Chaining Effects

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Another innovative way to work with effects is to create an effect chain. A chain is simply more than one effect connected in serial fashion. Chaining gives you a resourceful palette for creating your own unique effects or adding more character to existing effects.

First, create an empty rack.

Once you have your empty rack in front of you, begin by adding a mixer.

Next you need a device as a sound source; this time load the Malstr m.

Before adding any more devices, disconnect the Malstr m's default audio routing, which has the device's output connected to Channel 1 of the mixer.

Now you will load the first effect that will be used in your effect chain.

NOTE

For the following exercise it is best to leave the rack view in the rear mode as you add the subsequent devices and rearrange the routing.

By default, the RV-7 will be placed under the Malstr m. The outputs of the Malstr m will be routed to the inputs of the RV-7, and the RV-7's outputs will be routed to Channel 1 of the mixer.

NOTE

If the RV-7 did not load directly beneath the Malstr m, connected to the Malstr m's outputs, the Malstr m was not the selected device when you loaded the RV-7 into the rack. Remove the RV-7 and select the Malstr m before reloading the RV-7.

Now disconnect the RV-7's default routing.

NOTE

The inputs on the RV-7 should remain connected.

Now you will add the second device to the effect chain.

By default, the output of the RV-7 is connected to the input of the CF-101, and the CF-101's outputs are connected to Channel 1 of the mixer. This is a simple example of an effect chain (in this case two effects are in the chainthe RV-7 and the CF-101).

NOTE

To expand the chain with more effects, repeat step five of the above exercise and choose another desired effect from the Create menu. The effect will be added to the chain.

NOTE

Remember, for any effect to be added to the chain you must first select the last effect device in the chain prior to adding the new effect. This will force Reason to load the effect into the chain by default.

Chain Effects as a Send

You can also create an effect chain that can be used in Send mode. The only major difference is the source of the audio. In the Insert mode exercise, the source was supplied directly by the instrument device (Malstr m). An effect chain that used a send will use the Aux send of the mixer.

Once again, start with an empty rack before following these steps.

By default, the RV-7's left channel is connected to the left channel of Send 1 on the mixer, and the left channel of the CF-101 is connected to the left channel of Send 2. You need to disconnect the CF-101 from the mixer's send before you can add it to a chain.

Now set up a chain with the two effects devices.

Next change the return routing so that the effects will return to Return 1.

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