What Can I Import Into Reason?

This is apparently the question a lot of you are asking about Propellerhead Reason.

Other than REX Loops (which you play in the DR:Rex Loop Player), Akai Samples (for which you'll need Reload) the short answer is this: you can import Soundfonts, as well as any of the major formats that other sequencers will export.

Namely, AIFF or WAV.

To get them into Reason you need to use the NN-XT Sampler (or the NN-19) by clicking the Load Sample button at the top left of the Remote Editor (the Remote Editor is the part of the NN-XT you get by clicking the little arrow on its bottom left.) The samples are usually mapped, at the correct pitch, to middle C (C3) of your keyboard.

If you're after something different, you can also load samples into the ReDrum. To do this simply click on the little folder icon at the top of one of its columns, let's say #1, then navigate to where your sample is and load it up. You then use the ReDrum as normal (which can make for some interesting results if your sample isn't percussion!)

Once your samples are imported, you can then add FX to them or otherwise manipulate them.

How To: Import mp3s into Reason

UPDATE (14 November 2012): Much of this post is still relevant. You still can't import compressed audio (mp3, Ogg Vorbis) directly into Reason. You still have to dick around to do it. Yay.

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.

And you're done!

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!

How To: Compose To Picture With Reason

As much as I love Propellerhead Reason there's still a few things it just can't do.

The main thing people seem to be obsessed with and go on about ad nauseum is its apparent inability to record audio in (such as vocals) but there are some simple ways around that (and I'll almost definitely do a post about that later.)

But for me there are two things I really wish it could do: 1) music notation (and the ability to print the final sheet music) and 2) being able to compose to picture (for film or television scoring.) There's not much I can do about the first, but for the second there's ReVision.

Granted Software's ReVision is basically a ReWire enabled QuickTime player which allows it to be synched with Reason, so you can precisely compose and place your soundtrack and then export the whole thing (sound and picture) out of ReVision. It's ingenious, simple and dead easy to use:

1. Open ReVision (always open the host application first, to insure that ReWire is enabled correctly!)
2. Open Reason.
3. ReVision and Reason are now ReWired and in synch! So any changes you make in one will immediately show up in the other.
4. When you're done you have to export the project out of ReVision to insure that sound/picture are contained in the same file.
5. You have a finished video with music!
   

The above steps will also work with a video capable sequencer (such as Garageband, Apple Logic, Ableton Live, etc) in place of ReVision (just always remember to open the host application first and Reason second.) But I find ReVision a lightweight, easy to use solution.

For Windows users: sadly ReVision only works on Mac OS X. However, I'm told that the excellent Reaper sequencer also works very well. But any sequencer that allows the ReWire protocol will work, so you may already have one installed!

Note: I've been hearing reports that ReVision isn't working too well with Reason 4. I'm sure this is only a temporary glitch. Download the demo and give it a try first!