Creating Multi-Instruments

You can also use a Combinator to quickly set up multiple instruments to play together from one Sequencer track.

To quickly set up a multi-instrument track

1.	Create a Mixer, select it, and create the instruments you want to use together (Figure 9.19). Figure 9.19. Create multiple instruments and quickly set them up to play together using a Combinator.
2.	Select the Mixer and the instruments and use the Edit > Combine command to create a new Combinator device.
3.	Go to the Combinator's Sequencer track and start writing your part (Figure 9.20). Figure 9.20. Combined instruments can be controlled together from the Sequencer.

You can also sequence a multi-instrument using a Matrix Pattern Sequencer.

To sequence a Combinator using a Matrix

1.	Create a Mixer, instruments, and any other devices you want to combine.
2.	Select the devices you want to combine and use the Edit > Combine command.
3.	With the Combinator selected, create a Matrix in your Rack. This will automatically cable the Matrix Gate CV outputs to the Combinator Gate CV inputs (Figure 9.21). Figure 9.21. Select the Combinator and create a Matrix.
4.	Write a pattern in the Matrix to sequence your instruments (Figure 9.22). Figure 9.22. Click Run on the Matrix to hear your full multi-instrument setup.

Tip

• When the Combinator is being controlled by a Matrix, it will ignore note messages from Reason's main Sequencer.

To spread multiple Combi instruments across the keyboard

1.	On the Combinator front panel click the Show Programmer button (Figure 9.23). Figure 9.23. Click the Show Programmer button. This will bring up the Combinator program display (Figure 9.24). Figure 9.24. The Combinator programmer display gives you finer control over combined devices.
2.	Select the device you want to map in the left column, and click and drag the Key Range/Hi box to increase or decrease the upper end of the key range (Figure 9.25). Figure 9.25. The High and Low Key Range controls allow you to limit which notes will trigger instruments.
3.	Drag the Key Range/Lo box to increase or decrease the low end of the key range. Tab handles similar to those on the NN-XT Remote Editor will appear, showing the new key range of the selected instrument (Figure 9.26). Figure 9.26. This multi-instrument keyboard setup shows the key range handles.
4.	Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other instruments.

Modulation routing

The Combinator programmer's Modulation Routing section lets you specify how you want the front-panel knobs to affect the various instruments.

To set up modulation routing

1.	Select a device in the left column of the Combinator programmer window (Figure 9.27). Figure 9.27. Select a device in the Combinator programmer window.
2.	In the Modulation Routing section on the far right, select a knob in the Source column, then click the Target column next to it (Figure 9.28). Figure 9.28. Select a Combinator Rotary knob to control the device.
3.	Choose a parameter to control from the pop-up list (Figure 9.29). Figure 9.29. Select a Target parameter for the knob.
4.	Set the Min and Max values for the knob (Figure 9.30). Figure 9.30. Set the Min and Max range of the knob. The Rotary knobs can select any value within their set range. The Min setting is when the knob is turned hard left, the Max is when the knob is turned hard right (Figure 9.31). Figure 9.31. The range of a Rotary knob goes from hard left to hard right. The range for buttons is simply On/Off.
5.	In the Source column, select a button to control, and choose a Target parameter from the pop-up list. The Min and Max values for buttons toggle between On and Off.
6.	You can assign two additional parameters using the blank Source rows at the bottom of the Modulation Routing section (Figure 9.32). Just click the blank Source field and choose a knob or button from the pop-up list (Figure 9.33), then select a Target parameter for each. Figure 9.32. The Modulation Routing section gives you two blank spaces to use. Figure 9.33. Click in the Source column to select a Rotary knob or Button. This feature allows you to assign a button to more than one parameter on a single device (Figure 9.34). Figure 9.34. Using the blank spaces, you can assign more than one parameter to a single Rotary knob or Button.
7.	Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each device you wish to control using the Combinator front panel.

Tips

• You can set knobs to move a parameter in any direction you want. For instance, you can use a Rotary knob to crossfade between two Mixer channels by setting one channel to a Min/Max of 0/127 and another channel to a Min/Max of 127/0 for the same knob.

• Like other Reason parameters, the Combinator knobs and buttons can be automated in the Combinator Sequencer track Controller lane (Figure 9.35).

  Figure 9.35. Controller lane automation works the same in Combinator tracks as it does for other instruments.