{Routing Assignment 2}

Last time, we started worked on routing the different instruments and FX in Reason. One of the main things that I had a student demonstrate was the way all the individual channels of the Redrum could be routed to the mixer. This is an important concept because it helps you to gain a greater understanding of the way sound moves around through the program, and in a studio situation.

The basic concept is that every device in Reason has an output. This output is the point where sound is coming out of the device.

Certain devices, such as FX and mixers, also have inputs, where you can run a signal from somewhere else into the device. When you're connecting two devices together, you are connecting the output of one device to the input of the other through a cable (in Reason, we are using "virtual" cables).

The most basic example of this is when you have an instrument, say a Malstrom, hooked up to the Mixer: you are taking the output of the Malstrom and connecting it to the input of a channel on the Mixer. What is happening when you want to put an effect (say, a Scream) on that instrument?

Keep in mind that while certain instruments have only a mono output (Subtractor), most of the instruments have a stereo output, which allows you to hear differences between the left and right sides of your headphones. What you have to keep in mind, is that to hear a stereo sound, you will have to connect 2 cables from the device to the input of the Mixer channel.


Your assignment is as follows:
1. Find the Reason file called "Routing Exercise" and copy it into your
folder on your hard drive.
(Media Share>Class Materials>Reason Files>Routing Exercise)
2. Open it and save it as "Routing Exercise_your name".
3. Connect the Master Outputs of Mixer 1 (the top one) to the Combi Inputs of the Mastering Suite Combinator.
4. Connect the Combi Outputs of the Mastering Suite Combinator to Outputs 1 & 2 of the Hardware Device. Why is this a weird thing to do?
5. Now connect the output of each individual Redrum channel (1-10) to the input of the first 10 channels of Mixer 1.
6. Make a beat and Insert an FX device on at least one of the drum sounds.
7. Now add at least five more instruments to your song. You will need to connect a second mixer to do this...
8. Connect the Master Outputs of Mixer 2 to the Chaining Master Inputs of Mixer 1.
9. Connect your additional instruments to Mixer 2.
10. Include at least on FX device as an Insert, and one as an Aux Send.
11. Save your song and put a copy on the Media Share folder.
(Media Share>Student Work>Reason Beats>5-7-08>Routing Exercise_your name).