Reason Techniques

[Boltz]

Ok, I'm a FL user and I got inspired by some of you guys around here who made some wicked beats using Reason. So I got Reason and read how to use it and I can make some noise with it and have a basic understanding of how each component works. But...
I really can't understand how you dudes make it sound so good.
So, do I need to get some more refills, synths, or what?
I know that practice and experience and time are the best way to get good sound out of it (I learned that from FL) but it feels like I am missing something seriously important with Reason. Like I cannot figure out how the hell you guys make good beats with this puppy. Especially the drums cause this ReDrum thing seems so limited.
Any help??

 

[g@Vin c@$h]

Some people are gonna say that you do but i make almost all of my songs using the reason factory sound bank and the orkester sound bank.
don't get me wrong some refills are always nice, the more sounds you have the better but you really just need to stick with it.
Hey if you have any specific questions i'd be more than happy to answer them for you


What are you having problems doing with the Redrum???

 

[Copenhagen]

I really suggest reading the manual, and trying it out step by step. Yes, it's 200+ pages and will take time, but not until you have gone through it, will you understand the full possibilities of Reason.

 

[Shonsteez]

I agree, but dont simply sit there and sift through tha whole fucking thing...Instead take a more hands on approach and experiment with tha prgm, but as soon as you get stuck - hit that manual immediatly...thats how i learned from it cuz u really dont need that manual 24-7...Its more of jus a reference for things that trip you up unless your totally foreign to using a program like that.

Biggest thing of all - "Practice make Perfect"!!...Keep experimenting as much as possible...that program is soooo fucking flexible aside from being able to multitrack vocals that you can essentially do anything yer brain can conjure up...Its jus all about learning as you go like anything else and trying to absorb as much info as possible so that it comes as second nature as time progresses....

One tip:
Since you mentioned your having problems getting a hang of tha REDRUM...

1) Read about tha bitch first of all....That will answer alot already.
2) There are essentially 3 ways to create a beat in tha REDRUM:
a) Use tha stepper ..."tha thing that lights up when you press RUN pattern"- which sometimes can be cool, but other times tends to feel boring...Choose how you will create yer beat according to yer mood, since you actually have a choice.
b) Or, try simply drawing it in with tha pencil and space baring back over and over till it sounds fresh....(Also, keep in mind that you can work in a variety of notes...I often either work with 1/8 triplets, or 1/16 - which is always nice since its tha easiest to edit in tha arrange view since it jus snaps to bar when cutting and pasting....If that makes any sense yet?!
c) Or, my last favorite way to create a beat - Use a midi controller with tha REDRUM and bang that shit out live with yer MPD or yer keyboard or whatever it is yer workin with.

REMEMBER KEEP EXPERIMENTING>!!!!!

 

[WingsOfAnAngel]

g@Vin c@$h: "but i make almost all of my songs using the reason factory sound bank and the orkester sound bank" - that's certainly not enough. while both of these default refills are good to get you started, you cannot just rely on them to do everything for you. as a serious beatmaker, you must strive towards expanding your sound-library... you can't use the defaults and expect to get a professional result. many of these sounds (heck, most of them) have been OVERUSED. my advice to you is: digging in the crates + making your own synthesizer patches. that's the only way to go.

Boltz: basically, it's all about experimenting. yet, you should read the manual and the very informative manuals on the website: http://www.propellerheads.se/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=mainframe

be sure to read 'DISCOVERING REASON': http://www.propellerheads.se/home/discover/index.cfm?fuseaction=mainframe
"Discovering Reason is a series of articles created especially for people who have been using Reason for some time, yet can't help but feel they've only scratched the surface."

reason is a complicated piece of software and it takes some time (even a lot of time) to get used to it and its COUNTLESS possibilities. don't give up and feel free to consult with us whenever there's a need for it!

Good Luck,
Wings

 

[nasir jones]

I got one word.......PRACTICE

 

[Agent Smith]

and nothing beats sampled breaks---my advice to you is get recycly and some type of sampling or recording program--anything you can plug a turntable into to get samples from that to your computer--plug that into recycle, rex2 it and then you either just play bak the loop in the dr. rex or do the same thing duecemade just said but with the dr. rex--either draw in the different slices or play them live--it has a sick sound. you can do that even before you get a sampler or anything--just use the rex drum loops from the sound bank and chop them up--that will alraedy get you going on a more original sound--then theres the basics--like making the drums more alive and warmer by adding Juuuuust a little reverb--just enough so its barely noticeable. but otherwise i agree with everyone else--ive been on this program for like 3 years and ve been solid for about a year of it---but thats just becasue i had no one to help me along and i didnt pick up the manual once (bad bad bad bad idea) it took me 3 months to figure out to make sure the pattern buttons were off before exporting or anything. (stupid) so yea--in a roundabout way just keep goin and read your manual

 

[g@Vin c@$h]

g@Vin c@$h: "but i make almost all of my songs using the reason factory sound bank and the orkester sound bank" - that's certainly not enough. while both of these default refills are good to get you started, you cannot just rely on them to do everything for you. as a serious beatmaker, you must strive towards expanding your sound-library... you can't use the defaults and expect to get a professional result. many of these sounds (heck, most of them) have been OVERUSED. my advice to you is: digging in the crates + making your own synthesizer patches. that's the only way to go.

Wings

I don't only use those but i do use them alot.
What i love to do is mess with the sounds and make them sound totally different, and yes i do dig through the crates. Last night i got some sick tight shit. I got this one sample with this chick singing "Gold and silver I've not got!!!!!" Which is real tight cause i'm broke as hell. But yea man i got some stuff that i just used in the reason soundbank that is sick tight. And also i make alot of my own samples just simply using the soundfonts in reason and then exporting them into a wav format so that i can load them up in the sampler. I have not purchased one refill yet and i have made some insane tight beats.

Yea I've already checked out those discovering reason things, and i got the book that that guy wrote called Power Tools For Reason 2.5. You should really consider getting this if you don't already have it. There is some amazing stuff in there.

 

[XpLiCiiT]

A good way to learn is to download rns. files that other people have made in reason and just analyze them and study them and see what they do right and what they do wrong...peace

 

[Freakwncy]

If all else... CHECK OUR TUTORIAL SECTION ON THE MAIN PAGE....

 

[Equality 7-2521]

automation is the best thing ever.

 

[g@Vin c@$h]

automation is the best thing ever.

I agree 100%. The simple fact that you can automate almost anything (except tempo) in Reason has definetely got to be one of the main reasons that makes reason so powerful of a tool. With automation it makes it possible to turn like five million knobs at once making extremely tight effects. Good point messenger

 

[Boltz]

Whoa, thanks everybody. I'm gonna try all this and I will show you how it turns out. I'm gonna read like a bastard, especially that link to "created especially for people who have been using Reason for some time, yet can't help but feel they've only scratched the surface" cause that is how I feel. Downloading and analyzing the .rns files is a sweet plan too.
I'm going to be back with some more specific questions when I get stuck, cheers, you guys rip.

 

[Shonsteez]

Yo man Ive been rockin Reason from 1.0 and i still even feel like Im jus scratchin' tha surface alot a tha time....

 

[Boltz]

Duece, it was your beat that won the comp that made me think "I definately need to check that propellerhead shit out". Although I had been thinkin about gettin it for a long time, it's basically your fault I'm sittin here frustrated as hell, but hey, thanks man.

 

[Shonsteez]

Haha!...Thanks BOltz....That program is tha bomb tho!....I mean, I basically got a knack for it now, but I often get into my nitches where i follow tha same pattern for a while makin my beats, and then i forget that that program has so many more other options that u can utilize....Shit! - I cant wait for tha 3.0 version to come out! Thanks tho homie, much repsect!....What are you producin with right now outa curiousity??

STEEZO

 

[Ash Holmz]

yeah i dont know shit about reason still ..... never bothered to read the manual or anything..hmmm .... my advice ..... fuc wid it till it sounds good!!!

 

[Shonsteez]

A trade well tried huh Holmz!?

 

[sammy beats]

use the effects. The reverb adds a nice touch to the synth sounds and the strings in orkester. The scream machine is a nice addition on drums. Also, make your own sounds using malstrom and the subtractor. just fiddle with the knobs and sliders until you get a sound that you like. Finally, a little dry delay can be sweet for melody. New sounds to load into the nnxt couldn't hurt either

 

[DJDRAGN9]

peep this

heres one of my secrets,i made a template in reason that rewires all my instruments into seperate channels into cubase sx.It helps me out alot becuase i can "master" the track directly in cubase when im done or i can add vst effects or instruments to my beats i layed down in reason.Another big plus is u can record vocals directly in cubase while still running reason in the back ground (I built a monster of a puter so it do it wit out a problem lol).i also use ableton live synced up also to play loops i have layin around on the hard drive.i been using this setup as a sort of schetch pad then i can master everything in cubase directly when im done.i included templates for cubase sx and reason that i did up so u can check em out.let me know ur thoughts guys..... HOLLA AT YA BOY