Loading complete Patches and REX files

As previously alluded, you can load complete sample patches as well as individual samples into the NN-XT.

•	A patch is a complete “sound package”. It contains information about all the samples used, assigned key zones, associated panel settings etc. Loading a sample patch is done by using the patch browser on the main panel, and works in the same way as with any other Reason device.

The Browse Patch button on the main panel.

For general instructions on how to load and save patches, please see “Loading patches” and “Saving patches”.

•	Loading separate samples is done in a similar way, but via the sample browser on the remote editor panel. If you load samples, map them across keyboard ranges and set up the sound the way you want it, you can save your settings as a Patch for easy access later.

The Browse Sample button on the remote editor.

More about loading samples later in this chapter.

Loading NN-XT Patches

NN-XT Patches are patches made specifically for the NN-XT. Reason Essentials ships with a large number of NN-XT Patches in the Factory Sound Bank. NN-XT Patches have the extension “.sxt”.

1.	Click the Browse Patch button on the front panel to set browse focus to the NN-XT device.

2.	Navigate to the folder that contains the NN-XT patch you wish to load, select it and click Load in the Browser.

Alternatively, drag an NN-XT patch from the Browser and drop it on the NN-XT device in the rack.

The panel is dimmed in orange and the Patch Replace symbol appears in the center.

Loading NN19 Patches

Reason Essentials doesn’t feature the NN19 sampler device but its patches (with the extension “.smp”) can be opened in NN-XT instead.

1.	Click the Browse Patch button on the front panel to set browse focus to the NN-XT device.

2.	Navigate to the folder that contains the NN-19 patch you wish to load, select it and click Load in the Browser.

Alternatively, drag an NN-19 patch from the Browser and drop it on the NN-XT device in the rack.

The panel is dimmed in orange and the Patch Replace symbol appears in the center.

Loading SoundFonts

The SoundFont format was developed by E-mu systems in collaboration with Creative Technologies. It is a standardized data format containing wavetable synthesized audio and information on how it should be played back in wavetable synthesizers - typically on audio cards. The SoundFont format is an open standard so there is a vast amount of SoundFont banks and SoundFont compatible banks developed by third parties.

Loading SoundFonts is no different from loading NN-XT Patches. As with NN-19 Patches, the NN-XT does its best to map all the SoundFont settings to NN-XT parameters.

You can load SoundFont presets by using the patch browser, and single SoundFont samples by using the sample browser.

Loading complete REX files as Patches

REX files are music loops created in the ReCycle program or when editing audio clips inline in Reason Essentials (see “Bounce Clip to REX Loop”). In Reason Essentials, REX files are primarily used in the Dr. Octo Rex loop player, but they can be used in the NN-XT as well. Possible extensions are “.rx2”, “.rcy” and “.rex”.

1.	Click the Browse Patch button on the front panel to set browse focus to the NN-XT device.

2.	Navigate to the folder that contains the REX loop you wish to load, select it and click Load in the Browser.

Alternatively, drag a REX loop from the Browser and drop it on the NN-XT device in the rack.

The panel is dimmed in orange and the Patch Replace symbol appears in the center.

When loading a REX file, each slice in the file is assigned to one key, chromatically, starting from C1. All parameters are set to their default settings.

When using REX files in the Dr. Octo Rex loop player, it is possible to make a track play the slices in order to recreate the original loop. To do the same in the NN-XT requires a few extra steps.

1.	Use the Browser to load the REX file into an NN-XT sampler.

2.	Create a Dr. Octo Rex loop player and load the same REX file into a Loop Slot of this device.

3.	Use the Copy Loop To Track feature on the Dr. Octo Rex to create playback data (a group) on the track assigned to the Dr. Octo Rex.

4.	Move that group to the track that plays the NN-XT and play it back from there.

5.	Delete the Dr. Octo Rex loop player.