Approaching Reason - Video Course - Free
- KVRAF
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Hi All
Approaching Reason is a series of ten videos covering the basics of what the Reason DAW is and how it is best used. Each episode comes out on Monday the first four are up already. This is Part 1:
Official: https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2024/12/0 ... ng-reason/
Background: This started as a commercial project for someone but after scope changes that were not in the brief, I bailed (seeing there was likely never any money in it for me). My options were to toss everything away, make it payware myself, or finish it and let it go. This is what I chose.
Me: I have been making music since 1988 when I was training as a Sound Engineer in a commercial studio (emphasis on commercials). I have used many DAWs from Prodigy to Vision, Cakebalk to Reeper. And of course Energy XT. I had Reason from V1 and committed 100% in 2008.
Approaching Reason is a series of ten videos covering the basics of what the Reason DAW is and how it is best used. Each episode comes out on Monday the first four are up already. This is Part 1:
Official: https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2024/12/0 ... ng-reason/
Background: This started as a commercial project for someone but after scope changes that were not in the brief, I bailed (seeing there was likely never any money in it for me). My options were to toss everything away, make it payware myself, or finish it and let it go. This is what I chose.
Me: I have been making music since 1988 when I was training as a Sound Engineer in a commercial studio (emphasis on commercials). I have used many DAWs from Prodigy to Vision, Cakebalk to Reeper. And of course Energy XT. I had Reason from V1 and committed 100% in 2008.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
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- KVRist
- 174 posts since 5 Jan, 2008 from Atlanta
Thanks.Benedict wrote: Sun Dec 22, 2024 12:03 am Hi All
Approaching Reason is a series of ten videos covering the basics of what the Reason DAW is and how it is best used. Each episode comes out on Monday the first four are up already. This is Part 1:
Official: https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2024/12/0 ... ng-reason/
Background: This started as a commercial project for someone but after scope changes that were not in the brief, I bailed (seeing there was likely never any money in it for me). My options were to toss everything away, make it payware myself, or finish it and let it go. This is what I chose.
Me: I have been making music since 1988 when I was training as a Sound Engineer in a commercial studio (emphasis on commercials). I have used many DAWs from Prodigy to Vision, Cakebalk to Reeper. And of course Energy XT. I had Reason from V1 and committed 100% in 2008.
I like your videos covering the synths of Reason.
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Skipping to Part 05 - Sampling in Reason
Reason is more than a DAW with some sample playback. Reason is a complete sampling environment with making your own samples as a central pillar. We skip merrily through the main methods of dance, umm, err, sampling.

Reason is more than a DAW with some sample playback. Reason is a complete sampling environment with making your own samples as a central pillar. We skip merrily through the main methods of dance, umm, err, sampling.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Part 06 - Effect Processing
Here I cover the basic, or core, effects. There are many others but these re the fundamentals. And I deliberately left compression etc out as that is in the later mixing episode.
Reason 13 is a very powerful environment because of its balance of great effects units (incl VST) and routing possibilities that allow for using effects in creative ways along with the easy workflow. Things that often get presented as game-changer stuff in VST have been doable easily in Reason for 20 years.

Here I cover the basic, or core, effects. There are many others but these re the fundamentals. And I deliberately left compression etc out as that is in the later mixing episode.
Reason 13 is a very powerful environment because of its balance of great effects units (incl VST) and routing possibilities that allow for using effects in creative ways along with the easy workflow. Things that often get presented as game-changer stuff in VST have been doable easily in Reason for 20 years.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Thankskraster wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 3:16 am Really great stuff, Benedict.
Appreciate the time and effort you've put into these.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- 4066 posts since 3 Jul, 2022
Thank you for doing this.
Do you plan an episode focused on Reason as RRP?
Do you plan an episode focused on Reason as RRP?
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- KVRAF
- 5573 posts since 30 May, 2006 from Hollow Earth
Very useful videos.
Please, keep going Benedict.
Please, keep going Benedict.
ABEFLGMOPPRRST 
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Yes and in a few episodes. I won't cover every situation but I do run in RRP in Reaper which is always an interesting rideJac459 wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 7:34 am Thank you for doing this.
Do you plan an episode focused on Reason as RRP?
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
07 - Sequencer & MIDI
Reason really comes together in the Sequencer. A DAW is a holistic environment - not just the result of a list of menu items of technical tasks. Reason works very well as a whole. This makes making & mixing music thing flow much nicer. Anyone who claims making music is easy is lying but when you find the right match, a DAW really does make things easier to achieve.

Reason really comes together in the Sequencer. A DAW is a holistic environment - not just the result of a list of menu items of technical tasks. Reason works very well as a whole. This makes making & mixing music thing flow much nicer. Anyone who claims making music is easy is lying but when you find the right match, a DAW really does make things easier to achieve.
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
08 Reason Rack VST in other DAWs
Reason made an interesting choice a few versions back to make the Rack (synths + fx) available as a VST3 which can run in any (appropriate) DAW. This spreads the user base and helps allow the Reason Sequencer to stay more unique (and I hope it does).

Reason made an interesting choice a few versions back to make the Rack (synths + fx) available as a VST3 which can run in any (appropriate) DAW. This spreads the user base and helps allow the Reason Sequencer to stay more unique (and I hope it does).
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
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- KVRist
- 208 posts since 28 Apr, 2022
Thanks for Videos, can you make a turorial about creating typical Dub (Dub Techno) Synth Sounds and Chords?Benedict wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:52 am 08 Reason Rack VST in other DAWs
Reason made an interesting choice a few versions back to make the Rack (synths + fx) available as a VST3 which can run in any (appropriate) DAW. This spreads the user base and helps allow the Reason Sequencer to stay more unique (and I hope it does).
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3770 posts since 5 Mar, 2004 from Gold Coast Australia
Thanks and that will be a No because I have no idea what those are. Mostly in modern Pop I hear the same two sounds or poor clones of 80s tracks. Today I was sure something I heard had sampled the synth sound from The The'e "This Is The Day". So no I am not the person for that task at all as I don't even care. Ask me about what I actually do tho...LaLivre wrote: Tue Jan 14, 2025 8:04 am Thanks for Videos, can you make a turorial about creating typical Dub (Dub Techno) Synth Sounds and Chords?
Benedict Roff-Marsh
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com
http://www.benedictroffmarsh.com