Abbey Road Keyboards and Pro Tools?

[vanderlae]

I am really taken by the unique sounds of the Steinway Upright (aka Mrs. Mills) and Challen pianos included in the Abbey Road Keyboards pack; the only limitation being that it only works with Reason as far as I'm aware.

http://www.propellerheads.se/products/refills/ark/index.cfm?fuseaction=get_article&article=instruments

Short of getting Reason which I will not, is there a work around? I get so pissed off when I find something that is actually useful in the software world and then can't use it. I heard the demos of these pianos and the ideas started flooding immediately and I wanted to sit in that big chair. That's when you buy. OR SHOULD BE ABLE TO.

Cheers,
Dave

[walding]

NO work around that I'm aware of....

Yes there are amazing.


I own reason and really like it for it is and it cost me $349 delivered off there site.

[vanderlae]

Using two platforms simultaneously is silly and won't work for me, that's the thing. The biggest issue is workflow because if I'm in a session (pro tools) there's no way to pull it up and hear it in context - I'd be forever bouncing files outa PT to import into Reason just to be able to use the pianos. Oh, then bouncing the Reason piano files as waves and importing them back. Wha?!! It'd destroy the creative process with all the messing about.

Unless...

I ran it (Reason/Abbey Road) on another computer (say, PC...I have a mac pro) and tried to somehow run an output from it to my 'tools hardware as an insert. But that's creating a lot of extra work and I'd only do it if I could be assured the sound of the pianos wouldn't change one bit as a result of going out from whatever it was into my hardware - which it likely would, especially if it were an audio input into say the neve pres I have etc. Sure it's going to be processed likely in the mix (maybe) but at least having it in the session to begin gives you options.

There's got to be a cheats way here!

[geofflee]

Using two platforms simultaneously is silly and won't work for me, that's the thing. The biggest issue is workflow because if I'm in a session (pro tools) there's no way to pull it up and hear it in context - I'd be forever bouncing files outa PT to import into Reason just to be able to use the pianos. Oh, then bouncing the Reason piano files as waves and importing them back. Wha?!! It'd destroy the creative process with all the messing about.

Unless...

I ran it (Reason/Abbey Road) on another computer (say, PC...I have a mac pro) and tried to somehow run an output from it to my 'tools hardware as an insert. But that's creating a lot of extra work and I'd only do it if I could be assured the sound of the pianos wouldn't change one bit as a result of going out from whatever it was into my hardware - which it likely would, especially if it were an audio input into say the neve pres I have etc. Sure it's going to be processed likely in the mix (maybe) but at least having it in the session to begin gives you options.

There's got to be a cheats way here!

Umm....ReWire - you can can pipe Reason directly into PT using rewire (all on the same computer). You can use Reason purely as a bunch of of sound modules and ignore its sequencer completely. Easy peasy.

[Ben M]

I'm not sure if I'm reading you right Dave...but.....Rewiring Reason into Protools is really easy and low fuss. Install Reason onto your computer that has PT. In Protools make as many Aux tracks as you want to receive from Reason (or stereo track) and then use rewire through the plugin inserts on those aux tracks to buss Reason into PT. It syncs instantly and you can use either transport to control playback.
I hope this is useful.

[vanderlae]

Thanks gents, I hadn't heard of that before now. That sounds like a smooth solution. And may also open up a couple of other doors.

Cheers,
Dave

[walding]

Yes rewire works a treat.

Also Reason is one of the most stable programs I've ever used, in fact IT IS THE MOST STABLE Program I've ever used In using it for over 6 years from v2 (now up to 5), It's crashed (well frozen), once and that was because I was trying to make it crash.

It also now contains a sampler that you can use in real time ie, Record whatever you like, from any source.

It also has some very unique and useable plugins and soft synths.

[vanderlae]

Thanks guys. I'm sold on using rewire/reason as my PT fix and have checked out the info about how it integrates, question is do you purchase/download rewire standalone, or does it come loaded with reason?

Mark - do you have record also, or just reason? The tutes on their site talk about the advantages of using record. Considering that I am ONLY getting this so I can use the Abbey Road keys, would you be inclined to suggest just going for reason, forget record? The simpler I can keep it the better.

Cheers,
Dave

[Ben M]

Hi Dave

No need to get anything else other than Reason. Install it and follow an easy setup to rewire it into PT.
You don't need Record. It's properheads recording software because Reason doesn't record audio...only MIDI, hence the rewiring to PT for syncing and audio recording or monitoring.
I've used reason since (version 1) it came out and it's a very handy addition with PT. It's now at version 5. Each time it upgrades something better happens.
Have fun.

[vanderlae]

Gotchya Ben, thanks mate.

[Ender]

Another very happy long time Reason user here.. its a great piece of kit and as mentioned is really easy to hook up via the Reason 'Instrument' plugin directly through your PT session. I do have Record, which I bought at the time to be able to get audio easily into Reason devices and effects.. but since they've integrated sampling into Reason, there's less of a reason (pardon the pun) to use Record, unless you just wanted to play with its console sound.. maybe like you'd use Harrison Mixbus. Before PT9, Reason was also great to "play" while mobile for ideas without having to be plugged into the Digi rig.. that's less of an attraction now.

As you mention, using just Reason keeps it much cleaner from my experience and will give you quite a lot of tools.