Reason 13.1 Operation Manual
DAW | Rack Plugin
#The Arrange Area and the Edit Area
The Arrange Area is the “normal view” where you are working with your song arrangement. The Arrange Area gives a good overview of the contents of the tracks in your song. If the Enable Blocks function on the Options menu is active, the Blocks track is also visible at the top in the Track List. If the Enable Blocks function is off, there is no Blocks track in the Track List.
On the Blocks track you arrange the Block automation clips that control which Block should play back (see “Working with Blocks in the Sequencer”).
The Edit Area is where you edit the contents of the clips in your song.
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Press [F8] to open (and close) the Edit Area. Alternatively, double click a clip, or select a clip and hit [Enter].
The Edit Area shows detailed information about the content of one track (see “Tracks overview”), or lane (see “Lanes overview”) at a time and you can edit the events in individual clips (see “Clips overview”).
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Instrument Tracks only have a single Edit Mode, whereas Audio Tracks have three different Edit Modes depending on what and how you want to edit the audio.
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When you open a note or audio clip by double-clicking it in the Arrange Area, the sequencer automatically opens the Edit Area.
#The Arrange Area
In the Arrange Area, all clips on all tracks can be viewed. Use this mode to get an overview of your arrangement, and when you want to perform clip-based editing such as rearranging whole sections of your song, etc.
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Note that if the Enable Blocks function on the Options menu is off, there is no Blocks track in the Track List.
#The Edit Area
You can double click a clip to open it in the Edit Area - or press [F8]. In the Edit Area, you get a close-up look at the recordings on a track/lane. For Note clips the Edit Pane is divided into two horizontal edit rows, showing the notes at the top and one selectable parameter at a time at the bottom (Velocity in the example above). To the left in the Edit Area is the Edit Area Inspector, where you find editing functions for the currently open clip type:
The Edit Area for an open Note clip
Similarly, if you double click an Audio clip it opens up in the Edit Area and could look as follows:
The Edit Area for an open Audio clip
See “Audio Editing in the Sequencer” and “Note and Automation Editing” for details about editing clips in the Edit Area.
#About the Follow Song function
The Arrange Area and Edit Area have separate Follow Song buttons. In the Edit Area this is off by default but if you turn it on, the Edit Area will scroll to follow the song position during playback:
#Toolbar overview
The sequencer Toolbar features various sequencer editing tools as well as the Snap function. The tools can be used both in the Edit Area and in the Song/Block Views, with slightly different purposes in the respective modes. See “Toolbar details” for details about each tool.
#Track List overview
To the left in the sequencer, all tracks are listed in the Track List. Each track in the sequencer is associated with a specific device in the rack. By clicking on a device icon in the Track List you automatically set Master Keyboard Input (see “Setting Master Keyboard Input”) to the corresponding device in the rack for playing and/or recording.
#Tracks overview
Most rack devices in a song automatically get their own dedicated track in the sequencer when you create the device. Each track can feature one or several lanes on which audio, note, performance controller, pattern and parameter automation events can be recorded - in clips. See “Track details” for more details about tracks.
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If the Blocks button on the Transport Panel is on, the Blocks Track is also shown at the top in the Track List.
#Lanes overview
Each track consists of one (default) or several parallel lanes. The lanes can contain clips that feature note events or audio recordings, depending on track type. A track can also feature automation lanes that contain clips with parameter automation events - or pattern automation for pattern based devices. See “Lane details” for more details about lanes.
#Clips overview
Note, audio, performance controller, pattern and parameter automation events are always contained in clips. A clip is basically a “container” for recorded data. Audio clips are displayed in the Arrange Area as a rectangular box with one or two graphical audio waves inside (mono or stereo). Note events are displayed in a “piano roll” fashion in the clip. Performance controllers and parameter automation events are displayed as continuous lines, and pattern events are displayed as repeated rectangles in the clips. See “Clip basics” for information about the different clip types.
#Arrange Area Inspector overview
The context sensitive Inspector shows the properties of the currently selected clip(s) in the Arrange Area of the sequencer. The properties of the selected item can be edited by changing the values in the various displays. See “About the Arrange Area Inspector” for more info.
#Ruler/Timeline overview
The Ruler is the song’s “time line”, measured in bars. In the Ruler, the Song Position Pointer indicates the current position in the song, i.e. in which bar the song is, or will begin, playing. The Ruler also shows the Left and Right Loop Locators as well as the Song End Marker. See “Ruler (timeline) details” for more details.
#Arrange Area overview
The big center section of the sequencer is called the Arrange Area. This is where all recorded events reside in clips - on one or more lanes on the respective track.
#Track scrollbar overview
To the far right in the sequencer is the Track scrollbar. With the Track scrollbar you can scroll vertically in the Arrange Area. See “Scrolling” and “Zooming in the Sequencer” for more details.
#Song Navigator overview
Below the Arrange Area is the Song Navigator. With the Song Navigator you can scroll and zoom horizontally in the Arrange Area. The Song Navigator also features indicators for the Ruler’s Loop Locators, Song Position Pointer and Song End Marker. In the Song Navigator, all clips on all lanes are displayed as colored lines, indicating their positions in the song. See “Scrolling” and “Zooming in the Sequencer” for more details.
#Transport Panel overview
The Transport Panel features the sequencer transport controls (Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop, Play and Record) as well as controls for Tempo, Time Signature, Position, Time and Loop Locator placements and some other functions. See “Transport Panel details” for more details.
#Track definition
The tracks in the sequencer are where you record your audio, note and automation to create your songs. A track is always associated with a device in the rack (except for the Transport track and Blocks track). An icon with a picture of the associated device is shown in the Track List on the left hand side in the sequencer. In the Track List, the name of the associated device is shown, as well as icons and buttons related to the specific track. Each track can incorporate various lane types (depending on track type). To the right of the Track List - in the Arrange Area - each track has its own dedicated area for recorded events.
In the picture below, six sequencer tracks are shown. From the top down are the Transport Track (which is always present and cannot be moved or deleted), two audio tracks, two instrument tracks associated with one ID8 instrument device each, and one automation track for a Mix Channel strip.
#The relationship between the track, the rack and the Main Mixer
A track in the sequencer is always associated with a device in the rack; i.e. there can never be a sequencer track without an associated rack device (except for the Transport track and Blocks track). Audio Track devices and Mix Channel devices in the rack also have their corresponding channel strips in the Main Mixer. Mixer channel strips can be considered “remote controls” for their corresponding rack devices. Depending on track type, the signal chain differs somewhat. The picture below shows the signal flow in five scenarios with three different track types:
#Audio track relationships
An audio track is always associated with an Audio Track device in the rack and its corresponding Audio Track channel strip in the Main Mixer. An Audio Track device can also house insert effects.
In the figure above, the audio track is associated with the Audio Track device in the rack,
which in turn is controlled from the Audio Track channel strip in the Main Mixer. The audio track
features recorded audio and mixer automation.
#Instrument track relationships (for internal instruments)
An instrument track is always associated with an instrument device in the rack. The instrument device in the rack is, in most situations, connected to a Mix Channel device in the rack. The Mix Channel device in the rack is controlled from the corresponding channel strip in the Main Mixer. A Mix Channel device can also house insert effects.
In the figure above, the ID8 track is associated with the ID8 instrument device in the rack. The ID8 instrument
device is connected to the ID8 Mix Channel device in the rack, which in turn is controlled from the ID8
channel strip in the Main Mixer. The ID8 track features recorded MIDI notes and parameter automation.
Note that when you create an instrument, the connected Mix Channel device doesn’t automatically get a track in the sequencer. If you want to record Mixer Channel automation, you have to first create a separate sequencer track for the Mix Channel device. See “Automation (non-instrument) track relationships”.
#Instrument track relationships (for external MIDI instruments)
If you want to control an external MIDI instrument from the Reason sequencer you have to use the MIDI Out Device (see “MIDI Out Device”). The device works as a MIDI router in which you can define which MIDI Out Port and MIDI Channel you want the MIDI signals to be sent to from Reason. Since there is no internal audio involved in this setup, there is no Audio Track device or Mix Channel device present in the configuration.
In the figure above, the MIDI Out Device track is associated with the MIDI Out Device in the rack. The MIDI Out Device track features recorded MIDI notes and parameter automation (MIDI CC#) that is sent via the MIDI Out Device to the desired MIDI Out Port and MIDI Channel.
#Automation (non-instrument) track relationships
A pure automation track is always associated with a “non-instrument” device, i.e. a device which can’t receive MIDI Note information. Consequently, an automation track can only consist of parameter automation lanes. Examples of non-instrument devices are Mix Channel devices with their corresponding Mix Channel strips, effect devices, mixer devices and Spider Merger & Splitter devices. The picture below shows an example with an automated Mix Channel:
In the figure above, the Mix Channel automation track is associated with the Mix Channel device
in the rack, which in turn is controlled from the channel strip in the Main Mixer.
The picture below shows an example with an automated MClass Equalizer device. Note that no mixer channel strip is involved in this situation since the automation only concerns a non-instrument device and not any Mix Channel device:
In the figure above, the Equalizer automation track is associated with the Equalizer device in the rack.
#Master Keyboard Input
The standard way of routing MIDI from a connected MIDI master keyboard or control surface to a device in the rack is to set the Master Keyboard Input in the sequencer. When MIDI is routed to a selected track in the sequencer, the notes and controller data are automatically echoed to the associated device in the rack. However, it is also possible to set Master Keyboard Input from the rack, see “Playing devices from the rack”.
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Setting Master Keyboard Input to an instrument track is necessary if you want to play notes on an instrument device from your MIDI master keyboard (and control the instrument device parameters via MIDI).
By locking additional MIDI keyboards to separate devices in the rack, you will be able to play and record on several sequencer tracks simultaneously, see “Locking a surface”.
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Setting Master Keyboard Input to an audio track is only necessary if you want to control the Main Mixer channel strip parameters via MIDI.
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Setting Master Keyboard Input to a “non-instrument” (parameter automation only) track is only necessary if you want to control the device’s parameters via MIDI.
Besides the standard routing described above, it’s also possible to lock certain rack devices to specific control surfaces. See “Locking a surface” for more details.
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If you have several MIDI keyboards/control surfaces locked to individual devices in the rack, it is possible to control and record on several tracks simultaneously!
#Setting Master Keyboard Input
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To set Master Keyboard Input to a track and its associated device, click the device icon in the Track List.
Master Keyboard Input set to an instrument track.
Master Keyboard Input set to an audio track.
The track gets a gray “arrow” symbol to the left, indicating that the track and associated device has Master Keyboard Input. The track and device will now respond to incoming MIDI data from a connected MIDI keyboard/control surface. By default, setting Master Keyboard Input also automatically selects the track, which is indicated by the gray color of the track in the Track List.
It’s also possible to set Master Keyboard Input and track selection independently from each other by selecting “Separated” on the “MIDI” page in Preferences - see “Preferences – MIDI”.
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Only one track at a time can have Master Keyboard Input. However, if you have locked additional MIDI keyboards to specific devices in the rack via Remote (see “Locking a surface”), you will be able to play and record these together with the track that has Master Keyboard Input.
#The relationship between tracks, lanes, clips and events
A track is the top level in the sequencer Track List hierarchy. A track can consist of one or several parallel lanes. A lane can contain clips, which in turn can contain audio recordings, note events, performance controller events, parameter automation events or pattern events, depending on track type.
An instrument track with four note lanes featuring clips with note events.
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A device in the rack can never have more than one track in the sequencer.
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A clip is a “container” for various types of events (audio recordings, note, performance controller, parameter automation or pattern events).
#Track types
These are the different track types:
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The Blocks track
The Blocks track is present at the top of the Track List only when the Enable Blocks function on the Options menu is on. On the Blocks track you can create Block Automation clips to decide which Blocks should play back. Refer to “Working with Blocks in the Sequencer” for more information about the Blocks feature.
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The Transport track
The Transport track is always present at the top of the Track List and cannot be moved or deleted. The Transport Track can have a maximum of two lanes: one containing time signature automation, and the other containing tempo automation. See “Automating time signature” and “Editing tempo automation” for more details.
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Audio tracks
An audio track can only have a single audio lane containing clips with mono or stereo audio recordings. However, each audio clip can contain several recordings, i.e. different "takes". You can view and comp these takes in the Comp Editor. See “Audio Editing in the Sequencer” for more details. An audio track can also have parameter automation lanes containing automation for the Audio Track Channel strip parameters in the Main Mixer.
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Instrument tracks
Devices that can receive MIDI notes, such as the ID8 device, will automatically be assigned a record enabled track when created. On an instrument track you can create a number of separate note lanes that can incorporate clips containing a combination of note and performance controller events. Multiple lanes are perfect if you, for example, are recording a drum track and want to record each drum sound on a separate lane. An instrument track can also have a number of parameter automation lanes that can contain clips with instrument parameter automation events.
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Parameter automation (“non-instrument”) tracks
Tracks for devices that do not receive MIDI note data (e.g. effects and mixer devices and mixer channels in the Main Mixer) can only contain parameter automation lanes. These “non-instrument” devices are not automatically assigned a track when created. To automate parameters for non-instrument devices you need to manually create a track for these. The number of available lanes is limited by the number of parameters of each device. There can be one lane for each automatable parameter in the device.
#Track List elements
In the picture below, a Track List with four different tracks is shown. From the top down are the Transport Track (which is always present and cannot be moved or deleted), an Audio Track associated with an Audio Track device, an Instrument Track associated with an ID8 Instrument device and an Automation Track associated with the Mix Channel device.
The Transport Track in the picture features two parameter Automation Lanes (for Time Signature and Tempo) that have been manually created for the track. The audio track features only a single audio lane. The ID8 1 track features four note lanes and has two parameter automation lanes added. The Mix Channel 1 track is associated with the Mix Channel 1 device and has three parameter automation lanes added.
Depending on track type, the elements shown in the Track List can vary. The only common element for all track types is the "Record Enable Parameter Automation" button which should be enabled when you want to record parameter automation for the associated device. This and the other track elements will be described in detail later in this chapter.
#Creating tracks
Regardless of the desired track type, you can always click the Add Track button at the bottom of the Track List and select the desired track type from the pop-up menu that appears:
#Creating an audio track
An audio track can be created as follows:
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Hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and press [T]. Alternatively, select “Create Audio Track” from the “Create” menu or from the context menu in the Track List, rack or Main Mixer.
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Alternatively, double click the Audio Track device in the Utilities palette in the Device Palette.
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An audio track is created in the sequencer and the associated Audio Track device is created in the rack. The Audio Track device’s channel strip is created in the Main Mixer.
By default, the audio track is set up in mono. You can easily change to stereo by selecting “Stereo Input” in the “Audio Input” drop-down list - see “Selecting audio input(s) and defining mono or stereo”. If you select “Stereo Input”, the Audio Track channel strip in the Main Mixer automatically switches to a stereo channel.
#Creating an instrument track
To create an instrument track, you need only create the instrument device. An instrument track is automatically created when you create a device which can receive MIDI notes:
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Drag and drop or double click the desired instrument device from the Instruments palette in the Device Palette.
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Alternatively, select the desired instrument type from the “Create” menu.
Alternatively, to select an Instrument patch and automatically load the patch into the appropriate device type, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and press [I], or select “Create Instrument” from the “Create” menu to bring up the Patch Browser. Under Windows, you can also press [Insert] to open the Patch Browser. In the Patch Browser you can select and preview patches before loading them into the instrument.
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An instrument device is created in the rack and the associated track is automatically created in the sequencer.
In addition, a Mix Channel device for the instrument is automatically created in the rack and its channel strip is created in the Main Mixer. All devices are automatically connected. The Mix Channel device automatically adapts its inputs to the created instrument type - if the instrument is in mono, the Mix Channel device will be in mono, and if the instrument has stereo outputs, the Mix Channel device will be in stereo.
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Note that no automation track is created for the Mix Channel device. This has to be manually created if you want to automate any of the Mix Channel strip parameters (see “Creating a parameter automation track for a non-instrument device”).
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If you want to control an external MIDI instrument, create a MIDI Out Device from the “Create” menu or from the Instruments location in the Browser.
A MIDI Out Device is created in the rack and the associated track is automatically created in the sequencer. See “MIDI Out Device” for more details on how to configure the MIDI Out Device for controlling external MIDI instruments.
#Creating a parameter automation track for a non-instrument device
For non-instrument devices, such as effects devices and Mix Channel devices, you need to manually create a track if you want to record parameter automation. You can do that either by following the description below or by following either of the two last descriptions in “Creating/adding parameter automation lanes”.
The track creation procedure described below also applies if you have manually deleted a track for an instrument device or an Audio Track device and want to create a new track for the device:
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Select the device by clicking on it in the rack.
A border around a device in the Rack indicates that it has been selected.
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Select ”Create Track for ((patch) name of device)” from the Edit menu or the device context menu.
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Note that if a track already exists for the device, this menu item will not be available - a device can only have one track.
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The new track will be automatically associated with the device and will get the same name as the device.
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Another way of creating a parameter automation track is by holding [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and clicking on a parameter on the device panel. Alternatively, right click a parameter and select “Edit Automation” from the parameter context menu.
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If you press [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) when you create a non-instrument device, this will automatically create an associated automation track for the device.
#Short-cut for creating a Mix Channel track or Audio track
A faster way of creating a track for a Mix Channel device, or to create a new audio track (if you deleted the original one), is to go via the corresponding mixer channel strips in the Main Mixer:
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Scroll to the Main Mixer and locate the channel strip you want to create a track for.
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[Shift]-click the SEQ (Goto Sequencer Track) button at the bottom of the channel strip.
A new track will be automatically created in the sequencer for the selected channel strip.
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If a track should already exist for the selected channel strip, [Shift]-clicking the SEQ (Goto Sequencer Track) button will only scroll the corresponding sequencer track into view, not create any new track.
#Selecting tracks
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Select a track by clicking on it in the Track List.
A selected track gets a darker gray background color.
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Selecting a track in the sequencer will automatically scroll the corresponding device into view in the rack.
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Double click a device icon in the Track List to automatically reveal the associated device in the rack.
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Selecting an audio track will set Edit Focus to its channel strip in the Main Mixer.
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Selecting another type of track (e.g. an instrument track) will set Edit Focus to the Mix Channel belonging to that device group.
See “Creating devices” for information about device groups.
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You can also select the next or previous track in the Track List list by using the up and down arrow keys on the computer keyboard.
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By default, selecting a track will automatically set Master Keyboard Input to that track. If you’d rather select tracks independent of the Master Keyboard Input selection, select “Separated” mode in the Preferences menu (“MIDI” page). In “Separated” mode, you can select another track without automatically changing Master Keyboard Input. To change Master Keyboard Input, click the device icon on the desired track in the Track List.
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It is possible to select several tracks by using the standard [Shift], or [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac), selection techniques.
This allows you to e.g. move or delete several tracks in one go.
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It is also possible to select several instrument tracks (by using standard [Shift], or [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac), selection techniques) and then edit the Note Clips using the Multi Lanes function, see “Multi Lanes editing”.
#Resizing tracks
If you like you can resize tracks vertically, for a more detailed overview:
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Click the bottom edge of the track in the Track List and drag down/up to resize the track height.
The cursor switches to a vertical “double arrow” as you hover over the bottom edge of a track in the Track List.
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To resize multiple tracks in one go, select the desired tracks and drag the bottom edge of one of the selected tracks.
If the selected tracks have different heights to begin with, they will be scaled proportionally.
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To scale multiple tracks to the same heights, hold [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and drag one of the track bottom edges.
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To scale all track heights proportionally, click the -/+ Track Height buttons:
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To set all track to the same height, hold [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and click the -/+ Track Height buttons:
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Note that folded tracks (see “Folding tracks”) cannot be resized.
#Moving tracks
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To move a track to another position in the Track List, click on the track handle (the leftmost area of the track) and drag the track up or down.
A red insertion line is shown, indicating where the track will be placed after releasing the mouse button. All clips on all lanes of the track will be moved along with the track.
You can use the same technique to move several selected tracks at once. Use standard [Shift]-select or use [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to select non-adjacent tracks.
#About sorting devices and channel strips according to the track order
Note that the order of the tracks in the sequencer Track List is totally independent from the device order in the rack - and from the channel strip order in the Main Mixer. However, it’s possible to re-order devices and channel strips according to the track order in the Track List:
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Select the tracks in the Track List you want to re-order devices and channel strips after.
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Select “Sort Selected Device Groups” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu.
The associated devices and channel strips are now re-ordered, in the rack and Main Mixer respectively, according to the order of the selected tracks in the Track List.
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Note that the re-ordering only affects the devices and channel strips of the selected tracks - all other devices and channel strips will remain unaffected.
#Deleting tracks
The most common scenario would probably be to delete a track together with its associated device(s). However, it’s also possible to delete only the track while keeping the associated device(s) in the rack.
#Deleting tracks together with their associated devices
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To delete one or several tracks together with their associated devices in the Rack, select the tracks and then select “Delete Track(s) and Device(s)” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu. Alternatively, press [Delete] or [Backspace].
An alert appears which prompts you to confirm or cancel the deletion of the track(s) and device(s).
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If you're deleting the track for the Source Device or Mix Channel, and “Auto-group Devices and Tracks” on the Options menu is on, you will be asked if you want to delete the whole device group. If you hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) while deleting, the whole device group will be deleted without the alert.
See “Creating devices” for more information about device groups.
#Deleting tracks only
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To delete one or several tracks, select them and then select “Delete Track(s)” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu.
The tracks will be deleted without an alert but you can always use the Undo function. See “Undo and Redo”.
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If you delete an audio track, all recordings on that track will be removed!
If you have deleted a track for a device and want to create a new track for the device, follow the descriptions in “Creating a parameter automation track for a non-instrument device” or “Short-cut for creating a Mix Channel track or Audio track”.
#Duplicating/copying tracks and devices
As it is not possible for a specific instance of a device to have more than one track, you cannot copy or duplicate only a track. These operations will instead duplicate/copy both the track (including all clips on the track) and its associated device(s) (with all settings). The duplicated/copied devices are really just like separate devices but with the same name and settings as the original devices, although their names will have the extension “Copy” to differentiate them from the original.
To make copies of tracks and their associated devices, complete with all lanes and recorded clips, use any of the following methods:
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Note that if “Auto-group Devices and Tracks” on the Options menu is on, the entire device group(s) associated with the track(s) will be copied/duplicated when you perform the procedures described below.
See “Creating devices” for more information about device groups.
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Hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Option](Mac), click on the track handle and drag the selected track(s) to a new position in the track list.
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Select the track in the Track List, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and press [D].
The duplicated track(s) will be inserted below the original track.
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Select “Duplicate Device(s) and Track(s)” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu.
To bring up the context menu, right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) on the track in the Track List. The duplicated track(s) will be inserted below the original track.
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Select “Copy Device(s) and Track(s)” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu.
This allows you to insert the copied track(s) and device(s) by selecting “Paste” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu. The copied track(s) will be pasted below the currently selected track.
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Note that if “Auto-group Devices and Tracks” on the Options menu is off, duplicated/copied devices will not have auto-routed audio connections. To hear the duplicated devices, select the device and choose “Auto-route Device” on the Edit menu or context menu. Alternatively, flip the rack around and connect the audio outputs to available (or new) Mix Channel devices. You might also want to mute the original track to avoid double notes.
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To duplicate a selected audio track, with all recordings and mixer channel strip parameter settings, including any Insert FX, click the “Alt” or Dub” buttons on the Transport Panel - see “Duplicating audio tracks using the “Alt” function” and “Overdubbing audio using the “Dub” function”.
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If you hold down [Shift] and select Paste from the Edit menu or context menu, the copied device(s) will be auto-routed to an available mixer channel. If necessary, an additional Mix Channel will be automatically created.
#Coloring tracks
A track can be assigned a color in the sequencer as follows:
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To assign a new color to a selected track, select “Track Color” from the Edit menu or from the track’s context menu and then select color from the palette.
The track color is shown in the track background in the Track List. The associated Audio Track device or Mix Channel device in the rack and its corresponding channel strip in the Main Mixer will also be assigned the new color. The selected track color will be reflected in all new clips you record or draw on this track.
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If existing clips have the function “Use Track Color” active on the Clip context menu, these clips will also change color - otherwise they won’t. To manually change color of previously recorded clips, refer to “Coloring clips”.
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To automatically set a new color for new tracks, make sure the “Auto-color New Sequencer Tracks” box in the Options menu is ticked.
The track color will be automatically selected from the palette when you create a new track.
#Naming tracks
Devices (and tracks) get the name of their loaded patch by default, but you can override this by manually renaming:
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Name, or rename, a track by double-clicking its name tag in the Track List, typing in a name and pressing [Return].
Note that naming/renaming a track also changes the name of the associated Source Device in the rack (and vice versa). Furthermore, renaming an audio track also changes the name of the associated Audio Track device in the rack as well as its corresponding channel strip in the Main Mixer. If you rename the track of a source device in a device group, its Mix Channel will get the same name. If you want a separate name for the Mix Channel, double-click in the Mix Channel name tag, in the rack or Main Mixer, type in a new name and press [Return].
See “Creating devices” for more information about device groups.
#Folding tracks
To minimize the visible height of the track, and thus allow for a better overview of the tracks in the sequencer, it’s possible to fold tracks.
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To fold/unfold a track, click on the small triangle on the track handle.
An unfolded track.
The same track folded.
A folded track will not show the individual lanes in the Track List, and on the Edit/Arrangement Pane the clips are shown as horizontal strips. If the folded track has several lanes, all the clips on the lanes will be shown as vertically stacked strips on the Arrangement Pane. No events in the clips are shown.
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Basic clip operations (selecting, moving, copying etc.) are available also for folded tracks, although it is generally better to unfold a track if you want to edit its contents, as this gives you a better overview.
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To fold/unfold all tracks in the sequencer in one go, press [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and click on a track handle triangle.
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It’s also possible to fold/unfold only the parameter automation lanes on a track by clicking the triangle on the parameter automation tab. See “Parameter automation lane elements” for more details.
#Muting tracks
To mute a track means to silence it, so that no data is sent from the track during playback. This can be useful when you are trying out different versions of an arrangement, for bringing elements in and out of the mix during playback.
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Note that muting a sequencer track is NOT the same as muting a mixer channel in the main mixer (see “MUTE/SOLO buttons”).
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To mute a track, click the corresponding Mute (M) button in the Track List.
Everything present on the track will be muted.
A red “M” button in the Track List indicates that the track is muted.
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To unmute the track, click the “M” button again.
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Several tracks can have Mute active at the same time, in which case you can unmute them all by clicking the master “M” button at the top of the Track List.
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It’s also possible to mute individual lanes and individual clips on a track. Refer to “Muting lanes” and “Muting clips”.
#Soloing tracks
To solo a track means that all tracks in the sequencer, except for the soloed track, are muted.
*
Note that soloing a sequencer track is NOT the same as soloing a mixer channel in the main mixer (see “MUTE/SOLO buttons”).
*
To solo a track, click the corresponding Solo (S) button in the Track List.
This mutes all other (un-soloed) tracks. Soloed tracks have green S buttons.
Here, the “Filmscore Pad” track is soloed (indicated by the green “S” button).
All other tracks are automatically muted (indicated by red “M” buttons).
*
To turn solo off, click the green “S” button again.
*
Several tracks can have Solo active at the same time, in which case you can turn off Solo for all of them by clicking the master “S” button at the top of the Track List.
A track consists of one (default) or several parallel lanes. Depending on track type, the clips on the lanes can contain various types of events. A lane can also contain clips with performance controller and parameter automation events - or pattern selection for pattern based devices.
#Audio lane
The audio lane is not distinguished by a separate lane tab in the Track List like the other lane types. This is simply because an audio track can only have a single audio lane. Consequently, all audio lane elements reside in the audio track section instead.
#Audio lane elements
•
Record Enable button
To the right of the Record Enable Parameter Automation button is the Record Enable button. Make sure this button is on (red) before recording audio on the track. By default, this is activated when you select an audio track. If you want to record several audio tracks at the same time you need to click their Record Enable buttons first.
•
Monitor button
To the right of the Record Enable button is the Monitor button. Click this button to monitor the input signal of the track. The signal is monitored after the audio track channel strip which means that all channel strip parameters, including any Insert FX, Dynamics etc., will be monitored.
*
The Monitor button activation/deactivation depends on the setting in the “Monitoring” section on the “Audio” page in Preferences. If “Manual” is selected, you will have to manually activate the Monitor button. If “Automatic” is selected, the Monitor button is automatically activated when the Record Enable button is on.
•
Enable Tuner button
To the left below the Device icon is the Enable Tuner button. Click the button to switch to Tuner mode. The Input Meter to the right will switch to a Tuner.
Audio track in Tuner mode.
In Tuner mode, you can tune a connected instrument - an electric guitar, for example. See “Using the Tuner” for more info.
•
Select Audio Input drop-down list
To the right of the Tuner button is the Select Audio Input drop-down list. Here, you select which audio input(s) to use for the track. See “Selecting audio input(s) and defining mono or stereo” for more info.
•
Input Meter
The Input Meter shows the level(s) of the input signal(s). If the selected audio input is mono, the Input Meter displays a single LED bar. If the audio input is in stereo, the Input Meter displays two parallel LED bars. See “Setting input level(s)” for details about setting input levels.
#Note lane
As the name implies, the note lane can contain clips that feature note events. Clips on a note lane can also contain performance controller events. One or several note lanes can be present on an instrument track.
#Note lane elements
•
Name
At the top to the left is the name of the lane. As soon as you create a note lane it will automatically be named “Lane n” where “n” is the number of the lane - in chronological order. You can change the name of the lane by double-clicking in the name field, typing in a new name and then pressing [Return] on the computer keyboard.
*
Note that depending on the current magnification of the Arrange Area, the note lane names could sometimes be hidden. To make the note lane names visible, increase the Track height, for example, by clicking the + magnification button below the sequencer Track List.
Increase the vertical magnification by clicking the + magnification button below the Track List.
•
Record Enable button
Below the note lane name is the “Record Enable” button. Make sure this button is on (red) before recording on the lane. By default, the “Record Enable” button on the latest created/added note lane is automatically activated when you select an instrument track.
•
Groove Select drop-down list
To the right of the “Record Enable” button is the “Groove Select” drop-down list. Here you can select a ReGroove channel for all clips on the lane. See more about ReGroove in “The ReGroove Mixer”.
•
M (Mute) button
Clicking the “M” button will mute the playback from the lane.
•
Delete (X) button
To the far right is the “Delete Note Lane” (X) button. Clicking this button will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion.
#Parameter automation lane
An instrument track with two parameter automation lanes.
Parameter automation is used for controlling changes of device parameter values in a song. You could, for example, automate a filter cutoff parameter and record filter sweeps at various positions in your song. These kind of parameter value changes are recorded on parameter automation lanes.
Parameter automation lanes can exist in all track types and can contain clips with device and/or channel strip parameter automation. A track can have as many automation lanes as its device has automatable parameters. For Mix Channel and Audio Track devices, parameter automation could be used for any of their corresponding channel strip controls.
#Parameter automation lane elements
•
Fold/Unfold button
Parameter automation lanes in a track can be folded/unfolded, as a group, by clicking the small triangle on the handle to the far left on the parameter automation lane tab.
*
To fold/unfold all parameter automation lanes on all tracks in the sequencer, hold down [Alt](Win) or
[Option](Mac) and click on the triangle on a parameter automation lane tab.
•
Name
The name of the automated parameter is displayed on the parameter automation lane tab. Since the name reflects the original device/channel strip parameter name, this cannot be changed.
•
M (Mute) button
Clicking the “M” button will mute the parameter automation playback from the lane. Muting a parameter automation lane will freeze whatever value the parameter had when you muted the lane. Deactivating the Mute button reactivates the automation.
•
Delete Automation Lane (X) button
To the far right is the “Delete Automation Lane” (X) button. Clicking this button will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion. See “Deleting parameter automation lanes” for alternative ways of deleting parameter automation lanes.
#Pattern lane
A Redrum track featuring a pattern lane.
A pattern lane can only exist in a track featuring a pattern based device, such as the Redrum Drum Module or the Matrix Analog Pattern Sequencer. A pattern lane can only contain clips with pattern Bank and pattern Number automation data. There can only be a single pattern lane per track.
#Pattern lane elements
•
Name
The name of the automated parameter is displayed on the pattern automation lane tab. Since the name reflects the original device parameter name, this cannot be changed.
•
M (Mute) button
Clicking the “M” button will mute the pattern automation playback from the lane. Muting a pattern automation lane will freeze whatever value the parameter had when you muted the lane. Deactivating the Mute button reactivates the pattern automation.
•
Delete Pattern Lane (X) button
To the far right is the “Delete Pattern Lane” (X) button. Clicking this button will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion. See “Deleting pattern lanes” for alternative ways of deleting pattern lanes.
#Creating/adding lanes
#Adding note lanes
You can add additional note lanes on an instrument track. This can be useful under the following circumstances:
•
If you want to overdub notes or performance automation but don’t want to record in existing clips.
•
If you want to record a series of takes on separate note lanes, to later decide which take is the “best” (or to edit together a composite).
•
If you want to apply different ReGroove grooves to different parts of a track, or want different grooves on separate drums on a drum track.
You can create new note lanes for selected instrument tracks in the following ways:
*
Select “New Note Lane” from the Edit menu or from the context menu.
A new note lane will be created and automatically record enabled.
*
Click on the “New Note Lane” (Lanes +) button at the top of the Track List.
A new Note Lane will be created and automatically record enabled.
*
Click on the “Dub” button on the Transport Panel.
A new note lane will be created and automatically record enabled. See “Recording notes using the “Dub” and “Alt” functions” for more details.
*
Click on the “Alt” button on the Transport Panel.
A new note lane will be created and automatically record enabled. At the same time, the previous note lane, or (if loop is activated and the Song Position Pointer is between the Left and Right Locators) the clips between the Left and Right Locators, will be muted. See “Recording notes using the “Dub” and “Alt” functions” for more details.
*
Note that the “Dub” and “Alt” functions can also be used on-the-fly during recording without stopping the sequencer.
#Creating/adding parameter automation lanes
Parameter automation lanes can be created for all track types.
•
During recording of a track, changing any parameter values on the device/channels strip will automatically create a new parameter automation lane for each unique parameter. See “Recording parameter automation” for more details.
Do as follows to manually create a parameter automation lane on a selected track:
*
Hold down [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and click on a device parameter in the rack, or on a channel strip parameter in the Main Mixer. Alternatively, select “Edit Automation” from the parameter’s context menu.
A new parameter automation lane will be automatically created in the track for the corresponding device or channel strip. The automated parameter on the device in the rack or channel strip in the Main Mixer will get a green border, indicating that it has been automated.
*
Note that if a track hasn’t already been created for the device/channel strip, it will be automatically created during this operation.
Other ways of creating/adding a parameter automation lane are as follows:
1.
Click on the “Track Parameter Automation” drop-down list at the top of the Track List.
2.
Select the parameter you want to automate from the list.
A new parameter automation lane is automatically created on the selected track.
If you click the Track Parameter Automation drop-down list again, any selected parameters will have a symbol to the left of the parameter name, indicating that an automation lane already exists for the parameter.
The automated parameters on the device in the rack or channel strip in the Main Mixer will get green borders, indicating that they have been automated.
#Creating a pattern lane
For pattern based devices such as the Redrum Drum Module and Matrix Analog Pattern Sequencer, a single pattern lane can be created on a selected track. Do either of the following:
*
Click the “Create Pattern Lane” button at the top right of the Track List.
*
Select “Create Pattern Lane” from the Edit menu or from the context menu.
*
Hold down [Alt](Win) or [Option](Mac) and click on the “Pattern” button section of the device in the rack.
*
Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) on the “Pattern” button section of the device in the rack and select “Edit Automation” from the context menu.
When you create a pattern lane, the bank buttons on the device in the rack get a green border to indicate that they have been automated.
*
Clicking the Pattern and/or Bank buttons on the device during recording will automatically create a pattern lane. See “Recording pattern automation” for more details.
#Deleting lanes
#Deleting note lanes
A note lane can be deleted as follows:
*
Click the “Delete Note Lane” (X) button on the lane tab in the Track List.
This will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion.
*
To delete the lane without the dialog, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click the Delete Note Lane button.
#Deleting parameter automation lanes
There are a number of different ways of deleting a parameter automation lane:
*
Click the “Delete Automation Lane” (X) button on the lane tab in the Track List.
This will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion.
*
To delete the lane without the dialog, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click the Delete Automation Lane button.
Another way is this:
*
Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) on the automated device parameter in the rack and select “Clear Automation” from the context menu.
The green border around the device parameter disappears and the corresponding parameter automation lane is deleted from the track.
Alternatively, do the following:
1.
Select a track by clicking on it.
2.
Click on the “Track Parameter Automation” drop-down list at the top of the Track List.
3.
De-select the parameter you want to delete from the list.
All selected parameters will have a symbol to the left of the parameter name in the list indicating that it has been selected. Selecting a parameter with a symbol in the list will automatically delete the corresponding lane, with its clips, from the track. If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion.
The green borders that surrounded the automated parameters on the device/channels strip will also be removed.
#Deleting pattern lanes
There are two ways of deleting a pattern lane:
*
Click the “Delete Pattern Lane” (X) button on the lane tab in the Track List.
This will delete the lane (and all clips on it). If there are clips on the lane, a dialog appears prompting you to confirm deletion.
*
To delete the lane without the dialog, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click the Delete Pattern Lane button.
Alternatively:
*
Right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) on the automated pattern section on the device in the rack and select “Clear Automation” from the context menu.
The green border around the device pattern section disappears and the corresponding pattern lane is deleted from the track.
#Moving note lanes
A note lane has a “handle” and can be moved vertically together with all clips on the lane. Move a note lane to another position on the same track like this:
1.
Click on the lane handle (the leftmost area of the lane).
2.
Drag the note lane up or down and release at the desired destination.
Just as when moving tracks, a red insertion line is shown indicating where the note lane will be placed after you release the mouse button.
•
It is also possible to move note lanes, with their clips, between tracks.
*
Parameter automation lanes and pattern lanes cannot be moved since they are tightly connected with their associated devices However, you can move or copy clips from one lane to another.
#Copying (duplicating) note lanes
You can copy (duplicate) one note lane at a time, together with its clips, by doing the following:
1.
While pressing [Ctrl](Win) or [Option](Mac), click and drag a copy of the note lane to the desired destination.
The cursor gets a + sign next to it to indicate duplication. The destination of the duplicated note lane could be the same track or another track.
2.
Release the mouse button.
*
Parameter automation lanes and pattern lanes cannot be duplicated.
#Muting lanes
#Muting a note lane
*
To mute a note lane, click its “M” (Mute) button.
The note lane’s “M” (Mute) button.
#Muting a parameter automation lane
*
To mute a parameter automation lane, click its “M” (Mute) button.
The parameter automation lane’s “M” (Mute) button.
Only the basic properties and functions pertaining to clips are described here. See “Arranging in the Sequencer” for in-depth details about what you can do with clips.
#Clip types
Here are the different clip types:
•
Block automation clips (only if Blocks are on) that contain information of which Block should play back.
•
Note clips contain note events with velocity values. Note clips can also contain performance controller events.
•
Parameter automation clips contain events for an automated device/channel strip parameter.
A parameter automation clip can easily be distinguished by the shape of its frame: the top right corner is “cut off”.
•
Audio clips contain mono or stereo audio recordings.
If the audio clip is a Comp clip, or a Single Take clip which contains several takes, there is a small symbol in the lower right corner of the clip.
•
Pattern automation clips contain device bank+pattern number.
The Sequencer Toolbar can be found to the top left in the Sequencer Area. From the Sequencer Toolbar you can select various sequencer editing tools.
#Toolbar tools
#Selection Tool
The Selection (arrow) Tool is the main tool for selecting and moving tracks, note lanes, clips and events and recordings in clips. It’s also used for resizing clips and events in clips. It is selected by default when a song is opened.
*
You can also select the Selection Tool by pressing [Q] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Selection Tool to the Pencil Tool - or to the Speaker Tool when editing an open audio clip inline - or to the Cut (Razor) Tool when editing an open audio clip in the Comp Editor.
#Pencil Tool
The Pencil Tool is used for manually drawing clips and events in clips. It can also be used to edit the velocity values of notes in open note clips.
*
You can also select the Pencil Tool by pressing [W] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Pencil Tool to the Selection Tool.
*
When a note clip is open in the Edit Area, there two different Pencil Tools are available - one for drawing single notes with varying lengths and one for drawing repetitive notes of the same length, see “Drawing notes”.
#Eraser Tool
The Eraser Tool is used for deleting clips and events. In audio Pitch Edit mode you can also join notes with the Eraser.
*
You can also select the Eraser Tool by pressing [E] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Eraser Tool to the Pencil Tool.
#Razor Tool
The Razor Tool is used for splitting clips and notes - and for creating cuts when comping audio recordings in the Comp Editor.
*
You can also select the Razor Tool by pressing [R] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Razor Tool to the Pencil Tool - or to the Selection Tool when editing an open audio clip on the Edit Pane.
#Mute Tool
The Mute Tool is used for muting clips in the arrangement - or lanes in Block automation clips (see “Muting lanes in Block Automation Clips”).
*
You can also select the Mute Tool by pressing [T] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Mute Tool to the Razor Tool.
#Magnifying Glass Tool
The Magnifying Glass Tool lets you zoom in and out both horizontally and vertically on the Arrangement Pane. The Magnifying Glass Tool offers a couple of possibilities:
*
To zoom in with the Magnifying Glass Tool, click in the Arrange Area where you want the origin of magnification.
*
To zoom out with the Magnifying Glass Tool, hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Option](Mac) and click.
You’ll notice that the “+” sign in the Magnifying Glass Tool changes to a “-” sign.
*
You can also click and drag with the Magnifying Glass Tool to create a selection rectangle.
The view will then be zoomed in so that the selected area fills the entire Arrange Area.
*
You can also select the Magnifying Glass Tool by pressing [Y] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Magnifying Glass Tool to the Hand Tool.
*
It’s also possible to zoom in the Arrange Area by using the Sequencer Area Navigators and Zoom To Selection function as described in “Zooming in the Sequencer” and “Zooming to selection”.
#Hand Tool
The Hand Tool is used for scrolling in the Edit/Arrangement Pane.
*
Select the Hand Tool and click anywhere in the Edit/Arrangement Pane, keep the mouse button depressed and drag to desired view.
*
You can also select the Hand tool by pressing [U] on the computer keyboard.
*
Press [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Hand Tool to the + Magnifying Glass Tool.
*
Press [Ctrl]+[Alt](Win) or [Cmd]+[Option](Mac) to momentarily switch from the Hand Tool to the - Magnifying Glass Tool.
*
It’s also possible to scroll in the Arrange Area by using the Sequencer Area Navigators as described in “Scrolling with the Navigators and scrollbars”.
#Speaker Tool
The Speaker Tool is used for auditioning slices or notes in Single Take audio clips, and for auditioning individual recordings on Comp Rows in Comp Clips. See “Slice Edit mode tools”, “Auditioning notes” and “Comp Editor audio editing tools” for details.
#Alternate tools
For every tool mode described earlier, there is a so called alternate tool that can be momentarily selected by holding down [Alt](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) on the computer keyboard. Below is a summary of the alternate tools:
| Selected tool
| Alternate tool
Selection tool
Pencil tool (Speaker tool when editing an audio clip in the Edit Area, except for Comp Edit where the alternate tool is the Cut (Razor) tool)
Pencil tool
Selection tool
Eraser tool
Pencil tool
Razor tool
Pencil tool (Selection tool when editing open audio clip on the Edit Pane)
Mute tool
Razor tool
Magnifying Glass tool
Hand tool
Hand tool
+ Magnifying Glass tool
Hand tool
- Magnifying Glass tool by pressing [Alt]-[Ctrl](Win) or [Option]-[Cmd](Mac)
#Snap
The Snap function in the sequencer toolbar is used for “restricting” editing of clips and events to a user-selectable note value grid.
*
Note that when a clip is open in the Edit Area, there is a separate Snap section at the top of the Edit Area Inspector. This Snap function relates to the currently open clip in the Edit Area.
*
Activate the Snap function by pressing [S], or by clicking the Snap button:
*
When moving clips or events, the Snap function can work either absolute (to the closest absolute position in the grid) - or relative to the clip(s)/event(s) original position(s), in steps of the set Snap value:
Absolute Snap set to “Bar” (top) and Relative Snap set to “Bar” (bottom).
1.
Select the grid you wish to snap to by selecting the note grid value from the drop-down list:
2.
Click the drop-down list again and select if you want the Snap to be “Relative” or “Absolute” from the bottom of the drop-down menu.
*
Note that you can select different Snap values for selected clips in the Arrange/Block View and for open clips in the Edit Area (see “About separate Snap values for selected clips and for open clips”).
The Snap function affects the following operations:
•
Moving the Song Position Pointer, Loop Locators and Song End Marker.
When you adjust the Locators with Snap activated, they will always snap to the selected Snap value on an absolute grid, regardless of the setting on the Snap drop-down menu.
•
Moving clips and events, recordings and Comp Row cuts.
When you move objects with Snap activated, they will move relative or absolute to the Snap value, depending on what you selected on the Snap drop-down menu.
•
Drawing clips.
When you create clips with the Pencil tool, their start and end positions will snap to the selected note value positions on an absolute grid.
•
Drawing events in open clips.
The Snap value determines the absolute grid points on which you can draw a note or an automation point. The Snap value also determines the shortest possible note length that you can draw.
•
Splitting clips with the Razor tool.
The Snap value determines the absolute grid to which a clip can be split.
•
Nudging clips, events and recording.
When you nudge clips, events or recordings with Snap activated, they will move relative or absolute to the Snap value, depending on what you selected on the Snap drop-down menu.
•
Creating Comp Row cuts
The Snap value determines the absolute grid to which you could add cuts in open Comp audio clips.
•
Moving Comp Row cuts
The Snap value determines the relative or absolute grid to which you could move cuts in open Comp audio clips.
•
Adding and moving Slice Markers
The Snap value determines the absolute grid to which you could add and move Slice Markers in open Single Take audio clips.
#About the “Grid” Snap value
The “Grid” value at the top in the list is dynamic and automatically changes the snap value, from “Bar” to “1/128”,
depending on the current horizontal zoom level in the Arrange/Edit Area.
The picture below shows the same clips in the Arrange Area at two different horizontal zoom levels:
#About separate Snap values for selected clips and for open clips
There are two different Snap settings, one for when a clip is open for editing in the Edit Area, and one for when no clip is open (e.g. in Song/Block View). Typically, you would set a fine Snap value (e.g. 1/16) for open clips in the Edit Area and have the other Snap value set to “Bar” for convenient clip arranging in the Song/Block View. You can also choose to turn Snap off in either of these areas, independently of the other setting.
•
The Snap value for editing is used when a clip is open in the Edit Area or when an automation clip is opened inline in the Arrange Area.
#Sequencer Toolbar keyboard shortcuts
Below is a complete list of the computer keyboard shortcuts for selecting tools on the sequencer Toolbar:
| Function
| Key command
Selection tool select
[Q]
Pencil tool select
[W]
Eraser tool select
[E]
Razor tool select
[R]
Mute tool select
[T]
Magnifying Glass tool select
[Y]
Hand tool select
[U]
Snap On/Off
[S]
The Ruler is the song’s timeline. In the Ruler, the Song Position Pointer indicates the current position in the song, i.e. in which bar the song is, or will start, playing. The Ruler also shows the Left (L) and Right (R) Loop Locators as well as the Song End Marker (E).
You can change the positions of the Song Position Pointer, Locators and Marker in the Ruler by clicking and dragging them to desired positions in the Ruler. Note that you have to click and drag the “flags” in the Ruler - not the lines. The Song Position Pointer and Loop Locators can also be moved by typing in new positions in the respective Position displays in the Sequencer Transport Panel (see “Song Position” and “Left and Right Locator Positions”). Another way of moving the Song Position Pointer is by using the Rewind and Fast Forward controls on the sequencer Transport Panel (see “Rewind and Fast Forward”).
*
To change the Marker positions, make sure you click in the Ruler/Timeline and not in the darker gray Zoom/Scroll Area above the Ruler.
At the bottom of the Reason song window is the sequencer’s Transport Panel. From here you control the sequencer transport functions. You can also set tempo, time signature and various other parameters.
#Keys
*
Click this button to bring up the On-screen Piano Keyboard floating window.
See the “On-screen Piano Keys” chapter for more information.
#Groove
*
Click the Groove button to bring up the ReGroove Mixer.
Refer to “The ReGroove Mixer” chapter for more information.
#Q Record
*
Click the Q Record (Quantize during recording) button to quantize notes as they are being recorded.
When the Q Record button is on, all recorded MIDI notes will be quantized to the currently selected quantization grid. Refer to “Quantize” for more information on quantization.
#Quantize value
*
Select the desired quantization value from the drop down list.
Refer to “Quantize” for more information on quantization.
#Quantize
*
Click the Quantize button to quantize the notes in the selected clips to the selected Quantize value - after they have been recorded.
Refer to “Quantize” for more information on quantization.
#Sync Mode
Here you can set the desired synchronization mode for the Reason sequencer: Internal, MIDI Clock (if applicable) or Ableton Link (if applicable). You can also choose “Send MIDI Clock” to sync other applications/instruments from Reason (if applicable). See the chapter “Synchronization and Advanced MIDI” for more information about synchronization.
#Song Position
The current song position is shown in the display. The song position is where the Song Position Pointer in the Ruler (see Ruler (timeline) details) is at the moment. The display is divided into Bars, Beats, 1/16th Note and Ticks (there are 240 Ticks for each 16th note) segments. You can edit the position of the Song Position Pointer, and thus change the song playback position, according to the descriptions in “Transport Panel segment displays”.
#About subticks in the Song Position display
When editing notes and automation events in the sequencer you have a resolution of 240 ticks per 1/16th note, which allows for very accurate positioning. But for the Song Position Pointer, the internal resolution is even higher (15360 ppq) which means that the position can end up on a fraction of a tick, a so called subtick.
If the Song Position Pointer value is on a fraction of a tick, this is displayed with an asterisk (*) in the Tick section of the Song Position display.
*
To adjust the Song Position Pointer to the closest tick value, press [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click on the asterisk in the display.
The Song Position Pointer will now adjust to the closest tick value and the asterisk disappears.
#Time Position
The current position of the Song Position Pointer in the Ruler (see Ruler (timeline) details) is shown in time format (hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds) in the display. You can change the position in time of the Song Position Pointer, and thus change the song playback time position, according to the descriptions in “Transport Panel segment displays”.
#Click On/Off
*
Click this button to hear an audible metronome click as the sequencer plays.
The click will sound on every beat, with the first beat in every bar accented (higher pitched). See “Click and Pre-count” for more details.
#Pre(-count) On/Off
*
Click the Pre button to hear a pre-count (count-in) click sound before recording.
Pre-count will only be present before recording - not before regular playback. See “Click and Pre-count” for details about selecting number of pre-count bars etc.
#Click Level
*
Adjust the audio level of the metronome (and Pre-count) with this slider.
See “Click and Pre-count” for more details.
#Tempo
The current song tempo is shown in the display in BPM (Beats Per Minute) and 1/1000 of a BPM. You can edit the tempo according to the descriptions in “Transport Panel segment displays”. The Tempo range is 1.000-999.999 BPM.
#Tap Tempo
Instead of setting the Tempo with the Tempo control (see above), you can manually tap in the desired tempo in real-time.
*
Click the Tap button repeatedly to set desired sequencer tempo.
The tempo is defined by averaging the time between a minimum of two clicks and a maximum of 16 clicks. The more clicks, the more “steady” the tempo. The time-out between two series of clicks is 2 seconds. The detectable tap tempo range is 30-999.999 BPM.
#Signature
The current song time signature is shown in the display. You can edit the time signature according to the descriptions in “Transport Panel segment displays”.
The available Signatures are: 1/2-16/2, 1/4-16/4, 1/8-16/8 and 1/16-16/16.
#Rewind and Fast Forward
*
Click on the Rewind or Fast Forward buttons to move the Song Position Pointer in steps of one bar (from its current position).
*
To move the Song Position Pointer several bars at once, click and hold the mouse button depressed.
Instead of clicking the buttons, you can use the computer keyboard:
*
Press [4] on the numeric keypad for Rewind and [5] for Fast Forward.
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If you click and hold the Rewind or Fast Forward buttons, or press and hold the [4] or [5] keys, the positioning speed will be faster after the first 20 bars.
#Play and Stop
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Click the Play button to start playback from the Song Position Pointer’s current position.
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Alternatively, press [Enter] on the numeric keypad on the computer keyboard.
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Click the Stop button to stop playback (or recording).
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Alternatively, press [0] on the numeric keypad or [Shift]+[Return] on the computer keyboard.
By default, if you click the Stop button or use the keyboard “Stop” commands when the song is already stopped, the Song Position Pointer is moved according to the following rules:
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Clicking/pressing Stop the first time moves the Song Position Pointer to where playback was last started.
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Clicking/pressing Stop a second time moves the Song Position Pointer to the beginning of the song.
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If the Song Position Pointer already is at the beginning of the song, nothing happens.
This means you can always click twice on the Stop button in “stop mode”, to return to the beginning of the song.
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Press [Spacebar] on the computer keyboard to toggle between Play and Stop.
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To have the Song Position Pointer automatically return to its last start position when you hit Stop, select “Return to last start position on stop” in the Miscellaneous section on the General tab in Preferences, see “Return to last start position on stop”.
#Record
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Click the Record button to begin recording on the selected track/lane in your song.
Alternatively, press [*] on the numeric keypad or hold down [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and press [Return] on the computer keyboard. If Pre-count has been activated (see Pre(-count) On/Off above), the recording will begin after the set number of pre-count bars.
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Nothing you play during the pre-count period will be recorded.
#Dub and Alt
Clicking on any of these buttons will add additional audio tracks or note lanes for overdub purposes. Refer to “Overdubbing audio using the “Dub” function” and “Recording notes using the “Dub” and “Alt” functions” for more details about these functions.
#Loop On/Off
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Click the Loop button or press [L] to activate the Loop function.
When the loop function is activated, recording and playback will be continuously looped between the Left and Right Locators. Some general rules regarding loop mode are these:
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If the Song Position Pointer is to the left of (before) the Right Locator when playback is started, the song will play to the Right Locator and then immediately jump back and seamlessly continue from the Left Locator.
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If the Song Position Pointer is to the right of (after) the Right Locator when playback is started, the Locators will be ignored and the song will continue to play “un-looped”.
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If the Left Locator is to the right of the Right Locator, i.e. in “reversed” order, the song will play to the Right Locator and then immediately jump and seamlessly continue from the Left Locator, skipping the part of the song in-between the Locators. The song will then continue to play “un-looped”.
#Go to Left and Right Locators
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Click on the “L” or “R” button to move the Song Position Pointer to the Left or Right Locators respectively.
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Alternatively, press [1] on the numeric keypad on the computer keyboard to move the Song Position Pointer to the Left Locator or [2] to move to the Right Locator.
#Left and Right Locator Positions
The current positions of the Left and Right Locators in the Ruler (see Ruler (timeline) details) are shown in the displays. The display is divided into Bar, Beat, 1/16th Note and Ticks (there are 240 Ticks for each 1/16th Note). You can change the positions of the Locators, and thus change the loop playback region, according to the descriptions in “Transport Panel segment displays”.
#Transport keyboard commands and modifier keys
Below is a complete list of the computer keyboard shortcuts for the Sequencer Transport functions:
| Function
| Key command
Stop, Go to start position,
Go to start of song
[0] on the numeric keypad or [Shift]+[Return]
Play
[Enter] on the numeric keypad
Toggle Stop/Play
[Spacebar]
Rewind
[4] on the numeric keypad
Fast Forward
[5] on the numeric keypad
Record
[*] on the numeric keypad or
[Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac)+[Return]
Go to Left Locator
[1] on the numeric keypad
Go to Right Locator
[2] on the numeric keypad
Go to the start of the song
[.] on the numeric keypad
Move forward one bar
[8] on the numeric keypad
Go back one bar
[7] on the numeric keypad
Tempo up
[+] on the numeric keypad
Tempo down
[-] on the numeric keypad
Loop On/Off
[/] on the numeric keypad or [L]
Click On/Off
[C] or [9] on the numeric keypad
Pre-count On/Off
[Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac)+[P]
Set the Left and Right Loop Locators to encompass selected clips.
[Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac)+[L]
Set the Left and Right Loop Locators to encompass selected clips and start playback in Loop Mode.
[P]
Set Left Locator in ruler.
[Ctrl](Win)/[Option](Mac)+Click in the ruler
Set Right Locator in ruler.
[Alt](Win)/[Cmd](Mac)+Click in the ruler
Set End Marker in ruler.
[Shift]+Click in the ruler
The Arrange Area Inspector, located above the Arrange Area, can be used for a number of different editing purposes pertaining to clips. The Arrange Area Inspector is context sensitive, meaning it will have different content and functionality depending on what is currently selected. How to edit using the Inspector is described in detail in the “Arranging in the Sequencer” chapter.
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When the Pencil Tool is selected, the Inspector isn’t visible. Instead, menus pertaining to Time Signature, Pattern Automation and Blocks Automation are displayed.
#About subticks in the Position and Length displays
When editing notes and automation events in the sequencer you have a resolution of 960 ppq (240 ticks per 1/16th note), which allows for very accurate positioning. But when you record, the internal resolution is even higher (15360 ppq) which means that notes and automation events can end up on a fraction of a tick, a so called subtick.
If the value is a fraction of a tick, this is displayed with an asterisk (*) in the Tick section of the Position or Length display.
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To adjust the clip or event position (or length) to the closest tick value, press [Ctrl](Win) or [Cmd](Mac) and click on the asterisk in the display.
The position or length value will now adjust to the closest tick value and the asterisk disappears.
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When it comes to audio editing, you will have access all the way down to the sub-tick level. This means there won’t be any sub-tick asterisks when editing audio.
#About the “Match Values” function
The “Match Values” function in the Arrange Area Inspector can be used to match the positions, lengths and/or values of several selected clips, notes, events or recordings to the position, length and/or value of the topmost (or leftmost) selected clip, note, event or recording. Refer to “Matching clips using the “Match Values” function”, “Matching audio values using the "Match Values" function” and “Matching notes or events using the “Match Values” function”.