i've recently got back into making beats. i still have my sp and my alesis micron but now i also have a laptop which has reason installed on it. i really like the workflow of the sp unit but reason is really cool too. now i'm wondering what would be the best way to use all of this in "one set-up".

currently i'm running both the alesis micron and my laptop (via crappy soundblaster soundcard) through my DJ mixer and into my sp404. using this method i can create synth sounds on reason and micron and arrange everything on the sp404 (i guess i just like its simplicity for arrangement).

now i don't use a program like pro tools or anything to record beats. i just record straight from my sp to audacity (again using my crappy soundcard). i'm wondering is there any other options for running this set-up? i am totally clueless in regards to MIDI and how things operate. i was looking into Reaper and was thinking of going with that. if i got a midi interface could i make different parts of my beat on my micron, sp404 and reason and then sync and sequence the whole thing in reaper via MIDI?

finally what is a good soundcard/midi interface to get? one that is relatively cheap. i just want to be able to connect my alesis micron to my computer and use it as a midi controller.

this is all horribly confusing i know.

The way your doin things now sounds fine. I'd stick with it honestly, unless for some reason your not gettin what you want out of it.

People have been running down some pro's and con's of different interfaces over here:

viewtopic.php?t=4826

Really, just about any interface with a midi out would work to sync up your gear, wether it has 2 midi outs and you could send one to the micron and one to the SP, or if you have one out going to the micron and then midi the micron out to SP in.

Then cop Live... or any app with Rewire capabilities... and have reason going into Live, with another track for the audio coming in from your mixer.