How to Quantize in Reason 4
Quantization is a critical element in the art of music production. Quantization enables you to correct any rhythmic timing issues on a track. For example: You make a drum pattern in Reason 4, but you notice the high-hats are late on the beat. You can fix this issue through the powerful tool of quantization.
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Instructions
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Quantization
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1
Solo the specific track you wish to quantize and listen closely to the melody/instrument. You must examine exactly what you want to fix in this track before you can effectively manipulate it. Open the piano roll and select the track you want to quantize. Select the notes you desire to quantize by drawing a selection box around them with the selection tool.
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Take a look at the drop box beside the magnet icon along the top of the edit screen you've just opened. In this, you will find many notes you can quantize your track to (1/2, 1/8, 1/16, etc.) Allow your soloed track to play.
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Select a fraction from the drop box based on the pattern you wish for the melody to follow. This will force the selected parts of your track to move into the specified zone on the piano roll grid. Play around with the different options in the drop box to find which pattern best suits your track.
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4
Turn off the mute option on all of the tracks, allowing your entire beat to play. Notice the change in the sequence of music. If you did this correctly, the track will now sound less bustled and confusing. It is wise to quantize every single track except for instrumental solos in most cases.
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Tips & Warnings
It would be best to perform a quantization on baselines and drums rather than on a piano or saxophone solo. This is because you usually want your drums or baselines to follow a direct pattern, while you want a solo to sound emotional and moving. A solo is random and unpredictable. Therefore, quantization of an instrumental solo will cause it to play at a specified time, resulting in a robotic and conventional pattern.
It is imperative that you learn how to quantize your beat before attempting to make a full beat. If not, the beat will be off-key and off-beat.
References
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