Re: REASONable software looper question

[Dave Trenkel <improv@peak.org>]

>Hi all,
>
>I understand there are some Propellerhead Reason users
>on the list. I'm contemplating taking the plunge into
>this here software thingy too. Can anybody elaborate
>on the "Recycle" based looper contained therein --
>theoretically, practically, usefully? I'm a guitarist,
>Mac guy . . . be gentle (I scare easily). What might I
>be able to expect this puppy to be capable of -- or
>NOT capable of (more'n likely)?
>
Ted,

I don't own Reason, but I have used it and recommend it to a lot of 
my clients who are new to sequencing. The great thing about Reason is 
that it's fun and you can get great results very quickly, unlike, 
say, Logic. Great interface, great sound, it's simply an awesome 
piece of software. I don't own a copy because I personally couldn't 
see much that I couldn't do with software/hardware I already own, 
plus I'm one of those eggheads that, when given a choice, tends to 
choose the most difficult path to just about anything.

Recycle works by taking a loop and slicing it up into little pieces. 
Say you have a 1-bar drum loop where something happens on every 16th 
note. Recycle will slice it into 16 pieces, assign each slice to a 
midi note, then generate a midi file that plays back the notes in 
order, and when you play this midi file at the original tempo, the 
loop sounds just like the unsliced version. What's cool about this is 
that you can then play with the tempo, the order of the slices, etc, 
to generate variations on the original loops. Can be loads of fun!