Ux2 How Do I Aplay The Included Reason Instruments?

[Jazzplayer59]

There is no midi input on the UX2.  It comes with a cut down version of Reason.  There are 16 Reason tracks and 16 audio tracks for recording guitars, anything using a powered condenser mic and so on. 

 

How can I make a backing track using the Reason instruments, then add my own real instruments, vocals, saxaphone, , or whatever else? With no midi input, there is no way to actually play the Reason instruments from a midi keyboard.

 

So is it a matter of chaining together pre-set bars of drums and so on in Reason?  That would make the system very limited.  Supposing for example I want jazz swing drums, or a complex time signature, not just straight 4/4.

 

It has taken me two hours managing to sign up to this forum.  So I hope the moderators will not mind if I include my email address in case I can't get back here.  If not they can easily remove it.

 

My email is nevillepearson1@gmx.com.

 

Many thanks, Neville

[ParfyonRogozhin]

Hey man, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Very few guitars are MIDI controllers, so you'll be stuck buying a MIDI keyboard if you plan to work with reason instruments. True, you can sort out the track manually by drawing in each note, but that's hardly effective.

Bome's Keyboard is an application that will turn your computer keyboard into a midi controller, however you won't have aftertouch or pressure sensitive keys, so you'll still need to edit values of the song manually for a realistic sound.

 

The M-Audio, now AVID Keystudio is your best bet at a cheap midi controller. It comes in 49 and 61 (and even 88) key versions, and they range from $99-$300 bucks. They work via USB or MIDI cable, and are pretty slick for reason.

[Jazzplayer59]

OK I understand.  Well I do have a small midi keyboard that can be switched up and down to get more octaves.  And I have midi cables to connect it.  If I bought a midi interface, I think they are quite cheap, would I be able to play the Reason instruments with the keyboard?

 

Without being able to do that, I am nor sure why Reason is included in the package.  It has virtual instruments, and of course drawing in notes would be extremely time consuming and wouldn't have the 'feel' that someone playing a keyboard with velocity sensitivity, a pitch bend wheel and so on.

 

If I can't play the Reason instruments, is the only reason (pardon the pun) that they are there is to draw in parts?  Much as you can do in Reaper?  On a long piece of music it would take forever, especially if the music as not repetitive.

 

The midi keyboard I have is a three octave Roland one.  It can also output various other controller data other than velocity and pitch bed/vibrato, by sliding a slider up and down to find controller numbers.  I have lost the manual, but I guess there must be information on the numbers somewhere on the net. Or I could just use trial and error.  Mind you it take a long time as I think thee 127 different possible controller numbers.

 

Anyway, lots of questions from me as usual.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Neville

[Librarymusic]

OK. Me again.  I am thinking that for now, if I just enter all the notes manually from my computer keyboard/mouse, even chords, then the whole thing will work, even though it will be very laborious. .  I DO have a midi keyboard with the midi cable.  It has pressure and velocity sensitive keys.  The actual model is a Roland PC160-A.  The top panel says Midi Keyboard Controller. On the left of the three octave keyboard is a pitch bend wheel.  When I push it upwards, it outputs vibrato information.  There is also a slider which selects midi controller numbers.  Those can be sent and recorded on suitable midi recording software.  It worked fine with REAPER. I used to use the system with an internal EMU S612 soundcard.  Very high quality, it came with a whole bunch of VST's and VSTi's.    It had 'break out cables.  Ones for audio input, two for audio output,  They had to be connected to a small external mixer. A Tapco 6306.  There are inserts for insert effects like external compressors.  Sends and returns for hardware reverbs (I have and old high quality rack mount 'Midiverb' - actually, the Midiverb patches could also be changed by automating them from Reaper with patch change information - 129 possible patches).  The mixer itself has three band eq on each channel, used to eq sounds going ONTO the recording, but not while playing the sounds back.  For that I used the Reaper eqs.  The mixer has standard low/nigh shelving, bass cut/boost, and a sweepable midrange eg.  I could also pug in parametric  equaliser.  Anything really. It's only a four in, two out unit.  But I could record mono tracks by panning the input to the left or right, depending on which track I wanted.  I could monitor the input, while listening to existing recorded tracks as a monitor mix.

 

But as you all say, there is no midi input on the line6 Ux2.  So I guess you are stuck with selecting one patch per Reason track, and having that running through the song.  Same with whatever effects you have on each track. But with 16 Reason tracks, different Reason instruments could come in at different points in the song.  

 

I can programme midi drums easily.  Reaper has a dedicated drum editor, with a drum machine style grid to put the various drum 'hits on.  Or you can play them in real time from a midi keyboard, and either quantise them on input, or after recording.  Or edit where the hits fall in the bars afterwards with a step editor.  It's a remarkable programme, it lets you do things almost any way at all.  And it has unlimited audio and midi tracks. It's similar to Steinberg Cubase.   You can even sync it to tape via SMPTE or the simpler Midi timecode.  The latter you have to start right from the beginning of the song, while SMPE you can start anywhere. I had a Fostex A5 6 track machine.  I 'striped' one track with time-code, then synced up computer tracks.  I also used to use Master |Tracks Pro, the Macintosh application, and that could do the same thing.

 

I am pretty clued up when it comes to recording and technology. But I can't work out the UX2.

 

The demos online do sound impressive.  The guitar sounds are definitely digital, not through a real miked valve am.  Most of them are very distorted heavy metal sounds. Over-processed.  They can't approach say a Fender Twin, or a Vox AC30, or a Marshall. You an' get a Peter Green sound, like the one he had on 'Albatross'.  Nor an Eric Clapton sound like when he was in the Bluesbreakers with John Mayall.  And later on 'Layla', which was a Fender Strat though a valve amp. But for a computer device, if you put the guitar sounds in a mix. not too loudd, they would sit nicely.

 

Anyway.  Any replies with suggestions, criticisms, suggestions, past experiences, anything at all, will be gratefully received,

 

Neville

[Jazzplayer59]

Any more info anyone on how to play the Reason Instruments?  I like to improvise, as I play a lot of jazz, as well as rock music, so drawing in notes is not a way to do that.  The UX2 Reason is cut down, but I have used a friend's full Reason and that had a midi keyboard like the one I have hooked up, so he could play pianos and so on with touch sensitivity, and record them.  There was no way to record audio tracks though. I want to be able to make Reason backing tracks, then overdub guitars and vocals.  Sometimes no vocals as I do a lot of instrumental music. Maybe I just bought the wrong interface for what I want to do.   

[TheRealZap]

should be as simple as loading a virtual instrument and going to town on your keyboard.

assuming you have midi configured correctly in your DAW.

the UX2 should not factor in at all other than being where the sound will come out of. 

(which you may also have to configure in your DAW)

[Jazzplayer59]

OK.  But there is no midi input on the UX2. So where do I plug my midi keyboard and 5 pin midi DIN plug in?  There MUST be some way to do this surely?  My Midi keyboard is a Roland PC-160-A midi keyboard comtroller,  It's powered up right now.  Any advice gladly received.  Contact me here on on 07864541025.  Thanks.  Neville

[TheRealZap]

you need a midi interface, there is no way to use a UX2 as a midi interface.

some keyboards do midi over USB, so that might be an option...

i've also used those 5$ midi interfaces from ebay successfully for keyboards before.

for a more robust midi interface that will grow with your needs i'd recommend a m-audio uno (@40$)

but for general keyboard things, i've found no downside to the cheapie.

[Jazzplayer59]

OK well my keyboard is a Roland PC-160A.  3 octaves, switcheable up and down for different octaves  It has a pitch bend wheel;, and vibrato if you push the wheel upwards.  The keys are velocity sensitive.  There is no midi input on the UX2, so how else is it possible to play the REASON sounds?  Any help gratefully received here, or by text on 078634541025. Or by eeail at nevillepearson1@gmx.com.

 

Thank you Neville   

[TheRealZap]

plug a separate midi interface into your computer...

 

the UX2 is a non factor.

the UX2 does not come with a way to work with midi.

 

OK well my keyboard is a Roland PC-160A.  3 octaves, switcheable up and down for different octaves  It has a pitch bend wheel;, and vibrato if you push the wheel upwards.  The keys are velocity sensitive.  There is no midi input on the UX2, so how else is it possible to play the REASON sounds?  Any help gratefully received here, or by text on 078634541025. Or by eeail at nevillepearson1@gmx.com.

 

Thank you Neville   

[TheRealZap]

here's the cheapie:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MIDI-USB-IN-OUT-Interface-Cable-Cord-Converter-PC-to-Music-Keyboard-Adapter-G9-/151156490190?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2331a0ffce

 

and here is the recommended:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Uno/

[Librarymusic]

Thanks for all your replies.  One last question.  How do I get REASON to recognise the midi interface so that the sounds will play?

 

I did have an Alesis interface which had built in Midi, but there were endless problems with that.  It was also very flimsy.

 

Thanks, Neville