Redrum parameters

Drum sound settings

Redrum features ten drum sound channels that can each be loaded with a Wave or AIFF sample or a sample from a SoundFont bank. Although they are basically similar, there are three “types” of drum sound channels, with slightly different features. This makes some channels more suitable for certain types of drum sounds, but you are of course free to configure your drum kits as you like.

On the following pages, all parameters will be listed. If a parameter is available for certain drum sound channels only, this will be stated.

Mute & Solo

At the top of each drum sound channel, you will find a Mute (M) and a Solo (S) button. Muting a channel silences its output, while Soloing a channel mutes all other channels. Several channels can be muted or soloed at the same time.

You can also use keys on your MIDI keyboard to mute or solo individual drum sounds in real time.

The keys C2 to E3 (white keys only) will mute individual drum channels starting with channel 1.

The sounds are muted for as long as you hold the key(s) down.

The keys C4 to E5 (white keys only) will solo individual drum channel, starting with channel 1.

The sounds are soloed for as long as you hold the key(s) down.

This is a great way to bring drum sounds in and out of the mix when playing Reason live. You can also record the drum channel Mutes in the main sequencer, just like any other controller (see “Recording parameter automation”).

The Effect Sends (S1 & S2)

On the back panel of Redrum you will note two audio connections labeled “Send Out” 1 and 2. When you create a Redrum device, these will by default be auto-routed to the first two “Chaining Aux” inputs on the Mixer device (provided that these inputs aren’t already in use).

This feature allows you to add effects to independent drum sounds in the Redrum.

Raising the S1 knob for a drum sound channel will send the sound to the first send effect connected to the mixer.

Similarly, the S2 knob governs the send level to the second send effect in the mixer.

Note that there must be send effects connected to the AUX Sends and Returns in the mixer for this to work.

Also note that if Redrum is soloed in the Mixer the effect sends will be muted.

Another way to add independent effects to drum sounds is to use the independent drum outputs.

See “Connections”.

Pan

Sets the Pan (stereo position) for the channel.

If the LED above the Pan control is lit, the sound uses a stereo sample.

In that case, the Pan control serves as a stereo balance control.

Level and Velocity

The Level knob sets the volume for the channel. However, the volume can also be affected by velocity (as set with the Dynamic value, or as played via MIDI). How much the volume should be affected by velocity is set with the “Vel” knob.

If the Vel knob is set to a positive value, the volume will become louder with increasing velocity values.

The higher the Vel value, the larger the difference in volume between low and high velocity values.

A negative value inverts this relationship, so that the volume decreases with higher velocity values.

If the Vel knob is set to zero (middle position), the sound will play at a constant volume, regardless of the velocity.

When Vel is set to zero, the LED above the knob goes dark.

Length and the Decay/Gate switch

The Length knob determines the length of the drum sound, but the result depends on the setting of the Decay/Gate switch:

In Decay mode (switch down), the sound will decay (gradually fade out) after being triggered. The decay time is determined by the Length setting.

In this mode, it doesn’t matter for how long a drum note is held (if played back from the main sequencer or via MIDI) - the sound will play the same length for short notes as for long notes. This is the traditional “drum machine” mode.

In Gate mode (switch up), the sound will play for the set Length, and then be cut off.

Furthermore, if a sound set to Gate mode is played from the main sequencer, from a CV/Gate device or via MIDI, the sound will be cut off when the note ends or after the set Length, depending on which comes first. Or in other words, the sound plays for as long as you hold the note, but the Length setting serves as the maximum length for the sound.
There are several uses for the Gate mode:

•	For “gated” drum sounds, when the tail of the sound is abruptly cut off as an effect.

•	For when you want to use very short sounds, and don’t want them to “lose power” by being faded out.

•	For when you play the Redrum from the sequencer or via MIDI, with sounds for which the length is important (e.g. when using the Redrum as a sound effects module).

Audio samples sometimes contain a “loop”, which is set by editing the audio in a sample editor. This loop repeats a part of the sample to produce sustain as long as you hold down a note. Drum samples usually don’t contain loops, but who is to say that Redrum should only play drum samples? Note that if a sample contains a loop, and Length is set to maximum, the sound will have infinite sustain, in other words it will never become silent, even if you stop playback. Decreasing the Length setting solves this problem.

Pitch

Sets the pitch of the sound. The range is +/- 1 octave.

When the pitch is set to any other value than 0, the LED above the knob lights up to indicate that the sample isn’t played back at its original pitch.

Pitch Bend

By setting the Bend knob to a positive or negative value, you specify the start pitch of the sound (relative to the Pitch setting). The pitch of the sound will then be bent to the main Pitch value. Thus, selecting a positive Bend value will cause the pitch to start higher and bend down to the original Pitch, and vice versa.

The Rate knob determines the bend time - the higher the value, the slower the bend.

The Vel knob determines how the Bend amount should be affected by velocity.

With a positive Vel value, higher velocity results in wider pitch bends.

The Bend and Vel knobs have LEDs that light up when the functions are activated (i.e. when a value other than zero is selected).

Pitch bend is available for drum sound channels 6 and 7 only.

Tone

The Tone knob determines the brightness of the drum sound. Raising this parameter results in a brighter sound. The Vel knob determines whether the sound should become brighter (positive Vel value) or darker (negative Vel value) with higher velocity.

The Tone and Vel knobs have LEDs that light up when the functions are activated (i.e. when a value other than zero is selected).

The Tone controls are available for drum sound channels 1, 2 and 10 only.

Sample Start

The Start parameter allows you to adjust the start point of the sample. The higher the Start value, the further the start point is moved “into” the sample. If you set the Start Velocity knob to a positive amount, the sample start point is moved forward with higher velocities. A negative Start Velocity amount inverts this relationship.

When Start Velocity is set to any other value than zero, the LED above the knob lights up.

A negative Start Velocity amount is only useful if you have set the Start parameter to a value higher than 0.

By raising the Start value a bit and setting Start Velocity to a negative value, you can create rather realistic velocity control over some drum sounds. This is because the very first transients in the drum sound will only be heard when you play hard notes.

The Sample Start settings are available for drum sound channels 3-5, 8 and 9.

Global settings

Channel 8 & 9 Exclusive

If this button is activated, the sounds loaded into drum channels 8 and 9 will be exclusive. In other words, if a sound is played in channel 8 it will be silenced the moment a sound is triggered in channel 9, and vice versa.

The most obvious application for this feature is to “cut off” an open hi-hat with a closed hi-hat, just like a real one does.

High Quality Interpolation

When this is activated, the sample playback is calculated using a more advanced interpolation algorithm. This results in better audio quality, especially for drum samples with a lot of high frequency content.

High Quality Interpolation uses more computer power - if you don’t need it, it’s a good idea to turn it off!

Listen to the drum sounds in a context and determine whether you think this setting makes any difference.

Master Level

The Master Level knob in the top left corner of the device panel governs the overall volume from Redrum.