Recording midi drums using Pro Tools 10, Reason 5 and a Roland TD 9

I'm still a little confused on exactly what you are trying to do? Record MIDI drums and use drums samples? We've got the rewire bit, but how have you got everything connected?
 
Still don't understand. If you can get sound out of Reason (and you said you are): why not use ReWire for audio instead of midi? Simply create an audio track in ProTools, and set its input to Reason audio from ReWire. Why transfer midi data from what your already getting sound out of?
 
This is kind of what I was thinking - the routing seems a little too complicated. I'm a Cubase user, and getting my Yamaha kit into it, and mapping it so it triggers my drum samples is a pain in the bum. I keep thinking I'll do the map and save it, but something always seems to get in the way, so sometimes, I'll use the sounds in the Yamaha module, so I've got MIDI into the computer, then out again to the Yamaha then back in as audio at some point. Protools can record MIDI, but you can do the actual configuration numerous ways - none seem dreadful, but the re-wire solution just mentioned makes sense - if he's familiar with re-wire and how it works. Many people find it a step too far.
 
The reason I want to do it midi as opposed to audio is so I can A) change the sounds at a later date to a better program than Reason and B) be able to edit it more easily. If I record it as an audio track using the TD-9 brain, I have no problems, but those aren't the sounds I want for a final recording. The way it's set up right now, When I play the TD-9 I am hearing the sounds from Reason and seeing the midi data recording in Pro Tools, but I can't move on to recording guitars etc if I don't hear the drums after I've recorded the midi information. I am playing drums, guitar and bass myself so I need the proper foundation which we all know is the drum track. Sorry if this is frustrating anyone else the way it is frustrating me. I figured if I am getting sound when I record and seeing the midi data then I must be doing something wrong with the I/O's and or routing but I can't seem to figure it out.
 
No, no frustration, just a dawning of the real problem. My light bulb has just lit, I think. You're problem is the midi in Protools has no instrument to play the drum's midi as samples? Just hook in Easy/Superior Drummer or SSD4 (now on sale @ $99). One of those VSTi's will take the midi information in ProTools and give you better samples all at the same time. I just went through SSD4 installation (has to be done outside of Reason) and am rewire-ing it back into Reason from Reaper.
So, anyway, if I understand correctly right now, what you need is a ReWire solution to get the midi information in ProTools to trigger your NN-XT sampler in Reason, correct?
 
BroKen_H said:
No, no frustration, just a dawning of the real problem. My light bulb has just lit, I think. You're problem is the midi in Protools has no instrument to play the drum's midi as samples? Just hook in Easy/Superior Drummer or SSD4 (now on sale @ $99). One of those VSTi's will take the midi information in ProTools and give you better samples all at the same time. I just went through SSD4 installation (has to be done outside of Reason) and am rewire-ing it back into Reason from Reaper.
So, anyway, if I understand correctly right now, what you need is a ReWire solution to get the midi information in ProTools to trigger your NN-XT sampler in Reason, correct?
Click to expand...

NNXT works fine just like addictive drums or superior drummer.
There's just a little more setup involved because Reason is designed to operate as a standalone package.

It'd do no harm to google those tools, all the same, incase they happen to be more suitable for you, OP.

PM sent.
 
Thanks BroKen H. At the moment I don't have any vst's but I do plan on getting some in the near future. For now, Reason is all I have to work with and if I can get this midi issue resolved, I will record by triggering Reaaon drums and then replace them with better drum sounds at a later date. Yes, you are correct. Midi is in Pro Tools. I hear drums from Reason when recording midi to Pro Tools. When I try to play it back in Pro Tools I see the midi information but don't hear the drums.
 
Thank you both for taking the time to troubleshoot with me. BroKen H, I will try the link when I get to my compute later. Steen, I responded to your msg as well and will try your suggestion too.
 
Open Protools and create a new blank session.

Open Reason and create a new session. Add one instance of NNXT, or whatever you're using. I'll say NNXT from here on it.

Go to Reason audio preferences, it should tell you that it's running in rewire mode because a host (ProTools) is open.
Now go to Reason keyboard/control surface preferences. You should see your Roland kit or, at least, a generic midi device.
If this is ticked for use, it would explain why you're getting direct live playback when you hit the drums.





Currently Protools sees midi input and records it.
Reason sees midi and uses it to trigger live audio.

The two aren't talking to each other yet.....


You want to create a loop whereby Protools forwards live midi data to Reason (whilst recording it down), and Reason sends audio back,
without Reason seeing the midi info directly.
Here's what to do.



1: In Reason preferences, untick the 'use with reason' option for your drum kit, and click the 'Use no master keyboard button'.
You will no longer have live audio until Step 9. That's ok.

2: Create an NNXT and load a patch.

3: Hit tab to see the rack rear and make sure that your NNXT output is patched to 1+2.*

4: Create a midi track in protools called 'NNXT send' and make sure that it's receiving live data from your kit when in record arm mode.
It should be....It was before.

5: Create a stereo instrument track in protools and call it 'NNXT return'.

6: Insert an instance of Reason on your stereo instrument track. When the rewire window pops up, make sure it's set to mix l+r.*
(Why they didn't call this 1+2 I'll never know....)

7: Look at the I/O for your midi track.. Set the output drop down option to Reason's NNXT.

8: Arm the midi track and play the kit.


You should now see midi data coming in on your midi track, and audio being returned to your corresponding instrument track, yes?




If you want to use more than one rack unit in Reason, just double up on midi/instrument tracks and use reason outputs/rewire settings 3+4,5+6 etc instead of 1+2 where I've put *, and set the midi output for each midi track to a different Reason rack unit.

Each midi track will now trigger a different rack unit, and each rack unit will return to a different stereo instrument track in ProTools.

Hope that sorts it. :)
 
Last edited:
chickmusician said:
View attachment 88877
Hopefully this picture attached...this is what my mix window looks like. I have tried diff variations of the I/O's and I am still getting midi recording with no playback. In previous sessions, I have tried to use an Instrument Track for midi, but tried a Midi track this time, as guitargodgt suggested. Can anyone spot what I'm doing wrong?
Click to expand...

In this picture the output of your midi track is not set to NN-XT (it's hooked up to hardware interface). This is your issue. :)

In other words, you need to tell your midi track where to go.

The reason you can hear Reason when you record is because you are connected to reason inside reason, but you are not connected through pro tools.
 
Guitargodgt said:
In this picture the output of your midi track is not set to NN-XT (it's hooked up to hardware interface). This is your issue. :)

In other words, you need to tell your midi track where to go.

The reason you can hear Reason when you record is because you are connected to reason inside reason, but you are not connected through pro tools.
Click to expand...

Ding Ding. We have a winner.
 
lol this used to be my workflow for both cubase and pro tools.

I have komplete 9 ultimate, and a bunch of other drum instruments so I don't even use reason anymore hardly. I do still like thor though.
 
The other thing I noticed is reason is set to mix L. Is your AUX track a stereo track? I have it set to mix L+R when I do this, but you have to use a stereo aux track in order to get that option.
 
I will try opening a blank session and starting from scratch. I am confused bc I was under the impression that the midi goes on an 'instrument' track in pro tools, which, from my memory, doesn't list the NN-XT as an output option. Should I be using s midi track for the midi, which I believe lists it as an output option? I'm not in front of the comp now so I'm going by what I think I remember.
 
Yeah,
In the old days we used combinations of midi and aux tracks for all VSTS.
Instrument tracks were introduced to combine the thing into one and to save hassle.

Since Reason is a third party application you've got to go old school.

You use a midi track to record the data and send it to reason and you use an instrument track to receive the return audio from reason.

I presume this 'live loop' is active during session bounce.
Guitargodgt...Can you confirm?
 
Ok, so with that being said, and please forgive me but this is getting very confusing, I open Pro Tools
Create a midi track
Add Reason plug in via rewire
Then what? Meaning what I/O's for the midi track and then what steps for the audio track for playback?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top