Reason/Record Micro Tutorial - Blocks

In this microtutorial we'll build up a track - starting from an 8 bar loop - and ending with a full song structure all thanks to Blocks, the pattern-based workflow feature in Reason 5 and Record 1.5. Blocks is a quick way to brainstorm, experiment, arrive at an idea and take it to the next level of arrangement and production.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Reason
• Record
• 1.5
• Song
• Production
• Beat
• Making
• Pattern
• based
• workflow
• loop
• creation
• song
• structure
• Blocks
• recording
• software

[Ludwigvoncatman]

I still haven't been able to make blocks... I write them in song, copy and past them to block, and then delete in song, but when I hit play it's still all at once. Can someone help me?

[PropellerheadSW]

@Ludwigvoncatman What do you mean when you say it's still all at once?

[killahkalam]

I use Reason 6, can I transfer music from Song Mode to Block mode? I haven't used block yet, I've had it for a while since Record and Reason 5 but all my songs are done in song mode. I can see why it might be counterproductive to go to blocks when I already have them sequenced but I'd like to use it an assess it's potential. I can't seem to figure it out and can't find the info in help.

[PropellerheadSW]

@killahkalam You copy and paste elements from song mode to a block. If you have, for example, an 8 bar idea in song mode just lasso the 8 bars on all tracks, copy them,, go to block mode to a new blank block, paste them. You can now delete them from song mode and draw that block in their place where they were.

[ScissorzAOW]

the thing i noticed about the blocks is since the blocks separate the verse and the chorus and everything else i found that when im working on a transition lets say from a verse to chorus, it gets really annoying having to switch to song mode every time and then switching back to block mode to make adjustments.. and i feel like im the only 1 thats having this problem, this problem alone has made me desert the whole block mode thing altogether cuz its more of a hassle... any suggestions?

[PropellerheadSW]

@ScissorzAOW Assuming the elements of your transition aren't necessarily things changing on every track you could do those in Song mode and lay them on top of the blocks sections. You could even plan out your transition in song mode and then just copy the elements over to their respective blocks if you like once you have it worked out how you want.

[PropellerheadSW]

@KronosKX That's definitely doable. I'll look into how to do that for you guys. :)

[djs909]

You're clipping!!!! lol. Excellent tutorial once again.

[ajabhimanew]

@PropellerheadSW Its been more than a Year mate !.. Where the track !!!!???

[knightmareofdreams]

say how do i upload a beat i downloaded into reason record i got reason essentials

[Ludwigvoncatman]

@PropellerheadSW That when I push play, everything (drums, octo rex, synth, etc) are all going at once, instead of the blocks I put them in.

[steinafl]

If ur a reason user heres what u do: copy the shit you want in your block. go into block mode and paste it. then thats the block when you return to normal mode

[BuildABergGroup]

I dont know how I managed without blocks before! I love it!

[newnamethatnoonehas]

using reason 5, anyone know if it's possible/a good idea to control Blocks live? Would be neat to set up 10 blocks and be able to switch between them live, as you could with Redrum patterns as the track plays through.