Reason MaschineRMikroMK3 User manual

MaschineRMikroMK3
control solution for Reason
Getting Started Guide
version 1.0.0
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Table of Contents
1. Installation step by step!5
Step 1: creating the virtual midi ports!5
Step 2: Installing the Remote files!8
Step 3: Loading the “MaschineRMikroMK3” template to your device!9
Step 4: Launching the “MaschineRMikroMK3” application!10
Step 5: Creating Control Surfaces in Reason’s Preferences!11
Step 6: Locking MikroMK3Mixer control surface to the Master Section!12
2. Overview!13
3. Using the data wheel with the virtual display!16
4. Controlling the Sequencer!18
A. Selecting a device and changing patches!18
B. Changing Playhead, Loop Points and Tempo!19
C. Transport Controls!20
D. Sequencer key commands!22
E. Events editing!24
5. Controlling Devices!25
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A. Controlling the parameters for the selected device!25
C. Playing and controlling the Kong Drum Designer!28
D. Playing and controlling the Redrum Drum Computer!30
E. Playing and controlling the Dr.Octorex Loop Player!32
F. Playing and controlling other devices (Synths, Samplers, FXs, REs and VSTs)!34
6. Controlling the Mixer!37
A. Controlling Mixer Volumes and Pans !37
B. Controlling the Channel Strip !39
C. Controlling the Master Section!40
8. Other Controls!41
A. Chords!41
B. Note Repeat & Fixed Velocity!43
C: Using the TouchStrip !44
D. Browser!45
E. Sampling!46
F. Other Keycommands!46
9. Song navigation via Session Mode!47
Appendix A!49
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Appendix B!50
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1. Installation step by step
Step 1: creating the virtual midi ports
Windows:
Windows users will have to install a third party software to create Virtual MIDI Ports. We recommend using LoopMIDI (http://
www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html). For video instructions, please refer to this video HERE.
1. Go to the LoopMIDI website, download and install it.
2. Launch the LoopMIDI application. Follow the example below to create the MIDI ports
3. Create 2 MIDI ports: "from MaschineRMikroMK3 1”, and “to MaschineRMikroMK3 1”!
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1. Enter port name here
2. Click o the + to create
the port

Mac:
Mac users can use the native IAC bus to create the necessary ports. Please follow these steps. For video instructions, please refer to
this video HERE.
!
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Step 1: On your Mac, go to the Applications folders, then open
the “Utilities” folder and launch the “Audio MIDI Setup”
application. Then from the Window menu, choose “Show MIDI
Studio”
Step 2: Double click on the IAC icon to open the set up screen.

!
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Step 3:
a. keep the device name empty
b. click on the + sign to create 2 ports and and give them the
following names "MikroMK3_IN", "MikroMK3_OUT"
c. click on "Apply"
a.
b.

Step 2: Installing the Remote files
Navigate to the “Remote” folder contained in the “MaschineRMikroMK3” download. Double click on the installer files for your
operating system. The installer will create “MaschineRMikroMK3” folders and copy the Remote files to the following directories on
your HD:
macOS:
Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Codecs/Lua Codecs
!Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Maps
Windows (choose to “create directory” when the installer prompts you):
C:/ProgramData/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Codecs/Lua Codecs
!C:/ProgramData/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Maps
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Installer Mac
Installer Windows

Step 3: Loading the “MaschineRMikroMK3” template to your device
Connect Maschine to the computer. Launch the NI Controller Editor. Go to “File” and select “Open Template”. Now navigate to the
download and go to the “Template” folder. In there you will find “MaschineRMikroMK3.ncmm3”. Open it and it will load on your
device. This is the template you will be using with MaschineR.
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“Open Template” in Controller Editor

Step 4: Launching the “MaschineRMikroMK3” application
Navigate to the “App” folder in the download. Select the folder for your operating system and open it. If you are on a Mac, double
click on the file called “MaschineRMikroMK3” (drag this file on the dock for easier launching). If you are on Windows, double click
on the file named “MaschineRMikroMK3.exe” (pin it to the desktop for easier launching). After launching the application, it will
look like the images below. !
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MaschineR app on Mac
MaschineR app on Win with LoopMIDI

Step 5: Creating Control Surfaces in Reason’s Preferences
It’s time to launch Reason. Go to “Preferences” and select “Control Surfaces”. Then click on “Add”. In the window that pops up,
select “RetouchControl” from the Manufacturer’s drop down menu. Then select one of the available control surfaces from the Model
menu. There are a total 3 control surfaces that you need to create. These are “MikroMK3Devices”, “MikroMK3Transport”, and
“MikroMK3Mixer”. Add “MikroMK3Transport” first and make it the master keyboard. When you add the second control surface,
Reason will issue a warning in the form of a yellow triangle. Simply ignore it as it won’t affect anything. This is Reason telling you
that more than one control surface are using the same MIDI ports.!
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Adding control surfaces on Mac
IN port: “MikroMK3_IN”
OUT port: “MikroMK3_OUT”
All 3 control surfaces enabled

Step 6: Locking MikroMK3Mixer control surface to the Master Section
The last step in the set up is a simple one. We need to lock the MikroMK3Mixer control surface to the Master Section in order to
control the mixer board. To do this, go to the Reason rack, scroll all the way to the top, select the Master Section device and right
click on it. From the context menu, choose “Lock this device to Retouch Control MikroMK3Mixer”.
If you now save your song as a template, the locking will be remembered by Reason every time you create a new song, so you
won’t have to repeat the last step every time you open a document! That’s it, you are done and ready to use MaschineRMikroMK3.
Read on to find out all the neat things that you can do with it!!
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Lock MikroMK3Mixer to the Master Section
Attention! please disable all Maschine and MaschineR ports in the Easy MIDI Input field under Control Surfaces in order to
avoid getting unwanted note triggers when pressing pads and touching the encoders.

2. Overview
The MaschineR application was designed to adapt the hardware controls to the selected device in the Reason sequencer. In
particular, the 16 pads will change layout based on whether you are controlling Kong, Redrum, Dr.Octorex or a synth. Here is a
general overview of the controls which will be described in more details in the following chapters. !
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1. Pad Modes: the layout of the 16 pads will change based on
the device controlled. The various layouts are describe in the
“Controlling Devices” chapter.
2. Virtual Display Modes: there are 5 modes to control
device parameters, the mixer, the transport, keyboard
settings, and song navigation. These are described in the
“Controlling the Sequencer”, “Controlling Devices”,
“Controlling the Mixer” and “Song Navigation” chapters.
3. Transport Controls: general transport controls for the
Reason sequencer. Additional functions can be accessed with
the “Native” button. These are described in the “Controlling
the Sequencer” chapter.
4. Data Wheel Modes: the data wheel has several functions,
from adjusting device parameters, to moving the playhead,
selecting tracks, etc. These are described in the “Using the
Data Wheel with the virtual LCD”, “Controlling the Sequencer”,
“Controlling Devices”, and “Controlling the Mixer”.
5. TouchStrip Modes: the touch strip can be used as a Pitch
or Mod wheel, to adjust device and mixer parameters, and to
see note repeat rates. See the “Using the Touchstrip” chapter
for the details.
6. Navigation Controls: the 3 buttons are used to switch
screen views in Reason (see next page).
Other Controls: there are several other controls for Note
Repeat, Chords, Fixed Velocity, and several others. These are
described in the “Other Controls” chapter.
1
3
4
5
6
2
Native button used as “shift”
Open/close the virtual display
Open/close the Reason browser

Overview of Navigation Controls !
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+

Overview of the Note and CC mappings !
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3. Using the data wheel with the virtual display
Since the Mikro does not have a programmable LCD screen, as a substitution MaschineR offers a virtual display for the computer
monitor that can be opened directly from the controller. You can use the data wheel to control the parameters shown on the display.
Here are the basics for how to use it: !
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Press the “Star” button to open/
close the virtual display. The display
will stay on top of Reason so you
can keep working in the program
and still be able to see it
+
Press the “Native” button and touch the
data wheel to enable control. A green
highlight rectangle will appear around
the parameter selected for control.
Now if you turn the data wheel, the
selected parameter will be affected (in
this example the track selection)
To disable control, press the "Native"
button and touch the data wheel again.

The virtual display offers multiple pages for controlling various parameters. There is “Track Mode” to select devices and patches,
move the playhead, set loop points and change the song tempo. There is “Mixer Mode” to control of volumes, pans, the channel
strip and the master section. There is “Device Mode” to control device parameters. There is “Keyboard Mode” to set the scale and
root, the playing octave range, the fixed velocity and note repeat values, and to program chords using the chord tool. And finally
there is Session Mode to move to different song sections in the sequencer. !
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+
To select another parameter for
control, press the “Select” button
and move the data wheel.
The green highlight rectangle will
move to the left or to the right to
select another parameter

4. Controlling the Sequencer
MaschineR allows control of the Reason sequencer and transport. Some additional sequencer functions are accessed via key
commands and are described below.
A. Selecting a device and changing patches
Another way to select a device or change patches is to use the following shortcut:
!
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Prev
Track
Open the virtual display, then press the “Swing”
button to open “Track Mode”. Make sure the “Track”
field is selected and active with the green highlight
rectangle around it.
Now you can turn the data wheel to move to the
desired device in the sequencer.
Similarly for the patch of the selected device
Next
Track
Prev
Patch
Next
Patch
Press the “Variation” button. The pads will change
color as shown on the side. Use pads 3and 13 to
change track. By pressing pads 6and 8it is also
possible to change the patch for the selected track as
well.

B. Changing Playhead, Loop Points and Tempo
Another way to change the song tempo is to use the following shortcut, keep the “Tempo” button pressed and turn the data wheel!
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Press the “Select” button and turn the data wheel to move the
green highlight rectangle to the desired parameter. Then
release the “Select” button and turn the data wheel to adjust
the parameter.
You can scroll the playhead position, change the Left and
Right loop locators and the song Tempo in bpm
+

C. Transport Controls
Transport functions are provided via the transport buttons on the Maschine hardware. Whenever possible, the controls have been
assigned to mirror the same ones in Maschine. Also, it is important to point out that the MaschineR template is configured to allow
“Host Transport Control”. So if you are controlling the Maschine software in Reason, you can control the Reason transport even
when the device is not in MIDI mode. There is a caveat: “Host Transport Control” takes over the “Erase” and “Tap” buttons which
no longer function in the Maschine software. If you’d rather have that not to happen, you need to disable “Host Transport Control”
in the MaschineR template by editing it in the Controller Editor software from NI. !
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Host Transport Control Enabled