For Niklas: List of Sequencer improvements

[owlymane]

Answering Niklas’ very promising blog post, I have created this thread so that we put all our sequencer wishlists in one place for Niklas and his team to see them.

My sequencer wishlist:

1. Merge the pen and eraser tool into one tool

It’s a time killer to draw a note (or multiple notes) with the pen tool in the piano roll, and then having to choose another tool to remove the note (or multiple notes).

Please make it so that I click to write the note, and then click again on that note to remove it.

2. When in razor mode, automatically change the razor to select mode when I want to move to another section in the sequencer.

Atm, when the razor mode is selected, I can’t move in the sequencer until I manually switch to select mode. That’s time consuming.

3. Drag and drop samples from the browser to inside instruments such as redrum in the sequencer.

I would like to stay in the sequencer page of Redrum, and be able to change/add drum shots directly by taking them from the browser and dragging them in one of the Redrum sequencer piano roll channels.

Do that with all instruments

4. Control the volume of each channel in the sequencer

Give me creative control in the sequencer without having to go to the rack

5. Track folders

Long time request

6. Sticky player to scroll through the sequencer when in the mastering section, while staying in that section.

Atm, there’s no way to scroll through the project unless in the sequencer, put a sticky player to go through the project while we’re in the rack, mixer, or mastering section.

7. Accept adding FLAC format samples in the sequencer

8. Easily zoom wherever my mouse pointer is located

Self-explanatory. Be able to smoothly zoom wherever my mouse pointer is located.

9. Increase note rolling/splitting to 1/256 (it’s currently at 1/128)

Give us more creative freedom with splitting and rolling notes.

10. Glide and slide notes inside the sequecer

The classic 808 slide that you’ve heard on UK Drill and Trap music can’t be done in Reason. It can be done both on Ableton and FL Studio.

11. Automate the “Transpose” pitch shifter in the sequencer.

I would like to automate the “Transpose” pitch shifter in parallel with the tempo to make the slow down effect.

12. Add Punch in/Punch Out functionality


I really hope Niklas and his team read this. We love Reason and want it to be among the top DAWs in the market.

[jaeproduced]

Midi Comping,
More send fx inserts 8 isn't enough,
More adjustable track/chan colors,
Ability to reset all the mixer channels at once,
Integrate recycle for playback in mimic & other devices,
Updated older devices like Kong/Redrum with key detect so you can tune your drums,
Device preset audition so you don't have to load up each preset to hear it,
Song audition preview on saved songs so you can find a song you did a while ago faster,
Track folders in the SSL mixer, etc...

[rootwheel]

Great list; here's hoping it doesn't fall on deaf ears and that the blog post wasn't just PR to help R12 sales...

The classic 808 slide that you’ve heard on UK Drill and Trap music can’t be done in Reason. It can be done both on Ableton and FL Studio.

What's this 808 slide? What's required in MIDI data to create this out of interest and what specifically can't be done using Reason's MIDI sequencer?

[esselfortium]

For the auto tool switching stuff, it's worth getting accustomed to using the QWERTYU key shortcuts. Once you have that muscle memory, you can switch to the tool you want instantly without thinking about it.

Track folders in the sequencer and mixer would be good.

[electrofux]

I'd like to be able to solo the individual tracklanes. Currently you can only mute them.

I also would like to see a split clip into tracklanes by note. You can currently manually select a note and then copy all of the same note to another lane but that should be automisable for Drum tracks. Eg i print Beatmap to track and then split the notes to lanes.

Zoom is still so weird.

And yes, the usage of the different tools is totally suboptimal

Report the color of sequencer and mixer tracks to remote so they can be used to display on remote controllers.

Tell remote what sequencer tracks are there and what order, so you can jump to a specific track from your launchpad. EG you have 8 colored buttons on the right for specific tracks and by pressing them you get foucs to that track and can play it in the main Launchpad grid.

Make it possible to define sections of an arrangement to be jumpable to in a quantized manner from a remote controller. So you have some abletonesque live performance feature.

Add another side button to Rackdevices that sets the focus of your controller to that device AND NOT automatically create a sequencer lane for the device. The current blue button you press on to set controller focus allways creates a sequencer lane for that device and clutters your arrangement. For a quick tweak on players and fx devices you dont want that most of the time.

[esselfortium]

A sequencer improvement that would save me a lot of time is being able to select and move notes in multiple lanes at once, while in multi-lane mode. It wastes a lot of extra clicks to have to repeat the same operation separately on every lane.

[esselfortium]

I also would like to see a split clip into tracklanes by note. You can currently manually select a note and then copy all of the same note to another lane but that should be automisable for Drum tracks. Eg i print Beatmap to track and then split the notes to lanes.

In the Tools palette, try the "Explode" option under Extract Notes to Lanes.

[selig]

For the auto tool switching stuff, it's worth getting accustomed to using the QWERTYU key shortcuts. Once you have that muscle memory, you can switch to the tool you want instantly without thinking about it.

Track folders in the sequencer and mixer would be good.

Key shortcuts are OK for now, but a multi tool would allow MUCH quicker work as fewer clicks overall, and requires only one hand - my left hand typically rests on my keyboard controller…

[selig]

A sequencer improvement that would save me a lot of time is being able to select and move notes in multiple lanes at once, while in multi-lane mode. It wastes a lot of extra clicks to have to repeat the same operation separately on every lane.

Totally agree - would also love to see/edit ANY other track when editing any one track, like lining up the midi on one track with another. Not a fan of modal editing…
Same for automation.controller data - we should see it overlaid over the source track.

[sonicbyte]

Multi MIDI channel support is the most wanted feature for me.

[joeyluck]

1. Merge the pen and eraser tool into one tool

It’s a time killer to draw a note (or multiple notes) with the pen tool in the piano roll, and then having to choose another tool to remove the note (or multiple notes).

Please make it so that I click to write the note, and then click again on that note to remove it.

As mentioned, you can switch these with the QWERTYU keys, but there's also other ways we can switch tools and ways to add/remove notes.

- If you have the Selection tool chosen, you can double-click to add/remove notes without ever changing the tool.

- You can also switch between tools such as the Eraser tool to the Pencil tool by holding Command (and whatever that is on Windows). You can also switch to the multi-note pencil by holding Option. And you can combine those key commands (Command+Option).

[sdst]

Things i use on my main Daw and I Can't Live Without

1 - freeze track to audio and can go back to midi

2 -one click new track and record selected track

3- regions, you can render those regions apart, copy and move

4- in a midi editor you can see all the tracks and work with them

5- track manager for hide track

6- One track can have, Midi, audio, stereo, mono, notes, you don't need different tracks for that

7- touch automation, touch anything for automation, hide and show automation

8- custom toolbar icons

9- track template with item, this is tremendous

and the biggest

10- Actions

but better I just use the rack plugin. Lol

[guitfnky]

these aren’t just sequencer…

-linked track edits (think Ableton)
-another vote for track folders
-another vote for auto punch
-allow us to embed/group automation tracks to their parent track in the sequencer
-cable behavior improvements (maybe a modifier key to speed up scrolling for long drags)
-color-coded cabling (allowing us to pick colors for cables)
-automatically create nodes at start and end of new automation clips that are set to the control’s current value
-improved pitch editing to reduce artifacts introduced when switching to pitch edit mode
-UI update to improve mixer channel separation/visual identification that you’re working on the correct track
-fix the shift drag behavior of mixer so you can’t accidentally move multiple faders when you’re really trying to fine tune a single fader
-in-sequencer probabilities (again, see Ableton)
-add all mix channel controls to spectrum EQ window (or at least just the EQ controls)
-get rid of F8—include these controls elsewhere, where appropriate
-project, track, and clip notes (not limited to visible on the clip only like currently)

and for the love of god, MARKERS

just those 7 bolded features would take Reason far beyond any other DAW for me, in terms of workflow/features vs. inspiration.

[cocoazenith]

- Control the volume of each channel in the sequencer
- Automate the Volume as part of the Instrument/Device automation options (the dropdown menu with pitch, mod, filter, etc. depending on the device)

[cocoazenith]

4. Control the volume of each channel in the sequencer
Give me creative control in the sequencer without having to go to the rack

+1 for this although I'm not sure how it can be implemented as the Volume fader is on the Mixer channel not on the Device that has the MIDI track in the sequencer. Even now, if you want to automate a Device's (RE/VST/etc.) Volume you need a create a new track for the respective Mixer Channel. Which takes more space on the screen than the automation that's part of the Device Automation options (i.e. pitch, mod, filter and whatnot).

Unfortunately for some such as myself this is Reason's way of having everything in a modular, separate fashion. Unlike other DAWs in Reason the mix channel is always a different device than the Instrument/RE/VST.

Maybe there needs to be a new kind paradigm that unites the device with the mixer channel. This way we can finally get Volume and EQ automation in the sequencer as part of the Device Track automation options and not as new Mixer Channel Track automation such as it is now.

[Oper-8]

I started a list on my website, made from various suggestions I could read through comments and my suggestions as well. Since this topic seems to be a better place to post suggestions, I'll paste my list here...

- Add crossfade types (presets, customized)
- Automation : Invert vertically (events, automation points)
- Automation : Presets (curves, shapes), customizable shapes
- Group tracks / Track folders
- Humanize selected notes
- Join notes with the same pitch : e. g. select two contiguous C# 1/8th notes, join them into a 1/4th note (same key shortcut as Join Clips : Ctrl+J)
- Note Chase (see Ableton Live)
- Quantize length (end of MIDI events)
- Randomize pan
- Randomize velocity
- Scales & modes (same as Scales & Chords Player device, but live in the sequencer)
- Select notes per math functions (1 out of 3, etc.)
- Select velocities per range
- Strum selected notes

I have another list of UI-related suggestions, but I couldn't find a dedicated topic - unless I didn't search thoroughly enough...

[guitfnky]

- Select notes per math functions (1 out of 3, etc.)

+1

I’d thought about this one before too—it would be super handy!

[Oper-8]

Indeed ! And maybe "odd or even notes" as well.
Maybe they should convert that poor old Tools window (that has never been updated since it exists...) to a floating tool window that would sit right besides the standard pop-up menu.
They should also revamp that Tools window's UI, while they're at it.

[QVprod]

10. Glide and slide notes inside the sequecer

The classic 808 slide that you’ve heard on UK Drill and Trap music can’t be done in Reason. It can be done both on Ableton and FL Studio.

Great list! You can actually do this though. To get that slide between notes I just overlap the notes and set the portamento to taste on the 808. To get pitch to drop on a single note, automate the pitch bend. Or is there something I’m missing that FL and Ableton offer?

[moalla]

For me as Reasoner the most important Sequencer Update will be:

1 Auto Midiloop, that every new beginning of an Loop
the sequencer creates a new loop, when recording live!
2 Analyzer with the decision of multiple channel view
that we can see several channels the same time for
mastering
3 Midi Punch In and Out
4 Drag and drop of audio files between Rack Extensions
and sequencer
5 Multi Track midi edit
6 Smpte for external video players
8 this slice note feature
9 1/256
10 and really awesome would be a direct loading
scrolldial popup menu for the mouse functions, that
this click hassle parade ends
11 Trackfolders

[teddymcw]

Easy Implementations:

-Tool Menu Window needs to at least be resizable and at least somewhat visually updated, I mean c'mon mannn
-All vertical select after slicing and generally being able to move song sections around more fluidly than just blocks, this is necessary for exploring musical creations
-Easy and continuous audio track looping, and yes MIDI looping as others alluded to above

Really Should Build:

-Clip syncing like what Logic has (I haven't used Ableton much at all, so idk) the whole alternate clip workflow in Logic is pretty brilliant but would be so much more fun inside Reason itself.
Again, this is extremely fun musical stuff! Though, granted a much bigger ask and task to build.

[Tinnitus]

[Contribute midi recording/ midi comping]
This would be exceedingly useful please!

[Colour palettes]
I like to colour code my tracks. Eg red drums, brown bass. I then use light colours to highlight differences or variations eg light brown for bass line variations.

Adding in an option to customise the colour palette and also add additional descriptive labels that show would be useful e.g "red (Drums)".
In my mind the user would then have the option to select the default palette or a user custom palette for their projects under preferences. It could even be implemented as simple as a tab delimited config txt file (hex colour userdescription) such as #FFFFFF black Snare

[Refill sample portability]
I have bought a fair few sample refills and whilst drag and drop works into REs, I cannot drag from a refill into a VST that uses samples. This is a major workflow pain. The obvious and easiest solution would be to allow RFL extraction, but knowing this is highly unlikely allowing drag and drop within the reason DAW to the inserted VST would be magic. Sadly I'm not particularly keen on buying more refills at this point.

[Paste cut bars]
Essential this world be a menu option to insert the number of bars your have just cut using the resort tool and then paste them. At present you have to move the loop markers to the position you want to paste the moved section, insert the matching number of blank bars and then paste.

-All vertical select after slicing and generally being able to move song sections around more fluidly than just blocks, this is necessary for exploring musical creations

I assume you mean to select without actually cutting bars that extend into and out of you selection?

[STIM]

Another request for Scale highlighting in the piano roll and/or collapse to scale which was just added to Ableton Live.

[teddymcw]

-All vertical select after slicing and generally being able to move song sections around more fluidly than just blocks, this is necessary for exploring musical creations

I assume you mean to select without actually cutting bars that extend into and out of you selection?

The cut function works just fine for me rt now as one can cut an entire bar 'column' eg: everything from bar 17 - bar 21 with a razor click on the section of the sequencer where the bar numbers are, however you can't select all the sections in those bars in the same manner at all. You have to aim the cursor to select between your exact bars and then tediously drag all the way down the column.

It's entirely possible I'm dense and missing some command or method of achieving this but even so it doesn't work intuitively. Making selections and being able to move columns and bars around are patently something that software can and should do for the user. It is not a niche case like looping or film editing, it's one of those ridiculous wtf workflow things that makes it harder to create well sequenced tracks in Reason.

[Kilsane]

for my part I would like
- have the possibility to see the scales directly in the pianoroll with the possibility of editing my scales so as not to be limited to that proposed
- have the possibility to color my notes in the pianoroll
- have a block note for my clips or my lanes.
-I would like to be able to zoom the Specter / EQ window and I would also like it to offer other forms of visualization
...