nov 2019

Great!

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selig
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17 Nov 2019

visheshl wrote:
17 Nov 2019
Also make sure your midi is on the track of the combinator not on the individual instruments track. If there's no track of the combinator, right click on the combinator and create a track for it, now select that track to play your notes or drag the midi notes from the piano track to the combinator track
That reminds me that you can use the individual Note Tracks AND the Combinator track in cases where one instrument needs something the other does not (key switching, controller data, etc). It's a very versatile system!
Selig Audio, LLC

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Boombastix
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17 Nov 2019

visheshl wrote:
17 Nov 2019
Create a combinator, inside the combinator, create a mixer, below the mixer create one piano, below that create another piano. Make sure both piano's are routed to channels of the mixer and the out of the mixer is routed to the combinator
The SAVE the Combinator patch, then you can use the set-up in another song. Just open that Combi patch.
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groggy1
Posts: 466
Joined: 10 Jun 2015

18 Nov 2019

selig wrote:
17 Nov 2019
When combining/stacking multiple instruments I often prefer to keep the combined instruments with their own Mix Channels instead of using a small mixer in the Combinator.
Easy way to do this is to create the two pianos first so they are routed to their own Mix Channels, then drag JUST the instruments into the Combinator. That way you have the best of both worlds IMO, one MIDI/Note track to control all instruments in the Combinator, AND every instrument going to their own Mix Channel. From there you can create a Bus for the Mix Channels if you need "global" control of the group.
The only downside to this approach (of having separate mix channels) is that it doesn’t save with your combinator patch. Is there a way to get the best of both? (Combinator patch saves with two mix channels)

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selig
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18 Nov 2019

groggy1 wrote:
18 Nov 2019
selig wrote:
17 Nov 2019
When combining/stacking multiple instruments I often prefer to keep the combined instruments with their own Mix Channels instead of using a small mixer in the Combinator.
Easy way to do this is to create the two pianos first so they are routed to their own Mix Channels, then drag JUST the instruments into the Combinator. That way you have the best of both worlds IMO, one MIDI/Note track to control all instruments in the Combinator, AND every instrument going to their own Mix Channel. From there you can create a Bus for the Mix Channels if you need "global" control of the group.
The only downside to this approach (of having separate mix channels) is that it doesn’t save with your combinator patch. Is there a way to get the best of both? (Combinator patch saves with two mix channels)
You are correct, this approach will not allow the patch to be saved exactly "as is". If I'm making a patch to share (with my other songs or with other users), then I would not use this approach. Most of the time I'm creating unique blends for a specific song, so this would not come up for me in those cases.

This is one reason I've wanted a new Combinator with multiple inputs/outputs (for audio and for CV).
Selig Audio, LLC

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Timmy Crowne
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Location: California, United States

18 Nov 2019

When I want to load a Combinator patch with custom output routing, I open the project that has the desired patch and shift-select the Combinator and Mix Channels. Then they can be copied and pasted into the new project with the routing intact.

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pushedbutton
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18 Nov 2019

The rack is my combinator, i shall not want.
It makes me want to cry
for routing unseen. For patches be
the cables routed by.

I save and doth restore again
and combi's doth make
Within the paths of extensions
My own instruments I bake.

Yea, tho I walk in props great sale
Yet will I rock and chill
For combinators are the way
and routing better still.
@pushedbutton on twitter, add me, send me a message, but don't try to sell me stuff cos I'm skint.
Using Reason since version 3 and still never finished a song.

WongoTheSane
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Location: Paris, France

18 Nov 2019

pushedbutton wrote:
18 Nov 2019
The rack is my combinator, i shall not want.
It makes me want to cry
for routing unseen. For patches be
the cables routed by.

I save and doth restore again
and combi's doth make
Within the paths of extensions
My own instruments I bake.

Yea, tho I walk in props great sale
Yet will I rock and chill
For combinators are the way
and routing better still.
Wow. :clap:

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