Okay, I admit it, the title of this post is a bit of a cheat because you can't import mp3s directly into Reason. I know, sad but true. However, with a simple bit of conversion you can, in fact, get those very tracks into Reason.
It's really quite simple. Here's how:
- If you don't already have another sequencer such as Apple Logic (or Garageband), Ableton Live or Cubase (or something similar) you can use Audacity which is 100% free.
- Simply drag and drop the mp3 you want to use into Audacity and then export the track back out as an AIFF or WAV.
- You can also export a specific part of the track as a loop or segment by moving the Left marker to the start of the section you want and the Right marker to the end of the section and then choosing Export As Loop.
- You can then import the AIFF/WAV into an NN-XT Advanced Sampler. And in fact, if you want to use an entire mp3 song it's a good idea to split it into segments anyway and import them individually to the NN-XT Sampler so you don't run into timing problems.
This also works for vocals or instruments you may want to record and then use in your Reason songs. Just record them into Audacity and then follow the steps above. You can use Reason to add effects once you have them imported.
Do you have an easier way of doing this? Let us know!
