Setting up a hardware synth with Reason

[TW1306]

I'm aware this may be a stupid question to 'experienced' producers but this is my first time working with actual hardware; I have an Arturia MicroFreak synth and M-Track Solo interface, but I haven't been able to work out how to actually connect them to the DAW I use (Reason 10) in any capacity - all the tutorials I've found skip over actually setting it up and go straight to 'load an instance of External Midi Instrument' with everything else already set up.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I've been using exclusively software until now and am looking forward to actually having a physical bit of kit to use!

[mjudge55]

Not stupid. I'll assume you want to accomplish two things:

1) Have Reason tell the MicroFreak what notes to play and when
2) Have Reason record the sounds MicroFreak plays as audio

For 1) to happen you need to have Reason send MIDI data to the MicroFreak via the USB cable. Is the USB cable plugged into the synth and your computer?

For 2) to happen you need to run an instrument cable from the MicroFreak output to the M-Track input and then connect the M-Track to your computer with another USB cable -- the M-Track converts analog audio voltage coming out the MicroFreak into data the computer can record. Synths operate at line level so you want to use the M-Track's input 2 set to to Line.

Once you've made these physical connections, you want to make sure Reason audio preferences are set up so it's using your M-Track to record audio -- that should already be the case if you've been using the M-Track to hear Reason playback. Create an audio track in Reason and set it to receive audio from the M-Track's 2nd input. Then create a MIDI Out Device in Reason and use the drop down to set the MicroFreak USB MIDI as the destination for its MIDI output.

I don't own a MicroFreak so there may be a step I'm missing here where you need to set up the MicroFreak in Arturia's MIDI Control Center.

Hope this helps.

[TW1306]

Thanks for the reply,

you want to make sure Reason audio preferences are set up so it's using your M-Track to record audio -- that should already be the case if you've been using the M-Track to hear Reason playback.

The M-Track is also new, I haven't set up an external device of any kind with Reason before - I don't have proper speakers so I've been using headphones (with the laptop's in-built audio jack) for audio playback and so am not quite sure how to go about doing that

For 1) to happen you need to have Reason send MIDI data to the MicroFreak via the USB cable. Is the USB cable plugged into the synth and your computer?

The cables are set up as such: MicroFreak <--instrument cable--> M-Track interface <--USB--> laptop, so am I right in thinking there needs to be a second USB directly between the synth and the laptop? This is my first time working with MIDI and I'm also unsure how to set up external MIDI stuff with Reason.

Sorry for all the questions, but I definitely appreciate the help

[mjudge55]

Connect the M-Track to the laptop with the USB cable. Then in Reason under preferences>audio you should see the M-Track listed as an option under "Audio Device:". By selecting the M-Track you're telling Reason to use the M-Track for recording and playback instead of the laptop's built-in audio hardware. Since you're listening via headphones you'll now want to plug them into the M-Track instead of the laptop because, again, you're using the M-Track instead of the computer's built-in audio hardware.

You're right in thinking there needs to be a second USB connection directly between the synth and laptop. This connection allows MIDI communication between the synth and Reason so they can tell each other which notes to play and when. The other USB connection through the M-Track converts data from the laptop into sound you can hear (playback) and audio from the MicroFreak into data Reason can record.

Hopefully you're seeing there are two main aspects to getting external synths working with Reason -- audio and MIDI. This is why in your next step you'll see in Reason you need both a MIDI Out Device to sequence the MicroFreak and an Audio Track to record it's audio.

[TW1306]

Then in Reason under preferences>audio you should see the M-Track listed as an option under "Audio Device:". By selecting the M-Track you're telling Reason to use the M-Track for recording and playback instead of the laptop's built-in audio hardware.

Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be showing up, the M-Track appears in my laptop's output devices but not in Reason.

Edit: after a bit of fiddling it gives me three options for the M-Track: ASIO, DX Speakers and MME Speakers, which one is the 'correct' one?

[mjudge55]

ASIO is usually the go-to.

[TW1306]

ASIO is usually the go-to.

Sorry for the continued questions; I've got everything set up and I can hear the audio from the synth being played back in Reason via the M-Track, it's all up and running properly now but how can I set it up so that a) the parameters on the synth can be modulated by a controller within Reason e.g. have the filter frequency on the synth assigned to a dial on Reason so I can draw automation for it, and b) that I can use the Reason sequencer for playing notes? i.e. drawing notes in the sequencer rather than recording audio output directly.

[mjudge55]

Don't apologize, but do check out Reason Help, it's a great manual. In order to send sequencer notes from Reason to the synth, you need to create an External MIDI Instrument device in Reason. There's a drop down menu and the MicroFreak USB should be available as a destination there. Most likely the MicroFreak is set to receive MIDI on channel 1 so leave MIDI Channel set to one on the external MIDI device.

At this point you can use the MIDI sequencer track to create notes for the MicroFreak to play. The MicroFreak receives MIDI from this track telling it what notes to play and when, then via the audio track, Reason hears the audio from the MicroFreak.

You can use the CC offset knobs on the External MIDI instrument to send MIDI Continuous Controller (CC) messages to the MicroFreak. For example, Filter Frequency is CC 23 so set CC to 23 on the External MIDI instrument device to control that. Here's a chart of the CC numbers MicroFreak uses for some of its parameters:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MicroFreak/com ... _cc_chart/

Welcome to hardware synths, fun but a pain in the a$$.

[TW1306]

you need to create an External MIDI Instrument device in Reason. There's a drop down menu and the MicroFreak USB should be available as a destination there.

At this point you can use the MIDI sequencer track to create notes for the MicroFreak to play. The MicroFreak receives MIDI from this track telling it what notes to play and when, then via the audio track, Reason hears the audio from the MicroFreak.

I'm afraid I'm completely lost at this point, I can set up an External MIDI Instrument in the way you've described but putting notes in the corresponding sequencer track does nothing. I don't know if I'm meant to connect the EMI device to the Audio Track in some way, but the Manual also mentions a 'MIDI Interface' which I don't know anything about?

[mjudge55]

My guess is something needs tweaking on the microfreak via arturias midi control software. You shouldn’t need a midi interface because computer and synth can send and receive midi via usb. There’s no connection to be made in reason between the external midi device and audio track - midi out and audio in are separate.