Setting Your Preferences

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Before you can start working with all the devices in Reason and create any music, you need to tell the application which audio card and MIDI devices you will be using.

To set your preferences in Reason, you will first need to open the Preferences panel.

NOTE

Mac users will find the Preferences panel under the Reason menu in the main Reason screen.

NOTE

After authorizing the program during initial launch, the Preferences panel will open automatically. However, if you accidentally closed it, or if there are ghosts in your machine and the panel did not open, merely follow the steps above to access the Preferences panel.

Configuring Your Audio Card

With the Preferences panel open, you can set up your audio hardware preferences.

Next, you can set the sound card that Reason will use. From the Audio panel you can adjust how Reason will interact with your audio hardware.

NOTE

Windows users: If you have an audio card that comes with an ASIO driver, then selecting this driver will result in better performance than using the standard Windows driver. Mac OS X users will achieve similar performance by using Core Audio drivers with Mac OS X's Audio system. It is also a good idea to check your audio card manufacturer's Web site to ensure that you have the latest drivers.

NOTE

Some audio cards may have their sample rates locked by their drivers, and this option will be grayed out. If this is the case, then consult your audio card's manual for instructions on how to adjust the sample rate.

NOTE

Some audio cards may not allow you to change the clock source. Refer to your audio card's documentation for more information on changing the clock source.

Configuring MIDI

Next you will configure your MIDI devices. Reason divides the MIDI preference panel into two sections: MIDI and Advanced MIDI. This section will cover both panels.

MIDI

First, look at the MIDI setting.

Advanced MIDI

Advanced MIDI is a little more complex than the MIDI panel, hence the name . Settings on this page allow you to use Reason as a stand-alone synthesizer that receives MIDI from an external sequencer program such as Cubase SX or Sonar, turning Reason into a powerful sound module.

Customizing Sound Locations

Next, you'll set up favorite paths to use when loading samples. Using the Page menu, select Sound Locations.

General Program Preferences

In the final preference panel, you will set general preferences for the program.

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