The Good Life

Today we're going to remix Kanye West's song The Good Life. But before we get started let's listen to the song.

Do you recognize the sample? It comes from the Michael Jackson song PYT.

What did Kanye do with the sample?

So, like Kanye I want you to change the PITCH and TIME of the PYT sample and make it your own.

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Create a Dr. Rex
4. Click on the "Folder" in the upper left hand corner.
5. Select the PYT sample from My Documents: Tuesday Jan, 8th: PYT
6. On the Dr. Rex click TO TRACK
   
7. Now we want to adjust the PITCH and Time of the sample.
8. To do this, you will need to do two things. Change your tempo. And transpose the sample on the Dr. Rex keyboard.
9. If you choose a high tempo you might want to transpose the sample to a higher note.
10. If you have a slow tempo you might want to transpose the sample to a lower note.
11. After you get your sample sounding the way you want it, it's time to add some drums that goes with the sample.
    
12. Create a Redrum and make a 32 step drum pattern using a Clap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion. Make sure you put the sounds on appropriate boxes!
13. On the Redrum, Copy Pattern To Track.
14. Create a Dr. Rex. Load a Percussion Loop and adjust the PITCH. Put it "To Track."
15. Save your beat as The Good Life
16. Write a blog post about what the good life means to you.
    

Happy New REX!

It's a new year and we're back making beats. Today let's start off where we finished and get our feet wet with a Dr. Rex beat!

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Create a Dr. Rex
4. Click on the "Folder" in the upper left hand corner.
5. Select either Dr. Rex Instrument Loops or Music Loops.
   
6. Choose a loop and then click "TO TRACK"
7. Now set your tempo to the same tempo as your loop.
8. Create a Redrum.
9. Change the Steps to 32.
   
10. In Sound 1, load a clap and put it on boxes 5 and 13.
11. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
12. Put the clap on boxes 5 and 13
13. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
14. In Sound 2, load a bass drum and put it on 1 and a few other boxes that go with your loop.
    
15. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
16. Put the bass drum on 1 and a few other boxes that go with the loop.
    
17. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
18. In Sound 3, load a high hat and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
19. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
20. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
21. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
22. In Sound 4, load either a percussion-hi or percussion-other and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
23. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
24. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
25. Once you're happy with how your drums sound right click on the Redrum and select Copy Pattern To Track.
26. Don't forget to click on the Pattern Button.
27. Now let's add a Dr. Rex Percussion Loop.
28. Go to the Create menu and Create a Dr. Rex Loop Player.
29. We need to load a loop, so click on the folder in the upper left hand corner of the loop player.
30. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank: Dr. Rex Percussion Loops: and select any of the folders: choose a loop.
31. On The Dr. Rex, click "TO TRACK"
32. Save your beat in your folder as whatever you want!

Friday Quiz

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Create a Dr. Rex. Load either an Instrument Loop or a Music Loop and put it "To Track."
4. Now set your tempo to the same tempo as your loop.
5. Create a Redrum and make a 32 step drum pattern using a Clap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion. Make sure you put the sounds on appropriate boxes!
6. On the Redrum, Copy Pattern To Track.
7. Create a Dr. Rex. Load a Percussion Loop and put it "To Track."
8. Save your beat as (your name) Friday quiz.
9. Send it to mrprice@ccpaedu.com
   

Vote For Me in a Remix Contest

I'm in a remix contest and could use your votes to help me win!

A remix is when you take vocals from a song and then make your own beat to go with it.

If you want to check out my mix go to http://www.jamglue.com/contests/jrwriter">Jamglue.

My song is the third one down on the left and my screen name is Prezzo.

If you like it, create a jamglue account and make the song a favorite!

WISH IAN A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

WISH IAN A HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Practice for Friday Quiz

Tomorrow we are going to have a quiz covering Dr. Rex and the Redrum. On the quiz, I'm going to give you far fewer steps in order for you to show your knowledge about making beats. I will include the steps that will be on the quiz in italics.

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Create a Dr. Rex
4. Click on the "Folder" in the upper left hand corner.
5. Select either Dr. Rex Instrument Loops or Music Loops.
   
6. Choose a loop and then click "TO TRACK"
7. On the quiz, steps 3-6 will say Create a Dr. Rex Instrument loop and put it TO TRACK.
   
8. Now set your tempo to the same tempo as your loop.
9. Create a Redrum.
10. Change the Steps to 32.
    
11. In Sound 1, load a clap and put it on boxes 5 and 13.
12. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
13. Put the clap on boxes 5 and 13
14. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
15. In Sound 2, load a bass drum and put it on 1 and a few other boxes that go with your loop.
    
16. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
17. Put the bass drum on 1 and a few other boxes that go with the loop.
    
18. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
19. In Sound 3, load a high hat and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
20. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
21. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
22. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
23. In Sound 4, load either a percussion-hi or percussion-other and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
24. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
25. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
26. Once you're happy with how your drums sound right click on the Redrum and select Copy Pattern To Track.
27. Don't forget to click on the Pattern Button.
28. Steps 9-27 will say Create a Redrum and make a 32 step pattern using a Clap, Bass Drum, Hi Hat, and Percussion.
    
29. Now let's add a Dr. Rex Percussion Loop.
30. Go to the Create menu and Create a Dr. Rex Loop Player.
31. We need to load a loop, so click on the folder in the upper left hand corner of the loop player.
32. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank: Dr. Rex Percussion Loops: and select any of the folders: choose a loop.
33. On The Dr. Rex, click "TO TRACK"
34. Steps 29-33 will say Create a Dr. Rex Percussion Loop and put it TO Track
    
35. Save your beat in your folder as whatever you want!
    

Ian's Secret Loops

Before you guys come into class, Ian makes beats using his secret stash of loops. Today we're going to use these loops and make a beat "Ian Style"

1. Open Reason
2. Make sure you have a Mixer 14:2
3. Create a Dr. Rex
4. Click on the "Folder" in the upper left hand corner.
5. To get to Ian's secret loops... go to: Reason Factory Sound Bank: Music Loops: Variable Tempo: Downtempo Loops.
6. Choose a loop and then click "TO TRACK"
7. Now set your tempo to the same tempo as your loop.
8. Create a Redrum.
9. Change the Steps to 32.
   
10. In Sound 1, load a clap and put it on boxes 5 and 13.
11. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
12. Put the clap on boxes 5 and 13
13. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
14. In Sound 2, load a bass drum and put it on 1 and a few other boxes that go with your loop.
    
15. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
16. Put the bass drum on 1 and a few other boxes that go with the loop.
    
17. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
18. In Sound 3, load a high hat and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
19. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
20. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
21. Toggle "EDIT STEPS" back to 1-16
22. In Sound 4, load either a percussion-hi or percussion-other and put it any boxes...make sure it goes with your loop.
    
23. Now toggle "EDIT STEPS" to 17-32
24. Click on boxes that go with your loop.
    
25. Once you're happy with how your drums sound right click on the Redrum and select Copy Pattern To Track.
26. Don't forget to click on the Pattern Button.
27. Now let's add a Dr. Rex Percussion Loop.
28. Go to the Create menu and Create a Dr. Rex Loop Player.
29. We need to load a loop, so click on the folder in the upper left hand corner of the loop player.
30. Go to Reason Factory Sound Bank: Dr. Rex Percussion Loops: and select any of the folders: choose a loop.
31. On The Dr. Rex, click "TO TRACK"
32. Save your beat in your folder as "Ian's Secret Loops"