Next up I’ll be going into modulation matrixes and any other extra settings you are likely to find in most synths. If there is anything in particular you would like to see in future casts please let me know.

Screencast

Step 1: Setting Up Thor

Before we do anything, we need a mixer in our rack. If you don’t already have one, right click and click create > Mixer 14:2. This will be what our synth is fed into so we can control its overall volume.

Right click on your Reason interface and click create > Thor Polysonic synthesizer. This will make a brand new instance of Thor that we can get started on!

Thor in the Reason Rack.

Right click Thor and click “Initialize patch” to remove any the existing default patch settings and give us a clean slate to work with. Also, before we forget – double click on the name tag and change it to “Trance Lead” so it’s easy to see in the mixer what the device is.

Now we have our device, it’s time to add in some notes. In the Reason sequencer window, select the pencil tool (the shortcut key to select the pencil tool is “W”) and draw out the section you want to make notes in. I’ve drawn out an 8 bar loop for our trance loop, giving time for a decent chord progression. Select the selection tool (the shortcut key is “Q”) and double click the area you have just drawn out.

Now, using the pencil tool again, draw some notes for your synth to play. Click the “Loop on/off” button to turn on the loop – but make sure the L and R loop points are around the whole of the area you’ve created so you’re hearing the entire loop.

The Reason sequencer window with the notes drawn in.

So far, your loop should sound something like this:

Download audio file (mp3_1.mp3)

Step 2: Make the Three Multi Oscillators and Mix Them

Now it’s time to start making this synth patch! We’ll be using all three of Thor’s oscillators to make a massive, epic sound. Click the “Show Programmer” button to open Thor up. Change each oscillator to a “Multi Osc” oscillator by clicking the drop down arrow and selecting it from the menu.

A Multi Oscillator makes lots of single waves, and then allows you to detune them against each other to make a very thick sound, perfect for the trance lead synth we’re making. Click the “2″ and “3″ buttons near the top of the opened up part of Thor to send the 2nd and 3rd Oscillators through into the rest of the signal chain.

Change the “AMT” knob to about 3/8ths of the way around – this detunes the waves, thickening the sound. Take oscillator 2 up one octave with the “OCT” knob and oscillator 3 up two octaves – this makes a three octave spread, making it sound even bigger. We still want the focus to be on the lowest octave, however, so in the mixer, take the balance towards oscillator 1, and turn oscillator down to about half way.

Thor with the 3 Multi Oscillators.

Your loops should now sound like this:

Download audio file (mp3_2.mp3)

Step 3: Remove the Filter and Alter the Amp Envelope

Click the drop down on the filter and click “Bypass” – hear how it’s now a lot brighter? That’s because none of the high frequencies are being filtered out any more.

The “Bypass” filter option.

If you have any long notes in your loop, you might notice they are losing volume over time. To prevent this, turn the “S” up in the “Amp Envelope” section to full – this is the sustain of the note – by turning it to full it means it will not lose any volume at all, which is great for big synth sounds.

The loop should now sound like this:

Download audio file (mp3_3.mp3)

Step 4: Add the Chorus and Delay

Now we’re going to make this epic lead synth even more epic with some effects – Chorus widens the synth effect in the stereo field, making it feel bigger. Thor has a chorus unit built in, so just click the “Chorus” button and voila! Instant width to your synth effect. Turn the “D/Wet” knob (Short for Dry / Wet) down to about a quarter of the way around so the chorus isn’t too overwhelming – if it is too wide, the synth loses its punchiness.

Next, we’re going to add Delay to really make the synth bigger. Delay is an effect that echoes out what has been played. Again, Thor comes with this built in, so just click on the “Delay” button to add the epic effect. Click the “Tempo Sync” button to make the echoes in time with the music. Again, change the Dry/Wet knob to about a quarter so it isn’t too overwhelming.

The Chorus and Delay section set up for a big sound.

The loop should now sound like this:

Download audio file (mp3_4.mp3)

Step 5: Add the Reverb

Finally, we’re going to add some reverb to the high end of the synth so it really fills out the track. Right click the mixer your Thor device is going in to and go create > RV7000 Advanced Reverb. This will automatically connect it to the next available auxiliary knob on the mixer – in this case aux 1. Turn up the knob to about half way round.

Now we’ve got reverb – but we want it more focused on the high end. Turn the “HF Damp” down to 0 so none of the high frequencies are being dampened and turn the “HI EQ” to full so the High frequencies are even more prominently reverberated. Turn the decay knob up to about 3/4 of the way around so it is reverberated for a longer period of time, making it seem even bigger.

The RV7000 Advanced Reverb unit in the rack. Note how the Aux knob on the Trance Lead Channel is turned up.

The loop should now sound like this:

Download audio file (mp3_5.mp3)

And there you have it – a massive trance lead synth made in Reason 4. Here is an example of it in context with a simple loop incorporating a drum loop and a bass synth:

Download audio file (mp3_6.mp3)

Introduction

Unique sounding percussion is one of the keys to any quality track. Unfortunately, stock sounds are easily recognizable, not always high quality, and are rather limited in style. You could always go buy some additional drum packages from a variety of places, but of course, then you’re stuck with their drum styles. You could also record your own drum samples, but this can be a time consuming and tedious process, and it can also be costly if you don’t own a drum set.

However, there are always some ways to make stock drums sound unique, and to add your own style to them. One of these ways is layering of drums, which was discussed in another AudioTUTS+ tutorial How to Layer Hip Hop Drums in FL Studio. Aside from that, however, there are a variety of other ways, which we’ll look at in detail.

Getting the Most from Kick Drums

Kick drums generally lay down the base framework for your track. If it’s an electronic genre, such as trance or techno, it will usually use a “four to the floor” drum style, where there is a kick on every downbeat. Hip-Hop sometimes calls for a more ‘digital’ sounding kick, whereas rock music usually goes for a live feel, a warmer sound. Most producers have a specific sound in mind for a track, which helps to guide the rest of the production.

The first, major way to get the most out of your kick drums, is to run a compressor on your kick drums. Let’s do this really quickly. In Reason, go to Create->Redrum Drum Machine. Then, Create->MClass Compressor. Hit tab, and flip around to the wiring view. You’ll notice that all your drums are now wired through the compressor. We don’t want that, so instead, switch the audio input on the compressor to the output from channel 1 of Redrum, so that only the kick drum is routed. Then re-route the L/R output of Redrum back to the mixer (so the rest of the drums are still being sent to the mixer).

Now, toy with the compression, by turning the Threshold, Attack, and Release knobs down, while turning up the compression. Here’s an automated drum track, where the compression slowly increases over time. Notice, the volume also drops, so you can either raise the gain, or layer this with another drum.

Download audio file (1.mp3)

Next, make sure your kick drums aren’t clipping. A lot of very ‘bassy’ drums have very loud low frequencies, which help to give it a nice rolling sound. However, this also tends to max out the audio, so if this is happening to your songs, add an MClass EQ to your track, and soften the low frequencies, that way the drum can still be loud, without clipping.

Remember, channels 1 and 2 in Redrum are designed specifically for kick drums. They have pitch, level, length, velocity, and tone knobs. Pitch and tone are incredibly useful for changing the sound of a kick drum. However, if you really want a ton of control over your sound, you can load up your individual kick in NN-XT. Simply locate the .wav file on your computer, and open it in NN-XT, and then use the programmer to alter the sound. You can add other sounds, you can reverse the audio, and a bunch of other things with NN-XT.

Bass and kick drums go hand in hand. When you’re working with a soft or slightly weak kick sound, you can really amp it up by creating a synthesizer, loading a bass sample, and then hitting the note right on the same beat as your kick drum. You can then shorten or lengthen the attack to give it a punchier sound to match your kick drum.

Getting the Most from Snare Drums

Reason has some high quality snare drums. However, snare drums are generally a bit harder to edit, and each person likes a different snare sound. Unlike kick drums, which have a lower frequency, snare drums have mid and high frequencies, which make them stand out in the track. It’s important to be careful with compression and EQ with snare drums, as these more easily alter the sound of snares than kick drums.

To create a snare roll, simply create a rapid succession of snare hits in Redrum. Then, play with the flam, and also consider adding a delay device to the sound as well, to create a stuttering effect. In the image below, I’ve added a delay and some flam to a snare pattern. Listen to the audio and see the results.

Download audio file (2.mp3)

As with kick drums, Redrum channels 3 and 4 are designed to handle snare drums, and have some different parameter controls. Again, however, sounds can be loaded up into NN-XT for total control.

Synthesizing snare drums can be a ton of fun. To create a synthesized snare drum sound, simply create a synthesizer of your choice (Subtractor, Malstrom, Thor), and then give it a loud attack, with a quick release. Then, apply some distortion and reverb to give it a traditional sound. Make sure the pitch is correct, however.

As I mentioned above, EQing snare drums rapidly changes the sound. However, this can be beneficial, as you can get a more metallic sound by raising the EQ, or a more of a cracking sound by lowering the EQ. Just make sure the final version of your snare still is audible above the other frequencies of instruments in your song.

Getting the Most from Hi-Hats and Cymbals

Like the stock kick drums in Reason, the stock hi-hats and cymbals are worth using, though they require some tweaking to get a full sound. When adding a hi-hat or cymbal, listen to the sound, and make sure it fits in the proper dynamic range. If it’s a bit too sharp, reduce the highs in the EQ, or use the pitch knob to reduce it. You can also tune the pitch of a cymbal down, in order to provide a fuller sound.

Hi-hats are best used on channels 8 and 9, not only due to the available settings, but also due to the Channel 8 & 9 Exclusive button, which allows the channels to interrupt each other, so the hi-hats don’t conflict.

Hi-hats are often played in very rapid succession, and adding flam to hi-hats is an excellent way to create interesting rolls. However, avoid using long cymbal crashes in succession. Reason will have to cut the first crash off when the next one triggers, which will quickly max out your CPU usage and probably crash the program. Not to mention it doesn’t sound very good.

Load up a cymbal in NN-XT, and then reverse it, to get a nice buildup effect. There are some reverse cymbals as stock sounds, but this way, you can create your own. Let’s look at how to do this. Create->NN-XT. Right click, then choose “Initialize Patch”. This will present you with a blank NN-XT. Next, hit “Show Programmer”. Click the folder icon next to “Load Sample”, and navigate to Reason Factory Soundback/Reason Drum Kits/Xcluzive Drums (Sorted), and choose Cr_JC.aif. This will load the file up for editing. Next, locate the knob titled “Play Mode”, and turn it until it says “BW”. This will play the audio file backwards. Press and hold a key on your MIDI keyboard (middle C works pretty well). Listen to it play.

Download audio file (3.mp3)

I don’t like that abrupt sound at the end. Let’s get rid of it by turning the start knob to about 4.0%. After this, we can just play with the ADSR envelope to get the sound we want.

Be very careful about adding reverb to your hi-hats and cymbals. Typically, a small amount of reverb will do the trick, as larger amounts of reverb will cause the sound to become washed out and turn it into an amorphous noise.

Compression is the name of the game here. Hi-hats have different dynamics to snare drums, so you can run a compressor and really get some unique and different sounds, and they’ll still stand out above the track.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we looked at some of the many ways that you can enhance your drum sounds in Reason. Luckily, these techniques can be applied in virtually any digital audio workstation, as long as you have access to a compressor, an equalizer, and a sample editing plugin. Just remember the basic architecture of your music, and remember that each drum sound is designed to rest in a given frequency. Also, it is key to avoid clipping with any form of audio, but drums especially can be very noticable when they are maxing out the signal.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and as always, I’ll be checking the comments for requests, comments, and questions. Thanks for reading!

This is really aimed at the beginner who is relatively new to subtractive synths or people just starting to program their own patches. I’ve tried to keep the videos a little shorter than previous offerings but I have to apologise for any heavy breathing you might hear in the later stages – my boxer Alfie decided to come and sleep in my studio!

Don’t worry if you don’t own Reason as I have constructed the same sound in a couple of other synths: FAW’s Circle and Logic’s ES2. Hopefully this will allow the majority of people to follow the series.

Screencast

The Patch in FAW Circle

Here is the patch in Subtractor and also recreated using Future Audio Workshop’s excellent ‘Circle’ synth. While these recreations won’t sound identical, they should give most of you a chance to load the patch up.

You can download a fully functional demo of Circle here.

The patches for each of these are available for download in the play pack below.

The original patch in Subtractor.

The patch recreated in FAW Circle.

The Patch in Logic Pro 9’s ES2

Here is the same patch, but this time in Logic’s ES2 synth.

The patch recreated in Logic’s ES2.

Scream 4 is one of the standout plug-ins in Reason’s arsenal and can create some really extreme distortion and saturation effects. One of its lesser known modes is the tape compression setting, this can work wonders on just about any sound but really shines on drums.

Step 1 – Getting the Drums Out of Your DAW

Let’s assume that you are not using Reason as your main DAW and you have mixed your whole project so far in say Cubase 5 or Logic Pro 9. Due to Reason not supporting audio playback, you might assume that you are not able to use its effects to process your existing audio, but this isn’t strictly true.

Although it’s certainly not the ideal situation, you can get your drum track from Logic playing back quite happily in Reason and synced with the existing project. It’s simply a case of exporting your drums and converting them to .REX files.

Original drum track in Logic Pro 9

For me this is often worth the work as there really aren’t that many good tape compression plug-ins out there, and the algorithm in Scream 4 often delivers exactly the right sound. I used this method in a recent remix. I’m really happy with the result, and it actually didn’t take too long too complete. When cleared by the record label I’ll post a clip in the comments.

Exporting the whole drum track

If your drums change over time your might want to export the mixed drum track in sections, this will make it easier to process into .REX files. To save time I won’t go through the process of creating the .REX files but if you have Recycle you should be pretty well versed in this. If not you can simply use the well edited raw .wavs or .aif files here.

Converting to .REX files in Recycle 2.1

Original untreated drums:

Download audio file (1.mp3)

Step 2 – Importing the New Files into Reason

At this point you can open Reason (which will automatically assume slave mode) and import your new .REX files into the Dr.Rex loop player or NN-XT sampler. If you are using raw audio files simply use one of the Reason samplers.

Importing .REX files into the Dr.Rex player

If you have split your drums into several files, simply use multiple Dr.Rex players. In this example I have used the drums from another tutorial project and simply used one looped section.

Now insert a Scream distortion unit below the Dr.Rex loop player.

The Scream 4 distortion processor

If you are using multiple Dr.Rex’s it can be a good idea to either add them to a combinator, or route them all through a sub mixer and insert the Scream 4 unit across the master output. This way you only have deal with one effect for all the drum parts. If you need to go down this route your rack and routing may look something like this…

Using Multiple Dr.Rex players for multiple drum sections

… and the routing

Step 3 – Setting Up Your DAW

Although you can switch the Scream 4 to tape mode, it is likely you won’t be able to hear anything at this point. We still need to set up the audio and MIDI routing between Reason and our DAW. As I have previously written a tutorial on this process I wont dwell on this for too long.

Scream 4 primed in tape mode

Export the MIDI from the Dr.Rex player and import it to a MIDI track in your DAW. At this point you may need to match the multiple MIDI files to your drum arrangement. If you have worked in sections, color coding them may help you rebuild them in the correct order.

Exporting MIDI from the Dr.Rex player

MIDI imported into Logic Pro 9

Now route the MIDI and audio to and from Reason from your DAW. This method varies from app to app, but in Logic it is simply a case of creating an external MIDI channel and a new auxiliary channel on the mixer for incoming audio.

Routing the MIDI from Logic to Reason

Creating a new Reason audio track in Logic

Reason audio being fed into the Logic mixer

Step 4 – Adding the Tape Effect

Now with your final drum track playing back in Reason, bypass the Scream 4 to check everything is working. It should sound exactly the same as it did when it was in audio form. Now engage the Scream 4 and start to turn up the tape effect.

The Scream 4 in action

You should really hear the drums come to life. Small amounts of the compression parameter will impart a basic warmth and squeeze, whereas higher intensity settings will actually edge towards saturation and then distortion. The speed emulates a tape machine running at higher and lower speeds. This tends to increase or decrease resolution and brightness, for this example I left it at full tilt.

The drums treated by the Scream 4 tape compression

Download audio file (2.mp3)

I have also used this technique with synth lines, vocal edits, fx and sampled grooves that resided in my DAW with great results. The over-processed, high-pressure sound reeks of the French house scene, and can be just the ticket when mixing dance tracks or anything that needs a bit of extra attitude.

Step 5 – Returning to the DAW

As this technique preserves the timing and groove of your original drum track, there is nothing stopping you exporting the audio from Reason back into a track in your DAW . You can then replace the original drum tracks with your tape treated versions. You can even mix a little of the dry drums back in to create a parallel mix buss.

The treated audio reimported back in to Logic

This is not the quickest way to process your audio, but until a really great, native tape plug-in comes along this maybe our best option to get ‘that’ sound. Of course there are alternatives, you can check my tutorial on saturation for some other options but most of them emulate tubes and saturated hardware as opposed to actual tape compression.

If you are lucky enough to own Propellerhead’s Record then you can import the audio tracks directly into it and run it as a slave. Your Reason devices will show up in Record’s rack and this will save you a considerable amount of time. For those of you who own Record or are interested in seeing it in action I will be writing a few tutorials with it soon.

Propellerhead’s Record automatically incorporates Reason’s devices

The main problem here is that most applications use unique file formats that can only be loaded in the specific program you are using. In some cases, such as the Apple loops format, these files can even be dependent on a certain operating system.

If we want to use our locked grooves across the majority of applications we have to opt for a format that most DAWs will load. Although the .REX file format has been around for some time now, it is still arguably the best way of storing our tempo sync-able loops.

Let’s take a look at how they are created, and the ways they can be utilized within different applications.

Step 1 – ReCycle Your Files

When it comes to using .REX files you have a few choices. If you want to take the easy route you can access large collections of ready prepared .REX data using sample libraries. The vast majority of sample collections now have extensive .REX sections containing perfectly edited and ready to load into your favorite DAW or sample player. We’ll look at how in the following sections of this tutorial.

Most sample collections now include large .REX sections.

If you demand a little more control over your samples and want to use your own loops and grooves, then you will need Propellerhead’s ReCycle to make your own .REX files. Although acquiring the application may require a small investment, it is well worth it if you are serious about your grooves and use more than one DAW.

The application itself has a really transparent one-window interface, with an easy learning curve. Once you grasp the concepts, the process of creating your own .REX loops can be mastered in one session.

ReCycle’s clear one window interface.

ReCycle works by adding handles or markers to the start of each transient event. With this in mind, it’s worth experimenting with loops that have clear percussive elements and obvious transients. Drum loops and percussion grooves are the obvious choice here and ReCycle will do an excellent job of adding new markers to these sounds.

The markers are easily added by turning up the sensitivity value using the clearly marked slider. This action will automatically add markers to increasingly more transients as you go. As the space between the markers represents a ’slice’ within the file you don’t want to go overboard.

Initial markers are added by using the sensitivity control.

Once the slices you want have been marked, you are ready to move onto the next step. If you feel there are too many slices, or some hits in the loop were missed by the automatic process, they can be edited manually by changing to the draw tool. Each slice can be auditioned for greater accuracy here by right clicking in the appropriate space in the file.

It’s now simply a case of hitting the Preview Mode button, entering the correct number of bars in your loop, and its current BPM will be displayed. You can now change the loop’s speed and audition your sound at different tempos.

Entering the number of bars.

Previewing the loop at different tempos.

As ReCycle doesn’t actually use time stretching to achieve these changes in tempo, very realistic results can be achieved. The slices within a .REX file are actually moved around like interlocking plates. This is fine when moving to a higher tempo as the slices simply overlap and are played faster. When moving to slower speeds gaps can appear in the structure and these can become audible.

ReCycle combats this problem with the use of its ’stretch’ algorithm. This is not a traditional time stretch, but a method that uses a small portion of each slice, reverses it and adds it to the end of each section. This fills the gaps with similar material and produces a very acceptable result in most cases.

The stretch feature.

With this knowledge you should be able to produce and save a pretty tight .REX file. There are other areas and extra processing that can be achieved within ReCycle, and these will be covered in future tutorials.

Step 2 – Using .REX Files with Reason

Once you have some .REX files, you are ready to import them into different applications. Each DAW has its own way of dealing with .REX information, and it pays to become familiar with each one, or at least the one you use on a regular basis.

As Reason is built by Propellerhead (the same company as ReCycle) you would expect the integration of .REX files to be pretty tight. In fact there is actually a dedicated .REX file player called Dr.Rex. This really is an excellent instrument and not allows you to load .REX files, but also gives you the tools to completely transform them if you wish.

The Dr.Rex player.

The Dr.Rex player has a straight forward but powerful synthesis engine, and the real beauty of it is that both of the envelopes clamp down on each slice independently. This can create some really interesting effects. There is also a sync-able LFO which can be routed to various destinations.

The Dr.Rex synthesis engine.

Once you loop is playing back in a way that you are happy with, a MIDI file to trigger the loop in exactly right order can be generated and easily assigned to a track in the Reason sequencer. It is also easy to export the same MIDI information to another sequencer in Reason via Rewire.

Exporting MIDI from Dr.Rex.

Step 3 – Opening .REX Files in Cubase and Logic.

Opening .REX data in other DAWs is a slightly different process, and perhaps not as straight forward. But don’t worry – it’s not rocket-science either.

One thing to note is that to open .REX data in Cubase, Logic and many other DAWs, you will need Propellerhead’s ‘Rex Shared Library‘ installed. This is a free download.

With the shared library in place, both Cubase and Logic should be able to read and audition .REX files like any other audio. The real difference is when you actually import the audio. As .REX files are made up of slices, the DAW will often present you with a few options on how these slices are handled.

Logic for example will first display a dialogue stating that you are using a ReCycle file, and then a drop-down menu will present you with a number of choices. These include importing each slice onto separate tracks and rendering the file into an Apple loop. The latter is probably the most straight-forward, and will produce a consolidated, single file that will still change tempo with that of Logic’s master clock.

Logic Pro 9’s options for importing .REX files.

Another option is to import your .REX files into some sort of sampler or groove player. In Logic you can use the EXS24 sampler, and in Cubase 5 you can try Groove Agent. Working in this way is similar to using the Dr.Rex player in Reason, and gives you a different angle for working with straight audio conversions. MIDI files can be generated to drive these instruments, and the MIDI can be easily rearranged.

Importing .REX files and generating MIDI with Logic’s EXS24 sampler.

It is worth considering Logic 9’s new Flex tool and Audio Quantize features, as this route may be a good alternative to using .REX files. If you are lucky enough to have the new version you can certainly experiment to see which works best for you. I have Logic Pro 9 up and running here and will be covering these new features in my next batch of tutorials.

Step 4 – Ableton Live and .REX files

Ableton Live works perfectly with .REX files and will load them as it would any other audio file. The only real difference is the fact that the .REX files are immediately treated as warped / elastic audio, and will lock perfectly to your existing project’s elements and tempo.

Ableton Live treats .REX files in probably the most transparent and straight forward way, compared to all the other DAWs mentioned here.

Importing .REX files in Ableton is extremely straight forward.

In these tutorials I use a kick drum to trigger the sidechain and use a piano loop for the processed sound but obviously you can apply this technique to any two sounds you wish. I have also included the project files from each DAW so you can load them up yourselves.

Setting Up Sidechain Routing in Logic Pro 9

Setting Up Sidechain Routing in Cubase 5

Setting Up Sidechain Routing in Reason 4

Introduction

This technique dates back to the 80s when artists began to use electric instruments and tape recorders to sample sounds, which they later used to construct kits. We will use only Subtractors to create a kick sound, a snare sound and closed and open hats.

Step 1

Create a new empty rack by hitting File > New ( Ctrl-N ). This will create a default workspace, with a default mixer as in the picture. Add a Subtractor device by right-clicking and choosing Subtractor Analog Synthesizer.

Step 2

Right-click on the Subtractor and choose Initialize Patch to reset the synth to its default values.

Step 3

First, sequence a low sound in a 4/4 pattern in the Sequencer window. Make sure you sequence the sounds in a low octave, as we’re create a bass sound.

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Step 4

Let’s begin tweaking! Set the following values to the pitch section of the Subtractor:

• Set the shape to a sine wave
• Set the octave to 4
• Set the phase all to the right and the Phase mode (the little button that says Mode) to linear
• Set the Mix knob to 0 as we will only use the first oscillator

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Step 5

In order to have a good house kick, we need to use a little trick. The modern house kick has a fast drop of pitch which creates that boom. Listen to a
couple of kicks taken from the Reason Soundbank:

Download audio file (step5.mp3)

So far, our beat looks more like a bass, but we’ll change that in a bit. We will try to generate the fast drop of pitch with the use of the Mod Envelope on Subtractor. Here are the settings for the Mod Envelope:

• Attack: 0
• Decay: 34
• Sustain: 0
• Release: 0
• Amt.: 91

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Step 6

It’s time to make the drum sound a little more powerful! Set the filter cut-off frequency to 54. Later, we can tweak the filter to muffle the drum more
or less.

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Step 7

The drum kick sound is almost there, but we can add some compression and some equalization to boost the low frequencies. Add an MClass Equalizer and set the following parameters:

• Parameter 1 Freq.: 94.1
• Parameter 1 Gain: 12.9
• Parameter 2 Freq: 7.5
• Parameter 2 Gain: 13.1
• Parameter 2 Q: 2.7

Add an MClass Compressor and set the parameters as follows (or go with your own taste):

• Input Gain: 3.4
• Threshold: -7.4
• Ratio: 1.95:1

There you have it: a super punchy kick drum perfect for tweaking in your own house loop.

Download audio file (step7.mp3)

Let’s continue with the rest of the drums.

Step 8

The second drum we will generate is a snare drum. Snare drums are created with tight drums, and sound more like a noise, so we will use the noise
generator in Subtractor to create the snare patch. Create another Subtractor and initialize the patch as we did in step 2.

Step 9

First, in the oscillator section, set the Mix to the right to activate the noise oscillator. You need to enable only the Noise Oscillator, otherwise the second oscillator will be heard, and we don’t want that? Anyway, set all the noise parameters to the right:

We’ll also tweak the filter and amp section:

• Filter Freq.: 83
• Filter Env. Decay: 49
• Filter Env. Amt.: 62
• Amp Env. Decay: 36
• Amp Env. Sustain: 60

Step 10

The snare sound is not quite what you’d hear in a commercial song, but it’s close. We still need to add reverb to make the snare sound snappy and loud. I’ve added a RV-7 Digital Reverb and I have used the preset ALL Medium Stage with a dry/wet of 14.

In the sequencer window duplicate the kick beat and erase the 1st and the 3rd beat to create the snare rhythm and move it to C5 so it’s higher.

Download audio file (step10.mp3)

Step 11

It’s time to duplicate the technique we used on the snare and apply it to the hi-hat sound. The hi-hat is almost entirely built with noise, so these are the parameters:

• Noise Decay: 46
• Osc Mix: 127
• Filter 1 Freq.: 119
• Filter Env. Decay: 34
• Filter Env. Amt.: 83
• Amp Env. Decay: 70
• Master Vol.: 66

Download audio file (step11.mp3)

In order to hear the hi-hat I’ve duplicated the kick and snare parts and also the sounds so as to build a hi-hat arrangement. You can also try quantizing the notes for a more human feeling.

The next step is optional. I’ve added an MClass Equalizer to boost the high frequencies and a RV-7 Digital Reverb with the preset ECO Space Echo 1 and a dry/wet of 32 to create a bouncy hi-hat, but that’s only if you go for that sound.

Step 12

We are going to create the final drum, an open hat drum that will go in counterpoint with the kick drum on the middle of the beat. Create a new
Subtractor and initialize the patch like in step 2. Duplicate the kick part and move it onto the open hat track. Inside the part, offset the notes
1/2 off the beat to place the hat in between the kicks.

Step 13

We need to set the following values in the Subtractor:

• Noise Decay: 86
• Noise Level: 107
• Mod Env. Decay: 38
• Mod. Env. Amt. 23
• Filter 1 Freq.: 30
• Filter 1 Res.: 16
• Filter 1 Type: BP12
• Filter Env. Decay: 66
• Filter Env. Sustain: 28
• Filter Env. Amt.: 60
• Amp Env. Attack: 12
• Amp Env. Decay: 48
• Main Volume: 66

Download audio file (step13.mp3)

Step 14

I’ve created a short house/techno track to show you how these synthetic drums sound in action. Sellers of items on AudioJungle.net will recognize the Envato watermark! It’s vocoded with the BF512 Vocoder.

Download audio file (step14.mp3)

Step 15

We are done! I recommend you save the sounds as presets so you can use them in your own compositions. There is also a way to save the whole drum kit along with the effects, if you own Reason 4. Just select all the devices used in the kit, right-click and select Combine from the menu and you have a Combinator patch which you can save as a whole preset. Everything inside the Combinator will be saved, along with the presets and tweaks you have created.

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Soon you’ll be constructing your own drum kits and sound libraries! Good luck and if you come up with a better kit post it as a comment so we can all use the sounds in our next hit.

Introduction

Several months ago, I published Your Guide to Getting Started with Synthesis in Reason. Since then, many readers have been asking for a more ‘hands-on’ article to using Thor, one of Reason’s polyphonic synthesizers, so today, that’s what we’re going to cover.

For this tutorial, we’re going to need the following:

• Reason 4.0, as we need access to the Thor synthesizer.
• Reason Refill Packer

It is also highly recommended that you read Your Guide To Getting Started with Synthesis in Reason before attempting this tutorial, as that article contains much needed background information about synthesis and, in particular, the components of the Thor synthesizer.

Step 1

The first thing that we need to do is install the Reason Refill Packer. This is available as a free download for registered Reason owners from the following download link: Reason Refill Packer. Download the installer, and install it into your Propellerheads Reason directory.

Running the program should reveal the window as seen above, which we will come back to after we’ve built the synthesizers.

Step 2 – Synth Piano

The first synthesizer that we will be building today is a synthesized piano, with a sort of “outer space” feel to it. This particular synth would be something you might see in various electronic genres.

The first thing we need to do is open Reason, create a Mixer 14:2, and then create a Thor synthesizer. Note that “Epic Poly” is the default synthesizer patch, so we need to reinitialize the patch before we start building. Right click on the Thor synthesizer, and select “Initialize Patch”. Now we have an essentially blank synthesizer to work with.

Click on “Show Programmer”. We can see that the default is a single analog oscillator, with a low pass ladder filter. If you play a few notes, you notice that it’s a standard analog synthesizer sound.

Download audio file (1.mp3)

Let’s start seeing what we can toy with. Click on the down arrow next to Low Pass Ladder filter, and change it to a Comb Filter.

Download audio file (2.mp3)

If you’re listening, you probably noticed that the synth now has a “grainer” sound to it. Okay, now let’s move to Filter 2 and Filter 3’s empty spots, and let’s choose a State Variable Filter for both of them. You probably won’t notice a real difference in the sound, maybe just a faint whisper sound in the background.

Okay, now we’ve got the essential base for our synth piano. Doesn’t really sound like a piano, does it? That’s because we haven’t touched some of the essential components of the Thor synthesizer yet. Turn the shaper on, and set the mode to “Saturate”. Again, not a big difference, right?

Here comes the really fun part. Turn both Delay and Chorus on.

Download audio file (3.mp3)

Big difference there. The delay and the chorus are both taking our oscillator sound that is run the filter, and adding to it.

Time to modify some settings to get a better sound here. Set the following values:

Analog Oscillator:

• OCT: 3
• PW: 93

Download audio file (4.mp3)

Comb Filter:

• FREQ: 2.69 kHz
• RES: 93
• ENV: 59
• VEL: 47
• KBD: 6

LFO 1:

• RATE: 3.80
• DELAY: 220 ms
• WAVEFORM: #1 – Triangle

Mod Env:

• DELAY: 0
• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 122 ms
• RELEASE: 3.82 s

Shaper:

• Drive: 25

State Variable Filter #1 (Filter #2 Slot):

• FREQ: 9.30 kHz
• RES: 0
• ENV: 0
• VEL: 0
• KBD: 0

Amp:

• VEL: 24
• GAIN: 0

Delay:

• TIME: 4/16
• FBACK: 74
• RATE: 0.59 Hz
• AMT: 39
• D/WET: 35

Chorus:

• DELAY: 13.6 ms
• FBACK: 13
• RATE: 0.76 Hz
• AMT: 46
• D/WET: 18

State Variable Filter #2 (Filter #3 Slot):

• DRIVE: 103
• FREQ: 39.4
• RES: 79
• ENV: 0
• VEL: 0
• KBD: 0
• SELF OSC: ON
• LP/HP: PEAK – 66

Filter Env:

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 3.82 s
• SUSTAIN: -00
• RELEASE: 29.6 s

Amp Env:

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 705 ms
• SUSTAIN: -5.2 dB
• RELEASE: 1.6 s

Global Env:

• DELAY: 0
• ATTACK: 0
• HOLD: 0
• DECAY: 1.24
• SUSTAIN: -21.8
• RELEASE: 1.24 s

Now, flip the arrow on the Shaper > State Variable Filter > Amp. Previously, the shaper was heading straight to the amp, but now we’re routing it through the State Variable Filter first. However, for this patch, we’ll keep the Osc1-Filter2 button turned off, if we turn it on, it will act as an amplifier for the sound.

Now, as a bonus, we can create a synth run pattern. Turn the “Run” button on, choose “Repeat” as the mode, “Pendulum 1″ as the style, 1/8 as the rate, and then program this pattern: G4-G3-D4-G4–G2-G4-C5-D#4–C3-G2-D4-G4–G3-F3-C5-F4.

Download audio file (5.mp3)

You should hear a nice synthesizer pattern that you can use in your music.

Step 3 – Lead Synth

The other synthesizer that we will be building for this tutorial is a lead synth to accompany our synth piano. Again, start by creating a new Thor synthesizer, and reinitializing the patch by right clicking and choosing “Initialize Patch”. For this synthesizer, we’ll be using 3 analog oscillators, a low pass ladder filter, a formant filter, and a state variable filter.

Start by choosing “Analog Osc” from the drop down list for Oscillator 2 and Oscillator 3 on the Thor synthesizer.

Next, choose a formant filter for Filter 2.

Lastly, choose a state variable filter for Filter 3.

Let’s take a listen to what this ‘default’ setup gets us.

Download audio file (6.mp3)

Curious, it sounds just like our other synthesizer. Let’s try to see why. Look at the buttons next to “Low Pass Ladder Filter” and “Formant Filter” that are 1-2-3. Notice that only 1 is lit. What happens if we turn on all 3?

Download audio file (7.mp3)

It sounds louder, but still the same. Let’s turn on the Formant Filter for just #3, and let’s also toggle the arrow so the Formant Filter is routed through the amp.

Download audio file (8.mp3)

Now we’re getting somewhere. If you listen carefully, you can detect a ‘metallic’ sound to the synthesizer now. If you were paying attention to the last synth we built, you’ll probably remember that most of the magic occurs when we turn on Delay and Chorus. Let’s see if it happens again. Turn on Delay and Chorus.

Download audio file (9.mp3)

Sounds different, a bit more like a lead style synth, however, it doesn’t sound all that good at the moment. Let’s fine tune our synth by setting the following values:

Time to modify some settings to get a better sound here. Set the following values:

Analog Oscillator #1:

• KBD: 127
• OCT: 3
• TUNE: 17
• PW: 93

Analog Oscillator #2:

• KBD: 127
• OCT: 3
• TUNE: -17
• PW: 93

Analog Oscillator #3:

• KBD: 127
• OCT: 4
• TUNE: 0
• PW: 127

Download audio file (10.mp3)

Low Pass Ladder Filter:

• DRIVE: 64
• FREQ: 41.4 Hz
• RES: 8
• ENV: 79
• VEL: 47
• KBD: 16

Download audio file (11.mp3)

Mixer:

• OSC 1 and 2 BAL: 64
• OSC 1 and 2 LEVEL: -0.9
• OSC 3 LEVEL: -7.6

Download audio file (12.mp3)

Mod Env:

• DELAY: 0
• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 4.35 s
• RELEASE: 4.35 s

Filter Env:

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 105 ms
• SUSTAIN: -00
• RELEASE: 29.6 s

Amp Env:

• ATTACK: 0.4
• DECAY: 423 ms
• SUSTAIN: -0.0 dB
• RELEASE: 705 ms

Global Env:

• DELAY: 0
• ATTACK: 0
• HOLD: 0
• DECAY: 1.24
• SUSTAIN: -21.8
• RELEASE: 1.24 s

Download audio file (13.mp3)

Formant Filter:

• DRIVE: 67
• GENDER: 38
• INV: ON
• ENV: 33
• VEL: 47
• KBD: 0
• X-Y: 78, 67

Download audio file (14.mp3)

For the above audio clip, the sample audio was raised an octave.

Amp:

• VEL: 24
• GAIN: -4.2

Delay:

• TEMPO SYNC: ON
• TIME: 3/16
• FBACK: 72
• RATE: 0.5 Hz
• AMT: 31
• D/WET: 38

Chorus:

• DELAY: 17.6 ms
• FBACK: 31
• RATE: 0.66 Hz
• AMT: 34
• D/WET: 40

State Variable Filter:

• DRIVE: 104
• FREQ: 39.4 Hz
• RES: 77
• ENV: 0
• VEL: 0
• KBD: 0
• SELF OSC: ON
• LP/HP: PEAK – 66

Download audio file (15.mp3)

Okay, now that’s done, but it still doesn’t sound exactly how I was thinking. The Formant Filter section sounds pretty good, but something doesn’t sound right about the sound from the Low Pass Ladder filter.

To fix this, we’re going to manually program some values into our source/destination programmer.

Refer to the image below and set the values accordingly. I would list them out, but in this case, images speak far better than words.

Essentially, the image above is a routing table, that defines routing of various Thor components. For example, the first two things we routed (the Key Velocity and the Mod Wheel), correspond to the components on your MIDI controller. We also programmed the rotary wheels and the buttons on the Thor, and did some other routing as well. Let’s have a listen to our finished product.

Download audio file (16.mp3)

Now, let’s program something into the sequencer like we did for our piano. Let’s try the following pattern: C4-G3-D#3-C3–C4-G4-D#4-C5–C4-G3-D#3-C3–D#4-G#3-C4-F3. Set the sequencer mode to “Repeat” the style to “Random”, and the rate to “1/8″. Also, let’s go back to our piano synth, and set the rate to 1/8 there as well, so they are in the same time.

Download audio file (17.mp3)

Now if we play the two synthesizers at the same time, we get something like this.

Download audio file (18.mp3)

Pretty cool, not exactly the prettiest composition, but each of these synthesizers would work perfectly in an electronic or atmospheric song, or a space-themed soundtrack.

Step 4 – Build the Refill

We now have two pretty awesome synthesizer patches. Let’s build a refill using them, allowing these sounds to be distributed around the internet. Run the Reason Refill Packer that we installed before. In order to create a refill, we need sounds, a splash image, and an info.txt. If you navigate to where you installed Reason Refill Packer, you should notice a folder titled “Sample Folder”. Inside this folder is a splash.jpg image that has the typical Reason Refill icon as the image, and an info.txt with the following contents:

NAME=”Sample ReFill”
COPYRIGHT=”© 2001-2005 Propellerhead Software AB”
URL=”www.propellerheads.se”
COMMENTS=”Sample ReFill for ReFill Packer”

Now, create a new folder on your desktop, and title it “The New World”. Open Reason again if you closed it, and hit save for any sounds you want in the refill, and save them into our new folder.

Copy the info.txt and splash.jpg into the new folder as well. You should now have 2 sounds, info.txt, and splash.jpg in the folder. Open info.txt and edit the contents to the following:

NAME=”The New World”
COPYRIGHT=”© 2009 AudioTUTS+/Envato”
URL=”http://audio.tutsplus.com/”
COMMENTS=”The New World Refill by Eric Shafer”

Now, click the browse icon next to the “input folder” textbox, and choose “The New World” as the directory.

Alright, we’re ready to go, so click “Create Refill”.

Congratulations, that’s all there is to it. You’re now the proud owner of your own Reason refill!

The files associated with this tutorial are downloadable from the Play Pack, including the Reason refill with the two sound patches. They are yours to use, but if you create anything awesome with them, at least leave a link to it so we can all hear it. Enjoy, thanks for reading, and hopefully you learned something. If you have any questions, I am always willing to answer them in the comments section.

Setting Up the Combinator as an Effect Device

With these setups we are going to use the Combinator as an effect device. To do this we will route the incoming audio through Combinator’s input. Here’s a screenshot of the setup.

For more information about the Combinator, visit Eric Shafer’s tutorial.

Distorted Delay

This demonstrates a simple stereo delay with a distortion and filter. First insert a Line Mixer and route its main output through Combinator’s “From Devices” input. Then connect “To Devices” to Line Mixer’s Channel 1 input. This way we can use the Line Mixer for the effects. Here’s a screenshot.

Now throw in one ECF-42 Filter, one Scream 4 Distortion and two DLL-1 Delay devices, holding down the shift key as you insert these devices so they don’t auto-route. Rename the delays as “Delay L” and “Delay R”. The routing of these devices follows:

• Line Mixer Aux Send > Filter Input (Make sure you have set the “Aux Pre/Post” to “Pre”)
• Filter Output > Scream Input
• Scream Output Left > Delay L Input
• Scream Output Right > Delay R Input
• Delay L > Line Mixer Channel 5 Input
• Delay R > Line Mixer Channel 6 Input

Here’s a screenshot of the routing:

This way the input signal will run through Line Mixer’s Channel 1 Aux Send to Filter, Distortion and Delays. Now we’re going to configure Combinator macro controls for devices. Go into the Programmer on the Combinator and enter these settings:

• Line Mixer > Rotary 1 > Channel 1 Aux Send > Min: 0, Max: 100
• Line Mixer > Rotary 1 > Channel 1 Level > Min: 100, Max: 0
• Rotary 1 works as Wet/Dry control.
• Filter > Rotary 2 > Frequency > Min: 40, Max: 110
• Filter > Rotary 2 > Resonance > Min: 50, Max: 20
• Filter > Button 2 > Mode > Min: 0, Max: 2

Rotary 2 controls both Freqency and Resonance, Button 2 switches between BandPass and LowPass modes.

• Scream > Rotary 3 > Parameter 1 > Min: 0, Max: 127
• Scream > Rotary 3 > Parameter 2 > Min: 127, Max: 0
• Scream > Button 3 > Body On/Off 1 > Min: 0, Max: 1

Rotary 3 modulates the Distortion and Button 3 enables the Body. These values are not exact values, and you can experiment with these.

Now let’s add an auto-pan effect. To do this we’re going to use a Malström. Drop one in while holding the shift key. Now connect Mod A CV output to Combinator’s Rotary 4 CV input. Go to Malström’s modulator A and select “Curve 16”, turn “Sync” on and set the “Rate” as 8/4. Then go back to the Programmer and set:

• Line Mixer > Rotary 4 > Channel 5 Pan > Min: -64, Max: 63
• Line Mixer > Rotary 4 > Channel 6 Pan > Min: 63, Max: -64

Now you should see the Pan knobs are wiggling opposite ways.

Here’s an example of how this device sounds. For this example I used a Dr. Rex with the “Dr. Rex Instrument Loops > Various Hip-Hop Loops > Hhp_Pingline_98” patch and on the Scream I used the “Fidelity FX > Digistructor” patch. You can of course try this with different Distortion patches.

Download audio file (1.mp3)

Filter Delay

This device setup is a re-make of the Filter Delay effect in Ableton’s Live. Again, start off with a Combinator and a Line Mixer in it, connect “To Devices” to Line Mixer Channel 1 input and Line Mixer main out to “From Devices”. Then add a Spider Audio Merger/Splitter to the soup. Connect Line Mixer’s Aux Send to the Spider Audio’s “Split” input. Again switch to “Pre” on the Line Mixer Aux.

Now place 3 ECF-42 Filters and 3 DDL-1 Delays while holding down the shift button. Name the Delays “Delay L”, “Delay L+R” and “Delay R”. The routing of these devices follow:

• Spider Audio Split Output 1 > Filter 1 > Delay L > Line Mixer Ch. 4 input
• Spider Audio Split Output 2 > Filter 2 > Delay L+R > Line Mixer Ch. 5 input
• Spider Audio Split Output 3 > Filter 3 > Delay R > Line Mixer Ch. 6 input

Here’s a screenshot:

Turn Delay L’s pan to full left and Delay R’s to full right. Now to the programmer:

• Line Mixer > Rotary 1 > Channel 1 Aux Send > Min: 0, Max: 100
• Line Mixer > Rotary 1 > Channel 1 Level > Min: 100, Max: 0

Rotary 1 works as Dry/Wet control as before.

• Filter 1 > Rotary 2 > Frequency > Min: 40, Max: 110
• Filter 1 > Rotary 2 > Resonance > Min: 50, Max: 20
• Filter 1 > Button 2 > Mode > Min: 0, Max: 2
• Filter 2 > Rotary 3 > Frequency > Min: 40, Max: 110
• Filter 2 > Rotary 3 > Resonance > Min: 50, Max: 20
• Filter 2 > Button 3 > Mode > Min: 0, Max: 2
• Filter 3 > Rotary 4 > Frequency > Min: 40, Max: 110
• Filter 3 > Rotary 4 > Resonance > Min: 50, Max: 20
• Filter 3 > Button 4 > Mode > Min: 0, Max: 2

Like above, Rotaries 2, 3 and 4 control both Frequency and Resonance, and Buttons 2, 3 and 4 switch between BandPass and LowPass modes.

For the final touches insert a RV7000 Reverb after Delay L+R with a Dry/Wet around 35, pick a Reverb patch to your taste. Then add a Stereo Expander after the Line Mixer main output.

Here’s how this device sounds:

Download audio file (2.mp3)

For the guitar loop I’m using “Music Loops > Variable Tempo (rex) > Downtempo Loops > 90_Bluestrat” patch on the Dr. REX.

Brake/Spin Effect

This is quite a different and experimental but very fun-to-use effect setup. I believe you have noticed the weird sounds when you are changing the Delay steps on the DDL-1. Now we’re going to use this weird delay effect to create a break/spin effect sounding as if you are playing on a turntable.

For this effect we’ll only need a DDL-1 Delay and a Malström inside a Combinator. Then we’ll route the Combinator’s “To Devices” output to Delay’s input and Delay’s output through “From Devices” input. Turn the rack around and on the Delay, select “ms” instead of “steps”, turn “Feedback” and “Dry/Wet” down to 0.

Go to the back of the rack again and connect Malström Mod A CV to Combinator’s Rotary 3 CV and Mod B to Rotary 4 CV. Turn CV values up to 100 on both Rotaries. Go back and select “Curve 2” on both modulators of Malström. Turn on the “Sync” buttons.

Here’s a screenshot of both the front and back of the rack:

Now let’s get to the Programmer and for the Delay:

• Rotary 3 > Delay Time (ms) > Min: 1, Max: 2000
• Rotary 4 > Delay Time (ms) > Min: 2000, Max: 1
• Button 1 > Dry/Wet > Min: 0, Max: 127
• Button 2 > Dry/Wet > Min: 0, Max: 127

..and for the Malström:

• Rotary 1 > Mod A Rate > Min: 0, Max: 127
• Rotary 2 > Mod B Rate > Min: 0, Max: 127
• Button 1 > Mod A On/Off > Min: 0, Max: 1
• Button 2 > Mod B On/Off > Min: 0, Max: 1

Now, what happens when you press Button 1 while you are playing is Combinator enables the Malsröm’s Modulator A and turns Delay’s Dry/Wet value up to 127. Then Modulator A sends CV data to Combinator’s Rotary 3 which modifies the Delay Time. The increase (or decrease) in Delay Time creates a Spin/Brake like effect. Also you can use Rotary 1 and 2 for the speed of these effects.

Here’s how this sounds:

Download audio file (3.mp3)

Finally, you may want to check Getting Down and Dirty with Delay on Discovering Reason and Peff’s website for more crazy Delay setups.