REASON tutorials: "Working With Files"
REASON tutorials: "Working With Files"
As we all know Reason can read a lot of different file-formats: RNS, RPS, RCY, RX2, SMP, ZYP etc. But because all these formats can be compressed to a Refill file (RFL), it left me thinking about the best way to work with them. At the time of writing I've found a method I would like to share with you. Read on...
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Sampled sources
Redrum, NN-19 and Dr.REX all use samples for generating sound. They all can be loaded by opening a soundpatch or by adding a couple of samples.
If you use these patches in a song you might run into one big problem: if you edit these samples, your song will not sound the same anymore! One option is to include these files by choosing File -> Song Self-Contain Settings. Like this:
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If you check all files, all will be included in the song. The disadvantage of this is that the songs will take more diskspace. If you're using some of these samples in a couple of songs, these samples are redundant in my opinion.
But Self-Contained Songs are very nice packages for sending to someone else. The other party doesn't need to download extra samples, Refills, he/she only needs the song. So for this use, they are fine. But for working on songs which don't need to be downloaded, I find this method redundant.
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The Refill
The Refill format is a brilliant format! I love it so much because it includes everything you'll need in one file. The included info.txt is very handy for including a copyright notification. And a Refill is a compressed file, so it will take less diskspace than the samples included!
All Reason users can download the excelent ReFill Packer for free at the Propellerhead site.
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My Method
Because a Refill includes all patches and samples you might say that it's a 'fixed format'. The cool thing is... well that it's fixed. This means that if I use a patch from a Refill you'll know for sure that the patch will never be edited and therefore all your songs will always sound the same!
Here's my shortlist for making Refills:
I will only build a Refill based on patches I am totally happy with.
I will only use patches from Refills in my songs.
This means I will put a lot of time in finding the right slices for REX-files and making perfect NN-19 patches including samples with the right loop-points.
I have to work hard on making perfect Refills and this takes time, sweat and some smart thinking. The great thing about this is that the amount of effort really pays: you'll get to know your patches from head to toe ;-)
I know, it's nice to include a REX-file, which you might have downloaded from the Internet, in a song. I sometimes do that too, but I almost aways will use that REX-file in a Refill too. And fix the patches later on!
So in short my method is very simple:
"I will only use Refill-patches for my songs"
The end result of all this hard work will be a couple of custom made Refills which are special and have my unique trademark on them ;-) And let's say I have a session in a studio somewhere. I can just bring a couple of CD's with my Refills on them (and a info.txt with a copyright notification) and I'm ready to work on some songs! This can be in Amsterdam, Paris, Rio, etc. And my sounds will always sound the same.
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Backup the source-files!
When you make a Refill it's smart to burn a CD with the source-files on it as a backup. Just in case something happens with the Refill, or you stop using Reason someday (sorry, I don't think this will happen!). Keep in mind that's it's still nice to have these source-files kept in a safe place!
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Sampled sources
Redrum, NN-19 and Dr.REX all use samples for generating sound. They all can be loaded by opening a soundpatch or by adding a couple of samples.
If you use these patches in a song you might run into one big problem: if you edit these samples, your song will not sound the same anymore! One option is to include these files by choosing File -> Song Self-Contain Settings. Like this:
If you check all files, all will be included in the song. The disadvantage of this is that the songs will take more diskspace. If you're using some of these samples in a couple of songs, these samples are redundant in my opinion.
But Self-Contained Songs are very nice packages for sending to someone else. The other party doesn't need to download extra samples, Refills, he/she only needs the song. So for this use, they are fine. But for working on songs which don't need to be downloaded, I find this method redundant.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Refill
The Refill format is a brilliant format! I love it so much because it includes everything you'll need in one file. The included info.txt is very handy for including a copyright notification. And a Refill is a compressed file, so it will take less diskspace than the samples included!
All Reason users can download the excelent ReFill Packer for free at the Propellerhead site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Method
Because a Refill includes all patches and samples you might say that it's a 'fixed format'. The cool thing is... well that it's fixed. This means that if I use a patch from a Refill you'll know for sure that the patch will never be edited and therefore all your songs will always sound the same!
Here's my shortlist for making Refills:
I will only build a Refill based on patches I am totally happy with.
I will only use patches from Refills in my songs.
This means I will put a lot of time in finding the right slices for REX-files and making perfect NN-19 patches including samples with the right loop-points.
I have to work hard on making perfect Refills and this takes time, sweat and some smart thinking. The great thing about this is that the amount of effort really pays: you'll get to know your patches from head to toe ;-)
I know, it's nice to include a REX-file, which you might have downloaded from the Internet, in a song. I sometimes do that too, but I almost aways will use that REX-file in a Refill too. And fix the patches later on!
So in short my method is very simple:
"I will only use Refill-patches for my songs"
The end result of all this hard work will be a couple of custom made Refills which are special and have my unique trademark on them ;-) And let's say I have a session in a studio somewhere. I can just bring a couple of CD's with my Refills on them (and a info.txt with a copyright notification) and I'm ready to work on some songs! This can be in Amsterdam, Paris, Rio, etc. And my sounds will always sound the same.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backup the source-files!
When you make a Refill it's smart to burn a CD with the source-files on it as a backup. Just in case something happens with the Refill, or you stop using Reason someday (sorry, I don't think this will happen!). Keep in mind that's it's still nice to have these source-files kept in a safe place!