Integrating Reason with SONAR 2.0

SONAR 2.0 and Reason can be integrated together in numerous ways. Some of the highlights of this integration include, but are not limited to:

• Sample accurate synchronization without a need for a MIDI loop back device.
• Using Reason as a sound module (similar to a DXi or hardware synthesizer or sampler).
• Routing Reason's outputs through SONAR to be able to mix and process modules individually, alongside other SONAR tracks. You can route individual Reason modules through DX plug-ins for separate effect processing.
• Digital mix down (bouncing) of Reason tracks within SONAR (for exporting a mix, or freeing up CPU usage).

Synchronization

To begin working with both applications, you need to first launch SONAR 2.0, then go to the Synth Rack (View | Synth Rack).  

Click 'insert a DXi or ReWire device'

Go to ReWire device and choose 'Reason.' You can now click on properties to launch Reason.

For simplicity, I will refer to the Reason demo song title 'Tutorial Song.' This project has four modules loaded into it, Redrum (a drum machine), Dr.Rex (a recycle loop player), NN19 (a digital sampler), and SubTracktor (an analog synth emulation). At this point you can hit play on the Reason or SONAR transport to begin playback of both Reason and SONAR. They will be synchronized together. You can adjust the tempo in SONAR and Reason will change its tempo accordingly.

Using Reason as a sound module

To use Reason as a sound module for MIDItracks, patch reason into your DXi synth rack using the method described above. Then insert a MIDItrack into your project and go to the track pane. For the tracks 'out' select 'Reason', for the 'ch' select one of the Reason modules loaded (Redrum, Dr:Rex, NN19, and SubTracktor). You can now play these in real-time via MIDI, like a DXi or MIDItone module.

Routing Reason's outputs

To route the output from each of Reason's modules to individual audio outputs in SONAR, do the following: Switch to Reason, hit the 'Tab' key on your computer keyboard to access Reason's ReMix view that allows you to virtually patch the modules outputs. Find the Subtractor module and right click on the 'audio out' and disconnect the cable.

Now click and drag the audio out main to the top of the ReMix view (it will automatically scroll to the top if you hold the cursor at the top edge of the screen) and connect to input 3 in the 'Reason hardware interface.'

Now switch to SONAR and insert and audio track. In the track's 'In' control, select Reason | Reason Channel 3.

Now the Subtractor will play through your new audio track, and you can patch in DX plug-ins for that specific module only, and mix it into your project like any other audio track.

Digital mix down (bouncing)

Select the Reason audio and MIDI tracks in SONAR that you would like to mix down into a new audio track. Drag in the Clips pane time ruler to select the duration you would like to mix down. Select the Edit menu, choose Bounce to Track(s), then click OK. The Reason tracks will be mixed down to a new audio track.

These are just some of the basics you can do with SONAR 2.0 and Reason. Together these two applications offertremendous creative possibilities.

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