Reason and MIDI control in ProTools

[skymuse]

PT 7.0, Win XP SP2 -- everything works great except....

I can play the Reason Adapted as a standalone and it sees my MIDI keyboard input. But if I try to use Reason as a plugin in PT, it pops up the old "some other program is using MIDI" message and doesn't see my MIDI input, despite nothing else (including a standalone Reason session) being open. I *can* access the sounds using the little keyboard on the Reason sequencer, just not from my actual MIDI board.

I can use Sampletank, BFD, and many other progs as plugins just fine; it is only Reason that gives the issue. It occurs whether or not I have previously opened Reason as a standalone, or freshly rebooted, etc.

If anyone can help, I'd be very grateful. The Propellerheads' site isn't much help on this issue, and unless you upgrade to full Reason they don't bother with personalized support.

[spkguitar]

The Windows version of Pro Tools "steals" MIDI inputs when using rewire. Most people using the rewire mothod just use Pro Tools MIDI tracks to program and play the Reason devices, thus not needing the MIDI device in Reason.

If you are using a USB MIDI controller, and prefer to program MIDI in the reason interface, there is a workaround; Unplug the USB MIDI device before starting Pro Tools. Once Pro Tools is started, plug the USB MIDI device back in. Since Pro Tools is already started, it won't see that device, but REason should be able to utilize it.

From what I understand, this is only an issue on Windows versions.

[skymuse]

Thanks for replying, spkguitar -- I have learned a lot from your responses to others as well.

My MIDI connection is directly from keyboard into the DIGI rack unit; no USB....the only other solution I can come up with is to do a sequence in Reason as standalone and hope it will play back as a plugin in PT....grrrr..

Thanks for the assistance!

[spkguitar]

Or you can do as I do and as I recommended above; do your sequencing in PT.

[skymuse]

Thanks, spkguitar; I wish I could -- like I said, Reason doesn't see my MIDI input when it's used as an instrument plugin. It does see my MIDI input when Reason is a standalone outside PT -- once I open it as an instrument plugin it no longer sees MIDI input from my Korg keyboard (or any other brand/make/model I've tried). If I close PT and start Reason again as a standalone it once again sees my MIDI input. It's that whole "Windows-PT-steals-MIDI" bit that seems only to affect Reason....

If I'm understanding you correctly, I would have to do a MIDI sequence in PT using some other reference sound (to record my MIDI track with) and then use Reason as the plugin to generate the actual recorded track? Seems cumbersome and more problematic than recording the sequence in standalone mode and playing it back within PT....

Sorry if I'm being dense -- this just seems weird, especially since my other plugin virtual instruments all respond perfectly fine to MIDI input from my keyboard within PT....

Have other Windows users experienced this phenomenon?

[spkguitar]

If I'm understanding you correctly, I would have to do a MIDI sequence in PT using some other reference sound (to record my MIDI track with) and then use Reason as the plugin to generate the actual recorded track? Seems cumbersome and more problematic than recording the sequence in standalone mode and playing it back within PT....

Nope, you're not understanding correctly at all. When you sequence the MIDI track in PT, the output of the MIDI track would be the reason device you are trying to control, thus you would be playing the reason instruments from within PT when recording the MIDI track. No need to "use some other reference sound" at all. No need to keep flipping back and forth between the programs.

To each his own I guess. I find it more cumbersome to keep switching applications to do everything: less cumbersome to do everything all in one interface, but that's just me.

Good luck.

[skymuse]

the output of the MIDI track would be the reason device you are trying to control, thus you would be playing the reason instruments from within PT when recording the MIDI track

This would be great, except Reason does not "hear" anything I play when PT is running, whether standalone or as a plugin. So how am I to monitor what I am playing without either a reference sound or Reason's recognizance of my MIDI input?

I appreciate your patience. I'll keep slogging away at it. Maybe an upgrade to the full version of Reason would help -- at least then the propellerheads would get involved!

Thanks again, spkguitar!

[spkguitar]

Dude, there's a tutorial video for Reason Adapted over on The DiskFlix, have you watched it? If not you should.

There is also a Tutorial from propellerheads about using Reason with PT.

Basically, When you rewire Reason Adapted as a plugin, the audio output from reason is available on the aux track that you inserted it on, and the devices are available as outputs on any MIDI tracks. It's all available inside Pro Tools; that's the whole point of rewire.

So...

Make sure MIDI thru is set in PT
You would create a stereo aux track
insert Reason Adapted on the stereo aux
make sure the fader is up on the aux track
create a midi track
set the input of the MIDI track to be "all" or the port where your controller is plugged in
set the output of the MIDI track to be the device in reason that you are trying to control
make sure a patch is loaded on that device in reason
Record arm the MIDI track in Pro Tools
Play your controller.

[skymuse]

set the output of the MIDI track to be the device in reason that you are trying to control

Right -- they were not there as output options.

I uninstalled and reinstalled Reason and rebooted -- they showed up as output options.

Thanks for the help; I know it was frustrating for you, but I *did* RTFM; it was just a weird install.