Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Reason: Recommendations? 30 day demo(free)
Downloading 30 day free trial for shits and gigs.
I love Ableton, but not for making songs.
For sketches and live performance--- but true composition, doesn't work with my brain.
Any Reason users have any pointers that I get the most out of the 30 days?
I am usually a Cubase/Acid person for laptop DAWS.
Thanks!
Comments
Learn how blocks work (simple) and then chopping up audio. The whole thing is a bit of a modular system once you hit the tab key. Oh and learn how to switch quickly between Rack, Mixer and Sequencer views.
Reason has a lot of fun and menace to be found within its walls.
Cool thanks!
Plug a midi keyboard in. Don't focus too much on blocks feature (many reason users don't use it, it's pretty crap feature and you either love it or hate it. Not essential)
I never use blocks
I don't think Blocks is a "pretty crap feature".
Gives me a quick and simple way to block out a song structure and then play over the top. What's not to love?
Watch and decide
BLOCK MODE = BEST MODE
Sorry I got a little excited
But yeah, one I get a PC setup I plan on doing my core "writing" in Reason and Rewiring to Ableton, and then somewhat of an inverse of that for just "jamming".
I haven’t used Reason since version 3.
From what I remember, it is very much like Gadget on steroids. Very similar to Caustic as well. Or maybe those are actually similar to Reason.
I think there has been a ton of shit added to the already massive program that I played with years ago. My suggestion is find the modules you particularly like and focus on those first. Then spend time on the rest of the stuff. 30 days could go by quick.
Block mode is great for me because I have a much easier time visualizing a song in parts but not as the sum. Blocks helps me figure out the "sum" quickly.
Just my opinion, badly implemented and gets in the way of creativity. Glad you like it, I did say some love it and some hate it
From years of talking with users on reason forums it's not a popular feature, I was excited when it was first introduced but quickly found it too rigid and limiting. Hoping R11 gives us an updated and enhanced version of blocks with a session view.
I just colour code clips for this, different colours for different sections, copy paste, different colour for alt versions of clips.
Old Skool.
..anyway, back to the point of the thread.
The matrix step-sequencer is pretty cool, you can right click on the green panel and get it to randomize a new sequence. To use it with a synth and lock the scale, put the synth in a combinator with a notes and scales gadget then connect the matrix up to the combinator. That way you can have the step sequencer trigger only notes in a certain scale or chords if you have that enabled.
Next, drag a short audio loop into the sequencer then you can select it and copy it into Dr Rex giving you the ability to trigger slices of the loop using notes on a keyboard, or the step sequencer.
I’m reading the manual now. Which is great BTW. I love this DAW..
Blocks is just a pattern mode . It’s awesome .
@JoshuaRex : Yiu know that Reason is the only DAW that accepts Ableton link, right? You don’t even need to use rewire .
Be sure to report back if you find anything tasty!
For Sale: boxed, sealed, brand new, unopened, Reason 9 (full version) £100 +p+p UK only
My favourite DAW, great for audio editing, light on CPU, and hosts my VST’s.
Ah, didn’t know about the randomiser, I’ll have to try that!
I learned to love Reason by re-creating songs I had written in Ableton Live, which I think is the quickest way to learn its various instruments. However, use ID-8 if you’re writing a song from scratch; there are a million options with the other synths and it’s easy to get bogged down. ID-8 gives you basic sounds that are good enough to start visualizing how the end product COULD sound.
Don’t ignore the Tool menu, either. Ableton has most of the same functions but they’re split between the Groove Pool and the piano roll. Reason keeps everything clean and focused in a detached window.
Reason isn’t my “main driver” anymore due to a number of factors — I have a Push 1 so Ableton feels more “tactile,” and working in Logic Pro feels faster due to Logic Remote and its more expansive hotkey support. Also, Reason 10 has been heavier on the CPU than past versions; I’m not sure if it’s poor optimization that can be fixed in a point update or if it’s due to the more powerful instruments, but it’s drawn attention to the fact that Reason’s Bounce in Place function is cumbersome compared to the Freeze command in Logic and Ableton.
But all that said, I think I’ve been most consistently happy with the results I get from Reason — its instruments and effects reward experimentation in a way that Logic just doesn’t (IMO), and its workflow is far preferable to Ableton’s for “linear” music (IMO). There are some specific strengths as well: Europa is lightweight compared to Alchemy but it’s also far, far more accessible; the Reason mixer offers a ton of options without getting confusing; Ableton didn’t have a solid answer to Pulverizer and The Echo until they introduced Drum Buss and Echo in v10... I could go on.
TL;DR: I don’t always use Reason but when I do, I’m glad I did.
Cool
Good to know as well
@jrjulius , great synopsis, thanks for that👍👍🙏
BTW though, what’s “id8”?
get to know your stock devices. Kong, octorex, Thor, nnxt, combinator racks, CV (the back of the rack), the mixer, it’s really a masterpiece. The skeuomorphic interface can get cluttered but that’s common with several daws. Reason is a blast. Just out of the box it’s amazing.
@SirMcp : Xactly
So far I love Reason. Feels like I stumbled on something that has been waiting for me.
@kinkujin : You SURE nailed that one , same here. I think Reason perfectly encapsulates what we all love about ios. It’s much more than “Gadget on steroids”, and especially now at version 10.3 w vst capability etc. The icing on the cake would be a Cubasis like ios companion amp. Reason is more like an old friend than any DAW . U certainly can’t say that about Logic or Cubasis .
Same here.
I hadn’t used it since v3, but the updates have turned it into something completely different.
I can run it on the PC and record audio in (guitar, iPad, bass etc.) with almost no latency (unlike Maschine), and as it hosts my VST’s as well (including Maschine) it’s helping to bring all the elements of my music making into one place. Throw in some decent synths and samplers, and IMHO the most accessible timeline editor, and I’ve found a new home.
@MonzoPro : Has your experience been smooth on the PC? I only have an ipad pro 12.9 and I’m using it to study the Reason manual and vids. I’m getting ready to buy my first laptop soon and we all know that a PC translates into less of an initial cash outlay. So is it running ok? No asio audio issues or glitches? I don’t know how to work with Mac OS or Windows so it’s all the same in that respect from this point.. Amd I love iOS music apps too but Reason is just a different playing field and offers what iOS can’t. A completely synergistic environment .