This is what I work with.

I figured after a few years of talking about my remixes, I'd show you guys what my work environment looks like.

I use Reason version 5.0, a profession-grade virtual studio made by a company called Propellerheads, located in Sweden. Reason features a full rack emulating a live studio, up to the point where I can change the connections and electrical layout of the devices.

Reason is not a recording and sampling tool. It instead features a nice sequencer I use to write my songs and remix (fun fact: Aero made about 7 remixes but as "Nekoprism", wrote well over 25 original songs as well).

So here is what it looks like.

This is the rack, happily closed. Doesn't look like much eh?

Well, let's open it up! This is what my latest remix looks like! Scary huh? And no, I do not use all those dials and buttons but I'd say I use 60-65% at least. (Some browsers will be iffy with this image, considering it's almost 9000 pixels tall)

This is what the electrical connection interface looks like.

And this is the sequencer, where I wrote the music, channel by channel, note by note. If I had Bragatyr's talent, I could use a midi keyboard as input and play the melodies that come to mind but since I don't, I use my mouse and write note by note.


Ask me any questions you like!

Hope you enjoyed!

I envy you. I would go cross eyed trying to get used to using something like that.. Then again.. since i don't do any sort of composing, i don't think i would get much use out of something like this.

Impressive ! Even if I don't understand all the "meanings" of all this, this is truly amazing ! Hard to master but you succeed so congratulations !
This reason is complicated but I'm sure it must be to be so effective

All I can say is, wow, I'm with myau and Mikepjr, I would be totally lost! Very impressive interface, I would love to have that kind of control and precision, but I'm way too impatient at this point, ha ha. I also think this is much closer to what the great composers do, since it really gives you a visual on the abstractions of writing music as a whole.

I am impressed. Nuff said.

Fun stuff and happy colors, right?

The first song Nekoprism made with Reason around 2001 used a whole lot less devices and was a lot simpler. We were poking around like blind people as well. Over the last 13 years, I have learned and I still have lots more to learn.

Reason is up to version 7 I think now but the new stuff is brings is of little interest to me and I'm not sure I want to pay for the upgrade so, here I am, witl my trusty version 5, ready to bring you guys more remixed awesomeness.

It all looks very complicated. You make some excellent music with it though.

Before sampling with a real keyboard becomes efficient, considerable talent is needed.

Trust me, with enough experience and the magic of keyboard shortcuts, you'd be surprised how fast I can write a track

Quantization is asking a machine to trim notes to they "fit where they are supposed to", it never works too well.

I dunno. Maybe. It would also require me to spend for a real keyboard and invent some physical space to store/use it.

Why change what already works?

Both. Then I listen to partial or complete results on speakers, headphones, inside my car, on my PC speakers at work etc. The idea is to have it sound "good" in as many environment as possible.

However: I used a neutral setup at home: no equalizing and absolutely no surround, I work in double stereo, flat amplification.

Good questions! Keep it up!