Happy Holidays... And A Break... From Reason Patch A Day!

I thought I'd be able to keep the blog going this Christmas, but a crazy work schedule and growing family demands are making that impossible, so for the third year in a row, Reason Patch A Day will be closing down for the holidays and I'll be taking a short break.

As in years past, I do want to wish you all a restful and safe holiday season. This can be a special time of the year and so I hope you all get the chance to enjoy some of the holiday cheer that seems to be in abundance these days. I also hope you all find a little extra time to enjoy music, either creating it or just listening, over the next two weeks.

Reason Patch A Day will be back sometime after the new year! My best wishes to everyone who has helped make the site a success this last year. Thank you for continuing to come back, day after day, and being a part of this project.

.673 Malstrom Pad: Bestir

Today's Malstrom Pad, Bestir, has an older sound, like something from an early 80's Tangerine Dream album. Of course, if it was actually used in a Tangerine Dream album, it would have a much more slick, polished sound, so think about adding some drastic EQ to this pad when you use it.

Bestir is paired with the Borealis Combinator, one of my favorite effect Combinators, that hasn't seen much use in sample RNS files in the past few months.

• Bestir ( Malstrom Patch | RNS File )
  

.672 Thor Synth: Subterranean

Here's a strange patch. Subterranean sounds like its name, certainly, but also like something churning in the background of a nightmare. Like many of the patches that get posted here, Subterranean seems to straddle the line between synth and bass, but to me, sounds more like a weird, FX synth sound, than something you might consider placing alongside a beat. As always, its up to you to find a good home for today's patch, so categorize it any way that makes sense to you.

The included RNS file is nothing very complicated or interesting, but I provided it just to show how the Vapor Trails Combinator can take any sound, no matter how creepy, and make it even more bizarre thanks to the RV7000's Reverse mode.

• Subterranean ( Thor Patch | RNS File )
  

.671 Kong Patches: Lazy Drums

The title says it all. I've got a busy day ahead, so rather than put together an interesting patch, I took the easy way out and threw together some Kong drums. I'm only being slightly serious, of course, as there's enough to do in Kong with its drum modules that its not a whole lot easier to create pleasing sounds with it, than it is with Subtractor, Malstrom, or Thor. This time I experimented with some of Kong's weirder FX modules, like the Rattler, to try to create some drum sounds that had a slightly different feel than your usual, four-on-the-floor sounds. Hopefully I succeeded.

• Lazy Bass Drum ( Kong Patch )
  
• Lazy Snare Drum ( Kong Patch )
  
• Lazy HiHat ( Kong Patch )
  

.670 Subtractor Pad: Patroon

Reason's Subtractor is an intriguing instrument to consider when building a pad. As I've posted here many times, Subtractor is a monophonic instrument, which tends to be a poor fit for pads, which need to have a wide, stereo image. It might be that limitation that makes it so appealing as a pad device, because when I'm interested in experimenting, rather than just hammering out a new patch, I tend to reach for the Subtractor first.

Patroon, today's patch, is one such experiment, a surprisingly dense patch given Subtractor's limitations. In the included RNS file, I've paired Patroon with the Atmosphere 2 Combinator, which beefs up Patroon and provides it with a little more width. I would recommend using heavy processing, like that provided by the Atmosphere 2 or Borealis Combinators, with Subtractor pads.

• Patroon ( Subtractor Patch | RNS File )
  

.669 Subtractor Bass: Tectonic

After posting a bass sound that I created using the Korg iElectribe app, I thought I should put in a little time and create one with Reason, going to my old favorite Subtractor. Tectonic was the result of that attempt, a strange, deep buzz kind of bass patch that might not be entirely original or unique, but seems intriguing enough to my ears.

The RNS file uses the Shut Up loop shared recently here on Reason Patch A Day. The included demonstration RNS file also uses the Ugly Boy Combinator which is frequently paired with bass patches here on the blog. Like many of the bass patches that get posted here, Ugly Boy has a pretty dramatic effect on the sound of Tectonic, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your perspective.

• Tectonic ( Subtractor Patch | RNS File )
  

.668 Sample: iElectribe Bass 1

I don't know if this constitutes a continuation of "Phoning It In" Week or not, but I was playing around with the Korg iElectribe app once again and ended up creating what I thought was a fairly intriguing bass sound. So, although I just wrote about not needing to export "kits" from iElectribe patterns, thanks to Kong's useful ability to use specific slices from REX files, its still pretty useful to have samples to manipulate in the NN19 or NN-XT.

Here's that bass sound, a grimy burp of noise that you can shift up or down in the NN19, to suit your needs. I mixed the bass down to a mono single, hence the "m" in the file name, and put together a very simple RNS file to demonstrate the sample alongside a beat.

• iElectribe Bass 1 ( WAV File | RNS File )
  

.667 REX File: Jackrabbit (120 BPM)

Here's the last REX loop for "Phoning It In" Week, a 120 BPM loop that has a fair amount of character to it, thanks to its weird hit sounds. Jackrabbit, as the name suggests, is meant to be used in faster tempos, but try slowing it down to get a different vibe. I think I liked it even better at 60 BPM, than its "native" 120, so play around with it (and all of this week's loops) to see what works best for you.

Thanks for indulging me this week. Things are actually getting more busy and desperate for me, but I think I'll be able to share a few patches in the next few days, before Reason Patch A Day goes on its usual holiday break.

• Jackrabbit - 120 BPM ( REX File )
  

.666 REX File: Claude (130 BPM)

Clocking in at 130 BPM, this loop is fairly standard fair for an upbeat dance track, so you won't find anything too surprising over its 4-bars.

If you haven't used Kong's ability to load REX files yet, you should give it a try. It's surprisingly slick and fast, allowing you to turn any REX file into fodder for your "drum machine." I've thought a few times about turning Korg iElectribe app loops into kits, given that I've tuned each hit individually, essentially making a new "patch," but with Kong, I don't have to go through those extra steps. Just load up your REX file, pick your slice to trigger with your pad, and you're all set. Instant kit.

• Claude - 130 BPM ( REX File )
  

.665 REX File: Carmel (120 BPM)

I've been referring to this week as the "Phoning It In" Week, half-jokingly of course, but mostly serious at the same time. Still, some of these REX files can be a lot of fun, and today's 2-bar loop, Carmel, is one that I particularly enjoy. Its a fairly generic dance beat, but has a nice groove to it, and could easily be the backbone of a track.

If you do decide to use Carmel or any other REX loop or patch in one of your tracks, remember that the patches provided on the Patch-A-Day blog are "brag-ware." If you use something from the blog in one of your projects, I want to hear about it. Leave a link to where you've hosted your project in the comments section or send me an e-mail and I'll highlight your project and the patch you used here on the blog.

• Carmel - 120 BPM ( REX File )
  

.664 REX File: Night Off (92 BPM)

"Phoning It In" Week continues! Night Off is a slower, 1-bar loop that sounds great at its 92 BPM, or even slower. Try it at 64 BPM or speed it up to 128 BPM for something a little more energetic. Even after nearly a decade of using Recycle it still surprises me how easily REX files can be used "out of context," so don't limit yourself to sticking to the BPM of the files as they are provided.

• Night Off - 92 BPM ( REX File )
  

.663 REX File: Shut Up (127 BPM)

If yesterday's kick wasn't powerful enough for you, today's Shut Up REX loop should give you more of what you were wanting.

• Shut Up - 127 BPM ( REX File )
  

.662 REX File: PJ Party (120 BPM)

Day two of "Phoning It In" Week provides you with a 4-bar loop called PJ Party. The kick drum in today's file is a little weak, so if you plan to drop this into a dance track or something meant to make people move, you'd likely want to reinforce the kick with another sample to give it more "oomph" and power.

• PJ Party - 120 BPM ( REX File )
  

.661 REX File: Erebus (94 BPM)

From time to time, I've done theme weeks here on Patch A Day. It hasn't happened very often, but there have been a couple, such as "Bug Week" back in December of 2008, and the unintentional Casio VL-Tone samples that I shared in March of 2009, not to mention the various mini-series I've kicked off and shared, usually over a week's time, such as the Saturn's Rings patches in February of 2009.

This week I'll be sharing some REX drum loops as part of my "Phoning It In" theme. I know, I know, it's a little lame, but I've picked up some extra work and my free time is becoming extremely limited. So, rather than put the blog on hold for a few weeks (something I usually do around the holidays, not weeks before them), I thought I'd share a few drum patterns I put together using the Korg iElectribe app.

As you probably remember, I've already posted several Korg iElectribe REX files. It's a really powerful app and is absolutely gorgeous on the iPad, modeling hardware in the best possible way... simply simulating the UI of an existing device, without trying to get too "cute" with the touch interface. There are, of course, tons of drum machines on the iPhone and iPad and I'm certain that many of them are even more powerful or more flexible than the iElectribe, but something about the way this app works has really clicked with me and keeps me coming back.

Here's the first REX file of "Phoning It In" Week, a 2-bar, almost hip-hop flavored loop I'm calling Erebus.

• Erebus - 94 BPM ( REX File )
  

.660 Malstrom Percussion: Bacteria Kick 2

No, I'm not going to bore you with another attempt at creating a new series of drum kit patches. I was just experimenting with yesterday's Bacteria Kick patch and tweaked it enough that I found myself with a new patch. So, here it is, Bacteria Kick 2, very similar to yesterday's Bacteria Kick patch, but different enough that it can stand on its own.

Like yesterday's patch, I didn't bother putting together an RNS file. Given that it's a kick patch, its simple enough figure out how to use it.

• Bacteria Kick 2 ( Malstrom Patch )
  

.659 Malstrom Percussion: Bacteria Kick

Kong isn't the only option for generating new percussion patches. As much as I like using Kong and its built-in drum modules, I thought it might be fun to get back to using Reason's older synths for building percussion sounds. So today's patch, Bacteria Kick, uses Reason 2.0's Malstrom synth to make a nice, solid thump.

There's no RNS file today, as its pretty easy to imagine how you might use a kick patch in your own projects, but don't forget to use Malstrom's Mod Wheel to tune this one's sound to really fit your track.

• Bacteria Kick ( Malstrom Patch )
  

.658 Subtractor Synth: Music Box Ballerina

Continuing to add to the RNS file we've been using all week, today's patch is a soft, plucked metal sounding synth that I call Music Box Ballerina, which sounds suspiciously like those old, wind-up music or jewelry boxes my Grandma used to have.

Music Box Ballerina is a Subtractor synth, so like most Subtractors, seems to benefit from a little stereo width processing. On today's RNS, I used the Heft (Mono) Combinator, but there are plenty of others to choose from here on Reason Patch A Day.

• Music Box Ballerina ( Subtractor Patch | RNS File )
  

.657 Malstrom Pad: Unguarded

Continuing to build on the RNS file I started on Sunday, then expanded with yesterday's Sinistral bass, I present today's patch, a Malstrom pad called Unguarded.

Unguarded is a little ugly and rough around the edges, but at the same time, a little hopeful and almost naive sounding. That's probably a fairly strange way to explain the characteristics of a sound, but in my mind, somehow it fits.

Unguarded is presented in its last four bars with the Shimmering Combinator, an atmospheric Combinator that I shared over 18 months ago, but seldom use in my demonstration files. Despite its scarcity here, it does work very well with the Unguarded pad.

• Unguarded ( Malstrom Patch | RNS File )