The best workflow enhancement I've ever come up with. What are yours?
- tobypearce
- Posts: 576
- Joined: 28 Sep 2015
- Contact:
Small things make such a difference!
I thought I'd share this as it's such a powerful little change. Hopefully other people have little things too that they hardly give a second thought too, but might benefit others.
Zoom to Selection
To zoom, I mostly do this:
1 Press Y
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3 Press Q to get back to pointer tool.
I've realised that with Better Touch Tool, I can save a step!
I assigned a spare key on my keyboard (just in Reason). On the downstroke it sends Y to Reason, and on the upstroke it sends Q! This means
1 Press new Key and hold
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3. Let go of key.
Since I'm zooming in and out all the time, this makes a massive difference.
I thought I'd share this as it's such a powerful little change. Hopefully other people have little things too that they hardly give a second thought too, but might benefit others.
Zoom to Selection
To zoom, I mostly do this:
1 Press Y
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3 Press Q to get back to pointer tool.
I've realised that with Better Touch Tool, I can save a step!
I assigned a spare key on my keyboard (just in Reason). On the downstroke it sends Y to Reason, and on the upstroke it sends Q! This means
1 Press new Key and hold
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3. Let go of key.
Since I'm zooming in and out all the time, this makes a massive difference.
https://onetrackperweek.com
One year - 52 tracks - Electronic Dance Music
One year - 52 tracks - Electronic Dance Music
- Boombastix
- Competition Winner
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: 18 May 2018
- Location: Bay Area, CA
I use ctrl or ctrl+shift and then scroll with the mouse wheel. Zoom in or out quickly. Just need to position the pointer in the right place so the window doesn't move away.tobypearce wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Small things make such a difference!
I thought I'd share this as it's such a powerful little change. Hopefully other people have little things too that they hardly give a second thought too, but might benefit others.
Zoom to Selection
To zoom, I mostly do this:
1 Press Y
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3 Press Q to get back to pointer tool.
I've realised that with Better Touch Tool, I can save a step!
I assigned a spare key on my keyboard (just in Reason). On the downstroke it sends Y to Reason, and on the upstroke it sends Q! This means
1 Press new Key and hold
2 Draw rectangle with mouse
3. Let go of key.
Since I'm zooming in and out all the time, this makes a massive difference.
Then use scroll wheel only or with shift to move up/sown or sideways.
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Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.
For the sequencer:
G key for + Horizontal zoom
H key for - Horizontal zoom
Ctrl key + mouse wheel for +/- Vertical zoom
For the Rack:
Ctrl + Drag Device to Duplicate it
Shift + Drag Device from browser to create an routed version of the device (with n mix channel assigned)
Navigating between Windows:
F5 key brings up the mixer
F6 key brings up the rack
F7 key brings up the sequencer
And something I only discovered in 2019, every section of the mixer can be folded !
>
G key for + Horizontal zoom
H key for - Horizontal zoom
Ctrl key + mouse wheel for +/- Vertical zoom
For the Rack:
Ctrl + Drag Device to Duplicate it
Shift + Drag Device from browser to create an routed version of the device (with n mix channel assigned)
Navigating between Windows:
F5 key brings up the mixer
F6 key brings up the rack
F7 key brings up the sequencer
And something I only discovered in 2019, every section of the mixer can be folded !
>
I sound like a broken record on this forum, but:
Buy a gaming mouse. If it helps, think of it as "a mouse with loads of buttons that you can assign".
I have one, set up as follows:
The middle button (scroll wheel) flips the rack.
6 buttons under my thumb for
- Mixer
- Rack
- Sequencer
- Browser show/hide
- Undo
- Snap to grid on/off
The are two more buttons next to the left mouse button. These are:
- Play/pause
- Back to start
These are just the keyboard shortcuts I use most often, but you can assign ANY key command, short or long. I have a different set of buttons for every piece of software and the mouse auto-detects which software is open.
I have never used any of these buttons to play a game.
Just do it, it makes everything SO much faster.
Buy a gaming mouse. If it helps, think of it as "a mouse with loads of buttons that you can assign".
I have one, set up as follows:
The middle button (scroll wheel) flips the rack.
6 buttons under my thumb for
- Mixer
- Rack
- Sequencer
- Browser show/hide
- Undo
- Snap to grid on/off
The are two more buttons next to the left mouse button. These are:
- Play/pause
- Back to start
These are just the keyboard shortcuts I use most often, but you can assign ANY key command, short or long. I have a different set of buttons for every piece of software and the mouse auto-detects which software is open.
I have never used any of these buttons to play a game.
Just do it, it makes everything SO much faster.
- Rising Night Wave
- Posts: 1221
- Joined: 03 Sep 2019
- Location: Vransko, Slovenia
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If I am not wrong, there is or are dedicated keyboards just for Reason.
OK, here is one: https://kbcovers.com/reason-keyboard/
Otherwise you can buy stickers and stick them to your existing keyboard so you can easily get used to shortcuts.
This is also interesting thing:
https://www.editorskeys.com/products/pr ... cbook-imac
I also mostly use CTRL/Shift/mouse wheel for zooming. Shift/Spacebar for playing. And Q, W, E and R for editing.
OK, here is one: https://kbcovers.com/reason-keyboard/
Otherwise you can buy stickers and stick them to your existing keyboard so you can easily get used to shortcuts.
This is also interesting thing:
https://www.editorskeys.com/products/pr ... cbook-imac
I also mostly use CTRL/Shift/mouse wheel for zooming. Shift/Spacebar for playing. And Q, W, E and R for editing.
Rising Night Wave & Extus at SoundCloud
HW: Asus ROG Strix G513QM | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen | M-Audio M3-8 | M-Audio Uber Mic | Shure SRH1840 | Shure SE215 | LG 49UK6400
SW: Windows 11 Pro | Reason 10 | Reason+
HW: Asus ROG Strix G513QM | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen | M-Audio M3-8 | M-Audio Uber Mic | Shure SRH1840 | Shure SE215 | LG 49UK6400
SW: Windows 11 Pro | Reason 10 | Reason+
It surprises me sometimes when working with others (not music related), when even the most basic key commands are foreign to them. Things like ctrl+c and ctrl+ v for copy & paste, or ctrl+A to 'select all. These are functions that almost every application responds to. When I try to explain how much simpler things can be if they get familiar with the basics, and gently tutor them in simple functions I assume every PC user should know, in most cases the response is 'its too hard to remember all this stuff!' ... sometimes people with an unwillingness to learn have set their own obstacles in their mind and remain forever a 'beginner user'
I love finding workflow improvements into many things I do on the PC, whether they be general commands or ones specific to a software suite. One example that I've turned a few people on to is that I have no launch icons on my desktop for software, not a single one. Nor any on my taskbar, apart from the file explorer folder. It's become a habit embedded into my brain to just hit the Windows key, type the first for letters of whatever Im looking for, and press enter. I don't need to close windows to get to the desktop, I don't need to go searching among a whole bunch of icons on the screen. In fact I don't really even look at either the screen or the keyboard and I can launch a program within one or two seconds. I don;t need to know where it resides, I don't even need to know what it looks like.
On Windows OS, understanding the 'quick access' 'folder' in file explorer is also a huge time-saver, and learning to manage it makes working a lot easier, especially if project assets are spread over different locations. To enhance the use of this, I also disable 'recently used' and 'frequently used' from showing, and I also delete anything I'm not currently working with (note that this is only a shortcut folder, so you aren't deleting the files)
And of course Reason has it's own version of this too, where you can drag & drop a regularly used folder, patch or ReFill under the 'Showcase' link, and add/delete shortcuts as your current project call for. When I start a new song I tend to immediately remove everything from the last song I was working on, leaving only five links that I almost always use (I have a 'bass patches' folder that stays there, since I often use basses from the same collection, which is REB)
- BananaSkins
- Posts: 477
- Joined: 29 Sep 2017
EdGrip wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020I sound like a broken record on this forum, but:
Buy a gaming mouse. If it helps, think of it as "a mouse with loads of buttons that you can assign".
I have one, set up as follows:
The middle button (scroll wheel) flips the rack.
6 buttons under my thumb for
- Mixer
- Rack
- Sequencer
- Browser show/hide
- Undo
- Snap to grid on/off
The are two more buttons next to the left mouse button. These are:
- Play/pause
- Back to start
These are just the keyboard shortcuts I use most often, but you can assign ANY key command, short or long. I have a different set of buttons for every piece of software and the mouse auto-detects which software is open.
I have never used any of these buttons to play a game.
Just do it, it makes everything SO much faster.
Thanks for this post Ed, I'm all for speeding up my workflow - any links please to the kind of mouse you are talking about?
I just use "Z" to zoom to selection, then again to zoom to all. Changed my life, seriously.tobypearce wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Small things make such a difference…
Since I'm zooming in and out all the time, this makes a massive difference.
Selig Audio, LLC
- esselfortium
- Posts: 1456
- Joined: 15 Jan 2015
- Contact:
Hold shift when dragging a rack device to automatically re-route it to where you're dragging it, so you don't have to spend time plugging and unplugging the audio cables manually. This one ought to be loudly announced somewhere in the GUI because I keep encountering people who've used this program since dinosaur times without knowing about it.
Sarah Mancuso
My music: Future Human
My music: Future Human
Here's the one I use (it's wireless)BananaSkins wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Thanks for this post Ed, I'm all for speeding up my workflow - any links please to the kind of mouse you are talking about?
https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/ ... ming-mouse
But the more buttons the better, really - described as MMO mice. Something like this would be great for workflow if you don't mind a cable:
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categorie ... 9304011-NA
It might seem pricey but think how much you spend on MIDI controllers, and how much time you spend using them vs using your mouse.
- Rising Night Wave
- Posts: 1221
- Joined: 03 Sep 2019
- Location: Vransko, Slovenia
- Contact:
I have this one only one model older: Logitech MX Master 2S. This mouse is sooooo good. It's just the right sized, weight enough, it's a bit ergonommic, it has a few knobs you can customize them all, it's wireless what is most important for me, battery lasts pretty long and it charges also quite fast.EdGrip wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Here's the one I use (it's wireless)BananaSkins wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Thanks for this post Ed, I'm all for speeding up my workflow - any links please to the kind of mouse you are talking about?
https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/ ... ming-mouse
Rising Night Wave & Extus at SoundCloud
HW: Asus ROG Strix G513QM | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen | M-Audio M3-8 | M-Audio Uber Mic | Shure SRH1840 | Shure SE215 | LG 49UK6400
SW: Windows 11 Pro | Reason 10 | Reason+
HW: Asus ROG Strix G513QM | Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen | M-Audio M3-8 | M-Audio Uber Mic | Shure SRH1840 | Shure SE215 | LG 49UK6400
SW: Windows 11 Pro | Reason 10 | Reason+
- BananaSkins
- Posts: 477
- Joined: 29 Sep 2017
Thanks for that - a few to choose fromEdGrip wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Here's the one I use (it's wireless)BananaSkins wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Thanks for this post Ed, I'm all for speeding up my workflow - any links please to the kind of mouse you are talking about?
https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/ ... ming-mouse
But the more buttons the better, really - described as MMO mice. Something like this would be great for workflow if you don't mind a cable:
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categorie ... 9304011-NA
It might seem pricey but think how much you spend on MIDI controllers, and how much time you spend using them vs using your mouse.
- MannequinRaces
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: 18 Jan 2015
I thought the Corsair looked pretty cool and then I saw... no Mac support. Bummer. Never thought about a more configurable mouse but it actually makes a lot of sense.BananaSkins wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Thanks for that - a few to choose fromEdGrip wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020
Here's the one I use (it's wireless)
https://www.logitech.com/en-gb/product/ ... ming-mouse
But the more buttons the better, really - described as MMO mice. Something like this would be great for workflow if you don't mind a cable:
https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categorie ... 9304011-NA
It might seem pricey but think how much you spend on MIDI controllers, and how much time you spend using them vs using your mouse.
selig wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020I just use "Z" to zoom to selection, then again to zoom to all. Changed my life, seriously.tobypearce wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Small things make such a difference…
Since I'm zooming in and out all the time, this makes a massive difference.
Thanks for sharing “Z”. I didn’t know that, but it’s awesome
Logitech seem to have profile software for MacOS - here's their MMO mouse for maximum buttons.
https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product ... mouse.html
There's a software called SteerMouse, which seems to be Mac compatible, that you can use for assigning keyboard shortcuts to mouse buttons.
https://www.logitechg.com/en-us/product ... mouse.html
There's a software called SteerMouse, which seems to be Mac compatible, that you can use for assigning keyboard shortcuts to mouse buttons.
These are also my main shortcuts plus using Alt + click on fold instruments in the rack or tracks in the sequencer to fold/unfold all of them at onceProboscis wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020For the sequencer:
G key for + Horizontal zoom
H key for - Horizontal zoom
Ctrl key + mouse wheel for +/- Vertical zoom
For the Rack:
Ctrl + Drag Device to Duplicate it
Shift + Drag Device from browser to create an routed version of the device (with n mix channel assigned)
Navigating between Windows:
F5 key brings up the mixer
F6 key brings up the rack
F7 key brings up the sequencer
And something I only discovered in 2019, every section of the mixer can be folded !
>
mixer_folded.PNG
One of my most used commands, and adding "option"(makes a copy AND connects it to the new location) makes it even more useful!esselfortium wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Hold shift when dragging a rack device to automatically re-route it to where you're dragging it, so you don't have to spend time plugging and unplugging the audio cables manually. This one ought to be loudly announced somewhere in the GUI because I keep encountering people who've used this program since dinosaur times without knowing about it.
Selig Audio, LLC
The best thing for me was buying a programmable keyboard to create custom color keys for Reason and turning multiple key shortcuts into single key hotkeys. Logitech 910 - its a fully programmable RGB beast...love it.
https://www.logitechg.com/en-ca/product ... 920-008012
https://www.logitechg.com/en-ca/product ... 920-008012
No trees were destroyed in the sending of this message, however, a significant number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
https://soundcloud.com/terry-wilson-music
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- Boombastix
- Competition Winner
- Posts: 1929
- Joined: 18 May 2018
- Location: Bay Area, CA
On a PC it is "Ctrl+Shift", to drag and make a copy. I agree SOOOO useful.selig wrote: ↑13 Jan 2020One of my most used commands, and adding "option"(makes a copy AND connects it to the new location) makes it even more useful!esselfortium wrote: ↑11 Jan 2020Hold shift when dragging a rack device to automatically re-route it to where you're dragging it, so you don't have to spend time plugging and unplugging the audio cables manually. This one ought to be loudly announced somewhere in the GUI because I keep encountering people who've used this program since dinosaur times without knowing about it.
Another tip is, right click on a RE and select copy patch, and the right click on another instance and right click to paste patch. Very useful if you need to copy over some EQ settings between channels. NOTE: ONLY works on REs that saves patches, so the stock EQ cannot do this, works on VSTs though!.
10% off at Waves with link: https://www.waves.com/r/6gh2b0
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.
Disclaimer - I get 10% as well.
Nah. For +10 years I've been producing with mouse at work, trackpad at home. Trackpad wins, no question
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