+ Production Tips & Techniques +

[Sike-1]

In other words me! I just got Reason 4.0 on the weekend. Now I just need to learn how to use it. I think I may also need a Midi Keyboard.

controller keyboards are very essential, you can make dope basslines with ease, but if you're strapped for cash, its not too important, you can still make good beats without them.

luckily, the controller isnt needed for drums really, its got a sequencer, that with time, will become ALOT easier.

you can come up with pretty dope basslines with the matrix pattern sequencer tho.

open up the matrix after a sampler or a synth ( like subtractor), and hold shift while you run your mouse over the bottom bars ( they should all turn wide @ that point), then arrange the sounds in the upper bars to form a bassline. ( think of the bottom bars as volume, and the top as the pattern)

to make a pause or stutter in your bassline, drop out the bottom bars where you want

it'll take some practice, but you'll get good @ it.

peace

[SYMBIANT]

"controller keyboards are very essential, you can make dope basslines with ease, but if you're strapped for cash, its not too important, you can still make good beats without them."

Yeah i was penciling in for ever but when i bought my E-MU is was a whole new ball game; more real time filtering, Pitch Bending, and over all writing. Not really all that important but it does help advance your writing somewhat and also helps you get into a groove a little more. I stand up and rock on the controller and get all hype and crazy like a rock star

"luckily, the controller isnt needed for drums really, its got a sequencer, that with time, will become ALOT easier."

No not at all the only time i use it for drums is for when i am lazy with cymbals or if i am tuning a kick or snare together with other layers just to hear them. either then that i use straight audio imports

"you can come up with pretty dope basslines with the matrix pattern sequencer tho."

I rock the matrix in reason for arpegiating.


I really want to help out and throw some knowledge but i don't know where to begin. Most of my really cool sounds "Reese lines" and shit are all from experimenting and usually something by fluke, a phantom image or something in the layer thats feeding off of the FX chain. Notch, BP, LP, HP use em all try modulating them all against each other. Bounce and try another pass. It's all in the pass's don't just use one let it ride out and pic a sweep that u like the most or a few and go from there. Drums are all about punch and snap. Eq the qualites of the kits you are using. I used to boost a lot but not i am heavy into compression and subtractive eqing. makes more room and sounds cleaner allowing some more space for you to fill up with Drones, Pads, Atmos, Arps, Synths in general and bass. Also Fx and such bleeps ocs sounds. Stereo imaging is good to but try not to hard pan too much Left and Right because no one will hear it on a club system unless you want it just for home use then go ahead. Also think about when you are applying dynamic processing, equalizing and fx. And in which order. cause it will all effect the sounds differently depending on what order you choose to manipulate your sounds in. For the longest time i was struggling with my tunes and shit but now that i have proper monitors everything seems to be a lot clearer in my mind.

[Toxic]

Stickied thread.
Some good info in here, lets keep it going!

[darkside flow]

OK here's a really lame question from a super-ultra-mega beginner

i'm just starting to learn cubase sx and haven't got very far. just messing around, watching some tutorials, etc.

what im stuck on, and am quite embarassed to ask lol, is how exactly do i start mapping audio using vst instruments. i've figure out how to load the instrument into cubase, it's open within the program, and i see the instrument on the panel on the left of the sequencing area.. but i'm not exactly sure how to start getting sound out of it :P

vst is kontakt


thank you friends

[nusense]

hit me up on aim Ian

[darkside flow]

will do when im at home.. school till 9:30 tonight. talk to u then if youre still up!

[Sike-1]

thank you for sticky-ing the thread, this should be a plethora of knowledge in a few months or so.

ian is it? im bryan, whats up?

ok, first off, open up kontakt in the drop down menu, once open, right click an empty spot in the sequencer and "add midi lane".

click on the midi lane and go to the box that looks like a propeller ( far left), then in the outbox, click the vst.

that should get your sounds

[darkside flow]

wicked bryan.. will try that later tonight

i may be hitting you up with some questions here and there as im a super noob!

[SYMBIANT]

You can also just click on the machine activity switch on the channel and it brings the machine forward with out even having to drop the menu also saving you from having a window open as it just floats. You just drag a sample into the machine from your folders.


Here is something i was doing today

Lets talk about getting those deep smooth Reese's.

Tonight i had a little fun working on some shit and every time i do i find out so much more useful stuff.

Here is my Chain

Kontakt---Reese which i made in filterscape---bp Filtering with (Tri)=triangle modulation---Phaser (Slow movement)

insert

Camel Phat

Flange (This really rounds it off)---Ramp down Modulation on Mstr Volume. (What This does is modulates the volume to sweep the volume down basically fading depending on your amount and timing key signature ie:1/2,1/4, etc. And this is the key part for the movement to stand out in the highs because the highs are really all gone. Bit Crushing. And tube which brings back the raspy. I cant remember exactly it all but i have it saved and would gladly post some screen shots..

[Sike-1]

You can also just click on the machine activity switch on the channel and it brings the machine forward with out even having to drop the menu also saving you from having a window open as it just floats. You just drag a sample into the machine from your folders.


Here is something i was doing today

Lets talk about getting those deep smooth Reese's.

Tonight i had a little fun working on some shit and every time i do i find out so much more useful stuff.

Here is my Chain

Kontakt---Reese which i made in filterscape---bp Filtering with (Tri)=triangle modulation---Phaser (Slow movement)

insert

Camel Phat

Flange (This really rounds it off)---Ramp down Modulation on Mstr Volume. (What This does is modulates the volume to sweep the volume down basically fading depending on your amount and timing key signature ie:1/2,1/4, etc. And this is the key part for the movement to stand out in the highs because the highs are really all gone. Bit Crushing. And tube which brings back the raspy. I cant remember exactly it all but i have it saved and would gladly post some screen shots..

i dont have kontakt

i use rob papens predator & synapse junglist,

synapse has a lot of nice sounds built in, but looks like it would be shitty (DEFINATELY isnt).

and rob papens predator is i think, the sickest VSTi made, especially for making all things electronic music.

anyone dabble in any other styles besides drum n bass?

i make hip hop on the regular, dnb, breaks and sometimes house ( you would think house would be alot easier to make sound good)

starting to make mostly hip hop and drum n bass lately.