What files comprise a self-contained Reason project ...????

[rscheffel2]

I've searched and searched, but I could not find any reliable information on exactly what and where the components of a Reason project are stored on the computer.

1) What are the components? (I know it depends on the 'ingredients' of the Project ... midi clips, audio, VSTs, ...etc.) but I want to know how I would go about finding all of the individual components in the piece I'm working on, ensuring that I don't miss them so that I can save them off to an external drive as backup.

2) Is it just as simple as grabbing the .Reason file ...? Or is the .Reason file just a list of references (pointers) to the actual folder/file location for the components (midi clip, audio waveform, etc.)?

THANKS

[AttenuationHz]

I've searched and searched, but I could not find any reliable information on exactly what and where the components of a Reason project are stored on the computer.

1) What are the components? (I know it depends on the 'ingredients' of the Project ... midi clips, audio, VSTs, ...etc.) but I want to know how I would go about finding all of the individual components in the piece I'm working on, ensuring that I don't miss them so that I can save them off to an external drive as backup.

2) Is it just as simple as grabbing the .Reason file ...? Or is the .Reason file just a list of references (pointers) to the actual folder/file location for the components (midi clip, audio waveform, etc.)?

THANKS

If self contain samples when loading from disk is checked in preferences. There is a folder with a wave icon in the browser that contains all song samples.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

To find where the patches came from you can click the "Browse Patch" button however for patches that have been selected inside a VST I'm not sure about.

All midi and settings (patches) of devices are stored in the Reason file.

If you select the option under File "Song Self-Contain Settings" you can select audio samples as well.

[rscheffel2]

THX for your feedback ... to be clear ... what I'm trying to ask is this:

In the event of my computer fatally crashing ... what are the essential files that should've been saved off to an external drive ... so that every aspect of the song can be recovered?
Does the .reason file contain everything I need?
... or are there other files that I need to consider?

[antic604]

THX for your feedback ... to be clear ... what I'm trying to ask is this:

In the event of my computer fatally crashing ... what are the essential files that should've been saved off to an external drive ... so that every aspect of the song can be recovered?
Does the .reason file contain everything I need?
... or are there other files that I need to consider?

Yeah, it's funny how there are 2 answers and none of those answer the question...

In Live or Bitwig, there's "Collect & Save..." option, that takes all the files, samples, presets, M4L devices, etc. and puts them in single folder that contains everything - except for VST .dll files - that makes up the song and that can be backed up.

The OP's question was how to get the same thing in Reason. Is ticking off "self contain samples" enough?

[keysperson]

Some elements of reason are in the Program Data Folder which is a hidden folder, meaning you have to control panel File options and check show hidden folders to show that folder, and than click the checkbox to show the extensions of files. All the sounds in Reason are stored there. Except Refills I put those in the propellerheads reason folder but I have to go through a hoop of c:/program files/Propellerhead when I want to use the refills I've bought. I may move them to the program data directory. I had to empty files in there for a rapture extension at one time that's why I know about it.

[sublunar]

1) What are the components? (I know it depends on the 'ingredients' of the Project ... midi clips, audio, VSTs, ...etc.) but I want to know how I would go about finding all of the individual components in the piece I'm working on, ensuring that I don't miss them so that I can save them off to an external drive as backup.

2) Is it just as simple as grabbing the .Reason file ...? Or is the .Reason file just a list of references (pointers) to the actual folder/file location for the components (midi clip, audio waveform, etc.)?

1. Store all possible ingredients such as samples/clips/etc in ONE location. Be aware of what files you need for the project to work. If your project doesn't include external samples/clips/VST/etc, then nothing to worry about. Also, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND keeping samples and things in one well-organized location. Searching through endless folders for one particular sample sucks. Start off getting everything organized.

2. It is actually just that simple, if you don't use external files in the project. Audio waveforms, in my experience, if they were recorded by Reason, become part of the project. They are not stored external to the project. When I switched from my previous DAW to Reason, I noted the actual waveforms referenced by my previous DAW and imported them into the new Reason project. The Reason project was no longer reliant upon the location of those waveforms because upon import, they became part of the project. ...Which is why Reason projects can become quite large. And this is without using the self-contain settings. I've had more issues with self-contain so I have it turned off.

Try it out yourself. Take your project to a new computer. See if Reason complains about lost files or if it instead works without issues. Find out what works and what doesn't and get your workflow designed to accommodate.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

THX for your feedback ... to be clear ... what I'm trying to ask is this:

In the event of my computer fatally crashing ... what are the essential files that should've been saved off to an external drive ... so that every aspect of the song can be recovered?
Does the .reason file contain everything I need?
... or are there other files that I need to consider?

Yeah, it's funny how there are 2 answers and none of those answer the question...

In Live or Bitwig, there's "Collect & Save..." option, that takes all the files, samples, presets, M4L devices, etc. and puts them in single folder that contains everything - except for VST .dll files - that makes up the song and that can be backed up.

The OP's question was how to get the same thing in Reason. Is ticking off "self contain samples" enough?

It was answered quite clearly, funny how you can't read...

If you use just synths, no external samples the .reason file contains all you need.

If you select the options under File "Song Self-Contain Settings" you can select audio samples as well.