Edit: Important, as of VCV Rack v2, the method described in this post is no longer valid. It can still be done, but only for VCV Rack v1
I got some question over at youtube and via dm, about my integration of VCV Rack and Reason.
SInce the release of the Reason Rack plugin, it is possible to load Reason as a plugin inside VCV Rack. This might not always work as smoothly or serve the purpose.
There is also another way of using VCV and Reason together, by using VCV Bridge.
However keep in mind that VCV Bridge is not officially supported anymore and might be dropped once VCV 2.0 is released.
For now here is a small clip showing how i use it in combination with sending a sync pulse through bridge to VCV Rack, with the help of the super solid Expert Sleepers - SW Sync plugin (not free).
You can setup a sync pulse in many ways, simply also just using a pulse wave loaded in a NN19 sampler, or an LFO tool that reacts to Reason start/stop.
This is by no means a finished track or song, it is just something i was noodling with in VCV and added a breakbeat that i programmed in Reason ReDrum.
Reason is receiving the group channels from Mind Meld Mixmaster and the AUX channels.
And a kick track.
Eventually this could be recorded to audio tracks in Reason, for further mixdown and processing etc.
I jusrt installed VCV 2.0 Free, installed Bridge 0.6.2c, linked
VCV Bridge in Reason VST folder links.
Opened Reason, error message in some VST.
Close and Reopen, no error messages.
Open VCV Bridge 64, and VCV 2.0.
VCV is generating some random sounds.
Output is same soundcard of Reason.
No Output within Reason.
So I am using VCV as a VST or not is not clear what bridge is doing.
Has VCV dropped Free Bridge support, so
one should upgrade to paid VCV version in order for
bridge to work, and if so, Bridge 0.6.2c is still the preferred method,
or there is something else one should know?
VCV bridge was deprecated a long time ago, because it didn’t always work as planned. From the old FAQ:
VCV Bridge was deprecated in July 2018 and is now unsupported. The Bridge VST2/AU plugin was removed in Rack 1.0 (although it can be found in earlier Rack packages), and the Bridge audio/MIDI driver will be removed in Rack 2.0.
So how does it works now for the Reason users??
How do we sync, and manage CV’s conversion-transmissions??
Has VCV 2.0 a alternative (new) bridge or it just loads up as a VST, and what does that
means for the same CV- interoperabilty???
Are we still tight to Expert sleepers modules and external HW audio-cv rerouting tricks??
What does interests me the most would be the possibilty to choose a
particular module in VCV - MIDI-CV input module from Reason, like
the Reason Midi-out, and Expert Sleeper Rack Extension Silent Way,
which at the time I purchased exclusively for use with VCV rack.
As VSt shell I suppose I could use only one Midi-cv per VCV rack
iteration, but to actually have the possibility to link different CV sources
in the same VST shell would be really something light years more useful
for the Reason community.
I’d get the paid version 100% if there would be the Rack extension Silent way support and option to choose from within VCV. Even if I’m only 0.1% in Reason community to have that module, all others rely on Midi out module.
I also made a combinator that outputs Analog clock with Reason stock devices, that could be sent to Midi module in Reason that has 8 cv inputs, and would be a lot interesting to know if VCV could receive an analog clock for syncing or the VST does auto-sync, etc.
The Analog clock combinator is free download in Reasontalk. All stock devices.
The VST has audio input, so any clock pulse sent as audio to the VST input, can be used within VCV to clock Impromptu clocked for example.
You can also use midi sync, but i do also prefer analog clock pulse instead.
Be aware though that currently Reason does not support midi out for VST, so any midi generated in VCV that you wish to use inside Reason, needs to be converted in Reason as CV from VCV through audio, with for example the Robotic Bean converters.
I haven’t tried this yet, with VCV 2 vst, but i also remember from before with v1 that there is a caveat with the Robotic Bean RE in the voltage range.
The Expert Sleeper RE is just a Rack extension of the VSt suite, slimmed down.
infact the VSt’s works much better, but has not the drag and drop that the Re does have.
I just realised that a workaround for this is a virtual midi connection from within the VST instance routed back in to reason.
Haven’t tried this yet though.
