Reason has some pretty powerful devices when it comes to beat making.
Let`s start with the Redrum Drum Computer...
This device has 10 sample slots and up to 64 steps step sequencer.
All the channels have basically the same options with some small exceptions. You have mute, solo and trigger buttons on the top. Below them is the browser which selects a sample for that specific slot. The global patch loading browser is located on the bottom left of the device.
Each channel has options which we`ve already covered - panning (with stereo indicator), level (the global level is in the top left corner of the device), sample length selection, fast-slow release switch and pitch. The velocity control options can affect the volume and the start of the sample.
If you want to draw pattern in the sequencer for a channel, use the SELECT button to highlight it for editing (more about the sequencer in a sec).
The S1 and S2 knobs are the two send effect rotaries. They have outputs on the back, numbered accordingly. You can link those to some effect devices` inputs and route them to the mixer. Then, you can feed that processed signal to the original with an amount determined by the knobs.
They can be viewed as an alternative audio outputs which can be processed differently.
Some channels have different options on the bottom. They use alternative coloring.
Pitch rotary + Pitch controlled by velocity rotary. It also has pitch bend tweaking rotaries.
Tone + Tone determined by velocity control knobs.
On the bottom left of the device, you have CHANNEL 8-9 EXCLUSIVE button, which prohibits those to play simultaneously. Channel 9 will cut channel 8.
Finally, we`ve got the pattern section.
Like the ReGroove Mixer, it has a PATTERN selection, where you have 32 patterns, divided into 4 banks. You start with 16 white blank squares, on which you can draw the pattern desired. By default, it is set to 16 steps. To make it longer, change the number above STEPS. Then use the EDIT STEPS switch to setup the additional steps on the sequencer. DYNAMIC determines the type of velocity by which the sample plays - it is medium by default, but it can be mild or severe. The FLAM option plays small copy of the signal right before it. In order to be able to hear the effect, the knob on the left of should be turned to the right.
The pattern blocks are colored differently, depending on the velocity settings, set by the DYNAMIC option. The one having FLAM effect applied has small red pointer above it.
You can edit the resolution of the track with the RESOLUTION knob. You can add some shuffle with the SHUFFLE button.
If enabled, the RUN button starts the Redrum`s sequencer independent of the Reason`s global one. In order to use the latter, click on the ENABLE PATTERN SELECTION to turn off the built in the Redrum one (in order for them not to conflict with each other), then right click on the Redrum and select Copy Pattern to Track.
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This will move the patterns created to a lane on the Reason`s sequencer.
If you draw a pattern in the sequencer, instead of note lane, then leave ENABLE PATTERN SELECTION active. The RUN button will automatically start playing whenever pattern area of the sequencer has been reached.
On the back of the device, each channel has gate in and pitch input and gate out output.
You can trigger multiple samples with one hit, without having to draw the same pattern for each of them in the sequencer - just insert the CV Out of the sample which has pattern already drawn to the inputs of those who you wish to get also hit along with it.
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Dr. Octo Rex is loop playing machine - something like a Redrum with already created pattern. It runs on .rex / .rex2 files, created up to Reason 7 by external program, named ReCycle. It is a beat divided into tweakable slices.
This is the updated version of dr. Rex (last seen in R4).
The main difference is that rather then just one loop, you can load eight and tweak them live.
As you can see, there are some of the usual controls present like the pitch bend / mod wheels, global pitch transpose. The VOLUME knob is on the right. We are going to focus only on the features which are unique to that device .
The device has also got RUN function, like Redrum. Similarly, when you want to export the loop to the sequencer, you right click (on the expanded area) and select Copy Loop to Track (there is also a button allowing you to do that, see below). You can also use the note lane or pattern mode in the sequencer. In that case, leave the loop playback enabled.
To load a rex loop, use either the global browser on the top, which can load patches containing multiple loops and settings applied to them, or select loops individually, by clicking below the number of each slot. Open browser... option appears:
You can do the same using another browser, seen on a picture below later.
After you load a loop, use RUN to start it. If you load multiple samples, you can switch them live while playing by clicking on their number.
The area on the left contains three TRIG NEXT LOOP options. They determine the live changing of the loop`s behavior. With the mode set to BAR, when you play a loop and then switch to another one, the first will be played to it`s bar endpoint before switching to the next. The next two options cut through the first loop without waiting for the bar to finish - the last has the fastest attack.
When you copy loop to a track of the sequencer, you see an additional tweakable option below - Notes to Slot.
It is basically an automation of loop selection. The loop played will change according to the pattern drawn, based on the slice sequence drawn above it.
Rather then the numbered buttons as in RUN mode, the thing that lights up is a small indicator on the left of each pattern slot.
It can be moved by the NOTES TO SLOT knob.
To expand the device, click on the bottom left pointer.
You see that the right side of the device consists of already covered stuff, so we are going to focus on what`s going on in the left side only:
In that area we can edit the settings of each individual loop. If you want the display to change automatically, according to the sample triggered by the main 8 buttons on the top of the device (not seen in the picture) enable FOLLOW LOOP PLAYBACK
You can make selection of individual slices with you midi surface by enabling SELECT SLICE BY MIDI.
We have another browser area, from which we can load individual .rex loops. We have COPY LOOP TO TRACK button, pitch transposition and volume controls for each individual loop.
You can transpose the loop by selecting different keys on the piano graphic on the top right of the sample editing area.
There are eight knobs below the display. The first highlights the sample we`d like to edit. The ones that follow are self explainatory. The ALT function basically groups the selected slices (in up to 4 groups) in an alternation group. Whenever a grouped sample gets triggered, we hear either it or some of it`s group colleagues on a random basis. The OUTPUT knob determines to which output is the sample going to get routed. There are 4 additional pairs of audio outputs on the back.
When you enable the SLICE EDIT MODE button, the display of that area changes:
It`s a alternative way of making the same tweaks using bipolar curve. You click on the desired effect`s name and tweak it for the desired slice.
The CV options on the back are pretty straight forward. The VOICE 1 FILTER ENV output uses the filter envelope to manipulate the pitch of the targeted device. This option is also available on NN19.
This is it - now you can start tweaking your own crazy beats.
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