Reason is the famous Virtual Studio software manufactured by the Swedish company Propellerheads.
According to my experience and several testimonials from fellow musicians, it is indeed a powerful music production software.
However, the graphical user interface and the controls might seem daunting to someone who is just beginning to use Reason.
There have been many musician friends of mine who quit using Reason because they didn't understand the interface and the functions.
This article explains the various windows and controls in the Reason environment so that you can understand the program better.
Reason is divided into several compartments.
From top to bottom they are: 1.
Title Bar.
This is the top most bar in your Reason display.
Its single function is to tell you which project is currently open and active (since it is possible to open several Reason projects at once, but only one can be active at any given moment).
2.
Menu Bar.
This is located beneath the Title Bar, and it is the place where you can choose: 1.
File, to save and open files.
2.
Edit, to choose specific commands for the music data (e.
g copy and paste).
3.
Options, to choose viewing and other options (including front or rear view).
4.
Window, to choose how to manage your open windows (good for expanding the sequencer window to allow more workspace).
5.
Help, to access Reason's documentation.
3.
Device Rack.
Below the Menu Bar is the Device Rack, which shows the devices that are being used in the current Reason project.
On the Devices themselves, you can toggle between full view or compact view.
Compact view allows you to see more devices by reducing them to a compact size and only showing the type of Device, name, and patch being used.
If you press Tab (shortcut), the Device Rack will show the rear view of the Devices where you can manipulate and assign your own routing scheme (usually for more advanced users, although a simple mistake setting up the Devices can cause the entire song to not make a sound).
4.
Sequencer Window, located beneath the Device Rack.
The sequencer window is where you record your music (in Reason's case, all data is recorded as MIDI data).
Using the sequencer window, you can have a closer look at the MIDI data and edit them with higher accuracy if needed.
It also shows you the various tracks that you have and the data contained in those tracks (including notes and automation data).
5.
Transport bar.
Located at the bottom of the Reason screen, the Transport Bar is where you control your song tempo, time signature, and also to press play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind.
There are also shortcuts for the Transport Bar functions - the primarily useful ones are "space bar" to play and "0 NumPad" to stop.
That is the beginner's introduction to the Reason environment.
I hope that after reading this article, you are able to understand a little bit more about this powerful yet resource friendly music production software.
To your Reason prowess
According to my experience and several testimonials from fellow musicians, it is indeed a powerful music production software.
However, the graphical user interface and the controls might seem daunting to someone who is just beginning to use Reason.
There have been many musician friends of mine who quit using Reason because they didn't understand the interface and the functions.
This article explains the various windows and controls in the Reason environment so that you can understand the program better.
Reason is divided into several compartments.
From top to bottom they are: 1.
Title Bar.
This is the top most bar in your Reason display.
Its single function is to tell you which project is currently open and active (since it is possible to open several Reason projects at once, but only one can be active at any given moment).
2.
Menu Bar.
This is located beneath the Title Bar, and it is the place where you can choose: 1.
File, to save and open files.
2.
Edit, to choose specific commands for the music data (e.
g copy and paste).
3.
Options, to choose viewing and other options (including front or rear view).
4.
Window, to choose how to manage your open windows (good for expanding the sequencer window to allow more workspace).
5.
Help, to access Reason's documentation.
3.
Device Rack.
Below the Menu Bar is the Device Rack, which shows the devices that are being used in the current Reason project.
On the Devices themselves, you can toggle between full view or compact view.
Compact view allows you to see more devices by reducing them to a compact size and only showing the type of Device, name, and patch being used.
If you press Tab (shortcut), the Device Rack will show the rear view of the Devices where you can manipulate and assign your own routing scheme (usually for more advanced users, although a simple mistake setting up the Devices can cause the entire song to not make a sound).
4.
Sequencer Window, located beneath the Device Rack.
The sequencer window is where you record your music (in Reason's case, all data is recorded as MIDI data).
Using the sequencer window, you can have a closer look at the MIDI data and edit them with higher accuracy if needed.
It also shows you the various tracks that you have and the data contained in those tracks (including notes and automation data).
5.
Transport bar.
Located at the bottom of the Reason screen, the Transport Bar is where you control your song tempo, time signature, and also to press play, pause, stop, fast forward and rewind.
There are also shortcuts for the Transport Bar functions - the primarily useful ones are "space bar" to play and "0 NumPad" to stop.
That is the beginner's introduction to the Reason environment.
I hope that after reading this article, you are able to understand a little bit more about this powerful yet resource friendly music production software.
To your Reason prowess