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Subject:Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Posted by: JE88
Date:3/21/2008 10:12:21 PM

Hi folks,

I just bought Reason 4.0...and I am in love with it...by itself at least.

I've recently tried rewiring it with ACID to get the best of both worlds. It rewires fine, I can hear Reason sounds through ACID and I can record through it, but I have a few questions...

1. How can I rewire Dr. Rex loops and record them into ACID?
I tried hitting record while hitting the preview button to no avail. I can record the individual loop bits on the keyboard. In addition, I tried the "to track" button on Dr. Rex that sent the loop to the Reason sequencer but not to ACID. When I do the "to track" I can hear the loop playing, but nothing shows up in ACID's sequencer.

2. Also, it may just be my imagination ("running away with me...."), but it seems like there's a loss in sound quality when stuff is rewired. Reason sounds, when used within Reason, seem to be of a much higher quality than when they got to ACID. Anybody else experienced this?

Thanks,

Oh, and specs...
I'm running a Dell XPS laptop, 2.1 Ghz, 3 gigs of RAM, on Vista

Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: Kennymusicman
Date:3/22/2008 6:52:21 AM

How familiar are you with Reason 4? (or even Reason for that matter)

Just asking with regards to having things like mixers in place before entering the 'hardware' units when rewiring?

THere are ways of getting "to track" into Acid, but lets work on things one at a time

Also, the sound quality shoudl be identical - I'll have a little look here later and double check a couple of things. My first instinct would be to check there are no effects on the rewire return channel in Acid. How are you listening - headphones, hifi speakers, studio monitors etc?

(Specs wise - your computer is fine)

[edit: ]
1) works as I would expect
2) sounds fine

Message last edited on3/22/2008 9:19:55 AM byKennymusicman.
Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:3/22/2008 9:21:06 AM

> 1. How can I rewire Dr. Rex loops and record them into ACID?

Use Render to New Track (Ctrl+M). Think of Rewire like just another VSTi. You don't record VSTi's. You play them and then when you render they get included in the recorded mix. Rewrire is no different. If you want to record a VSTi or Rewire device, you must render it to a new track in ACID and then mute the original track.

> 2. Also, it may just be my imagination ("running away with me...."), but it seems like there's a loss in sound quality when stuff is rewired.

Well, it is passing through two audio engines so there is a possibility that they are not set the same. Is Reason using 48K/24bit? ACID defaults to 44.1K/16bit. Try setting ACID to at least the same audio quality settings as Reason and they should sound the same. Make sure the track that Reason is on doesn't have any FX that might alter it's sound. Likewise for the Master Bus.

~jr

Subject: Can A6 and R4.0 coexist
Reply by: ozzborn
Date:3/24/2008 5:05:18 AM

Can A6 and R4.0 coexist

Acid 6 kept on crashing the rewire engine, and reason 3.0 would have to be reinstalled, i got tired of constantly reinstalling reason that i stayed with reason 2.5.

A6 still crashes the rewire engine, but R 2.5 would still be able to open thru rewire, not standalone, but i can live with that.

i would upgrade to 4.o if they could exist together.


Subject:RE: Can A6 and R4.0 coexist
Reply by: Kennymusicman
Date:3/24/2008 7:28:52 AM

I'm assuming your using XP - as Vista wants to see rewire differently to XP. Therefore, with Vista you need to install a tool from prop's website to correct this, unless you ahve v4 of Reason, which already accounts for this.

Anyway, if you have problems, have you tried deleting the rewire.dll from system32 directory?. LIterally delete it. Then start reason as a standalone, and close again. This will create a new rewire.dll in case your had got corrupted, which is very possible when a new app comes along and overwrites it..

Subject:RE: Can A6 and R4.0 coexist
Reply by: ozzborn
Date:3/25/2008 4:50:42 AM

i have deleted rewire dlls,

i have unistalled and reinstalled both programs, numerous times.

i just got tired of it and went back to R2.5.

i want to try 4.0, and hope it works , but id rather hear from other acid users if it is succesful.

Subject:RE: Can A6 and R4.0 coexist
Reply by: Kennymusicman
Date:3/25/2008 7:47:56 AM

All I can say are my versions of Acid and Reason 4 work dandy

Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: JE88
Date:3/28/2008 6:06:20 PM

I was able to render the track using control m....

Sound quality wise, though, I'm at a loss...
And as far as I know, I have my sound settings the same in both ACID and Reason.


I have an M-audio MobilePre, and according to M-audio the beta driver for vista can handle 48,000...

But I've always kept mine at 44,100 (both in ACID and Reason).
There isn't a bit option in Reason (at least that I've found), but I have the bit depth in ACID at 16 bits.

Is it possible that Reason is at 24?

This loss in quality is really getting to me...
To the point where I might buy a better preamp. Is the difference from 24 bit to 16 really that steep?

Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: ozzborn
Date:3/29/2008 10:19:18 AM

set acid to 24 bits

Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: JohnnyRoy
Date:3/30/2008 7:33:33 AM

> set acid to 24 bits

Agreed. Any difference in bit rates means it must be converted and conversions usually involve some kind of loss. Keep everything the same for the best sounds quality.

~jr

Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: jumbuk
Date:3/30/2008 9:58:51 PM

I can't believe that you would notice a difference between 16 and 24 bit without deep analysis. 16-bit is CD quality!

The main difference (IMO) is that 24-bit is floating decimal, so the gain structure is not as critical - you are not going to create digital distortion by recording too hot (you can still creat distortion in the analogue domain inside your pre-amp, for example).

Why would a better pre-amp help? It is only going to improve the quality when you record new audio. Once you have audio inside Reason or Acid, it is 100% in the digital domain, so how can the pre-amp affect how it sounds?

It sounds to me like there is something else going on, like FX in the Reason chain or different bit rates between Reason and Acid.

I assume you are using a ASIO driver on your soundcard? Does increasing the latency help?



Subject:RE: Rewiring Dr. Rex files in Reason 4.0?
Reply by: JE88
Date:4/3/2008 9:05:53 AM

I was thinking of getting a better preamp b/c the MobilePre acts as both soundcard and preamp...

As far as I know it's only capable of 44,100/16 bit...
Which is why I was considering an upgrade.

There aren't any effects on any level of ACID or Reason...
But I still hear a noticeable lack in quality...

I am using the ASIO driver on the mobilepre...
I'll try increasing the latency...

Thanks for all of the help, folks

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