Using the Programmer

The Programmer is used for key mapping and setting velocity ranges for instrument devices, and for Modulation Routing; assigning device parameters to the knobs and buttons on the Controller panel.

To show the Programmer panel, click the “Show Programmer” button on the Controller panel.

The Programmer appears below the Controller panel.

To the left on the Programmer panel the devices in the current Combi are listed in the same order they appear in the Combinator holder.

Clicking on a device in the list selects it for editing.

The middle Key Mapping section features a keyboard with a horizontal scroll bar at the top. In the area below it the key range for each instrument device is shown.

To the right is the Modulation Routing section where you can assign parameters to the controls on the Controller panel.

See “Using Modulation Routing”.

Key Mapping instrument devices

Each instrument device can have its own separate key range, the lowest and the highest key that will trigger the device. This allows you to create splits and layers for instrument devices in a Combi.

1.	Make sure the Combinator track has Master Keyboard Input.

2.	Select an instrument device in the Device list to the left (non-instrument devices, e.g. effects and mixers do not have key ranges).

The currently selected device key range is highlighted and shown as a horizontal bar under the keyboard display, and as note numbers in the Key Range Hi and Lo fields at the bottom of the Programmer panel. By default, the entire range is selected (C -2 to G 8). Only one device at a time can be selected.

There are several ways you can change the current key range:

By clicking in the Key Range Lo and Hi value fields and moving the mouse up or down.

By moving the handles of the horizontal bar in the middle display.

You may have to use the scrollbar at the top to “see” the handles.

By dragging the horizontal bar itself you can also move entire key zones horizontally, thereby changing their key ranges.

3.	Using either method, set the desired key range for the selected device.

When done, the device will only play back notes in the set key range.

By setting up key ranges for devices in a Combi, you can create split instruments.

For example playing notes below C 2 could trigger a device playing a bass sound, whereas playing notes above C 2 could trigger a device playing a pad sound.

Instrument devices in a Combi that share the same key range will be layered - i.e. play at the same time.

This given that no velocity ranges have been set up - see below.

You can of course set up overlapping ranges where notes within a set key range will layer two (or more) devices, but notes above and below the set range will play separate devices.

About the Transpose function

The Transpose field in the right bottom corner allows you to transpose the currently selected instrument device. It will not shift the key mapping, just the pitch of the selected device. Range is +/- 3 octaves, in semitone steps.

About the keyboard

You can use the keyboard to audition selected instrument devices by pressing [Option] (Mac) or [Alt] (Windows) and clicking on the keys.

About the Receive Notes/MIDI Performance Controller checkboxes

In the lower left corner of the Programmer there is a Receive Notes field with a corresponding checkbox, and below there are checkboxes for all standard MIDI Performance controllers (Pitch Bend/Mod Wheel/Breath/Expression/Sustain Pedal/Aftertouch).

These checkboxes allow you to control whether Note/MIDI Performance controller data is to be received for each instrument device in a Combi.

If you deactivate the “Receive Notes” checkbox the selected device will not respond to incoming MIDI note messages.

If a non-instrument device is selected this checkbox is always deactivated.

If you deactivate any of the Performance Controllers, the corresponding controller(s) will not be received by the selected instrument device.

All are on by default.

Setting Velocity Ranges for instrument devices

When instrument devices are set up so that their key ranges overlap – completely or partially – you can use velocity switching to determine which devices should be played back depending on how hard or soft you play on your MIDI keyboard.

This is done by setting up velocity ranges.

Each time you press a key on your MIDI keyboard, a velocity value between 1-127 is sent to Reason. If you press the key softly, a low velocity value is sent and if you press it hard, a high velocity value is sent.

This velocity value determines which devices will be played and which will not.

1.	Select an instrument device in the Device list to the left (non-instrument devices, e.g. effects and mixers do not have velocity ranges).

By default, the entire range is selected (0 - 127).

2.	Click in the Velocity Range Lo and Hi value fields and move the mouse up or down to set a low and high velocity range, respectively.

3.	When you have set a range, the device will only be triggered by notes within this velocity range.

About overlapping Velocity Ranges

You can set overlapping velocity ranges. Here’s an example of how this can work:

Device 1 has a velocity range from 1-60.

Device 2 has a velocity range of 41-100.

Device 3 has a velocity range of 81-127.

Now, velocity values between 41 and 60 will trigger notes from both Device 1 and Device 2. Likewise, velocity values between 81 and 100 will trigger sounds from Device 2 and Device 3.

About full and partial velocity ranges

You can see which devices have modified velocity ranges in the key map display:

•	Devices with a full velocity range (0 - 127) are only shown with an outline.

•	Devices with any other velocity range are shown as striped.

The device has a partial velocity range, which is indicated by stripes.

Using Modulation Routing

The Modulation Routing section allows you to assign any parameter or function in devices included in a Combi to any of the virtual Rotary and Button controls on the Controller panel. You can also control Combi Programmer parameters by connecting external CV modulation sources to any of the four Programmer CV Inputs on the back of the unfolded Programmer panel.

About Rotary and Button controls

The virtual Rotary and controls operate much like the equivalent controls on the real devices:

A Rotary control can either smoothly change parameter values (e.g. a level control), or step through fixed values (like the Oscillator waveform spin controls on a Subtractor).

A Button control will switch between two set values like an on/off switch.

Worth noting is that there are buttons on several Reason devices that will step through a series of values, for example LFO Waveform buttons. If LFO Waveform is assigned to one of the virtual Buttons you will only be able to switch between two of the six LFO waveforms (which waveforms is determined by the Min/Max range).

The available range for each selected parameter is shown in the Modulation Routing Min/Max fields.

Most sliders and rotary knobs on the actual devices have the standard 0-127 or
-64 to 63 range. Selectors and spin controls can have any value range.

About the Programmer CV Inputs

On the back of the Programmer panel are four CV Modulation Inputs for connecting external sources to modulate any of the parameters that are accessible in the Target section in the Programmer, see “Programmer CV Inputs”.

Assigning parameters to a control

This is done as follows:

1.	Select the device you wish to assign parameters for in the device list to the left.

The name of the selected device is now shown in the Modulation Routing Device field. The Modulation Routing section contains four columns:

In the Source column, the four Rotary and Button controls are by default listed but each field can be changed to any Rotary/Button/CV Input or Performance controller by clicking the arrow and selecting from the pop-up.

The last two fields are unassigned by default.

The pop-ups in the Target column contain all parameters for the selected device.

Lastly in each Target pop-up list is the option to receive note data or not.

The Min/Max columns allow you to specify a value range for the virtual control.

2.	Click in the Target column for the Rotary or Button control you wish to assign a parameter.

On the pop-up that appears, all the available parameters for the device are listed.

3.	Select the parameter you wish to assign to the control.

The parameter is now assigned, and the name of the parameter is shown in the Target column for the corresponding control.

4.	If you wish the selected device to receive notes this option should be checked.

5.	If you move or press the assigned Rotary or Button it will now control the parameter you assigned to it.

6.	You can specify a range for the parameter by clicking in the Min and Max columns and moving the mouse up or down.

By default the maximum available range is set.

7.	If you select another device in the Device list to the left, you can assign another parameter to the same Rotary or Button control using the same basic method.

This means that you can create multi-function controls that operate simultaneously on several parameters. E.g. if you have two Subtractors and a Malström in a Combi you could create a “master” filter cutoff knob, that controls this parameter for all three devices.

Naming a control

When you make modulation routing assignments, you should give the associated control a descriptive name that reflects what it does, for example Vibrato On/Off or the name of the parameter that it controls.

This is done by clicking the label on the Controller panel and typing in new name.

CV Connections

CV connections between devices in the Combi are saved with the Combi patches. This is also true for CV connections between devices in Combi and the Combi itself - e.g. if you have connected a Matrix in the Combi to one of the CV inputs on the back of the Combi panel.

The following CV connectors can be found at the back of the Combinator:

Sequencer Control Inputs

The Sequencer Control CV and Gate inputs allow you to play the Combinator from another CV/Gate device (typically a Matrix or a RPG-8). The signal to the CV input controls the note pitch, while the signal to the Gate input delivers note on/off along with velocity.

Modulation Inputs

In this section you will find standard CV Mod Wheel and Pitch Bend modulation inputs, as well as modulation inputs for the four Rotary controls.

Parameter(s) that are assigned to a Rotary control can thus be modulated by CV, which allows you to use CV control for almost any Reason parameter!

Programmer CV Inputs

Here you can connect external CV modulation sources for modulating any of the Target parameters in the Programmer (see “Using Modulation Routing”). Next to each CV Input are one sensitivity knob and one polarity switch that work as follows:

•	The sensitivity knobs can be used for attenuating the CV Input signal.

•	The polarity switches should be used for defining the polarity of the CV Input signal.

For example, if you have connected a CV signal from an envelope generator, the switch should be set to Unipolar. If you are modulating from a standard LFO, the polarity switch should be set to Bipolar.