About the manuals

This is the Getting Started manual, covering the basic features and procedures in Reason. It also contains a tutorial section and a guided tour, to help you get going with the program. The more advanced features in Reason are described in the electronic documentation, a file in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format which is installed with the program. In that document you will also find reference descriptions of the Reason devices and commands.
To read the electronic documentation you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader application (version 4.0 or later). Since this has become something of a household utility application, chances are you already have it installed on your computer. If not, run the Acrobat Reader installer included on the Reason program disc. For Mac OS users, please note that the CD contains two different Adobe Acrobat Reader installers - one for MacOS 9.x and one for MacOS X, so make sure to select the correct one for your operating system.

About Mac and Windows

Reason runs under MacOS and Windows (for operating system details, see below). All Reason packages contain program versions for both platforms. Everything said in the manuals applies to both platforms, unless explicitly stated. If you are running Mac OS X, please note that theres an additional menu called the Reason menu, which is not present under other operating systems. This contains the Preferences menu item (otherwise found on the Edit menu).
Virtually all screenshots in the manuals are from the Windows version of Reason. However, the contents of all windows and dialogs are the same on both platforms.

INSTALLATION

What is in the Reason package?
When you purchase Reason, the package contains the following items: D The Program Disc CD. This contains the Reason installer, OMS installer (Mac OS 9 only), electronic documentation in Adobe Acrobat format, and an installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader. There will also be additional files such as promotional material, demo versions of other Propellerhead Software products, etc. D The Factory Sound Bank CD. This contains the Reason Factory Sound Bank, a large file containing samples, patches and loops for use with Reason. You may choose to install this file on your hard disk, so that the CD isnt required when you run the program (more on this on page 10). D The Orkester CD This contains the Reason Orkester Sound Bank. Just like with the Factory Sound Bank described above, you can choose to install this on your hard disk, eliminating the need for the CD when using sounds from the Orkester Sound Bank (see page 10 for more information). D The printed documentation. D The product authorization card. This contains the license number required for the installation. Keep this card in a safe place, in case you need to re-install Reason!

OMS includes a special feature called IAC (Inter Application Communication) that allows you to route MIDI between programs on your computer. If you want to install this feature you must choose the custom installation feature in the OMS installer and specifically specify that you want IAC installed.

Installing the Software

Running the Installer
Now its time to install the actual Reason software: 1. Insert the Reason CD labeled Program Disc into your CD-ROM drive. 2. On the CD-ROM, locate the file called Install Reason and double click on it. Under Windows, the installer may automatically start when you insert the CD, depending on your system settings.
Under Windows no special installation procedure is required, just install the MIDI interface and its drivers as described in the documentation that came with the hardware.

MIDI Connections

Connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI Out on your MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI controller) to a MIDI In on your MIDI interface. This is sufficient to be able to play and record notes and controllers in Reason from the MIDI keyboard. If you have a MIDI interface with more than one input, it is possible to make more advanced MIDI connections - this is described in the electronic documentation.
Mac OS note: Please observe that there are two separate installers - one for Mac OS 9 and one for Mac OS X. Please make sure that you use the correct one.
3. Follow the instructions on screen.
About Installing the Sound Banks
Upgrading vs. New Installations
If you are upgrading from a previous version, please note the following: D Our recommendation is that you uninstall the previous version before installing the new one. Under Windows, please use the Uninstall feature. Under Mac OS, just drag the program files to the Trash. Uninstalling will ensure that there is no confusion between versions and that shortcuts and aliases point to the right files etc. However. D If you install the new version into the same folder as the previous version, the old version will automatically be overwritten. The installer is designed to replace older versions gracefully, but it assumes you are then installing into the same folder. In either case, you will need to redo your Preference settings. D Installing into a new folder. This will preserve your older files and you may be able to run the older version of the program if required. However, Start menu items, aliases and shortcuts will point to the newer version.

During installation, you will be asked whether you want to install the Reason Factory Sound Bank and the Orkester Sound Bank, or not. These each consist of one big file, containing a large number of patches, samples and loops, serving as your main supply of sounds (much like the sound ROM in a synthesizer). D If you choose not to install the Factory Sound Bank, you will need to insert the Factory Sound Bank CD into the CD-drive each time you run the program. D You may choose not to install the Orkester Sound Bank. Unlike the Factory Sound Bank, this does not mean you have to insert the Orkester CD into the CD-drive each time you run the program. It merely means that you will have to do so each time you want to use a patch or other sound from it. Installing on hard disk is the recommended option, since you will most likely be using the sound banks a lot and access is quicker from the hard disk than from the CD-ROM drive. You may chose not to install and instead access the files from CD if you are short on hard disk space, if you are running Reason temporarily on another computer, etc. The drawback is that you will have to swap CDs when you want to browse for patches etc. Even if you dont install any of the sound banks when you install Reason, you can do this at a later stage if you like: simply copy the file Factory Sound Bank.rfl and/or the file Orkester.rfl from the respective Sound Bank CD to the Reason program folder.

Launching the Program

Now, the Reason files have been installed in a folder on your hard disk. Under Windows, all Reason related items have also been added to the Start menu and possibly you will have a Reason shortcut on the Desktop. 1. Check for any ReadMe files in the Reason folder or on the Start menu, and open and read these. ReadMe files may contain important last minute information that didnt make it into this manual. 2. If you are using Mac OS 9 with audio hardware for which there is an ASIO driver, copy the ASIO driver into the folder ASIO Drivers within the Reason program folder. This makes the ASIO driver available to Reason. 3. Launch the program by double clicking the Reason icon (or by selecting the Reason item from the Start menu). 4. Insert the Orkester CD in your CD-ROM drive. Regardless of whether you chose to install it on your hard disk or not, this CD will be requested for verification the very first time you start Reason. 5. Next, you will be asked to insert the Factory Sound Bank CD in your CD-ROM drive. Again, this is required the very first time you launch Reason, regardless of whether you have chosen to install the sound bank on your hard disk or not. 6. Fill in the authorization form that appears. Your license number can be found on the product authorization card included in the package. At this point a dialog appears, asking you whether you want to register your copy of the program at the Propellerhead web site. Registering gives you immediate access to various benefits such as free, extra sounds for Reason!

You must have a working Internet connection to be able to register on-line.
D If you click the Register Now button, your Internet browser will launch and take you to the registration page on the Propellerhead web site. Follow the instructions on the web page. After finishing the registration, click the Continue button in the installation dialog. D If you dont want to register at this point, click the Later button. You can register at any time by selecting Product Registration from the Contact menu (Mac) or Help menu (Windows) in Reason (or by going to www.propellerhead.se/register). This completes the installation! Before you can use the program, you need to make some settings - this is described in the next chapter.

D Setting Up

About this Chapter
This chapter describes the settings you need to make before you can start using Reason. These are necessary in order to get any sounds from the program and to be able to play and control Reason via MIDI.
Setting up the Audio Hardware
The first thing you need to do is to establish a connection between Reason and the audio hardware. This is done by selecting a driver - a software component that acts like a link between the program and the audio hardware. Proceed as follows: 1. In the Preferences dialog, use the pop-up menu at the top to select the Audio page.

About the Preferences

The basic settings for audio and MIDI are done in the Preferences dialog. This is opened from the Edit menu (or, if you are running Mac OS X, from the Reason menu). D If you are using Reason for Windows, the Preferences dialog will automatically appear the very first time you launch the program.

The Preferences dialog.

2. Pull down the Audio Card Driver pop-up menu and select one of the options. Which option to select depends on the platform and the audio hardware. If an option is not applicable to your setup it will be greyed out in the dialog.
Described herein are only the most important settings in the Preferences. For information about other Preferences settings, see the electronic documentation.

SETTING UP

D Normally, you should select one of the driver options that start with the word CoreAudio. Select the option that corresponds to the hardware you want to use (the built-in audio connectors or some additional audio hardware that you have installed). D Other options may be available, mainly for compatibility with all possible hardware/software configurations. Use these only when required.
D If you are using audio hardware for which there is a specific ASIO driver, you should select this. With an ASIO driver written specifically for the audio hardware, Reason can communicate more or less directly with the audio hardware. The benefits are lower latency (see below) and possibly better support for additional hardware features such as multiple outputs. D If there is no specific ASIO driver, you should select the Direct Sound driver for the audio hardware. This makes Reason communicate with the hardware via Direct Sound (a part of the Microsoft DirectX package). For this to be possible, you need to have DirectX installed on your computer, and there must be a Direct Sound driver for the audio hardware.

QUICK TUTORIAL

You may also want to add some effects to the music. In this song, there are two effect devices connected: a delay and a chorus/flanger. These are connected as send effects from the mixer, allowing you to specify how much of each mixer channel signal should be sent to each effect. 13. Raise the Aux send level knobs at the top of a mixer channel. Send 1 is connected to the delay, while send 2 goes to the chorus/flanger.

Creating a new song

In this tutorial we will start with an empty rack, to let you add your own devices from scratch. 1. If you like, close the current song by selecting Close from the File menu. You can have several song documents open in Reason at the same time, but each song uses some memory and computing power, so its good practice to close songs you dont need. 2. Pull down the File menu and select Open.

The Aux sends.

3. Navigate to the Reason program folder and open the Template Songs folder. 4. Select the file Empty Rack.rns and click Open. A song document window appears. This consists of an (almost) empty rack and there are no tracks in the sequencer.
Finally, lets try tweaking some controls on an actual instrument device, to change the sound. In this example we will use the Subtractor synthesizer device, but all devices have parameters that can be adjusted on the device panels in the same way. Unless you have a very large screen, the Subtractor device isnt visible right now. You could use the scrollbar to scroll the rack down, but heres a quicker way: 14. In the sequencer area (above the transport panel), click on the name Subtractor in the track list to the left. The rack is automatically scrolled to bring the Subtractor device into view. 15. Try adjusting some parameters while the song is playing. You may for example want to tweak the Filter 1 Freq slider, to change the brightness of the synth bass sound.
Normally when you create a new song, you would select New from the File menu. This command opens the default song (see page 93). The built-in default song contains a few devices, but if you have set things up so that the default song is Empty Rack.rns, you can just select New from the File menu, and ignore step 1 - 4 above. See page 93 for instructions on setting up the default song.

Parameter Context Menus

If you click on an automatable control (a synth parameter knob, a fader, etc), the context menu will contain the following items: Functions for clearing and editing the recorded automation data for the control. Functions for associating computer keyboard commands and/or MIDI messages to the parameter (allowing you to remote control parameters from a MIDI device or the computer keyboard).

Context menus

Context menus are tailored to contain the relevant menu items only, allowing you to work quicker and more efficiently with Reason. D To bring up a context menu, click with the right mouse button (Windows) or press [Ctrl] and click (Mac). If you are using a Macintosh with a two button mouse, you may want to set this up so that clicking the right mouse button generates a [Ctrl]-click. This way, you can right-click to bring up context menus.

Empty Rack Context Menus

If you click in an empty section of the rack, the context menu will contain the following items: A Paste Device item, allowing you to paste any copied or cut devices into the rack. A duplicate of the Create menu, allowing you to create new devices.

Sequencer Context Menus

If you click in the sequencer, the context menu will contain items related to editing Tracks, Groups and Events. The available items will differ depending on in which area or lane you click (Track list, Key Edit lane, etc.), and depending on whether you click on an event or not. For example, the sequencer context menus contain functions for inserting or removing bars, adding tracks, and grouping, changing or deleting events. See the electronic documentation for details.
The Dr. REX context menu.
The contents of the context menu depends on where you click. Basically, the following different context menu types are available:
Virtually all actions in Reason can be undone. This includes creation, deletion and reordering of devices in the Rack, parameter value adjustments, editing in the sequencer and tempo/time signature adjustments. You can undo up to 10 actions. D To undo the latest action, select Undo from the Edit menu or press [Command]/[Ctrl]-[Z]. The action to be undone is indicated next to the Undo command on the Edit menu. For example, if your latest action was to delete some device(s) from the Rack, the Edit menu will say Undo Delete Devices.

MANAGING THE RACK

Selecting Devices
Some operations (e.g. cutting, copying and deleting devices) require that you select one or several devices in the rack. This is done according to the following rules: D To select a single device, click on it in the rack. The selected device is displayed with a colored border (based on the color scheme selected for your operating system).

Deleting Devices

To delete one or several devices, select them and use one of the following methods: D Hold down [Command] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and press [Backspace] or [Delete]. D Select Delete Device from the Edit menu or the device context menu. You can also automatically delete devices when you delete sequencer tracks: If there is a single sequencer track routed to a device, and you delete this track, you will be asked whether you want to delete the device as well (see page 63).
D To select several devices, hold down [Shift] and click. In other words, [Shift]-clicking a device selects it without de-selecting any other selected devices. D To de-select all devices, click in the empty space at the bottom of the rack. D To de-select one of the selected devices, hold down [Shift] and click on it. Any other selected devices remain selected. D You can also use the up and down arrow keys on the computer keyboard to select the device directly above or below the currently selected one. When you use this method, Reason will automatically scroll the rack so that the selected device is fully visible. This is a quick way to step through the rack. Narrow devices (e.g. half-width devices such as the effects) are ordered left-to-right, i.e. pressing the down arrow key will step through the devices from left to right before moving on the next device row. D If you hold down [Shift] when using the up or down arrow keys, the currently selected device will remain selected. This allows you to select a range of devices. Adjusting a parameter in a device will automatically select it. In other words, you never have to select a device before making settings.
If you delete a device connected between two other devices, the connection between these is automatically preserved. The Hardware Interface device at the top of the rack cannot be removed.

Reordering Devices

You can rearrange the devices in the rack by moving them, in the following way: 1. If you want to move more than one device at the same time, select the devices. 2. Click in the handle area of one of the devices. For full width devices, this is the area to the left and right of the panel (between the rack fittings); for smaller devices you can click anywhere outside the actual parameters. 3. With the mouse button pressed, drag the device(s) up or down in the rack. A thick red vertical line indicates where the device(s) will be positioned. Note that the red line can be to the left of a device (indicating that the moved device will be inserted before the other device) or to the right of a device (indicating that the moved device will be inserted after the other device).

Automatic Routing

Auto-routing means that Reason makes all basic audio connections for a device, in one go. As mentioned on the previous pages, auto-routing is automatically performed when you create a new device, and when you move, duplicate or paste devices with [Shift] pressed.
If applicable, auto-routing is automatically done in stereo.

Creating Mixers

D The first created mixer device will be routed to the Stereo inputs on the Hardware Device. If you create more mixers, they will be connected in series using the mixers Chaining connections (see the electronic documentation).
Routing a device to the Mixer
D When you create an instrument device (synth, sampler, drum machine or loop player) it is automatically routed to the first available mixer channel. This makes it immediately available for use.
Routing a Send Effect to the Mixer
D When you have a mixer selected and create an effect device, it will be connected as a send effect (to the first free Aux Send/Return). Examples of effects that lend themselves well for use as send effects are reverb, delay and chorus.
Routing an Effect Directly to a Device (Insert)
D When you have an instrument device selected and create an effect, that effect will be connected as an insert effect. That is, the signal from the device will pass through that effect and to the mixer. Examples of effects that work well as inserts are distortion, compression and phaser.

Manual Routing

To connect devices manually, you need to flip the rack around to see the back. This is done by pressing [Tab] or selecting Toggle Rack Front/Rear from the Options menu.
There are two ways to route audio from one device to another: by connecting virtual patch cables between inputs and outputs, and by selecting connections from a pop-up menu:

Using Cables !

For the cables to be visible, the option Show Cables must be activated on the Options menu. See below.
1. Click on the desired input or output jack on one of the devices, and drag the pointer away from the jack (with the mouse button pressed). A loose cable appears.
2. Drag the cable to the jack on the other device. When you move the cable end over a jack of the correct type (audio/CV, input/output) it will be highlighted to show that a connection is possible. 3. Release the mouse button. The cable is connected. If both input and output are in stereo and you connect the left channels, a cable for the right channel is automatically added.

In loop mode, the sequencer will repeat a section over and over again, during playback or recording. You specify the section to be looped by setting the left and right locator: D Set the left locator (the start of the loop) by dragging the L marker in the ruler. Or, you can hold down [Option] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and click in the ruler. D Set the right locator (the end of the loop) by dragging the R marker in the ruler. Or, you can hold down [Command] (Mac) or [Alt] (Windows) and click in the ruler.

Mute and Solo

To mute a track means to silence it, so that no data is sent from the track during playback. This can be very useful when you are trying out different versions of an arrangement, for bringing elements in and out of the mix during playback, etc. D To mute (silence) a track, click in the M column in the track list. The notes and events on the muted track will not be heard on playback.
Note that Snap applies when moving the locators in the ruler, just as with the song position.
A red cross indicates a muted track.
Both locator positions can also be adjusted numerically on the transport panel.
To unmute the track, click in the M column again. Several tracks can be muted at the same time. D You can also solo a track, by holding down [Option] (Mac) / [Alt] (Windows) and clicking in the M column. This mutes all other (unsoloed) tracks.
D To activate the loop, click the Loop On/Off button so that it lights up, or use the corresponding key command. On a Mac this is [/], under Windows its [], both on the numeric keypad. When you play back in loop mode, and the song position reaches the right locator, it will immediately jump back to the left locator. This way, the area between the locators will be repeated continuously.
Here, the track Redrum 1 is soloed (indicated by a red frame).
To turn off the solo function for the track, [Option]/[Alt]-click in the M column again. Several tracks can be soloed at the same time.
Playing back in loop mode is useful to try out mixes and arrangements, rehearse takes, etc. Recording in loop mode can be useful for adding elements to a groove, one layer at a time. Just remember to select Overdub mode if you are recording several layers on the same track!
It is possible to change the mute status of tracks while in solo mode, by clicking in the M column. The change you make will be reflected when you turn off the solo function. Muting a track will not affect the notes played from a pattern sequencer in a pattern device! For example, if you mute a track that is connected to a Redrum drum machine device, the drum pattern played by the device will still be heard. However, any notes you have recorded on the track (using the Redrum as a sound module) will be muted, as will any recorded pattern changes.

The Shift functions move the notes in a pattern one step to the left or right, or transposes them one semitone up or down (depending on the device). This function can be used for interesting rhythmic or melodic effects, or as a way to rectify patterns for which the first step isnt on the proper downbeat.
Transferring patterns between Reason songs
If you want to copy patterns between different Reason songs, you use copy and paste: 1. Open both songs. 2. Select the pattern you want to copy. 3. Select Copy Pattern from the Edit menu or the device context menu. You can also hold [Command] (Mac) or [Ctrl] (Windows) and press [C] to copy. 4. Make the other song active. This is done by clicking in the song window or by selecting the song from the Windows menu. 5. Select the bank and pattern location to which you want to copy the pattern. Note that any pattern already stored in that location will be overwritten!

Randomize

The Randomize functions create random patterns. These can often be great starting points and help you get new ideas.
The Alter functions modify existing patterns. Note that there must be something in the pattern for the function to work on - using an Alter function on an empty pattern will not do anything.

D The Browser

Background

About the Database

Reason songs and patches can contain references to other files on your hard disk, namely samples (wave or aiff files), loop files created in ReCycle (REX files, see below) and Soundfonts (.sf2 files, see page 79). To keep track of all files, Reason makes use of a database. If you keep your Reason files within the database, Reason can update file paths, automatically search for missing files, etc. D You specify the search path(s) for the database on the Sound Locations page in the Preferences dialog on the Edit menu or Reason menu, as described on page 17. You can specify up to four different search paths. However, it is normally enough to specify a single path, since all underlying folders are automatically included in the database. Use the additional paths if you use more than one hard drive, CD-ROM drives etc. (see also the note about finding ReFills on page 80).
Samples (Wave and AIFF files) are compressed to about half their original file size when stored in ReFills.
In Reason, you can use the browser to list and access the embedded sounds and other components within the ReFills. just as if the ReFills were folders on your hard disk.
Double clicking on the ReFill in the browser.
.opens it for navigation, just like a folder.
Furthermore, if a song makes use of components from ReFills, Reason will tell you which ReFills are required.
An example of the database. If the folder Reason Sounds is specified as search path, all its subfolders are automatically included in the database.

Database folder buttons

Info area
While you can get to the database by starting at the desktop and navigating your way down, the database folder buttons offer a quicker way: Clicking any of these buttons takes you directly to the corresponding database folder (search path 14 respectively, as specified on the Preferences-Sound Locations page). From there, you can open subfolders in the main file display, or navigate to a higher folder using the navigation pop-up.
The Sample Browser dialog.
The folder button for which you havent specified a path are greyedout (disabled).

Find All ReFills button

Navigating
Using the browser is much like using a regular file dialog, but there are some additional features on the navigation toolbar:
Navigation pop-up menu and Up button
Clicking this button will make the program look for all available ReFills and list them in the main file display.
This is a regular navigation pop-up menu, listing all folders hierarchically above the current folder. Select a folder from the pop-up menu to go there, or click the Up button to go the closest folder above the current one.
The ReFills are listed together, even though they may be in different folders on your hard disk.
If you double click on a ReFill in the list, you can navigate within the ReFill and select songs or sounds for opening, just as if they were separate files on disk.
When you click the Find All ReFills button, Reason will look for ReFills in the root folder(s) of the database, in the Reason program folder and on any CD in the CD-ROM drive (regardless of whether the CD-ROM drive is specified as a database search path or not).
D You can also activate the Autoplay checkbox and simply select the file you want to audition. The selected file is automatically played back. Again, click the Stop button to stop playback.

Opening files

When you have navigated to the desired folder (on your hard disk or within a ReFill) and located the desired file, you open it by double clicking it in the file display or by selecting it and clicking the Open button.

Re-scan button

The browser will only display files of the relevant type. For example, if you have selected the Browse Synth Patches function for a Subtractor synth device, only synth patches will be listed. When browsing for a specific file in a folder, you can go to the folder and then press the first letter of the desired file on the keyboard. E.g. if you want to load a sample called Tabla, you can press the letter T. The browser will then automatically select the first file in the folder that starts with the letter T, which in this case may well be precisely the file you want.

Opening a Song

1. Pull down the File menu and select Open. The Reason song browser window appears. 2. Use the browser to navigate to the desired folder on disk or within a ReFill. See page 80. 3. When you have located the song file, select it and click Open (or double click on the file). The song appears in its own document window.
You can have several songs open at the same time if you like. This allows you to copy and paste patterns and patches between songs. However, all open songs consume some memory and performance, so you may want to close songs you dont need.

Publishing a Song

If you want to make your songs available to the public, e.g. for downloading on the Internet, there is a special file format for this. A Reason published song (Windows file extension.rps) is much like a self-contained song, but has the following restrictions: The user cannot save any changes to the song. Copy, Cut and Paste is disabled. It is not possible to use the function Export Song/Loop as Audio File if the the song has been changed in any way.
If the Missing Sounds dialog appears
If the song includes samples or REX files, and these have been moved or renamed since the song was saved, the program will inform you that it cannot find all files. You can then choose to either manually locate the missing files, to have the program search for them in the database and ReFills or to proceed with missing sounds. For details, see page 82.

Closing a Song

To close the current song, select Close from the File menu or click the close box of the song document window. If you have unsaved changes, you are asked whether you want to save the song.
In a word, published songs are locked. They are meant for playback only - no elements can be added, removed or extracted. Furthermore, a published song contains information about which ReFills are required (if any). To create a published song, pull down the File menu and select Publish Song. Specify a name and location for the published song in the file dialog that appears, and click Save. D Note that you dont have to make self-contained settings - all files (except ReFill components) are automatically included.
About the Reason Song Archive
On the Propellerhead web site (www.propellerheads.se) you will find the Reason Song Archive. This allows you to share your music with other Reason users by uploading your songs.

Creating a New Song

To create a new song, select New from the File menu. This makes a new song document window appear. D By default, the new song will contain a predefined set of instrument and effect devices, along with a mixer. If you want to start with your own selection of devices (or an empty rack), you can customize your default song, as described below.

7. Navigate to the song you created earlier, select it and click OK. The name of the song appears in the textbox.
An alternative to creating a new song would be to open one of the templates found in the Template Songs folder (within the Reason program folder).
8. Close the Preferences dialog. The next time you launch the program or select New from the File menu, the new song document will contain the devices and settings you made.

Creating a Default Song

If you often start off with the same set of devices, patches, patterns and settings, you may want to create your own custom default song. Proceed as follows to specify a song as the default: 1. Select New from the File menu to create a new song document window. 2. Add/remove devices and make settings as desired. Typically, you may want the default song to contain your choice of devices and possibly some patterns. You could also make some special routing between devices, or even add some sequencer data. 3. Save the song anywhere you like, and under whatever name you like (to keep things organized you might want to save the song in the Reason program folder). 4. Open the Preferences dialog from the Edit menu (or from the Reason menu, if you are using Mac OS X). 5. On the General page, click the radio button to select Custom in the section called Default Song.
6. Click the folder icon to the right to open the file browser.
Exporting as an Audio File
When you have created a complete song, you may want to mix it down to make it playable for other people (who dont use Reason). Of course, you could connect the audio outputs of your audio hardware to a tape recorder or similar, and simply record the song. But if you are planning to burn an audio CD or create mp3 files, its much more convenient to mix down to an audio file, using the Export functions. You can either export the whole song (from the start to the E marker), or only the loop (the area between the left and right locator in the sequencer). Proceed as follows: 1. Make sure only the main stereo outputs are used. That is, no devices should be connected to individual outputs (output socket 3 and higher in the Hardware Interface device). The export function will only include audio routed to the stereo outputs. 2. Make sure the Loop/End markers are at the correct positions. If you want to export the loop, you need to set the left and right locators to encompass the desired area. If you instead want to export the whole song, make sure the End (E) marker is at the desired end position.

, English

Version

, What's New in 2.5?
14 Channel Expandable Mixer , Analog Polysynth , Graintable Polysynth , Digital Samplers , REX-loop Player , Drum Machine , ReBirth Input Device , Multiple Effects Processors , Shelving and Parametric EQs , Master Song Sequencer , Pattern Sequencer , 64 Channel Audio Output , 64 Channel ReWire Output , 512 Band Vocoder , CV Processing Tools , Full Automation , Total Recall
Manual by Synkron: Ludvig Carlson, Anders Nordmark and Roger Wiklander.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Propellerhead Software AB. The software described herein is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to any other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Propellerhead Software AB. 2003 Propellerhead Software and its licensors. All specifications subject to change without notice. Reason is a trademark of Propellerhead Software. All other commercial symbols are protected trademarks and trade names of their respective holders. All rights reserved.

Welcome!

This document provides brief descriptions of the new features in Reason 2.5. New features introduced in version 2.0 are also listed for users upgrading from Reason 1.0 - see New features in Reason 2.0. For detailed descriptions of all features, functions and procedures, please refer to the Operation Manual.
New features in Reason 2.5
New Device - BV512 Vocoder
The BV512 is an advanced vocoder device with a variable number of filter bands. It also has a unique 1024-point FFT vocoding mode (equivalent of 512band vocoding) for very precise and high quality vocoded speech. By connecting the BV512 to two instrument devices, you can produce anything from vocoded speech, singing or drums to weird special effects. See the Operation Manual for details.
New Device - Scream 4 Sound Destruction Unit
This is an extremely versatile sound destruction device, featuring various kinds of distortion, signal warping and transformation effects. There are three main sections: Damage (where you select a sound mangling algorithm and make settings), Cut (a three band EQ) and Body (a resonant body or cabinet simulator, excellent for making the sound come alive). See the Operation Manual for details.
New Device - RV7000 Advanced Reverb
New Device - Spider CV Merger & Splitter
The RV7000 is a high quality reverb processor with nine different reverb and echo algorithms, ranging from rooms and halls to special effects. The RV7000 also contains an equalizer and a gate section, making it possible to get virtually any kind of reverb character, including gated reverb. See the Operation Manual for details.
Again, this is not an effect device, but a utility. With the Spider CV you can merge up to four CV input signals into one CV output, as well as split CV or Gate inputs into several outputs (one of which can be inverted). One use for the Spider CV is to split Gate and Note CV to control several instrument devices with one Matrix. See the Operation Manual for details.
New features - Mixer 14:2

Stereo Aux sends

The four auxillary sends in the Mixer are now stereo. You can of course still use sends in mono (to save CPU power). The Chaining Aux inputs are also stereo.
New Device - UN-16 Unison

Pre-fader Aux send

The UN-16 simulates the sound of several detuned voices playing the same notes simultaneously, producing a rich chorus-like effect with the voices spread across the stereo field if you like. See the Operation Manual for details. Aux Send 4 can now be switched to tap the signal pre-fader. When pre-fader mode is activated the send level is independent from the fader level.

Improved EQ

The EQ section in the Mixer has been redesigned. To ensure backwards compabitlity (i.e. that songs created with earlier versions sound exactly the same), there is a Compatible/Improved EQ switch on the back of the Mixer. Songs created with earlier versions will open with Compatible EQ mode activated.
New Device - Spider Audio Merger & Splitter
This is not an effect device, but a utility. With the Spider Audio you can merge up to four audio input signals into one output, as well as split one audio input signal into four outputs. This makes audio signal routing much more flexible and allows for very creative patching and connections. See the Operation Manual for details.
New features in Reason 2.0
For users upgrading to Reason 2.5 directly from the 1.0 version, here follows a list of the features introduced in version 2.0.
New device - Malstrm Graintable Synthesizer
Full support for Mac OS X and Windows XP
Reason now offers full support for Apples and Microsofts latest operating systems. The Malstrm is a polyphonic synthesizer featuring two oscillators, two modulators, two filters, a waveshaper and a large number of modulation and routing options. It is based on the concept of Graintable Synthesis and makes it possible to produce amazingly abstract, sharp, distorted, undulating sounds. In fact - we dare to say that it can produce sounds quite unlike anything youve ever heard from a synthesizer before! See the Operation Manual for details.
Support for playback of high resolution samples
Reason now has the capability to play back audio in higher resolution than the CD standard 16-bit. This means that if for instance 24-bit samples are loaded in a sampler, the Redrum or the Dr. REX loop player, the samples retain their high resolution. Proceed as follows: 1. Open the Preferences from the Edit menu, and select the General page. 2. Under Miscellaneous at the bottom of the page, make sure the option Use High Resolution Samples is checked.

New device - NN-XT Sampler
If this is activated, and if your audio card supports it, Reason will play back high resolution samples in their original resolution. If this is deactivated, Reason will play back all samples in 16-bit resolution, regardless of their original format.

SoundFont support

It is now possible to load and use SoundFonts (presets and single samples) in the following devices: The NN-XT. The NN-19. The Redrum (single samples only) The NN-XT is a complement to the NN-19. Just like the latter, the NN-XT lets you load samples to create a multi-sample key map and modify the sound with synthtype parameters; LFO:s, envelopes filters. However, the NN-XT also has more possibilities. For instance, it allows you to create layered sounds, where two or more samples can be played simultaneously. It also allows you to set up velocity switched key maps so that you control which samples in a layered key map will actually sound depending on how hard or soft you play on your MIDI keyboard. See the Operation Manual for details.
See the Operation Manual for details.

LFO sync

A number of devices and effects now feature LFO sync. This means that you can synchronize their respective LFO:s to the song tempo, in one of 16 possible timedivisions. The following devices and effects feature LFO sync: The Subtractor synthesizer. The Malstrm synthesizer. The NN-19 sampler. The NN-XT sampler. The Dr. Rex loop player. The CF-101 chorus/flanger. The PH-90 Phaser.
D Similarly, to reattach the sequencer window to the rack, either select Attach Sequencer Window from the Windows menu or click the button. Note that the button for detaching the sequencer window is only available in the rack. The button for reattaching the sequencer though, is available both in the rack and in the sequencer.
See the Operation Manual for each device for details.
Detachable sequencer window
The sequencer window can now be detached from the rack and used in a separate window. This could be useful for instance if you are working with a large number of tracks or if you are viewing many sequencer lanes at once. The separate sequencer window can be positioned and resized freely both horizontally and vertically using the basic windows techniques. D To detach the sequencer from the rack, either click the corresponding button in the top right corner of the rack, or pull down the Windows menu and select Detach Sequencer Window.
Click this button..to open the sequencer in a separate window. The Attach Sequencer button on the sequencer and, in the background, on the rack.
Another way of reattaching the sequencer window is by closing it. Note also that the rack is still the main window for the song, which means that closing the song will close the sequencer window as well.

About the Transport

Youll notice that when detaching the sequencer from the rack, there will be two instances of the transport on the screen - one in the rack and one in the sequencer window. This is for convenience since it allows you to control playback and recording regardless of which window is the active one. Should you wish however, you can fold one of the transports in the same manner as with any other device in Reason. Folding and unfolding devices is described in the Getting Started book. J To make the rack or the sequencer the active window when they are separated, you can use the key commands [Command]-[1] (Mac)/ [Ctrl]-[1] (Windows) and [Command]-[2] (Mac)/[Ctrl]-[2] (Windows) respectively.
A note about using Reason with two monitors
If you have a computer system with two monitors, you can do the following: D Use one monitor for viewing and managing the rack only. D Detach the sequencer as described above, and dedicate one of your monitors to the sequencer only. To be able to use two monitors, you must have an operating system and a graphics card that supports it. Please refer to the documentation for your operating system and possibly the graphics card for instructions on how to set up your system for using two monitors.
New tools in the sequencer toolbar
You now have access to an eraser tool - for deleting events, a line tool - for creating velocity ramps etc., a magnifying tool - for zooming, and a hand tool - for scrolling.
In addition, there is now only one button for toggling between Arrange mode and Edit mode, and the button Hide all controllers has been removed.
Below follows a rundown of the various tools and their use.
Support for mouse wheel scrolling
If youre using a mouse equipped with a scroll wheel, this can be used for the following scrolling and zooming operations: D Scrolling up and down in both the rack and in the sequencer. D By simultaneously holding down [Shift] you can scroll left and right in the sequencer. D By holding down [Command] (Mac)/[Ctrl] (Windows), you can zoom in and out vertically in the sequencer. D By holding down [Shift]-[Command] (Mac)/[Shift]-[Ctrl] (Windows), you can zoom in and out horizontally in the sequencer.

The Eraser tool

You can use the Eraser tool to delete Events and Groups in the Arrange view, as well as Notes, Controller sections and Pattern Change sections in the Edit view.
About Snap and the Eraser tool
With Snap activated, clicking directly on events with the Eraser tool will not only delete the events touched, but all events within the set snap value (e.g. 1 bar). The Eraser tool can also be used for making selection rectangles and these will be magnetic to the snap value as well. D If you hold down [Shift] when making a selection rectangle, direction is restricted to horizontal or vertical only.

Deleting Events and Groups in the Arrange view
D Select the Eraser tool and click on an Event. As described above, you can also draw selection rectangles with the Eraser tool, encompassing several Events and delete them all at once. Note that if Snap is on, the selection rectangle will be magnetic to the Snap value positions. Also note that an Event or Group doesnt have to be fully enclosed to be selected the selection rectangle only needs to intersect or touch the Event/Group.
Deleting Notes in the Edit view
D Select the Eraser tool and click on the notes you want to delete. You can also drag a selection rectangle with the Eraser tool and delete all notes encompassed by the rectangle. When using the Eraser tool to delete notes with Snap on, the following applies: When single clicking, all notes of the same pitch within the set Snap value will be deleted. The area of effect is indicated in a dark gray color.

Using the Line tool

The Line tool can be used in the Edit view. More specifically, it can be used in the Velocity lane and the Controller lane, for drawing Velocity ramps and editing Controllers respectively.

Creating Velocity ramps

D To draw a velocity ramp, drag the Line tool across the bars, at the desired height.
In this case, with Snap set to Bar, a single click will remove all the instances of the note C 2 on bar 6.
If a selection rectangle is drawn, it will be magnetic to the nearest snap value positions. For example, if Snap is set to Bar, dragging a rectangle will select all notes within an exact range of bars.
Deleting Controllers and Pattern Changes in the Edit view
D Select the Eraser tool and click on the section you want to delete. If Snap is on, you can single click to immediately erase the shaded area which corresponds to the set Snap value (e.g. Bar). You can also make a selection range by clicking and dragging.
Drawing a velocity ramp with the Line tool.
While this can also be accomplished using the Pencil tool, the Line tool is probably the preferred method for creating regular, smooth ramps, or for giving all the notes the same velocity (by drawing a straight line). The Pencil tool can be used for creating more irregular curves.
Drawing and editing Controllers
Drawing and editing controllers with the line tool is done exactly like drawing velocity ramps, as described above. You will probably want to use the line tool to create smooth, even controller ramps, and the pencil tool for creating more irregular controller curves.
The Magnifying Glass tool
A new way of zooming in the sequencer is to use the Magnifying Glass tool. This tool lets you zoom in and out both horizontally and vertically just like the magnification sliders do. However, the Magnifying Glass tool offers more possibilities. The following applies: D By clicking once in a lane with the Magnifying Glass, you zoom in by the same amount as when clicking the + icon on the magnification slider twice. D To zoom out with the Magnifying Glass, click while keeping [Option] (Mac)/[Ctrl] (Windows) pressed. Youll notice that the + sign in the Magnifying Glass tool changes to. D If the lane has a vertical magnification slider as well, clicking with the Magnifying Glass will also zoom in/out vertically by the same amount as when clicking the + and icons on the magnification slider once. By holding down [Shift] when clicking, you disable vertical zooming.

Note that when using the line tool, you can hold down [Shift] when drawing to restrict movement to horizontal only.
D You can also click and drag with the Magnifying Glass to create a selection rectangle. The view will then be zoomed in so that the selected area fills the lane.
Enclosing these notes in a selection rectangle.
Settings are saved with song documents
Various settings for how you have set up your workspace are now saved along with the song document, so that it will open in exactly the same state as when you last saved and closed it. This includes - but is not limited to: The state of the sequencer window (detached or not). The position and size of windows. The visual state of the rack (front or back, position of scroll bars etc.). The magnification factor in the sequencer. Etc.
New Orkester Sound Bank CD
In addition to the Reason Factory Sound Bank CD, Reason 2.0 also features the Orkester CD. This contains a large collection of patches and samples of orchestral instruments for the NN-XT.
.will zoom in so that they fill the view.

The Hand tool

In the sequencer, you can use the Hand tool for scrolling. Select the Hand tool and click in a lane, press the mouse button and drag in the desired direction.
Scrolling the Key edit lane with the Hand tool.
You can scroll in any direction as long as the lane allows it (the Velocity lane for example is only possible to scroll horizontally). By holding down [Shift] while you drag however, you can limit the scrolling direction to horizontal or vertical only.