Using MIDI Hardware with Reason - Micro Tutorial

[@ReasonStudios]

Wow! I had an SY-77! I loved that thing. It was my first sequencer too. You could get the tracks into Reason but not as MIDI. Since the SY doesn't have multiple outputs, you'd have to record the track audio one by one, muting channels as you go to essentially solo one track at a time. If you set Reason to the same tempo as your sequence you can easily slide all the audio back to a measure start and effectively have the master audio tracks to your old sequences.

[@Navisworker]

Thanks for making this feature Balance friendly. Somehow as a Balance owner, I feel you owe me.

[@ReasonStudios]

There is latency inherent in the original MIDI specification and in any soundcard one uses to record, whether it's their synth or a vocal performance. Reason offers latency compensation that can be turned on in the preferences to do just as you suggest. Since the latency is determined by the soundcard and midi interface, the setting isn't automatic but once you find the magic number in milliseconds it'll always be the same as long as you use that same hardware.

[@kymbo72]

Thanks for your reply! Yeah I loved the SY too - also my 1st sequencer. In fact I still use it, but it is purely just a keyboard to control Reason with now . Recording is SO much easier (and more fun) since I discovered Reason! But I think I will try your suggestion even though it is a bit fiddly and see how it turns out. Thanks again.

[@GuitarMonkey5180]

you have to have the outputs from the motif go into your interface going into Reason then create an audio track and select the inputs you put the motif in. you arent sending audio through a midi cable, just messages. and when you are using something as a controller via usb, it may not be able to play sounds through the usb as well. Motifs are awesome, id love to have one.

[@ReasonStudios]

Not sure I understand the question. Reason has a feature called Bounce Mixer Channels that exports track stems to disk. You can select which mixer channels you want to export, and you can even choose the export the aux sends as printed audio.

[@googull271]

You guys are geniuses!!! I have Reason 6.5 and an m audio fast track but I'm selling it and gonna buy Balance with Reason 7. Reason is so great. My last album was recorded entirely on Reason and it's an all acoustic album. I used alot of things in the rack and the mixer and I love it all. Great program, not just for electronic music.

[@InkTracer]

I love you guys!!! I'm saving up to buy Balance with 7. I have 6.5 and it's still the boss.

[@aero2graph]

Very nice utility, thanks Propellerhead guys!

[@ActivatedSoundwave]

Thanks this is very reassuring and the auto detect of hardware synth parameters and deepness of the multiple parameters feels like its heads above others, I am coming back to reason after seeing this and 9 on the way too, happy daze.

[@DjBinke]

Great video and what a wonderful version of Reason! I can finally use my Virus TI with my favorite music program, without all the hassle of using rewire and another host, that i don't really want to use :)

[@Eleton]

Did your virus ti boot up its virus control with reason too? That software that comes with your virus ti?

[@DjBinke]

Eleton No, the software is not compatible with reason, but for me that's not a problem. Just tweaking on the knobs or modulating from Reason is enough.. The only pain for me is when using multiple sounds from the Virus because you have to bounce each individually

[@Eleton]

I see.

[@TheOfficialGnasher]

Man, this is so cool. Wish I had some hardware to try it out on.

[@tellyheads]

You need a note mapped refill. I think the Wilton Piano one is a good example, where each note is sampled individually and also across the various velocity levels. Sounds beautiful.

[@tellyheads]

The sample button on the NN19 is one of the the three blue ones at the top of the rack, on the right with the waveform design on it, next to the SELECT MIDI VIA KEYZONE indicator light. Hope that helps!

[@ReasonStudios]

Yes it will. Anything with a MIDI in jack (MIDI cable or USB).

[@ReasonStudios]

What you heard is correct. In Reason 7 you can authorize your computer itself instead of the Ignition Key, letting you launch Reason with all your USB ports free. :) MORE ROOM FOR CONTROLERS AND HARDWARE!!

[@ReasonStudios]

Another thought I had. If it's possible to save the SY-77 Sequences in the standard .MID song file format to the floppy drive and if you have a floppy drive for your computer, then you could open the sequences up in Reason and reassign the instruments tracks to External MIDI Instrument devices to go back and play the SY-77 from Reason with your exact MIDI data now in the Reason sequencer.

[@Faxxer248]

You can make any genre of music in reason, it's just that the rack has electronic instruments in it so it makes sense to showcase THAT instead of jo blo's random guitar riff and johnny beat em's drum set that noone else will own and thus not be able to reproduce.

[@Healectro]

you have to put more outputs in midi clock sync preferences cause we have some volcas, delays, euroracks, tetr4 combos, sq1, po12, virusti seqs to sync with tempo of reason! :)

[@philw9436]

Yeah, I like the Matrix ! sounds good with a Nord .. & thanks to Reason 8.1 I can record & control it ... Excellent software !

[@logicprohacks]

Thanks for the video, do you have tutorials on the extremely advanced stuff you referenced @2:43? I am huge Logic X Power user and I want to do a ton more since the release of Reason 9.5. IMHO, It seems Reason still has issues with MIDI. For example, in Logic, I can record enable multiple midi tracks at one time. How would I get around that? Is there some kind of IAC driver hack?

[@clegrand72]

a very useful tutorial, the only missing would be a little guide showing how to deal with latency that is usually present when I try this at home. Maybe someone could point me to the right direction to be able to understand how to tweak it so that midi notes and the recorded audio are synchronised ? In my case, I have Roland Boutiques, which transmit the MIDI and the audio signal via USB, maybe that plays a role too? I use ASIO4ALL driver for my Realtec soundcard, but I fail to see how to properly set up buffers and latency in the driver as well as the Reason control panel, so I always have to shift my recorded audio tracks by some milliseconds in order to make it tight. maybe I should give an example: I sync my TR08 with Reason over Midi (it is slaved, Reason sends clock). When I program a pattern on the TR08 that I want to record, I enable an audiotrack to record from the TR08 out. I hit "RECORD" and Reason sends clock, so the TR starts playing. Reason records this to the audio track, but there is a noticeable lag in the recording, and the beat is out of sync with the other audio tracks I use. I need to then tweak the recording and drag it so the start points coincide with the audio from the other tracks. Maybe I am overseeing something here, but I can´t find settings for latency compensation that make this adjustment unnecessary.

[@tellyheads]

Usually MIDI filters work in increments with a maximum of 127... Apparently the easiest solution is to set midi parameter recieve is set to "cc" or "all" and then controller #102 will correctly control filter cutoff. Have a Google, there's a thread on Gearslutz all about this issue, it's designed to work across 2 controllers apparently.

[@Freyelise]

It was pretty cool to revive the aftertouch of my JX-10 with this and a modern midi-keyboard. Of course I don't need Reason for that, but I don't usually hook up an external controller to synths that already have keys.. I'd almost forgotten the darn thing has aftertouch functions :) Possibly now shifting focus to rack synths, as they take so much less space.. ;)

[@SeedsofmusicNethub]

Looks like an awesome feature. Too bad I don't want to use my Casio, haha, but then again the drawbar organ tones sound good.

[@tellyheads]

You're probably better off adjusting the MIDI latency to match the Reason click track. Go with a 4/4 staccato sound repeated at the same time as the click track, and pull the millisecond adjustment in increments either direction until they are playing in unison. Things that affect latency might not always be MIDI related, for example if you're running analog output to a mixer that is also handling your Reason output the D/A converter will lag behind a little, so maybe drag it back, minus m/s.

[@tellyheads]

Not running an MPC 1000 but I got it to work via the MIDI thru port of an X-Station 25, you might have to set the MPC up to recieve on the correct channel - maybe try setting the receive channel to 3, and adjust the MIDI channel on the Reason rack to match... just a guess. Is the MPK49 filtering the MIDI signals before they hit the MPC?

[@PleasureplexPro]

Okay let me try that out. Thanks you for the advice.

[@tellyheads]

No worries, hope it works out!

[@Chevytravelleruk]

Nice tutorial, but you neglected to mention that the recorded audio will have inherent latency and will need to be shuffled forward to play back correctly in time. Would be nice if this could be calculated and compensated automatically.. maybe a future release?

[@FrankWever]

You could use a virtual midi cable like MidiYoke.

[@ReasonStudios]

Yes it could!

[@MrDeekaph]

This external device interface was the sole reason I upgraded to V7, prior to that I was considering abandoning Reason, which I've used since it came out, for something that I could at least sync with my external gear (in my case, a Motif XF8). It's a little bit sloppy, but gets the job done. Record the midi track playing on the synth, capturing the midi data in Reason, then quantize and play back capturing the audio out of the Motif on an in channel. IT WORKS. However, Propellerhead, whom I've loved since Rebirth came out ... could you please just give us VST support? Seriously. Yes, I love Thor. Yes, I love all the synths but I have VSTs that I also love like Garritan Personal Orchestra that getting it to work with Reason is a pain. I don't WANNA be that guy that jumps ship after more than a decade and 300+ tracks recorded with your software to go to Pro Tools 11 but SERIOUSLY. I want Komplete. I want my Maschine to work INSIDE Reason instead of having to hack stuff across cables and midiloops. Cmon. I know you're already committed with Version 8 (where mostly what I can see is the improved patch browsing, which is reason enough for me to shell out the bucks to upgrade) but by Version 9 I really, sincerely hope you will incorporate proper VST support. Because I'm buying Komplete and I'm sick of apologizing to my Pro Tools friends about Reason's shortcomings. With boundless love.

[@indieclock]

MrDeekaph dude, your first paragraph sums up EXACTLY where i am right now. i currently use R6 but desperately want to have the Matrix Sequencer control my Yamaha TG33 & Casio CZ-1000. i'm just about to upgrade - just trying to make sure this MIDI implementation *truly* works the way it seems to in the video !

[@Unfinishedbasementpr]

Hey, thanks. Maybe I'll try that when I get a new interface.

[@percutony]

I have Reason 5 but I can't get no midi instruments like it's shown in the video. How i can get it?

[@Jellicoid]

Finally I can quantize my shitty external hardware playing!!!

[@JamieClark]

All of these types of PropellerheadSW videos have similar music, at least at the end - I assume it's the same person composing? Who is it?? Is there an album to buy of full length songs? Or do we like composing 45 second pieces?

[@simplefirelight]

@PropellerheadSW I wanted to ask you this question for a while, even though it doesn't pertain to this particular video. Can you use the Pitch CV-out from neptune to control the pitch of other synths? Like for instance, using your own voice to control the pitch of a vocoder? I'm kinda new to this, so I might not be knowing what I'm talking about.

[@MrGlennBlack]

Nice work Propellerheads. As people use loads of VST's now days can this not just control a VST stack? If not I am sure you could write a script to allow this,or do I really have to go to the trouble of using a second PC as a midi instrument! Come on guys people have been asking for proper VST integration for years but instead you go to all the time and trouble to write rack extensions and now this. People want to use their VST's with Reason!!!

[@omarmarmolejo345]

Is there a tutorial of how to connect korg volca bass via external MIDO.

[@7467277]

Is it possible to use my Mixman Digital Music Mixer (DM²) in the same way or some other way? The DM² is suppose to work with FL Studio but I can't get it to work. I've used Reason in the past and think it's one of the better apps out. I'd switch back if I could use a DM² with it. I know the DM² is abit outdated but I still love using it for live cuttin & scratchin. Thanks!

[@JoshuaGawley]

What version of Windows are you running? System requirements state that you need Windows 7 or later.

[@pourgasonem]

Does this work with MIDI via USB or does it have to be strictly connected via MIDI cables

[@CubamusPrime]

What is the best 25 key midi KB to use for Reason 12?

[@sp1200fanatic]

So, the midi controller doesn't have to connected to the interface via midi, just usb to the computer?

[@mgpoolpromgpoolpro6185]

cool video, i use the roland mx1 mixer/interface how i can send midi information to another synth ?

[@KimStennabbCaesar]

Any device capable of receiving MIDI information will probably work. I tried plugging in my Teenage Engineering OP-1 via USB (updated with the latest OS update) and it showed up in Reason as a selectable device in the rack MIDI interface. I'll probably post a video soon, showing some stuff sequenced this way! :)

[@emmanuelsayers7879]

Propellerhead, would this work just by using the midi out on a keyboard controller into the midi in of a hardware synth/device?

[@kymbo72]

I have a Yamaha SY-77 synth with some old 16 track sequenced songs saved on there. Is it possible to get these entire songs into reason? Can the 16 tracks remain as separate tracks in reason too?

[@udugirl1]

Excellent! ✨👏😎

[@skymediaplus9071]

What about having external synth sequencer start and stop with Reason? I can get midi to record and the audio to play fine, but on patches that use an internal sequencer of the synth, it doesn't work. Only on static patches with no sequencer data.

[@greyfox5265]

Hello, how can i control the new Arturia Drumbrute via MIDI , if i connect it with usb and i set the reason midi interface for the drumbrute it should trig the different drum samples in the midi piano roll, but apparently it does not get any sound, what should i do? please help me

[@svenverheijen2709]

I've got a problem. I've configured everything and I have send the midi clock so my divice is enslaved to the tempo of the DAW/reason. I can get sound but can't control my hardware synth using my midi controller or when i draw notes in the sequenser at the MIDI instrument area, the hardware synth doesn't follows this pattern. It just keeps the pattern programmed on the hardware itself. Also recording the actual audio itself is a problem and isn't visible in the sequenser. Now is this a problem because of the configuration or did I make a mistake in the progress of connecting it all? I do use a Doepfer MSY2 'midi to sync' interface in stead of directly inserting the midi from my audio interface to my hardware device. Can u help me ?

[@ihasou]

Hi on the next upgrade please include a score editor

[@Unfinishedbasementpr]

How exactly do you find this "magic number?" I have been trying to figure out how to compensate latency for awhile now. Would you mind describing the exact steps for how to compensate for latency either on a MIDI or an audio track?

[@ZacharySnyderSadin]

That usually is caused my a computer performance issue. Are you using an external soundcard/audio interface?

[@sooooboredful]

i right click and external midi instrument doesn't come up. please help.

[@KimStennabbCaesar]

It will most probably work!

[@ChristianBundgaard]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@coreystuart]

I plug the midi cable into the back of my keyboard, but...where does the other end of the midi cable go?? I already use a USB controller to play and control Reason. It's a Korg Triton, but works all the same.

[@nayaent]

her mr reason man. i was wondering.. is there a way you could control a couple of your hardware nobs from ur hardware?? like freq and resonance and stuff?? why is there only 1 nob ?

[@dopemcee]

so does this mean you can only tweak one thing at a time?? there's only one knob to assign

[@PleasureplexPro]

You can already bounce the tracks individually I believe. (Bounce Mixer Channel) is what your looking for.

[@0tto777]

I think you might be the only one... What don't you understand about the audio coming out of a synth going into the audio interface?

[@0tto777]

If there is no sampler button (the little image of a transient sound wave next to the load patch section either in redrum, the drop down main window of the NNXT etc etc) then you don't have a very old version of reason?

[@0tto777]

And sampling... If you're audio interface has a mic plugged in and you know how to use your interface (which has nothing to do with propellerhead unless you use balance) then you press the sample button on any instrument with it and record whatever you want with your mic. What's so difficult?

[@vicioussuspicious894]

How do I add effects on my audio track while playing live with my external instrument?

[@glensutton2339]

Hi, if he doesn't have a disk drive for his computer (as they are pretty obsolete these days) can he still do a sysex or midi data dump of just his midi files to his computer and then open them up in his computer/import to reason?

[@EpicSociety100]

Thanks Yo! Appreciate that.

[@philberto12]

Can you actually edit on the piano roll and drum sequencer with external midi instruments if so how?

[@medude5]

Can you connect eletric drums to Reason with midi?

[@JoshuaGawley]

So I could do it with Kontakt?

[@JJ1NE]

So could this work with an MPC 1000?

[@Bendy2K]

Is it not possible to record cc changes (e.g. filter cutoff) directly from your synth using the MIDI out?

[@koncreteto2758]

it is

[@asmallbabby4205]

How do you do a Bank Select MSB and LSB for Yamaha XG devices?

[@shaner577]

Hello internet im having some problems. I recently bought A Roland tr8 & I would like to sync via midi I reason 5 & connect them via A usb to midi lead The midi usb pops up in my prefrences but the it want trigger my reason any idea's would be helpful.

[@taelue]

You have to be using reason version 7 and above to integrate your hardware with reason.

[@PaulAdamssongs]

Well, there was no sample button on any of the samplers?? That really confused me. Yes i thought it strange. I saw the button on the tutorial, but there wasn't one on any of my samplers?? Weird. Have mercy on me. Even though I have 12 albums out, it was done the old fashioned midi and Mic way, and I'm an old dude. I am frustrated that their manual doesn't offer a simple step procedure. It keeps referring to other pages. When I go there and try to get back, it doesn't go to the originalpage

[@jazzyxmube6218]

I'm using my guitar with a jack plugged in the scarlett focusrite 2i2 studio which is connected to my computer. I opened reason but it doesn't show any midi port for me to use, how is that possible?

[@koncreteto2758]

preferences , advanced , set midi , done

[@DynastyUK]

Hi Guys at Propellerhead I have a question :) Is there sampler that time stretches each sample so it sounds real? for example I sample 1 piano note and have it so it can be played across the whole keyboard. the NN-XT just speeds up the sample when u play it high up or slows it down. I'm wondering if there's such a thing that stretched each note so they all sound the same :P If there isn't will there be? thanks Guysss!!! :D

[@dkyx]

B-B-B-Bounce! Honestly.

[@JamieClark]

That's kind of brilliant.. there's an SY-77 for sale near me pretty cheap... but maybe I'd rather a PX7 ;)

[@PleasureplexPro]

Hey Props, I am having an issue. The Mopho's filter CC goes past 127, and because of this I am unable to close it all the way from Reason. Is there any way around this, or anything I can do? Thanks

[@minimalmarklane]

My focusite 2i4 only has two ports and I want to record several drum sounds onto different tracks. How can I sync the drum machine to Reason 7 so I can record the one at a time (in time) with predetermined pattern in the drum machine?

[@ActivatedSoundwave]

Mark best going over to the forums for this.

[@DynastyUK]

ah yeah I've got one but if I'm doing my own sampling I could save hours of time stretching samples and loading them into the nn-xt. if they had a device that does it for you :) Thanks all the same though man =]

[@conormcgivern]

Im using a roland tr8 with reason 9. I have the midi and audio synced but whenever the song get slightly complicated, reason says my computer is too slow. I am using a 3rd gen i7 processor with 16gb of ram so i would have thought this would be sufficient. Have you got any suggestions as to why this might be happening? Any help would be much appreciated.

[@koncreteto2758]

sounds like your audio interface is weak

[@EpicSociety100]

How can I get reason to play my motif internal sounds? I already have it working as a midi controller, now I'm just trying to get it to play the internal sounds of my motif. Any help would be great.

[@fluctibus]

I've got a MOTO micro lite USB Midi-Interface, already a few years old. But Reason doesn't seem to find the device. Is the MOTU too old???? (it's be usb 1.0)

[@donvalentino4837]

I have Focusfrite audio interface will this work for my acustic guitarr?? and mic???

[@heythoseguys]

Is there any tutorial that will explain how to find your magic number?

[@RapperRemedi]

do you know why it's recording my metronome into the audio track of my midi instrument?

[@firstlast493]

How I can change standard wires to colourized wires?

[@jacka55penguin]

Now that this is gone do you have an update?

[@TheWinterss]

Hey, anyone know how to set an override for a keyboard shortcut? More specifically the P key, that sets the locators to the selected clip and starts playback in loop. I really need to set this function to a button on my controller so I can do this easily in live performances.

[@lil-link]

Amazing, finally :D

[@ChristianBundgaard]

Could this work with the synths i have on my iPad?

[@ProfessorXman916]

whats the song at the end? I like it.

[@louisrodriguez693]

Hello anyone! I have a Maschine Mk2 and i'd like to know if its possible to send my midi data from Maschine Mk2 to reason software. Unfortunately, it seems that it is quiet difficult to match clocks with my fast tract ultra, pro tools and Maschine Mk2. I'm new to this so pardon me if my question is redundant. Thanks..

[@koncreteto2758]

it will work as a controller but since maschine has a dedicated software seams a waste of time , create the tracks with maschine export the stems and import into reason

[@PleasureplexPro]

Hmmm, do you have that link by any chance?

[@els1f]

Hey anyone, I've got a question. Is a macbook pro capable of handling a project on its own, or are they just supplemental? Like, could you leave it plugged in, and use it like an iMac, or will the battery crap out? (you know like a cell phone battery eventually does if you keep it plugged in) Reason 7 has finally aged-out my computer and I DESPERATELY need to get with this new version. I've always just wondered whether to go portable or keep it with a desktop. Does anyone just use a laptop?

[@DionteBOOMstudio]

Step by step and I can't get this to work with my Korg Monologue.