A MIDI timing control device that raises the bar for realism in Reason and Reason Rack Plugin, available now in the Reason Studios Shop
It humanizes notes!
Each note which enters the device is selected for Humanizing via either Probability, Note Number or Velocity - or potentially any combination of the 3.
Once the 'decision' is made, either parametrically or by chance, the notes which are to be humanized are given a random length micro delay.
There is then a choice of three release types, which can either "Match" the original note release time, give it a new random value, or "Kill" it upon the point of release - each having different practical applications.
Humanize?
What this basically means is it adds errors in order to make often robotic MIDI parts sound more like a human player, who would always have slight imperfections in playing the part. Even the tightest machine-like thrash and jazz drummers make these mistakes, and it only becomes obvious to us when hearing a drum machine do the job, because everything is just too clean and precise.
Note Alter can do velocity variations and the occasional bum note if you desire, and Note Filter can drop notes/hits here and there, so the timing differences which are added by Note Humanizer are in essence the final piece of the puzzle.
The effect of using the three plugins in combination on a drum part, for example, is simply staggering. Assuming a good standard of drum sampler instrument such as the many NI Kontakt libraries or FXPansion's BFD, or perhaps even Reason Studios' own RDK, you can use these plugins to add a level of realism which is, in our (not entirely humble) opinion, unparalled anywhere else in software. Add to this that these plugins are operable in realtime and fully automatable, which is much rarer in the big name DAW's.
Don't take our word for it. Give the demos a spin in either Reason or RRP, and we're confident you'll be delighted with the results.
The obvious next step for Humanizer is to have a "look-ahead" capability which allows, via plugin delay compensation, the user to have the unit play slightly before the note hits. PDC needs to be used otherwise this would be impossible, and this requires a lot of deep thought about the design. We also wish to add some intuitive power features too, but we'll say no more on this for now.
Keep an eye out on our blog section The Journey for updated details, or alternatively sign up to ReasonTalk, the premier forum for all things Reason and get involved in the conversation. This is also the place to contact us regarding any feature requests and to sign up for beta testing. Just open an account on ReasonTalk and send a direct message to the username 'Enlightenspeed'.
