Playing and using Mimic

Loading and saving patches

A Mimic patch contains the parameter settings for all used Slots, i.e. up to eight complete parameter setups. Loading and saving patches is done in the same way as with any other internal Reason device, see “Loading patches” and “Saving patches” for details.

Like with the other sampler devices in Reason, the patch does not include the actual sample - only a reference to it. Therefore, the sample has to be stored separately (self-contained with the song, or already on disk or in a ReFill on your computer).

Global output controls

Master Volume

This is the main stereo output volume control and controls the volume of all eight Slots together.

Slot Mode

Mimic has four Slot Modes, which defines how the sample of each Slot should play back - and also if you can use one or several Slots simultaneously:

Pitch Mode

In Pitch Mode you select one of the eight Slots for melodic playback (playing the sample from the start to the end locators). The sample can then be played chromatically pitched over the entire keyboard range.

Slice Mode

In Slice Mode you select one of the eight Slots for playback, and slice a (longer) sample, manually and/or automatically. The slices are then triggered from the keyboard (chromatically, with the leftmost slice playing back from note C1) without affecting the original pitch of the sample. See “Slices” for more details.

Multi Slot Mode

In Multi Slot Mode different keys (C-G in each octave) triggers Slots 1-8 (from the start to the end locators), drum-machine style - without affecting the sample pitches. This is displayed in the Note/range indicator as follows (the currently selected Slot is high-lighted on the keyboard - the others are dark blue):

Multi Slot Mode with samples loaded in Slots 1-4.

Multi Slot Mode works great with pad controllers.

Multi Pitch Mode

Multi Pitch Mode with samples loaded in Slots 1-4, played back in a layered fashion.

In Multi Pitch Mode you can play back up to eight samples (one sample per Slot) simultaneously, for melodic playback (playing the sample from the start to the end locators). You can set different keyboard ranges (overlapping and/or adjacent) for the eight Slots and then play back the samples chromatically pitched. You can set the desired keyboard range in the Note/range indicator as follows (the currently selected Slot is high-lighted on the keyboard - the others are dark blue):

Setting the key range for the currently selected Slot.

1.	Click the desired Slot button (see “Slot Select” below) to select it.

2.	Drag the left and right note range markers to set the desired note range.

The minimum “range” for a Slot is one note.

3.	Click another Slot button and set a new desired note range.

Note that Slots can have overlapping note ranges (also completely overlapping so that you could play all eight Slots together in a layered fashion).

Slot Select

Mimic has eight Slots, which can hold one sample each. Each Slot also has a complete parameter setup on the Mimic front panel, so each slot can have its own unique parameter configuration.

Click the desired Slot Select button to bring up all parameters for that slot, including the sample and its settings.

Note that in Pitch Mode and Slice Mode (see above), only one single Slot can play back its sample at a time (as indicated by the grayed out waveforms below the other Slot Select buttons).

Performance and “play” controls

Each of the eight Slots has their own individual set of performance/play controls on the front panel:

Porta

Portamento makes note pitches glide from previous notes to new ones, at the time set with the Time knob. Portamento can be used in all Key modes (see above).

•	When On in Poly Key Mode (see below), the pitches will glide from any of the available voices.

The results will be unpredictable since there is no way of controlling from which note(s) the glide(s) will commence. The effect is very nice, though.

•	When On in Mono Retrig or Mono Legato Key Mode (see below), the pitch will glide between consecutive notes.

•	In Auto mode, the pitch will glide between consecutive monophonic notes only when you play legato. If you have selected Poly Key Mode (see below), Auto will have no effect at all.

If you release the previous key before hitting the new key, there will be no portamento effect.

Key Mode

Here you choose how Mimic should respond to MIDI Note data:

•

Poly

Select this if you want to play Mimic polyphonically.

•	Mono Retrig

Select this if you want to play Mimic in monophonic mode and always retrigger the envelopes as soon as you play a new note.

•	Mono Legato

The Mono Legato mode is also monophonic. However, if you play a new note without having released the previous one, the envelopes and sample playback position won’t start over.

Also see the description of the “Global Position”, which allows new notes to continue playing at the current sample playback position (and not restart playback).

Pitch Range

Set the desired Pitch Bend range for the “Pitch Bend” wheel with the up/down buttons, or by click-holding on the display and dragging up/down.

Range: +/-24 semitones (+/-2 octaves) in steps of +/-1 semitone.

Pitch Bend

The Pitch Bend wheel can be used for bending note pitches up and down. Mimic also responds to Pitch Bend MIDI data from a connected MIDI master keyboard. You set the desired Pitch Bend Range with the “Pitch Range” control above the Pitch Bend wheel.

Note that if you have selected the Tape Stretch algorithm (see “Tape”), pitch bending the sample will also affect its playback speed.

Mod Wheel

The Mod Wheel can be used for modulating a number of parameters in the eight Slots of Mimic. Use the Mod Wheel as a source parameter for the panel parameters that feature modulation source drop-down selectors.

LFO Scale

The LFO Scale knob can be used for scaling the LFO amount with the Mod Wheel - perfect for gradually introducing Vibrato effects, for example. If the LFO Scale knob is set to 100% the LFO Amount will be 0 when the Mod Wheel is at 0. See “The LFO section” for more details about the LFO.