Creating Samples To Use In Reason

[PrOLifiK]

I have reason, and I am using sound forge to create and edit samples. How do I know where to cut the sample so that it is on beat and flows with the song. For example I found a piano sample that I liked but I cant figure out how long the sample is supposed to be so that it lasts exactly 4bars in reason. I tried cutting it at different places to find where it was almost perfect. There's got to be an easier way of doing this right?...or is it all just trial and error. Let me know your guys techniques for creating your own samples especially piano and orchestral loops. Peace.

 

[Copenhagen]

You should be able to hear/feel the bars in a piano/orchestral loop too...try cutting it...loop play it and listen if it sounds ok...practice makes perfect. If you also have ReCycle, you can load the loop into ReCycle, set the bars and save it as .rex, load it into Reason Dr. Rex and choose to track...you can then play it at any tempo.

 

[PrOLifiK]

Hey thanx man, I went out and got recycle. WOW what a difference it makes loop editing so much easier, and it is actually a whole lot funner to use than sound forge in my opinion. I highly recomend recycel for anyone using software to edit and create sample loops.

 

[Copenhagen]

Yeah, ReCycle is a nice little tool to use, especially for samples that are looped, as you can also adjust them to any tempo.

 

[The Konductor]

Reason?

So Dr. Rex isn't a toned down version of Recycle? What does Dr. Rex do then? Just play .rex files? And can you sample into reason or do have to sample in another program and then save as a wave file to transport to reason?

 

[Ominous]

Recycle lets you cut the sound wav files into slices that the Dr. Rex Loop player can mathematically adjust to fit different tempos. Dr. Rex does a whole lot of things.

You can cut up a loop, doesn't just have to be drums, and play the note sequence through another instrument like a synth, which can create some new effects. I never really used it at al before but once I learned how to use the Rex correctly, it improved my beat compositiions. before I would cut a sampe up into different files and load them into a sample and play them with a midi controller, but once you slice it up and load it into Rex, you can just play the different slices right inside the Rex Loop Player.

And, once you cut a loop, you can quantize it to other tempos to slightly change the sample to match your groove.

A lot of other people already knew this but I was trying to apply knowledge of other equipment to Reason instead of learning all the things Reason can do for itself. From what I am reading so far, the Matrix is sick for effect. I have yet to benefit from this though...I keep having to read the manual over and over again cause it ain't sinking in.

 

[PrOLifiK]

Yeah man from what I hear the matrix is sick for effects too. The way I understand it is you connect a seperate matrix for effects only and hook up the cable on note cv on the back of the matrix, and the other end goes to whichever effect you want on the back of the instrument. Then from there you use the matrix in a similar fasion as to creating musical notes. I just figured this out too and its a great way to automate your loops or just have fun tweaking them every which way. If you haven't tried this yet try it out.

 

[Ominous]

Thanks for the tip off. I appreciate any help on the matrix dog.

I downloaded the leason files from the propellerheads website, but sometimes when then use certain terminology that I don't understand, my mind won't let me comprehend the rest until I find out what that word or abreviation means. I had to read up on what "CV" actually meant. Now I am in the process of finding out what all those other inputs are on the backs of all the equipment. They all seam to have similar inputs and I am tired of just sticking cables in them to see what happens.

I'd really want to know what I am trying to do. You know you are in a bad spot when you accidenatlly do something and it comes out tighter than what you were trying to originally do. I know that happens for all of us but it happens to me way too much. Big sign I don't know what I am doing.

I hope to have this matrix sh*t down by next weekend though. I am trying to get a lot more advanced with each of the instruments in the program before I even approach the Showcase. The last two beats I did received no response, and they got destroyed over at ughh.com. I have been messin with automation a lot so hopefully by next month I can drop some respect worthy sh*t.

Thanks again for the tip.

 

[Copenhagen]

Matrix is cool...but my experience with it is mostly accidental too.

I've started using the NN-XT a whole lot though. I play all my drums etc via the NN-XT now.

 

[Ominous]

^^^I gotta try that....