Controlling Reason with the 606 (successfully!!!)

[606man]

Controlling Reason with the SP-606
Yes, it can be done. Thanks to Korakios for telling me about the V-Link button thing – I would never have guessed otherwise (I’d actually given up trying to do this). It would have been nice if Roland had told us all about this (there’s nothing in the manual about it – I checked, twice), but oh well, here ’tis:

Step by step (Over-simplified, I realise..)

Note: This works via USB or Midi Cables (into your interface). I got it to work via USB first, then, because I like using my interface better (as a sound card), I got it to happen via Midi.

Step 1: Select EXT on the CONTROL section of the 606.
Step 2: Press the V-Link button so it lights up (nice and blue n all!).
Step 3: Load up Reason and go into [Preferences].
Step 4: Go into the [Keyboards and Control Surfaces] page.
Step 5: Click [Add].
Step 6: Select <other> in [Manufacturer].
Step 7: Select “Roland SP-606” in [Midi Input]. (or your soundcard's midi in)
Step 8: Click [Find] and twiddle a knob on the 606 to make sure Reason is receiving Midi.
Step 9: Click [OK].
Step 10: Right-click on a control in Reason and select [Edit Remote Override Mapping].
Step 11: Check the “Learn From Control Surface Input” box.
Step 12: Move a control – the green bar graph should light up.
Step 13: Click [OK].

You’re Done! Full control over Reason with the 606 Nice.

Available Controls

CTRL 1: CC72 CTRL 2: Mod Wheel
CTRL 3: CC71 D-Beam: CC74

[^^these can be changed if needed]

Pad1: B0 Pad2: C1
Pad3: C#1 Pad4: D1
Pad5: D#1 Pad6: E1
Pad7: F1 Pad8: F#1
Pad9: G1 Pad10: G#1
Pad11: A1 Pad12: A#1
Pad13: B1 Pad14: C2
Pad15: C#2 Pad16: D2

The pads also correspond to keys (as you probably noticed), so you can happily play the synths and drum machines in Reason from the pads, no mapping required. This is very cool indeed (and a bit obvious now I know how to do it; but then isn’t everything?)

My only disappointment is that the transport controls don’t seem to transmit anything, so no transport controls unfortunately (although you can map the pads to do the job; they just don’t look as cool).
Happy controlling.
606man.

[korakios]

...nice work 606man!I have trouble writting down what i want to say.(A post takes me half an hour to organize my thoughts!)
...However i want to add some things:
...you can use both v-link and simple mode so you can have (ONLY 3 at a time-unfortunatelly) more knobs:
hold-press "FUNC"-"Pad_11"...verify that "pad Tx Mode" IS set as "TYPE2".
In the same page under ,there is "Effect control ch:",this is the tip:
you can have Reason to "learn" whatever knobs you want and by changing the midi channel(it goes from 1 to 16) you have 3(3x16) NEW controllers...
In V-Link mode the same can done by pressing F3(setup) and change the "V-LINK" Ctrl Ach:" from 1 to 16...
The above tip is a bit pain in the ass cause you have to get to 606menu each time you want to change the remote of the synths,but it's up to you how to get used to it!

To be able to use the pads as midikeys in both modes(vlink and normal) be sure to ACTIVATE the note trigger function of sp606 by pressing func+pad5...

Reason 4(also for other versions):
If you are intrested in remote sampling of reason you can set in the edit menu>preferences>page:advance control>MidiClockSync the sp606...
then go in the Options menu>sync>midi clock...Now you are ready to use the SP606's ExtSeqSampling...
To use sp606 as a control surface there is a BIG problem.Our machine transmit start stop...messages only if there is a pattern loaded.in EXTernal mode it transmits raw Sysex commands that only P606 understands them...
The only way to use the transport controls is to make a pattern in sp606 like this:select an empty pattern.press rec twice and then choose the beats and the Meas...record it just for a few seconds and hit stop.Now we have an empty pattern...
Press B O T H 'INT' and 'EXT' buttons of the 606 and the magic came...!Of course this works on every loaded-nonempty- pattern.
Howoever take a look at the "Controlling Cubase 4" comradec's post ..combine the fact that reason supports keybord automation and i'm thinking how nice and simple it could be for Propellerhead and Roland to add a SP-606 preset....!
...(45 minutes to write it!)...I need some weed!

[606man]

hehe, you're a very smart man dude - I was checking the midi implementation in the manual last night and I saw everything WAS there, just written in a VERY confusing way! Kudos to you for figuring it out!!

I did an addendum for the above post, covering the other things that you said.... probably not needed now, but sometimes it's easier for people to learn when things are written two different ways, so here it is anyway....



Addendum
Further to what Korakios mentioned in the FL thread, you must remember to press [FUNC] + [Pad 5] (note trig) to trigger notes with the pads.
Also, to change octaves, you need to press [FUNC] + [Pad 11] (midi util) to go to the midi screen.
From there change [Pad Tx Mode] to [Type 2]. Now you can play your pads as if they were 64-key keyboard (by changing banks to access the higher octaves). To do this in operation, you need to change momentarily back to INT mode in the CONTROL section, choose a different pad bank (from 1 to 4) and then switch back to EXT CONTROL.

A final note on V-Link; what Metafizikal said about EXT CONTROL is also true, insofar as other applications for EXT CONTROL are concerned. You can actually get different sets of functionality from the one controller with V-Link on/off (like having two 'presets' sort of). For example, with a lot of VSTi plug-ins, V-Link needs to be off to play notes, or on to select different presets. Both functions have their place, and this makes everything more useable once you know it. Within Reason I would stick to the above method, as it works and is pretty much fool-proof. Outside of Reason though, experiment to see what does what.


This all makes the 606 an even more central tool in my studio!!! Happy Days!!



PPPPS: Try attaching a fierce reverb to the D-Beam for mad crazy trance build-ups!

[PHeMoX]

Wow, excellent stuff! Thanks to both of you.

[ellaguru]

yeah
thanx
i think sp-606 is a really beast not well known by mpc boys...
i don't have one
but not for more....

[ediBranchez]

Can you help me out with this everything is working up to step 7....Do i need to update my 606 ...and im using reason 6

[ellaguru]

Can you help me out with this everything is working up to step 7....Do i need to update my 606 ...and im using reason 6

it sounds like a sort of "driver problem" but let me just know: do Reason 6 "not seeing" at all the sp606 as a soundcard option? do you have a mac or a pc?

[ediBranchez]

Mac....Yea its not seeing it in the menu

[ediBranchez]

do i need to update a driver for the sp 606?

[ediBranchez]

which one of these should i download ... http://www.rolandus.com/products/produc ... ductId=573 ?????

[ediBranchez]

i dont think i downloaded these drivers right ... but still nothing showing in the Midi input ??

[ellaguru]

try in the download section, there will be mac drivers also.
sorry but i own a pc and i don't know the mac system, if you have downloaded the drivers corresponding to your mac system it should work; but i tell you one trick for pc: when i used the sp606 on my xp system i put the sp606 drivers on the desktop, this causes softwares to "see" the 606 as a soundcard option...i don't know if this is valuable also for mac system, maybe there are other tricks...have you tried to write to roland?

[ediBranchez]

i put the downloads on the desk top...still nothing ... theres a mode on the 606 v link that says pad mode: Clip or Palette, Does that have anything to do with it?

Thanks

[ellaguru]

i put the downloads on the desk top...still nothing ... theres a mode on the 606 v link that says pad mode: Clip or Palette, Does that have anything to do with it?

Thanks

ok
maybe mac world has other tips and tricks.
i suggest to write to roland (hoping other 606 cats on mac would help in between) or to retry to reinstall teh drivers.
other question: do your mac uses other soundcards? maybe there is a drivers conflict. i remember i had this on my xp pc between the 606 soundcard and my m-audio fast track pro...but, again, it's a pc world, who knows if mac too...

...anyway, the v-link is a roland thing that makes you control video clips and such, nothing to do with the soundcard.

[ediBranchez]

Ok ,,,,,, Word ...Thanks.... Ill write roland ... thats gonna take another year haha.... But yea I do use an M BOX 2 so that might be interfering with it.