ill Factor on the MatisYahu "Youth" production (Reason 3.0 tips )

[ill Factor]

Sup peeps,

ill Factor Here giving everyone the heads up on the tracks done on the latest Matis Yahu album "Youth" which is out under Epic/Sony records, Was pretty much all done in Reason.

Used reason with rewiring it thru Pro-Tools to start the ruff sketch ideas... Then went ahead and ran each instrument through an outboard source (redrum,NN-19 etc.)
A cool little trick I like using in Reason which I used on "time of your song" was using Rex file grooves from one file, and simply scrolling through rex files on the Dr.Rex ex.

Select a rex file, then hit the add to track button then Browse through rex files in that same Dr rex player and check out the random rhythms that the first file made its a cool little trick to use.

Well i posted this here cuase i have seen people post up about production done on Reason and thought this could inspire and help out.
Peace
-ill Factor
www.illfactormusic.com

[Disco D]

jews unite!

[azwun25]

"time of your song" is probably the dopest track on the record..good work!

[ill Factor]

thanks glad you like it.. was kinda funny going into the project becuase i had never heard of him before... and thought he was a white rapper from what my sources told me so i was going to the studio with the "umm ok eminem kinda vibe" but work out for the best..

[Flymax]

Jerusalem is great...played it in a club a couple weeks ago and people danced ...
You run the reason tracks out of the computer and thru ouboard, then back in?

[azwun25]

most white rappers i know are nothing like eminem..especially with the trash-bag material he puts out nowadays!

[ill Factor]

Yea.. I mostly have the mixer bus output run through my Neve 1073 and outboard EQ/Comp (if needed...honestly I find most of the time. if it aint broke.dont fix it) and that does the job... worked real good on the Ginuwine project as well mostly ran reason through some 1176's Manleys and etc worked out just fine.
-ill Factor

[Paul David]

Thanks for the tips man. I love "Time of your song".


Did you come up with the beat first or did he approach you with the song?

[Imagearho]

Hey iLL...what did Jimmy D. do on those tracks. Did he just mix the records or did he have a lot to do with the production, cause it sounds a lot like the 2nd Bubba Sparks album. Also, how did you hook up with Jimmy D? Just curious. Anyway...the records are real dope. Congrats.

[ill Factor]

Thanks for the feedback on the tracks ... Jimmy Douglas kind of found me really, and took me under his wing Sort of speak and from then on just started working together on projects. We are currently working together now and All my stuff gets mixed by Jimmy D so its a blessing Time of your song was done before I even headed to work with Matis here in Miami and showed matis the track in New York and they loved it so, we started writing to it Jimmy I did all programming and writing on reason for all three songs Indestructible being my least favorite because it was never to be used as a track it was a weak jam session that I later found out they used for a song so I couldn’t really complain.

-ill Factor
www.illfactormusic.com

[rickrock305]

Jimmy D is mad cool like that. It really impressed me that he remembered my name even as an intern, this was a few years ago. Super cool guy, haven't got the chance to really work with him but I'm sure he's great in the studio as well.

[Renie]

Thanks for the posts illfactor, nice work! I am really enjoying the record. A lot of exceptional talent at play!

[T.RayBullard]

nd thought he was a white rapper from what my sources told me so i was going to the studio with the "umm ok eminem kinda vibe"

This is why racism still exists in America. This is also one of the many reasons I hate hip hop/rap. Labels and Generalizations.

[ill Factor]

Originally Posted by T.RayBullard

[/B]

This is why racism still exists in America. This is also one of the many reasons I hate hip hop/rap. Labels and Generalizations.

Well I didn’t mean it in a racist way at all. Basically saying before working with Matis I had no clue who he was and never heard of him before. So when I was told about the upcoming project my management said it was a "rapper with an emenim vibe" so that is what I had in mind but of course I was way off and happy with the end result anyway


Any ways another cool Reason trick I like doing is;
Reason 3.0 users try having the CV Gate output from your Kick in Redrum and have it go to an Amp envelope Gate input to a NN-19 sampler and messing with the release of the sampler real cool stuff to add to your rhythm track

[xqtion]

Hey ill Factor thanks for sharing this with us!

I use Reason almost exclusively now too (ex MPC user) and was wondering in your experience which following methods gives best sounds in the end.

1) 2 ch Reason rewired to PT or (bounced Reason trk imported to stereo PT track)

2) 2 ch out from Reason to a stereo pre or (comp, eq) then into stereo PT track.

3) Individual channels out from Reason to pres or (comps, eqs) to PT tracks.

At the moment I don't have any quality pre so my only choice is #1 but I was wondering if there is a big difference in sound quality by going out to a pre then into the DAW ?

Thanks once again!!

[ill Factor]

Originally Posted by xqtion

Hey ill Factor thanks for sharing this with us!

I use Reason almost exclusively now too (ex MPC user) and was wondering in your experience which following methods gives best sounds in the end.

1) 2 ch Reason rewired to PT or (bounced Reason trk imported to stereo PT track)

2) 2 ch out from Reason to a stereo pre or (comp, eq) then into stereo PT track.

3) Individual channels out from Reason to pres or (comps, eqs) to PT tracks.

At the moment I don't have any quality pre so my only choice is #1 but I was wondering if there is a big difference in sound quality by going out to a pre then into the DAW ?

Thanks once again!!

I have to say yes... there is a pretty big difference running your instruments out the hardware interface of Reason through outboard gear, and Back into your DAW.

Having Reason Pro tools rewired, personally to me sounds the same as having your parts exported and imported to Pro tools. so i dont even bother

Try even just running the reason through another output and have it run through anything outboard and back into DAw and you can even tell its different... Hope it helps

[xqtion]

Thanks that helps a lot!!

One more question though,

I know this is something that I can only decide for myself but in your experience do you hear a significant difference in sound quality between method #2 and #3.

That is 2) 2 ch Reason out to stereo outboard -> DAW verses

3) Individual Reason chs out to outboards -> DAW

I hope #2 is just as good or good enough, this will save me lots of money

[Polyphony]

Originally Posted by xqtion

Thanks that helps a lot!!

One more question though,

I know this is something that I can decide for myself but in your experience do you hear a significant difference in sound quality between method #2 and #3.

That is 2) 2 ch Reason out to stereo outboard -> DAW verses

3) Individual Reason chs out to outboards -> DAW

I hope #2 is just as good or good enough, this will save me lots of money

#2 is not as good....

theoretically #3 is the best way based on the fact that analog summing is way better than digital summing....


reason why? Digital is summing thru 1 processor!!!BOOOOOO(thumbs down)...lol

thats why going thru an analog board will sound better....

[xqtion]

Thanks but I think you misunderstood my question

Both #2 and 3 are gonna be mixed in the box in Pro Tools.

So my question is in regards to tracking Reason tracks into DAW.

I'm asking was there a significant difference in tracking Reason tracks individually thru different outboards vs. 2 ch. of Reason (all mixed in Reason) into stereo outboard.

Sorry about the confusion

[ill Factor]

Yea well check this out...

sometimes for real quick ruff ideas i will just do the whole 2ch bounce from outboard gear and back to Pro tools...

then later on i will run the actual instrument through the outboard gear itself onto its own track in pro tools.. (but dont stree it out to much honestly , you can deff rock a good sounding mix just with the 2ch overall run through of out board gear into Pro tools.. it is alot better than using the mastering suite thingy in my opinon..but in the long end and big picture of things if it aint broke dont fix it.. basically if you get it sounding good then it sounds good eh hope it helps
keep it rockin
-ill Factor

[xqtion]

Thanks bro you been very helpful

[rickrock305]

Originally Posted by adamatic

Well good work pulling your own generalization out of your ass buddy.

LOL, glad i wasn't the only one who caught that.

[Polyphony]

yea I guess I got confused by "outboard gear"
I figured channel strips which would lead to a console....either way if you are looking for a 'pro mix' than get yourself some studio time on the big board ....it really is worth the money....maybe try to get to know the big engineers in your city they usually get reduced rates at commercial studios