Reason Rack Plug-In Multiple Mix Channels For Kong In Reaper

[Eclectrophonic]

Hi All!

Can anyone tell me how to split 1 instance of Kong (using the Reason Rack Plug-In) out to multiple mixer channels in Reaper?

So far, currently I have opened a RRP Kong and assigned the drums and not sure if this is right but wired the Gate Out's of each drum pad to the CV 1, CV 2 etc of a Midi Out device. Am I right or what's next?

Thanks!

[imrae]

Ok, I have it set up. I think this screenshot shows all the key details! There's no CV involved, REAPER will happily send MIDI into the plugin and trigger the pads that way.

On the back of the rack, the Kong audio outputs are routed to different channels in the I/O device at the top of the rack. However, there are two more steps needed to actually get individual drums to appear at different channel outputs of the Reason Rack plugin:

• Disable the "To main" red buttons on the front side of the I/O device (they are dim in my screenshot after doing this)
• Assign drums from Kong to the desired output channels using the little dropdown menu at the bottom of the drum editor. (In the screenshot this is below the empty FX slots of the snare drum, and set to "Output 3-4")

Then in REAPER you need to open the plugin channel routing and expose more channels to REAPER (this is the button between "Param" and "UI" in the plugin window header). Add more channels with "+" and use the pin matrix to send them to audio channels 3, 4, 5, 6 etc.

Now you have a multichannel track in REAPER with Kong split over the channels. To get this audio on separate mixer channels, use the Route button (opens the Routing dialog at bottom right of the screenshot). Add new sends, and on each send choose the target track and set the appropriate input audio channels.

In this case, I wanted to have the main 1-2 channels on a separate track and not coming out of the plugin track, so I unchecked the "Master send" box at the top of this dialog.

[imrae]

Here's the back of the rack and channel/pin setup.

I know it seems like a lot of steps/levels, but they all have uses...

[Eclectrophonic]

Then in REAPER you need to open the plugin channel routing and expose more channels to REAPER (this is the button between "Param" and "UI" in the plugin window header). Add more channels with "+" and use the pin matrix to send them to audio channels 3, 4, 5, 6 etc.

Thanks for your help. It's this bit I don't understand.

Why does your go diagonally, why not like my screenshot? I just added 4 drums for now.

And how do you get that routing box up?

[imrae]

The pin matrix connects the channels of the plugin to the channels of the track. Each row represents a track channel and each column represents a plugin channel. So the most common routing is a diagonal line - a 1:1 routing between the corresponding numbered channels.

This is a very powerful part of REAPER which can also be used to mix input channels going into the plugin (e.g. creating a mono sum of channels 1-2 before going into a mono plugin) or to copy channels to more than one place (e.g. sending the same signal to both the main input and sidechain input of a plugin, or copying the output to channel 3 so it can be sent elsewhere while channels 1-2 go on to further effects.)

In your screenshot, you are sending a mix of plugin channels 1-4 to the channel 1 of the track, and an identical mix of plugin channels 1-4 to channel 2 of the same track. This probably isn't what you want; access more track channels by clicking the little "+" button.

The other routing dialogue (with "Master Send" at the top left) manages the routing (both audio and MIDI) between tracks and can also send to hardware. It is accessed from the "route" button on each channel strip. Note that each "send" creates and is linked to a "receive" in the recipient channel's routing window.

[Eclectrophonic]

Ok, I have it set up. I think this screenshot shows all the key details! There's no CV involved, REAPER will happily send MIDI into the plugin and trigger the pads that way.

On the back of the rack, the Kong audio outputs are routed to different channels in the I/O device at the top of the rack. However, there are two more steps needed to actually get individual drums to appear at different channel outputs of the Reason Rack plugin:

• Disable the "To main" red buttons on the front side of the I/O device (they are dim in my screenshot after doing this)
• Assign drums from Kong to the desired output channels using the little dropdown menu at the bottom of the drum editor. (In the screenshot this is below the empty FX slots of the snare drum, and set to "Output 3-4")

Then in REAPER you need to open the plugin channel routing and expose more channels to REAPER (this is the button between "Param" and "UI" in the plugin window header). Add more channels with "+" and use the pin matrix to send them to audio channels 3, 4, 5, 6 etc.

Now you have a multichannel track in REAPER with Kong split over the channels. To get this audio on separate mixer channels, use the Route button (opens the Routing dialog at bottom right of the screenshot). Add new sends, and on each send choose the target track and set the appropriate input audio channels.

In this case, I wanted to have the main 1-2 channels on a separate track and not coming out of the plugin track, so I unchecked the "Master send" box at the top of this dialog.

Sorry for the late reply. I'm having trouble with the routing dialogue box now. My theme doesn't have it so I'm having to switch to one of the default themes to access it then switch back. Is there a shortcut for it d'you know?

Also can't get a full screen mode of your pic and it isn't very clear to see on my computer. Have you clicked Add new send? still finding this really confusing. I can do this on Reason so I know about the Kong Output routing under the empty FX slots, I've copied your plug-in connector settings but only used 6 as I have 6 drums assigned to Main Outs L/R, 3/4 and 5/6 respectively.

I've disabled that Master Send box in the routing and clicking Add new send got 3 channels.

EDIT - I've managed to get your screenshot up big now, yours says Kong out 1-2, mine doesn't have that?

[Eclectrophonic]

Can anybody help me here? lost. Not got back on for ages.

[imrae]

You can only send to channels that already exist. If you give them names it is easier to identify them when routing sends.

I can easily view the fine detail of the screenshots on my phone, so I don't really see how I could be more helpful there. Surely you have an image viewer with a zoom function?

[Eclectrophonic]

You can only send to channels that already exist. If you give them names it is easier to identify them when routing sends.

I can easily view the fine detail of the screenshots on my phone, so I don't really see how I could be more helpful there. Surely you have an image viewer with a zoom function?

Sorry I followed your steps until I got to the Route / Sends part and then couldn't work out the next steps. I asked over on Discord for help and someone told me to go to Insert and choose Virtual Instrument On Track and then it asks if I want multiple channels and I chose yes. I then assigned all the routing on Kong and I've got this now (sorry to try a different way but got stumped with yours and had no reply for ages so thought you'd abandoned me lol!) and haven't attempted to get back on this again till today. So, am I up to the same place as you lead me, where the routing part is? If so, do I have to assign all those send tracks now as the pads only trigger on channel 1? if I click any pad now, only Track 2 Stereo Out channel lights up.

Just to clarify, I want each drum pad (drum) to have it's own channel on the mixer but I didn't necessarily want all those channels in the TCP but I could put them in a folder couldn't I? I also want all the midi on the main Reason Rack Plug-In channel, so only 1 midi editor with all drums there.

[imrae]

What I usually do with multi-out setups like this is to use the Track Manager and hide the output tracks from the TCP while keeping them visible in the mixer.

I think the multi-output dialogue option results in pretty much the same routing as the manual setup I showed; the screenshot looks good. Output assignment on the Reason side should work the same way.

[jens]

When you load Reason as an instrument ("insert virtual instrument on new track..."), Reaper should automatically offer you to automatically do the routing for all of Reason's outputs (in whoch case you would not have to manually do any routing within Reaper) - does this not happen for you?

Edit: ignore me - you already did it like this....

so what's the problem again?

[jens]

I didn't necessarily want all those channels in the TCP but I could put them in a folder couldn't I?

Unlike in Reason, for Reaper a track in the TCP always means a track in the MCP - and vice versa - doesn't really make much sense, but that's the way it is (and always has been).


However you can open the Track Manager from the View menu and use it to hide any tracks you do not want to see in the TCP - no folder needed for that.