Mp3 files and Reason

Reason 6 Tutorials

A topic that I often see floating by... Can I import Mp3 files inside reason, or can I make an export to Mp3 from my current Reason song. I feel the need to write down this small article as in 'a tutorial' just to explain the parts that one can do.

First question: can I load mp3 files inside Reason? No!
Second question: can I export the song as an Mp3 file? No!

However... Reason native 'language' is either Wav files or AIFF files. AIFF files are more MAC related, and WAV files are the Windows veriant. The difference between the AIFF/WAV and MP3 is that the first is uncompressed (more clearer) yet MP3 is compressed, thus smaller but with (sound) artifacts. This depends on the way the MP3 files are compressed (often known as bitrate). 320kbit/s is almost as good as a WAV files 44.1Khz 16 bit output. So if you are going for importing files, you might want to look for mp3 files that have the highest bitrate as possible.

Next we need something that makes an MP3 and makes it readable for Reason. Often I pick MpegSuite for this. Which you can download from here: MpegSuite 2001

It is a free tool to use, and the main reason why I love to use this program is the following:
- easy to understand, simple and to the point to convert mp3 files
- it has its native mp3 lame codec (so no additional codecs are needed in this case)
- it supports both convert Mp3 to Wav as in Wav to Mp3
- it does what it needs to do...
- it is free and does not have any nagware.

When you converted the MP3 files to Wav files, you can easy load them up inside an NN19 sampler or NNXT sampler. Dr Rex is not an option by default, since it needs REX Files. And to do that, you will need a tool called Recycle (which I can't provide a link too since it isnt free).

When you loaded up your wave file inside the NN-XT or NN19 you can play the samples just like you would with any samples. Bring in the sequencer and play the notes.

Exporting a track to a Mp3 file works almost similar as the current workflow. You can choose export Loop as audio file, or Export song as audio file. This will convert the file to a standard WAV/AIFF format (depends on what you choose). When you want it to be an Mp3, simply grab the exported Wav file and throw it inside the MPEGSuite. Since it supports both ways....

Keep in mind though: alot of internet services provide mp3 uploads. Often one might find that playing them on 192kbit/s or higher always sounds better then playing them on a lower bitrate. The lower the bitrate, the smaller the MP3 file will become. However, it will also loose alot of quility while doing so.

Ok, this was just a minor tut on how to import MP3 files inside Reason. Hopes this helps, and if there any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below or post it in the forums.

Mp3 files and Reason

Posted on: 11 Jan 2010 23:18
Posted by: Reasonexperts.com

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Mp3 files and Reason

Reason 6 Tutorials