Post
by Majnun » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:17 pm
I'm going to try to convince you to stop using effects in Reason if you are using Ableton.
I'm a HUGE fan of Reason (made two trance/dnb albums exclusively with it), and recently got into Ableton.
There's nothing you can do in Reason you can't do (better?) in Ableton Live - as far as effects go.
I'd suggest if you are using Ableton as your sequencer/multi-track recorder, that you consider spending some time with Ableton's effects.
The nice thing about Reason is that it looks and feels like you are wiring up real devices. Everything is a little more abstract in Live, but you have all the same (and more) chaining options within Live. Also, Live's concept of session tracks and clips is so much more in line with the creative process than the standard linear time line of other sequences (like Reason), and it has that linear view you can use too.
[Writing this from memory, so if any of this is wrong, someone who has more experience with Live plesae correct me:]
In Reason you can assign effects directly between the instrument and the mixer from the backside (tab) view. (You do this in Live simply by dragging the effect to the right of the the intrument in the instrument view.)
In Reason you can assign effects to the sends on the mixer using the effect send/return ports on the backside (tab) view. (You can do this with Live too, using the in/out drop downs on the channels)
If you are like me, and want to get something working fast in Reason because you know it better, send Reason's mixer out to reason output 1/2 (standard set up when creating a mixer in a blank song) and then bring that into Live by recording it into an audio channel (grab the Reason 1/2 from the input drop down). Remember: if you have effects like delay/reverb that you record the "tail" of effects trailing off so your effects don't suddenly cut off.
Personally, just use Reason when I know there is a sound or rex loop I want to bring into Live. I find Abletons effects to be superior, so I usually bring "dry" audio in from Reason, and add all the delay, chorus, reverb, eq, etc inside Ableton.
One minor annoyance I have with Live is that I can't record automation inside the session view, I have to draw it. (Unless I'm mistaken, any way to this?)