REMEMBER: Follow all procedures as outlined in the web handouts "Getting Started" and "Small Project No. 1."

In this project, the student will modify or create an original sound/patch using a software synthesizer. Our goal is to understand the function of standard synthesizer parameters. Reason by Propellerheads will be this project's main tool due to its very flexible design.

There are remarkable similarities between each synthesis system. Below are some standard parameters you can find in synthesizer patches. Please review the terms before you begin. To use synthesizers, it is critical to understand the signal flow paradigm.

Oscillator: Learn different waveforms, such as sine, sawtooth, square, triangle, etc
Phase: How does the change of phase affect the sound?
LFO: What is its function? What is the difference between a standard oscillator and an LFO?
Envelope: Where can you apply an envelope? What does ADSR stand for?
Filter: Learn differences between LP, HP, BR, and BP filters.
Polyphony/ Portamento/ Legato: What are the differences?
MIDI Terms: Learn about velocity, modulation wheel, pitch band, after touch, continuous controllers, etc

Reverb: Know terms such as early reflection, reverb time, size, etc.
Delay: Understaind delay times and feedback.
Compression/Limiter: What is the difference between compression/limiter/normalization.
EQ: Is an EQ a filter?

Operating Reason
Before you do anything, note that Reason has excellent documentation. Refer to Getting_Started.pdf and Operation_Manual.pdf to better understand the program. They are located at

Applications->Reason->Operation Manual.pdf (or Getting Started.pdf)

Step 2. Create Mixer and Synthesizer
Like all the analog/digital studios, Reason needs a mixer to be connected to the speakers (or audio outs) in order to produce sound. The mixer is hooked up to the synthesizer(s) and combines the signal to 2

channels or more. Go to

Create -> Mixer 14:2

After a mixer is created, go to

Create->Subtractor Analog Synthesizer

If all the setups are right, you should hear a sound when you input a note or click on the keyboard in the sequencer view.

Step 3. Tweak the Synth

Subtractor
Try to figure out the signal flow of the Subtractor. Which section of Subtractor actually generates the sound? Where does sound go through? Always think about the signal flow!

One of the best ways to learn to make patch is "tweaking" the presets.

1.Open each module's presets by clicking the folder icon. Choose one you would like study. Move the knobs and see what is changing the parameters.
2.Try to describe the change with generic terms. For example instead of "sounds muffled", try "it has a low pass filter set to a fairly low center frequency". Again, learn the terms.

Once you get the sense of the internal structure of Subtractor, try to build your own synth from the scratch. Don't try to make a "cool" sound by blindly tweaking the knobs. Know what you are doing. Familiarize yourself with each parameter's effect on the sound.

Malstrom
Reason has another synthesizer called Malstrom, but both Subractor and Malstrom's principles and concepts are the same. The difference between Malstrom and Subtractor is that Malstrom has more acoustic based waveforms, such as a human voice and instruments. Thus, Malstrom is more like a "digital" synth (such as a wave table or sample based synth) than analog synth (like Subtractor).

Step 4. Add Effects

If you go to the Create menu, the whole second and third section consist of signal processors. Use any of the signal processors to enhance your sound. Here are some tips

1. Just like the case of the Subtractor/Malstrom synthesizers, try to understand what is going on when a parameter is changed.
2. Use the cable patching "behind the rack" often. Reason tends to automatically patch into effects, but do it by yourself. Use the 14:2 Mixer's aux send/return as if you were using a real physical mixer.

Again, it is crucial to understand the signal flow concept. Some of the modules might have CV (control voltage) input/output. Know the difference between audio signal and control signal. Try patching different control signals to the control inputs "behind the rack".

Step 5. Saving and Sampling the Patch
Once you create your sound with Subtractor, you can save it as Reason project or export the sound as an audio file. To save a Reason patch, go to

File-> Save

1.Make some notes on the sequencer. Make sure you choose your output device correctly (in this case, Subtractor) and input some notes. You can either "draw" the notes in a similar way you did with Project 1, or you can press the record button and play the keyboard.
2.Then go to

File-> Export Loop as Audio File

Use the Matrix Pattern Sequencer if you are familiar with the step sequencer concept.

When you turn in the audio excerpt for the Project 2, please try to be musical. It can be as short as 10-20 seconds of a musical moment, or it can be a short composition. It all depends on the patches you are making.

You are asked to turn in both .rex file and the audio excerpt to see
1. How your patch responds to the keyboard or whatever real time input you are using
2. The patch's value as a part of composition or performance

Analog (or analog modeling) synthesizers are still popular among electronic musicians. The concepts and terms you'll learn in this project (eg: envelope, filtering, LFO, etc) will be applied to any synthesis technique. The signal processor scheme will come back in the next project in the form of Pro-Tools TDM Plug-Ins.

Welcome to the world of sound design!

-10/25/03
-Joo Won Park
(Updated: 10/14/2008 by Thomas Royal)