Mo is going to 'doctor-up' your tracks with the ability to slice and dice 8 (count ‘em) REX files at the same time to create the coolest rhythmic mashup ever! Mo Volans (our very own in-house Dr. Of Reasonology) takes us to the operating room and amazes us with his virtuosic knowledge of how the extraordinary Dr. Apple Loops:. 2.81 GB Total Content. 677 Apple Loop Files Acidized WAV:. 2.85 GB Total Content. 677 Acidized WAV Files REX/RMX:. 1.08 GB Total Content. 765 REX Files KLI 3.0 SERIES VERSION. Octo Rex Loop Player is the successor to the trusty Dr. Rex Loop Player, introduced in Reason Version 1. Octo Rex can hold up to eight different REX loops at once, in eight pattern memories, and allows you to switch between loops and slices in very flexible ways.The Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player is fully backwards compatible with the discontinued Dr.
Dr OctoRex in Reason is a new device which found its introduction in Propellerhead Reason 5. The Dr OctoRex works similar as the Dr Rex, with a few differences.
- 8 different Rex files can be loaded up in Reason, providing an ideal method for backing tracks
- Slide edit mode is introduced
- Reverse Slices
- Enable playback
The dr octorex in reason 5. The dr rex loop player gets an updated version since Reason 5
While we could write down every bits and bobs about the Rex player as we did with our other article about the Dr Rex, we will mainly focus on the differences and how we could approach the different work flow. Most of the stuff is self explaining however.
In a nutshell we have the following options:
- Load up loops
- 8 different banks to load loops into
- A pattern Edit lane (which works similar as the pattern lane from the Redrum of Matrix Pattern Step sequencer)
- Trig modes
- Pitch change
- Mod wheel controls
- Velocity settings
- a Low Frequency Oscillator for modulation
- Filter envelope
- Amplitude Envelope
- A slice editor
One minor note which might be added, to create (own made) Dr OctoRex loops one would need Re-Cycle to slice up a loop and convert it to Rex format. The slice editor only allows you to modify existing rex loops (and is not there to create new ones).
With all this written down, you may see some of the similarities that came with the Dr Rex. Most of the settings, such as pitch, mod-wheel, filter envelope, amplitude envelope etc are settings we won't cover in this article.
Enable Loop Playback and the DrOctoRex
A setting which is different (and also a bit tricky) is the Enable playback mode. By default this setting is turned on. The reason why I am saying that this is a tricky knob is because most people will most likely start to ask themselves 'how do I stop the Dr OctoRex from playing'. The answer is simple:
By turning off the Enable Loop Playback we are stopping the Dr OctoRex from auto playing. In this case we can either choose to trigger the Dr OctoRex by using either the Sequencer (copy loop to track), or trigger the device by using a midi keyboard.
This is usually the prefered method to work with the dr OctoRex since it allows more control (by using for instance the Velocity settings). However, when you want to use patterns, you will need to have 'Enable Loop playback' to be turned on.
Patterns using the dr OctoRex
The use of patterns is another method to create an unique loop using up to 8 different loops for the same Dr OctoRex. However, the difference here is that you are limiting yourself with those 8 different sequences. Which in some cases it is enough for a backing track. While using it as a full on drum-track source one could use (or should eventually) use the sequencer instead since the sequencer allows way more control. And once it comes to creativity and such, one should not really limit themselves with 8 patterns only.
To enable the patterns, there are multiple ways to get there:
- select the sequence track of the dr octro rex, right click there and click on 'create pattern lane'.
- select the sequence track of the dr octro rex, click on the edit menu and select 'Create pattern lane'.
- right click on any knob for the different patterns (1 till 8) and click on edit automation.
Creating a pattern lane using the sequence window.
Create the pattern lane using edit automation using the Dr OctoRex.
With both methods you will receive a new note lane called 'the pattern lane'. In here you can draw in the 8 different patterns and throw them in a new sequence. You can use the pencil tool (press W in the sequencer to select the pencil tool) and draw in segments where pattern 1 plays, where pattern 2 plays and so on. In most cases, patterns is a quick and easy way to setup a backing track for your songs (this can be a repeating guitar loop with different intervals, thus different patterns are used, or this can be drum loops with different type of riffs and percussion sets etc).
However, as I have mentioned before, patterns is a quick method to drop in sequences, yet they often could be marked as stiff and repeating tracks. If you really want to do some Dr OctoRex tracking you might want to start using a full scale sequencer to get the job done.
Download Reason 5 RNS example file: Dr OctoRex Patterns
Pattern to Track
While using the option of Copy Pattern to Track, you could get a similar track done. The Main difference here lies that you don't have the option to select a pattern (1 till 8) but in this case you are using the edit automation lane on an option called 'Notes to Slot'. To get a similar thing as patterns, one thing you could do is copy each different track to the sequencer lane. The steps to do this will be as followed:
- Click on show Programmer (this is a little arrow located at the left bottom corner of the Dr OctoRex)
- Select track one from the loop slot section
- Select on the sequencer a loop section like bar 1 till bar 5 (this depends on how much bars your loop contains)
- Click on Copy Pattern To Track
- Select track two on the loop slot section
- Select a different loop section (for instance bar 5 till bar 9)
- Click on Copy Pattern to Track
Repeat this cycle until all 8 tracks are posted on the sequencer lane.
Turn off the 'Enable Loop playback'.
In the end you will get something similar as the following:
Each block contains a similar thing as a single pattern. Which would be exactly the same thing as drawing in pattern 1 till pattern 8. So... at this point it is fair to ask the question:
- Isn't drawing in patterns faster?
- What is the point in doing this at all?
To answer the very first question, the answer would be: Yes... drawing in patterns works faster then the above mentioned method. This leads us with question B... The point would be that we can alternate the individual patterns by changing the notes in a different sequence. That is one. As you might know (or maybe not know) is that a Rex file is a slices loop file. Each slice contains a part of that specific loop you are triggering in a sequence. By altering the sequence, you get a different loop. Thus we can do this using the sequencer. We just alter the sequence from slice 1,2,3,4,5,6 to something like slice 1,2,1,4,3,6 (as an example) and we would get a new loop in return. In this case we can create alternate loops from the same single pattern without having to re-slice everything again using Recycle.
Slicing the Rex file manually using the sequencer window
in this picture you can see that slice 1 till 8 are playing in their original order in the first part, yet play a different sequence in the second part. This results into a different drum pattern in this case.
Download Reason 5 RNS example file: Dr OctoRex Patterns
Slice Edit mode in the Dr OctoRex
Moving on ahead with one of the primary unique features in the dr octorex is the slice edit mode. Or let me start of with the non slice edit mode. With in the programmer of the Dr OctoRex you will notice a few things in there. On the left side you have a segment which shows a wave form and it shows the different slices.
Underneath the waveform you will notice a few knobs such as: Slice, Pitch, Pan, Level,Decay, Rev, F.Freq, Alt and Output.
In the original Dr Rex you would normally use the slice knob to select a slice from the Dr Rex. And then start making adjustments in the Pan, Level, Filter Frequency and so on. The slice knob in its current state still does a similar thing, but you may already know at this point that Rev (reverse), Alt and Output are new in this case.
Using the Slice knob in combination with other settings (as mentioned) would be one method to edit the settings. The slice edit mode would normally do a similar thing, difference is you can edit one setting over all the different slices in one go.
It is vital to understand that each slice has a setting for Pitch, Pan, Level, Decay and so on.
Default slice edit setup in the Dr OctoRex
Activating the Slice Edit mode
When you activate the slice edit mode, you will see a 'bar' like graph which represent the value of the setting that you are changing. By default this setting would be the 'pitch'.
Dr Octo Rex Loop Player Download Windows 10
Below the bar like graph you will see the same settings you have in the rotaries, but in this case without the slice knob. Since we are editing all the slices in one go, it makes sense that there is no slice setting there. Now we have the ability to edit the settings Pitch, Pan, Level,Decay, Rev, F.Freq, Alt and Output.
By selecting for instance the f.Freq. We can edit how the filter frequency would go on every single slice. By adjusting this, we won't be needing any additional automation to change the filter frequency. These settings are triggered on the slice (thus not on the device filter frequency which would alter all slices at the same time).
Download Reason 5 Rns file: Slice Edit mode on Filter frequency
Download Reason 5 Rns file: Slice Edit mode on Filter Glitch setup
Reverse Slides
You might ask yourself why is Reverse such a hot item. To be honest, I don't know... since it has been there in the NN-XT for quite some time (since Reason 2.5). However with Reason 5 Rex slices got their own Reverse mode inside the Rex files (even while it was already there...). But anyways, I am about to write a paragraph about setting up Reverse Slides.
You select a slice, turn Rev on on those specific slices you want to reverse. Another method would be using the Slice edit mode and select Rev there. Reverse comes in 2 flavors: On or Off. Meaning... Off is normal playback while On is reversed play back of that slice.
There isn't much more to say about it
Dr Octo Rex Loop Player Downloads
Download Reason 5 Rns file: Slice Edit mode on Filter frequency
If you are experienced enough and got bored of all the default patterns and loops... you might eventually try to setup a drum loop mesh up as followed:
Download Reason 5 Rns file: Drum loop mesh up
Written by hydlide
Published: 2016-10-12