Options menu

Internal/MIDI Clock/Ableton Link/ReWire/Send MIDI Clock

These four options are used to specify which type of tempo synchronization you want to use:

•

Internal

When this is activated, the program is not synchronized to any external source. It plays in the tempo set on the Transport Panel.

•	MIDI Clock

When this is activated, the program is synchronized to external MIDI Clock, as set up in the Preferences|Advanced dialog. The tempo setting on the Transport Panel is of no relevance; Reason plays in the tempo of the incoming MIDI Clock signals. See “Synchronization and Advanced MIDI” for more details.

•	Ableton Link

When this is activated, the program can be synchronized to other Ableton Link-enabled devices on the same wireless network. See “Synchronization using Ableton Link” for more details.

•

ReWire

When this is activated, Reason is synchronized to another application via ReWire. This is not a setting that you can activate yourself, it is automatically enabled when the program is in ReWire Device mode. See “ReWire” for more details.

•	Send MIDI Clock

When this is activated, the program is MIDI Clock Sync host and can control external applications/equipment. See “Synchronization and Advanced MIDI” for more details.

Enable Keyboard Control

When this is activated, the computer’s keyboard keys can be used to control devices, as set up with the Keyboard Control Edit feature. See “Editing Keyboard Control” for more information.

Keyboard Control Edit Mode

To get an overview of which parameters are keyboard controllable select “Keyboard Control Edit Mode” from the Options menu.

Each device you select will show a yellow arrow symbol next to every parameter that can be assigned.

If you click on an assignable parameter to select it, you can then select “Edit Keyboard Control Mapping” from the Edit menu.

This opens a dialog allowing you to select a key command for that parameter.

You may use any key or a combination of [Shift] + any key.

Simply press the key (or key combination) you wish to use to remote control the parameter.

The “Key Received” field momentarily indicates that it is “learning” the keystroke(s), and then the dialog displays the name of the key you have pressed. If [Shift] was used, the box beside the word Shift in the dialog is ticked.

You can also double-click on the arrow for an assignable parameter to set up keyboard control:

A rotating yellow rectangle appears, indicating Learn mode. Press the key (or key combination) you wish to use to remote control the parameter.

The rotating stops and the rectangle will now display the key or key combination you used.

Note that the transport panel uses the numeric keypad for various commands. If you assign a parameter to a single numeric key, the corresponding transport functionality will be overridden!

Another way to assign keyboard control commands is to have “Keyboard Control Edit Mode” deselected on the Options menu, and to right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) the parameter you wish to keyboard control.

This opens a pop-up menu, where one of the options will be “Edit Keyboard Control Mapping”. Selecting this opens the Keyboard Control dialog. Thus, you do not have to enable/disable Edit mode from the Options menu if you know that a parameter is assignable.

If you try to assign a key control that is already in use, you will get an alert asking if you wish to change the current assignment.

See “Editing Keyboard Control” for more information.

Remote Override Edit Mode

All supported control surface devices have “standard remote mappings” for each Reason device. If you wish to override this standard mapping, you can do so in the following way:

1.	To get an overview of which parameters can be assigned remote overrides, select “Remote Override Edit Mode” from the Options menu.

Each device you select will show a blue arrow symbol beside every parameter that can be assigned a remote override. Standard mappings are marked with yellow knob symbols (only shown when the device has MIDI input). Assigned overrides are marked with a lightning bolt symbol.

2.	If you click on an assignable parameter to select it (selected parameters are orange in color), you can then select “Edit Remote Override Mapping...” from the Edit menu.

This opens a dialog where you can assign override mappings.

3.	Make sure that the “Learn from Control Surface Input” box is ticked.

4.	Simply turn the knob (or slider etc.) that you wish to use to assign Remote Override for the parameter.

The “MIDI Received” field momentarily flickers as you turn the knob, and then the dialog shows the control surface device and the control you used.

You can also make override mappings manually:

Select a device from the Control Surface pop-up in the dialog, and then select a control from the Control pop-up.

On the Control pop-up, all the controls on the selected control surface are listed.

5.	Click “OK” to exit the dialog.

The selected parameter is now tagged with a lightning bolt symbol, indicating Remote Override mapping.

6.	To exit Remote Override Edit mode, deselect it from the Options menu.

You do not always have to use this method - see below.

If Remote Override Edit Mode is enabled on the Options menu, mapped parameters are “tagged”, and the arrow indicators show the assignable parameters. In this mode, however, you cannot operate Reason normally. Remote Override Edit mode is primarily for overview of available parameters and the current assignments.

Another way to assign keyboard remote commands is to have “Remote Override Edit Mode” deselected on the Options menu, and to simply right-click (Win) or [Ctrl]-click (Mac) the parameter you wish to control.

This opens a pop-up menu, where one of the options will be “Edit MIDI Remote Override Mapping”. Selecting this opens the “Edit Remote Override Mapping” dialog. Thus, you do not have to select Edit mode from the Options menu if you already know that a parameter is assignable.

See “Remote Override mapping” for more information.

Additional Remote Overrides...

Selecting this opens a dialog with remote functions that cannot be assigned using Remote Override Edit mode, such as switching target tracks, Undo/Redo etc.

See “Additional Remote Overrides...” for details.

Surface Locking...

This opens a dialog where you can lock a control surface to a specific device. This means that the locked device is always “tweakable”, regardless of which track has MIDI input in the sequencer. This enables you to play and record notes for one device and at the same time control parameters for another device from a control surface.

For example, you could lock a control surface to control the main mixer, so you can always control overall levels while playing/tweaking other devices.

The Master Keyboard device cannot be locked!

If you select the Master Keyboard in the Preferences, you can click the “Use No Master Keyboard” button. You can then lock this control surface to a device and use its controllers to tweak parameters, but you will not be able to play the device.

Each control surface can be locked to one device at a time (but you can lock several control surfaces to the same device).

This locked device will always be controlled by the selected control surface, until you unlock the device or lock the surface to another device. You can lock as many devices you wish, as long as you have enough control surfaces.

Locked devices can use remote overrides, just like unlocked devices.

In other words, even if a device is locked to a control surface, some parameters could be overridden so they are controlled by another control surface, or some controls on the locked surface could be override-mapped to another device.

See the “Locking a surface” for more details.

Toggle Rack Front/Rear

This switches the rack view between the front and rear panels. A quicker way to do this is to press [Tab].

Reduce Cable Clutter

If there are many connections in Reason, the cables can sometimes obscure the view, making it difficult to read the text printed on the back panels of the devices. Cables can be displayed in “normal” mode and in “Reduced Cable Clutter” mode.

Select “Reduce Cable Clutter” on the Options menu to “hide” the cables according to the setting you have made in the “Appearance” section on the “General” page in Preferences.

See “Cable appearance” for information on how to use this function.

Auto-group Devices and Tracks

A Device Group is a series of interconnected devices that “belong together”. A Device Group could, for example, be an instrument device connected via an effect device to a Mix Channel device. With the “Auto-group Devices and Tracks” option selected, moving/cutting/copying/duplicating and pasting a device in a device group will perform the operation on all devices in the device group. See “About Device Groups” for more details.

Delay Compensation

Select “Delay Compensation” to activate the built-in delay compensation, see “Activating the Delay Compensation”.

Show Navigators

Selecting “Show Navigators” will show the Channel Strip Navigator in the Main Mixer and the Rack Navigator in the rack. Deselecting the “Show Navigators” option will hide the Channel Strip Navigator in the Main Mixer and the Rack Navigator in the rack.

Always Show Tutorial Area

When this is activated, the Tutorial area to the right in the song window is always shown - unfolded or folded, depending on if the area is open or minimized, see “The Tutorial area”.

To completely hide the Tutorial area (and its divider), deselect the Always Show Tutorial Area option.

Follow Song

When this is activated, the sequencer Arrangement and Edit Panes will automatically scroll along with the song position pointer on playback. When this item is deactivated, the Arrangement and Edit Panes will remain stationary.

Show Block Clip Content in Song View

When this is activated, the content of the Block Automatic Clip is displayed in a “ghosted” fashion on the arrangement pane. When deactivated, only the Block Automation Clip is displayed on the Blocks Track.

Keep Events in Clip while Editing

This function determines how note and automation events behave if they are drawn, moved or pasted outside the boundaries of the open clip in Edit mode in the sequencer.

•	With “Keep Events in Clip while Editing” selected, events drawn, moved or pasted outside the boundaries of the open clip will still belong to the original clip - but will be masked.

•	With the “Keep Events in Clip while Editing” deselected, the open clip will expand to contain the drawn, moved or pasted events - or, if this is not possible, the events will be placed in an existing, or new, clip.

See “About drawing notes outside an open clip”, “About moving notes outside or between clips” and “Pasting events outside an open clip” for detailed examples.

Auto-color Tracks and Channels

When this option is activated, a color will automatically be assigned to a new sequencer track or mixer channel when you create it. Any new clips created on a track will get the same color as the track.

Record Automation into Note Clip

With this option activated, any device parameter automation will be automatically recorded into the note clips as “Performance Controllers” instead of on separate Parameter Automation Lanes.

Number of Precount Bars

Here you select the number of pre-count bars to use when the “Pre” button on the Transport Panel is on. When you record in the sequencer with the “Pre” button active, the recording will begin after the set number of precount bars.

Select “One”, “Two”, “Three” or “Four” bars from the sub-menu that appears.

MIDI: Send All Notes Off

This sends an All Notes Off MIDI command on the MIDI Out ports used by Reason. This function can be used if you are experiencing hanging notes when you are controlling external MIDI instruments from Reason. See “External MIDI Instrument” for more information about MIDI controlling external equipment.

Enter/Exit Edit Mode

This allows you to toggle the sequencer between Song/Blocks View and Edit Mode.

Enable Blocks

This enables the Blocks function in the Sequencer. See “Working with Blocks in the Sequencer”.

Switch to Block View/Song View

This allows you to toggle the sequencer Arrangement between Blocks View and Song View.