Reason patches

[cooliofranco]

Hey ya'll

 

I'm relatively new to the forum and wanted to get a thread started about Reason patches. Naturally, I'm most interested in getting analog sounds outta software (a fool's errand?). I've found that accumulating decent drum machine samples and 303 patches isn't terribly difficult. However, I can't seem to find decent leads and pads. I've made a bunch on my own (pitch drifter), but I'm always interested in collecting and using more. I'm particularly interested in the Tuss / Analord palette.

[Adieu]

I use analog redrum kits, 606, 707, 808, 909.

 

I usually just use the Thor with the analog oscillators, then add effects and twiddle some knobs to taste. I like to also dual track the instrument and then make slight changes to one of them. Sometimes I'll even change the patch altogether for the second one. It really fills out the sound and keeps it from being so flat. Its basically like you have a 6 oscillator patch instead of 3.

 

If you want to be incredibly lazy just scroll through the instrument patches of the category you desire and usually some of them will be named "analog" in some way or another. There are also some with BOC references, and Aphex references that might get you in the right direction. You can find one you like and then make changes to it to make it your own.

[Adieu]

You can also do a lot of interesting routing using the Thor to add an individual feel to your patch. You can just route things to other random things like your drum kit for instance.

 

Sometimes I will route the matrix pattern sequencer to a parameter and then use the curve to make changes as well.

[cooliofranco]

The provided patches that reference AFX are pretty lame but I think the BoC ones are quite good starting points. For effects it seems like everything needs a little reverb or spreading. My main issue with Reason is that without some extensive fiddling and compression, everything sounds small.

[Adieu]

Yeah I reverb a lot, but I think I need to adjust my natural mixing inclinations because my tracks are very loud and not very dynamic. I think this is an issue related to the synths not sounding very full. Usually this is the natural argument for hardware over software though really isn't it?

 

You could try using sample libraries for syths instead. I have a very large collection of sample packs that I've been experimenting with recently. I am not that well acquainted with using the samplers though. I'm trying to push myself in that direction to better round out my ability to utilize the program.

 

I recorded a bass line using my Juno 106 earlier this week directly into Reason, and honestly it didn't really seem like the sound quality was that much better. I think the best solution would be to mic an amplifier if you really want a good sound out of some hardware.

 

Really though I think the sounds you can get out of Reason totally suffice for creating good tracks. It is not so laborious to me that it is annoying to fiddle with things. Most people's arguments against Reason is that it does not offer you as much creative possibility as something with VST support.

[cooliofranco]

From what I can remember from an interview with Vibert, Reason is tool used by a surprising number of legit artists, but mainly as you have described-- an easily manipulable sampler essentially. I don't have much in the way of hardware (no money, no space in NYC, other excuses), but I have tried just recording the output from my computer to an amp then back into Reason. It really helps with the smallness problem.

[Adieu]

Yea vibert, A guy called gerald and tom middleton use it. I believe it is the skeuomorphism that is most appealing to them.

 

I attempted to record my reason output at one point but I got a feedback loop that left my ears ringing for a few days. I am going to experiment with it more in the future though.

[Adieu]

Excerpt from the interview with Vibert:

 

What was your first encounter with Reason?

Funnily enough it was Aphex Twin who had an early beta version - he was the first person who showed it to me, and I thought "what a wicked idea". The fact that it looked like a studio was a definite turn-on for me; I loved to see a bit of actual gear simply represented in a rack. I never liked the separate boxes and stuff in those other programs. I loved the fact that it didn't have plug-ins, I was really fed up with Cubase and Logic and tons of options... a simpler thing was just perfect for me.

For Luke, the switch to Reason happened pretty much overnight - after completing his last entirely Atari-based album Musipal (Ninja Tune, 2001) he fired up Reason and continued working on the 20 or so Reason tracks that had been stewing on his Mac since the summer of 2000. Slowly but surely, Reason was becoming the centerpiece of his studio.

My first Reason project was Amen Andrews in 2003, then YosepH which was part Reason, part analogue. The first all-Reason project was Kerrier District in 2004, followed by Wagon Christ's Sorry I make you Lush which was all Reason too.

[sheatheman]

You want me to post some of my patches? Is that the deal? I have some good combinator patches. What version do you have?

[cooliofranco]

yeah sure. i checked out your soundcloud stuff. very nice. great warm feelings. maybe pass along some of analogy pad and tape hiss sounds if u like.

[sheatheman]

I PMed you links.

[cooliofranco]

Cool thanks. I've put up 3 more of mine, 2 are bassy and one is a windy background thing modeled after some Marumari sounds.

Bass 1

Bass 2

Marumari

[sheatheman]

The marumari leads to a "dirty303seq" but it is a nice one.

[cooliofranco]

Ah sorry- this is the right link.

[tokn]

i've been using reason for ages but i find it very hard to make it sound clean and good. ableton live sounds so much clearer from the scratch.

 

if you are interested in really wicked, weird synth samples, i will collect a bunch from my patches for you. just pm me! check out the soundcloud below to get a impression...