Reason 13.1 Operation Manual
DAW | Rack Plugin
The Echo
The Echo is an advanced stereo in/out echo and delay device with a multitude of parameters for tweaking the color and shape of the echo effect - diffusion, filtering, distortion and more. In addition to the normal mode where The Echo behaves like a regular send or insert effect, there are two additional modes called Triggered and Roll which let you automate momentary echo effects as well as create interesting stutter and repeat effects on the fly. The Echo also features breakout jacks which allow you to insert any number of other effect units into the feedback loop - this opens up endless possibilities for creative sculpting of the echo repeats.
#About the Patch format
The Echo features programmable effect presets. Included are a number of Factory Patches which can be used as-is or provide you with a good starting point for further tweaking. The Patches use the file extension "*.echo". Loading and saving Patches is done in the same way as for instrument devices.
The Echo is comprised of six main sections; Mode (Normal, Triggered and Roll), Delay (time, tempo sync and stereo behavior parameters), Feedback (including a Diffusion subsection), Color (Drive and resonant Filter), Modulation (Envelope, Wobble and LFO) and Output (Dry/Wet control and Ducking).
#Common effect device parameters
While the parameters specific to The Echo are described in detail below, some features and procedures are common to all effect devices. Please refer to “Common effect device features” for further info about the Bypass On/Off switch. It should however be noted that the Input Meter on The Echo differs from the standard 7-segment LED meter found on other effect devices in Reason; The Echo features a 3-segment meter with the usual green, yellow and red LED (the latter indicates clipping).
#The Mode section
The Mode section acts as a signal gate with three different ways of passing the input signal on to the subsequent main sections.
#Mode
This switch has three positions:
•
Normal
The standard send/insert effect behavior where the input signal is fed continuously into the device.
•
Triggered
This mode keeps the signal unprocessed until you hit the Trig button. This mode is for situations where you only want the echo effect momentarily, e.g. on every 4th snare hit, or individual words on a vocal track.
•
Roll
In Roll mode, the unprocessed signal passes through unaffected until you turn up the Roll slider, see “Roll slider”. This gradually suppresses the Dry signal while simultaneously raising the Feedback and mixing the delay/echo output into the Wet signal. The Roll mode is useful for repeat, stutter and glitch effects. For Roll mode, we recommend that the Dry/Wet parameter in the Output section (see below) is set to (or close to) Wet.
*
See “Using the Roll function” for an example of how to use the Roll function.
#Trig
This button is only functional when the Mode switch is set to the Triggered position. When you press the Trig button it opens the Input signal gate, which stays open until you release the button again. Think of it as momentarily enabling an effect send.
#Roll slider
This slider is only functional when the Mode switch is set to the Roll position. The Roll slider does three things:
•
Turns up the feedback (internally) to unity (100%) or to the Feedback setting on the front panel, whichever is higher.
This starts happening during the slider throw, to catch a good amount of input signal.
•
Closes the input to the delay (you don't want the delay to continue catching the input sound during the roll).
This happens late, with a slight delay - meaning it catches a little bit of sound after you've hit the Roll position.
•
Changes the internal mix from dry to wet.
This also happens a bit late, so that if you hit a drum beat perfectly with the roll, you will hear that beat (dry) before the delay repeats (roll).
*
Note that the "internal mix" mentioned above is the signal sent to the "Wet" channel in Roll mode. The "Dry" channel still carries the dry signal at all times.
The key thing here is that you shouldn't set the slider to a value in between - it should go from 0 to full Roll and back. So why do we use a slider and not a switch? Well, things start happening during the slider throw (and actually a bit after you've moved the slider fully to the right).
The slider allows for some sloppiness, making it easier to catch a beat and roll it fully. The result is slightly different depending on how fast you move the Roll slider - in most situations it works best to move it pretty fast and hit Roll exactly on the beat.
*
Although you will probably most often set The Echo to full Wet when Rolling, it might make sense to have a little bit of dry signal leaking through during the roll (making it easier to keep time and return from the roll exactly on the beat). Then you just set Dry/Wet balance to something like 85% Wet, see “Dry/Wet”.
*
See “Using the Roll function” for an example of how to use the Roll function.
#The Delay section
The Delay section features parameters relating to delay time, tempo sync and stereo behavior.
#Time
This knob controls the delay time. The delay time range is 1 to 1000 milliseconds. When Sync is enabled, the range is 1/128 notes up to ½ note.
#Offset R
This unipolar knob controls the Right channel delay time offset. The higher the Offset R value, the more the Right channel will be delayed in relation to the Left channel - perfect for creating stereo delay effects!
The Offset range is 1 to 1000 milliseconds. When Sync is enabled, the Offset range is “no offset” up to ½ note (according to the same resolution table as for the Time parameter). However, the 1/128 notes offset value is replaced by “no offset”.
#Keep Pitch
When you manually change the Delay time during recording or playback, you will notice that the pitch of the delay signal also changes. If this effect is undesirable, you can enable Keep Pitch, which will ensure that the pitch remains fixed regardless of changes in Delay time.
#Sync
This button enables Tempo Sync, which affects the Time and Offset R parameter.
#Ping-Pong
With Ping-Pong enabled, the stereo position of each delay repeat will alternate between left and right. The Pan knob determines the stereo width as well as the position of the initial repeat. When the Pan knob is set to full Left, the first delay bounce will be panned hard Left, the second will be panned hard Right, and so on. When the knob is set to full Right, the order is reversed (R > L > R etc).
#The Feedback section
The Feedback section consists of a main section with Feedback and Offset R controls, as well as a Diffusion subsection which allows you to add a kind of ‘smearing’ effect to the echo.
#Feedback
The Feedback knob sets the amount of feedback, i.e. the amount of wet signal fed back into the delay. This determines the number of repeats. At zero feedback there will only be a single repeat. Unity gain is achieved at 100%. If you increase the feedback beyond this it will increase the gain so a distorted signal is produced.
#Offset R
This bipolar knob controls the offset in delay Feedback on the right channel. By default, both channels have the same amount of feedback (as determined by the Feedback parameter), but the Offset R knob allows you to add or subtract feedback separately for the Right channel only. The practical result is that you will hear the echo gradually wander from the center to the left or right side.
This control combined with the Offset R in the Delay section can be useful for controlling the length of the effect for the right channel.
#Diffusion
Diffusion introduces kind of a “smearing” effect, somewhat reminiscent of diffusion on a reverb. Raising the Amount will introduce additional delay repeats very near the ‘original’ repeats, and raising the Spread value will spread these repeats out wider.
#The Color section
This section features a distortion/limiter and a resonant filter. Each echo repeat is colored before being fed back into the loop, meaning that the distortion and filter effects will be more pronounced with each repeat.
#Drive
This knob sets the amount of the selected distortion/limiter effect.
#Type
The Type Switch lets you select between 4 different effect algorithms:
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LIM (Limiter)
This produces that typical “compression” effect which you would get from analog limiters.
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OVDR (Overdrive)
This produces an analog-type overdrive distortion effect.
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DIST (Distortion)
Similar to overdrive, but denser.
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TUBE
This emulates tube distortion.
#Filter
This is a resonant bandpass filter, hence it lets you create filter effects where either the lower or the higher frequency range is cut (or boosted, in case the Reso control has been turned up).
#Freq
This control sets the change in frequency. For each delay repetition, the frequency content will shift in accordance with the frequency setting.
#Reso
This knob determines the amount of resonance on the delay repetitions. A different frequency range will be amplified depending on the setting of the Freq parameter.
#The Modulation section
This section features parameters for modulating the pitch and stereo image of the echo effect.
#Env
The envelope parameter lets you create a kind of bend effect where the pitch of the echo repeats wanders down or up, depending on whether you turn the knob left or right. The knob is bipolar, meaning that there is no Env effect in the default middle (zero) position.
#Wobble
This emulates a tape speed wobbling effect where the speed of the “tape” (and consequently, the pitch of the signal) wobbles randomly.
#LFO
The LFO subsection modulates the pitch of the left and right channels independently, meaning that it functions as a kind of stereo spread at modest settings and warps the echo completely at heavier settings.
#Rate
This knob sets the speed of the LFO.
#Amount
This knob sets the amount of LFO.
#The Output section
This section is the final output stage where the processed effect signal goes through the standard Dry/Wet control, as well as the optional Ducking control.
#Dry/Wet
This is a traditional dry/wet parameter for controlling the relation between the unprocessed and the processed signal. When Roll mode is enabled (see the Mode section for more info), we recommend that the Dry/Wet control is set to Wet only even when The Echo is used as an insert effect.
#Ducking
Ducking attenuates the level of the Wet (processed) signal until the amplitude of the Dry signal drops, at which time the Wet signal is faded back in. This is useful for adding a delay effect to the silence that comes after you have played your lovely lead line. The delay will not be heard while you are still playing so you will avoid muddling up the solo.
#Using the Roll function
Here's a quick example of how you can typically use the Roll function in The Echo:
1.
Have some signal running through The Echo, e.g. a drum loop.
2.
Set The Echo to Roll mode and full Wet output (see “Dry/Wet”).
The Roll slider is at 0. You will hear the drum loop unprocessed, since Roll isn't engaged yet.
3.
On the beat you want to roll (or freeze, to use another term), move the Roll slider quickly all the way to the right.
This replaces the dry signal with that beat, being rolled at whatever delay time you set.
*
A nice thing is to set the Delay to Sync mode (see “Sync”) so the repeats will be in sync with the loop, e.g. to
1/16th notes or other desired resolution.
4.
To go back to the (dry) loop, move the Roll slider quickly back to 0.
#Creating “pitched” delay
1.
Set the delay time to minimum (1ms).
2.
Increase feedback to 100%.
3.
Enable Diffusion and increase the Amount to maximum.
4.
Play a drum loop or similar though The Echo.
Now you have set up a sonic playground that equals no other delay! Experiment with Diffusion Spread, Modulation Env and Delay Time to achieve various interesting sonic results.
#Distorted external feedback
1.
Connect an instrument device to the input(s) of The Echo.
2.
Connect a Scream 4 device in the feedback loop.
Connect the Scream 4 inputs and outputs to the Breakout jacks of The Echo, see “The Breakout Jacks”.
3.
Play the instrument device and try different distortion algorithms on the Scream 4.
Be careful with the master volume in Scream 4 as this is very sensitive to the feedback level in The Echo.