How to Use the Combinator (Reason's Secret Weapon)

[@tomkot]

How do I make the sound effect at 8:27

[@StockMusicMusician]

Just follow the steps in the video starting from the beginning. That's about as clear as I can explain it - I'm not hiding anything in the video.

[@MNolanMillar]

I'm quite new to Reason, but this gives me some useful ideas. For example, using a Combinator for string variations: long, staccato, etc.

[@StockMusicMusician]

That's a great use for it. Or to slightly modulate samples with an lfo or something.

[@cloudfulness3597]

great videos! I'm not much of a programmer and was curious if there are free combinators out there we can download for different purposes (ie, pro vocals)

[@StockMusicMusician]

I'm not sure if there's a huge library of free ones floating out there, but most refill packs will include a lot of instruments built by combinator.

[@DrumRoody]

The combi and the patch rack are THE reasons to use reason

[@StockMusicMusician]

Hahaha, we've found a combi fan!

[@riffraftmusic8669]

I'm using the Combinator b/c it's the only way to access some of Finale's KeySwitches and brass effects--the ARIA Player's CC15 is only available via the Combinator. Right? I can't draw in anything for CC15, for instance, b/c it's not anywhere on any Finale/ARIA Player screen.

[@WeTheFriends]

My all devices are based on combinator. It reduces all repetating effort in making my custom processors and instruments. Its look cool and quite personal with backdrops.. You are right!!

[@MrKwilliams71]

Hey SMM how do you record run patterns

[@StockMusicMusician]

Into the sequencer? Which device are you trying to record?

[@MrKwilliams71]

@@StockMusicMusician Combinators

[@pranav7374]

Can combi's rotary controller also modulate/control parameters behind the rack? for eg I cannot modulate Subtractor's Pitch Modulation Input, this i.imgur.com/5O0b7bh.png, its not available in the target column inside Combi's 'Show Programmer' i.imgur.com/cDvoQMI.png

[@ScrappySinon]

I've always ignored the combinator and now I am annoyed at myself. Very good video.

[@StockMusicMusician]

Good luck with it!

[@TheRangeControl]

I'm new to Reason (haven't even made a beat yet) and I had to search for what a Combinator is because so many people mention it, but don't explain it. So, thank you. Do you want to do a series on making beats in Reason and put it in a playlist? That'd be really cool. ESPECIALLY if you started with fundamentals and progressed through different parts of the process. And, then did that for different genres explaining structures of what makes that genre's structure, how, and why it works. Maybe even one day getting to mixing, but I definitely want to learn to create first... All that I ever see is stuff on "Trap Beats"... that'd be cool too (one day). But, I am certainly not interested in living where a trillion others are right now... I'm kinda' bored hearing those hats now, if i'm being honest.

[@StockMusicMusician]

Thanks for the kind words! I do have a few playlists where I start from scratch. This could be a good one to watch: kzbin.info/aero/PL9X_ItdjofmXehRqYeOpm4bm0zyY0vjSb

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

Is a Combinator modeled from a real modular instrument or what? Like, what is it? I'm sorry. I am VERY new to all of this, and can't seem to find "Combinator" on the Guitar Center or Sweetwater site to try to wrap my head around what it might be for. But they don't really have modular stuff either. I'm trying to wrap my head around modular, and was hoping that Reason would help. But, it's like it is just intensifying it.

[@StockMusicMusician]

Nope, it’s total it’s own thing. Basically, think of it as a controller that lets you do complex things to everything else that’s included in Reason

[@freethinkers-inc.]

I'm wondering if there's a way to use the combinator in a DAW to make one reason instance turn into a 16-Midi-Channel Instance. Anybody knows how to do this? It's even described in the manual if I did not understand it wrong -> "In Reason Rack Plug the Combinator is the device to use when you want to route MIDI only to specific devices in the rack. If you are not using the Combinator, MIDI will be automatically routed to all applicable devices used in the rack!". But I don't know how to do this.

[@freethinkers-inc.]

@gary burrows Thank you very much. I'm gonna try it out tomorrow and give a short feedback afterwards.

[@freethinkers-inc.]

@gary burrows Hi Gary, I can't find the midi players. The only option I have in a rack-plugin is the midi out device. But I can't select midi channels for input assignment. Can you explain what you mean with Midi players?

[@yotrakzproductions7324]

I was confused before...now Im pleasantly more confused. No worries 😌... doin the new software shuffle: R'n TFM🏃. Thanks for the drop dude.

[@WeTheFriends]

Do let me know your mail id, i will share some of my combinators.

[@StockMusicMusician]

Thanks Sambit! It's stockmusicmusician[at]gmail.com

[@rahim4411]

I'm so sick of the Heat Up commercial where the guy is walking really really slow as though that's cool, and the beat comes on and he isn't doing the actual beat. smh. Ok back to regular programming.

[@Molekulasti]

How convoluted Reason's workflow is. Too much clicking for less than adequate results. Those stock synths and effects are on some 1998 level. Not blaming you. Reason sounds bad. I can do this in 1/4 of a time in Bitwig and it sounds full and fat.

[@StockMusicMusician]

For a lot of things Reason is super slow. But if you throw some VSTs into your combinator and get some complex CV routing going on, you can end up with some really cool stuff. Then save the patch and it's ready to go next time.

[@WeTheFriends]

I love reason .. although i have pro version of almost all topline daws, that I use for music making. Shettled now with reason for music production and bandlab cakewalk for mixing n mastering. The things reason can do no other daw can. With 10.3, if works well, it will be at the top...

[@WeTheFriends]

Reason workflow is the most powerful one. No one can beat it there

[@richardm.4227]

It's not convoluted, it is just modeled after a hardware workflow, which some people prefer.

[@BenedictRoffMarsh]

Bitwig does sound good. It can be fast to use, or you can dig in just as complex as Reason's Rack paradigm (which is something Bitwig were borrowing from). However Bitwig also has some severe limitations. It is the most likely host I'd swap to if Reason folded but comparing like this isn't particualrly useful. If you want to see more things being done in Reason by a long-time user then have a look at some of recent videos where I record a whole mixing or mastering session (the one uploading right now does both).

[@rahim4411]

I'm so sick of the Heat Up commercial where the guy is walking really really slow as though that's cool, and the beat comes on and he isn't doing the actual beat. smh. Ok back to regular programming.

[@StockMusicMusician]

Hahaha