Unit 7: Sequencing Learning Aim A

Automate: "Automation is one of the fundamental cornerstones of any good mix, enabling you to shift the balance of the instrumentation and the way it is effected in response to developments and changes in the music."

Source: http://www.musictech.net/2010/10/logic-tutorial-automation/

Reverb: "An effect whereby the sound produced by an amplifier or an amplified musical instrument is made to reverberate slightly."

Source:https://www.facebook.com/CBMFOfficial/posts/595062773933423

Delay: "Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo."

Source:http://helpdoc-online.com/magic_music_editor_8_help/glossary.html

Noise Gate: "It provides a predefined attenuation, be it total muting or an intermediate."

Source:http://www.doctorproaudio.com/doctor/temas/dynamics-processors-noisegates_en.shtml

Oscillator: "Oscillation itself is the production of a certain type of waveform which produces a different sound depending on the shape of the waveform."
Source:http://www.innovativesynthesis.com/basic-synthesis-part-1-%E2%80%93-oscillators/

MIDI: "A computerised piece of music."
Source: www.educationscotland.gov.uk/.../MIDISeqGlossary_tcm4-255926.doc

MUSIC EVALUATION

Over the last 12 weeks I have been learning how to use Reason. Back then I knew nothing about Reason, I had no idea what a MIDI was at all. I feel I understand Reason very well now as I have learnt a large amount in the last 12 weeks.
The presentation has helped me in learning how to use Reason because as I was creating my powerpoint slides on how to use it, I learnt how to use it myself.
I feel I was good at learning how to use Reason quickly as I got the hang of it straight away, having said that I could have worked faster and better in some areas.


Week 1

This week I started using Reason and creating my powerpoint on how to use it. This week I have learnt how to open Reason and on my powerpoint I have completed my introduction and the second slide on how to open Reason.

Week 2

This week I learnt how to find and get onto the mixer on the Reason application and showed how to on my powerpoint by using print screen pictures with arrows.

Week 3

This week I learnt how to use the mixer on Reason which was quite a difficult task as it has a few different volume controls. A pro of the mixer is that there are various different options for sounds you can choose from on the mixer, which allows the user to adjust the music to sound what they want it to sound like. For example, it controls the main volume of the track which is crucial to the song as you don't want one instrument or vocal to overpower another one. It also has many different inputs so that various different instruments sounds and volumes can be controlled, which makes it very efficient and makes it the main control point.

Week 4

This week I learnt how to get onto the drums in Reason by clicking on the mixer and then clicking on create in the top left hand corner, then going to instruments then clicking on Redrum computer.

Week 5

This week I learnt how to use the Redrum computer and showed a tutorial on my powerpoint on how to use it. The pros of using Redrum are that it has individual drum controls, like for example; panning, pitch, length, start, tone, soft medium and hard hits, decay gate, volume. This gave me many options on how i could change the sound of the drum and the amount of control I had. However it has its disadvantages, Redrum will not allow unlimited patterns, so I was not able to create endless amounts of sounds, even though I didn't need to in the end.


Week 6

This week I learnt how to create an NN-XT Sampler on reason by clicking create in the top left hand corner, then going to instruments and then clicking on NN-XT Advanced Sampler. A pro of this is that it is simple to use, therefore I was able to do this quickly and efficiently. However a con is that it lacks compatibility with the other sampler formats.

Week 7

This week I learnt how to use the Sampler by clicking on browse patch and then clicking on an instrument to use in it and I showed this on my powerpoint by using arrows and diagrams.

Week 8

This week I learnt how to create a Synth track by clicking create in the top left hand corner, then going to instruments and then clicking on SubTractor Analog Synthesizer.

Week 9

This week I learnt how to use a Synth track. This was probably my most difficult week so far as I had to obtain a variety of information and definitions. Pros of using synth track is being able to have the ability to create and use different sounds to improve the quality of the instrument you are using. There is also a wide variety of sounds to choose from which gives the user more freedom of what they want their music to sound like, thus making it user friendly.

Week 10

This week I learnt how to Loop by clicking on the sounds on the sound board and clicking loop at the bottom. A pro of using a loop is that you can make a sound repeat itself for however long you want over a certain amount of time, for example in my song I created, I used loop in order to play the same chorus multiple times so then I wouldn't have to create the sounds constantly over and over again.

Week 11

This week I finished my final slide of my Powerpoint on how to use Reason, the slide contained the information on how to get onto Step Time.

Week 12

This is the Final week of my How to use Reason Powerpoint and I presented it today. I feel like the hard work paid off in the end as I believe my presentation went well. It has been a very long 12 weeks but I have enjoyed learning how to use Reason and I feel I have learnt new skills in doing this as I had no idea how to use the software before I started.

Handout

Bibliography:

Source: Guide to Reason by Zoe Harris
http://www.innovativesynthesis.com/basic-synthesis-part-1-%E2%80%93-oscillators/
https://www.propellerheads.se/reason