[psyndrome]

Hi Guys!

So, i would like to make minimal techno with Reason ...
Please give some tipps...And if you have please send some samples!
Thanks!

[psyndrome]

I tried to use VST/VSTi's but i dont know, i think its hard...
And i can't download the Everything Minimal VST :S
(So, reason can't manage VST)
I would like to make some sounds like Lissat &Voltaxx!
So, if you can help me!
Thanks!

[aikighost]

My advice would be to start with sample some of the CDs you like and cut out the individual sounds you like (you can use To view links on the forums you must be a Registered & Active user for at least 24 hours. So why not introduce yourself & make a few posts first :) to do this, its free.) then put them all in an NNXT or redrum and play about.

[psyndrome]

Originally Posted by aikighost

My advice would be to start with sample some of the CDs you like and cut out the individual sounds you like (you can use To view links on the forums you must be a Registered & Active user for at least 24 hours. So why not introduce yourself & make a few posts first :) to do this, its free.) then put them all in an NNXT or redrum and play about.

Okay, thanks for the fast reply!
I found some free minimal techno samples!

[jakobcreutzfeldt]

It's definitely possible to make sick minimal with Reason. I know Sleeparchive uses it...

[youandewan]

hey mate,
i use reason 4, reason 3 is pretty ball from what i know for producing mnml.
all my tracks on my myspace are done on 4. i dont use any samples, plug ins or anything. its just persistance with what youve already got. making your own tune isnt about using other peoples samples as well.
drum samples are ok but i wouldnt go using hooks and lines that you havnt made yourself.
heres some basic tips i can give you for starting a minimal track.
tempo, between 118 and 125bmp, anything above and its gonna turn into techno.
percussion:
the reason defaults are quite dreadfull but with fx you can get em sounding decent.
for kick i usually use bd_Xtc3 or bd_Xfile1.
first off go onto the drum machine and shorten the length of the note to about 40.
flip the drum machine and plug the kick drum, ch1, into a seperate ch. on the mixer.
take the hi end completely off the EQ,
turn the ch. down and apply a compresser and maximiser to it.
you should then get a pretty decent sounding kick.
as for hat n clap. thats pretty straightforward.
to get cool mnml sounds, add some offbeat hits, say on the 4th,7th and 15th. use three different sounds from the redrum fx menu. pan each off them, the the 4th left, 7th right and 16th left again. plug the clap into another ch on your mixer to seperate it from the redrum machine. then a cool technique to use is applying the rv7000 reverb unit, mess around with the defualts, turn it dry and you should get a pretty cool, decent sounding beat going on. miles from the orginal reason default shite you get in the first place.
next, try the synconga on thor's misc percussion menu.
the syn congas got great subtones and cliche mnml "blippy blops"
after inputting some notes, add some reverb and automate the filter on the synth.
you can get some crazy sounds by automating the reverb unit as well with it.

The great thing about reason is once you get your head around it there is so much to it.
Ive got some pretty wicked tracks out of it, people struggle to believe theyre produced on reason.

hope some of this helped you get on with yr first mnml track mate!
Ewan

[youandewan]

also check out my tunes on To view links on the forums you must be a Registered & Active user for at least 24 hours. So why not introduce yourself & make a few posts first :)

[psyndrome]

oh man, many thanks for help!
i will try your tips!
thanks a lot!

[angelrl12]

u should check out Hydra! its an awesome vst. good deep basslines are made from there!

[psyndrome]

thanks guys! so and i how can make a typical mnml lead?

[mas_chingon]

you can do some decent stuff with the stock sounds, get creative with effects, eq, compression, and chaining up fx units. dont be afraid to try things that might seem unusual. the possibilities with reason are endless, especially once you get your head around the routing. i know alot of people don't do it, but read some of the manual, it helps out alot.

using the scream or foldback distortion on drums gets some good bitcrushing type fx on drums, also a good trick for using redrum for mimimal would be to put a reverb and delay as your first two sends on the mixer. that will allow you to use the s1 and s2 dials on redrum to add delay and verb at will.

i like to set up a combi specifically for redrum with it set up to its own mixer and send fx. that way you can take advantage of having delays/verbs with different settings on the main mixer. and you have a main mixer that controls your drums like a bus on a real board.... also automating delays and reverbs will help you get the swells used in minimal, right click on a knob, hit edit automation and draw it in. using a combi will allow you even more automation possibilities....

also, learn how to use the sidechain on the mclass compressor....

try building up a really strong 8 bar loop. make variations on it and make your arrangement interesting. you can strip it down for your intro and outro... every 16 bars or so drop out the kick for a measure.

listen to your favorite tracks and try to figure out what they're doing as far as fx, automation and arrangement. sit down with a pad and paper and write down what they do as far as arrangement. it'll get you goin in a solid direction, and keep you from asking your self "what the fuck am i doing" hours later. i've done that myself.

i love this stuff and can talk about it endlessly....

hope this helps

C H E E R S ! ! !

[psyndrome]

thanks so much, i try it

[napalmbob]

You also might want to put some effort into learning about the synths. Alot of minimal guys synth their own drum sounds. Reason has a few combinator patches of just Subtractors hooked up to either a Redrum or Matrix to trigger the sounds.

Path:
Reason Factory Sound Bank > ALL Instrument Patches > Drums and Percussion > Machines

Just open up the combi's and play around with the settings to see what they do, you'll be making your own drum sounds in no time.


As for minimal leads, they can fall into a few main classes:

Plucky/percussive - use the AMP envelope on a synth or sampler and set the Sustain to none and use the Decay to alter the length of the sound. Alot of minimal and electro-house builds are done by opening up the Decay setting.

Simple synths - grab the Subtractor or Thor and choose some basic waveforms like saw or pulse (you'll need to read the manual for these). Add another Oscillator another Octave. Now you need to create automation curves for the Filter and Envelopes and whatever effects you add (like delay or reverb) so that the sound of the synth changes during the course of you song.

Old-school synths - these are usually the backing pads (if any) and usually sound slightly out of tune and change slowly over time. You will need to learn about the LFO's on the Subtractor or Thor (read the manual). Map one LFO to the Pitch of your Oscillators, set this one slow and with very little Amount. This gives that drifting, out of tune, analogue effect. Map another LFO to the Filter's Cutoff, set this slow as well (or Tempo Sync it and choose 16/4 or 4/1, this means it does one full cycle every 4 bars).


These are only some really basic tips, but if you read the manual and just experiment you'll be making some minimal tracks before you know it.

Also, remember: making music is easy, making good music takes a liftetime.

[psyndrome]

thanks for the replys

[esquito4000]

i just want 10 posts.

[confusion]

Lol :d:d:d:d:d:d:d:d:d

[lamo]

start to collect your own samples library. buy a digital dictaphone "the possibilities are endless"

[napalmbob]

Also, if you want to control a parameter that doesn't have a CV in, place the device inside a Combinator and use the Combi's programmer section to map that parameter to one of the 4 macro knobs. Each macro knob has a CV input on the rear of the COmbi. Problem solvered.

[Simster]

Minimal in Reason is VERY achievable..... In fact its pretty near perfect.

[Simster]

When writing minimal tracks with Reason I just use the drum machines, loads of fx and big fat eq settings..... I usually have two drum machines dealing with the beat, percuission. Then another one or two machines with odd noises and bleeps agin running through fx and eq.

Start programming and see where it takes you - Reason is really good for getting something together really quickly and then taking it from there.

With a bit of hard work, and some late, late nights you'll get some great results.