Hello everyone. Sorry to keep the Reason users in suspense, but I've been busy lately and I wanted to run a few more tests before I posted my findings.
Note that I am currently using the Axon AX50 USB with my Mac Powerbook G4 running Reason 3.0 on Mac OS 10.3.9. The Axon firmware is 7.10 and the editor version is V3.0.16PPC. I'm also using a Godin LGX-SA guitar synth with built-in piezos, though I have also got the system to work fine with my Strat and Roland GK-3 PUP as well as my Carvin bass with Roland GK-3B PUP mounted.
I know that not everyone is using Axon with Reason under these conditions (i.e. PC or different OS systems, firmware, etc), but I assume the principles for setup are the same. Let's begin.
FIRST SET UP THE AXON:
1. First let's get the Axon set up. Make sure your guitar is correctly connected to the Axon via the 13 pin cable. Connect the Axon to your laptop via USB out (Axon AX50) or through eyour midi port (Note: I tested the Axon AX 50 with both it's own USB port and thru one of it's midi out ports into my Midiman USB Midisport 2x2, and in both instances it worked).
2. Open up your Axon editor. (I'm using V3.0.16PPC) and click on "Connect". Your Axon and editor should be communicating after connecting. Decide what you want to do with the Axon, either assigning 1 tone to all 6 strings or assigning multiple sounds to each string. For now let's take the easy route and work with 1 sound. Under "Global" tab, select the basic channel you will transmit midi on. I picked channel 2, since I already have other devices I use live for channel 1. Now set up your guitar according to what type of guitar/bass ,etc. you're using and select the appropriate kind under instrument type and pickup. (Note: You MUST do this right or it won't work. I made the mistake of selecting magnetic pickup for my Godin instead of piezo!) Also make sure "wheel controller" is checked off. Assign your figurations to guitar tab 1 (or whatever tabs available are closest to your configuration) and select "guitar 1" as the guitar number. Save your configuration as a sysex file by clicking the "save all settings" button so you have it for the future.
3. Now click on the "Presets" tab at top and select the same guitar no. you previously did on global page (guitar, piezo 1 in my case). Under "string mode", select "common" from pull down menu. This means all 6 strings sounds will transmit on the midi channel you selected. it also means you'll be able to play chords vs. single notes of the "separate" setting. (though there's a workaround for playing chords in separate mode as well). Likewise, selecting "separate" will transmit each string on it's own midi channel, and I'll explain how to set that up with Reason later). If there's anything else you need to set up prior to playing, i.e. fingerpicking, or what the wheel control pickup will control, go ahead and select what you need. Also for now for the saek of simplicity, leave "midi channel output setting on "basic." Now click on "save preset to disk" to save your preset for future reference.
SETTING UP REASON:
1. Now that the Axon should be configured, open up Reason. It will probably state that it can't find your midi device (unless you have other pre-configured devices attached already), so you'll need to create Axon as your midi input device in Reason. Open up reason preferences and select "Audio" from the pull down menu. For now, set audio for "built-in", in case there are further problems you'll be able to trace the problem internally and not the result of some outboard device patched incorrectly.
2. Again in Preferences scroll down to "Control Surfaces and Devices". Click "Add a device". Under manufacturer, go ahead and just select "other",and select either "midi keyboard" or "midi controller" as your model type. (Note: so far I've found the results to be no different when selecting either, so Reason doesn't seem to care). Go ahead and name the midi device, "Axon", "Guitar Synth", or whatever you choose. For "midi input", select "find" and either turn your volume knob or other synth switch on your guitar and Reason should automatically discover the port you're plugged into on your computer. If it doesn't, then just assign the port manually to correspond to what port you're in from your pull down menu choice.
3. Now back under Preferences, scroll down to "Advanced midi" and highlight the port(s) you're bussed into. (same as port selected previously).
4. Now with Preferences setup done, go ahead and open a new Reason project and create a device of your choice. For the sake of this test, select a Subtractor and assign a sound of your choice to it.
5. Up at the top of the Reason window where you see, "midi in device". (Note: if you don't see this, then it's collapsed. Click on the arrow to the left and open up midi in device). Click on button for corresponding midi channel you've previously assigned your guitar to in your Axon editor, and scroll down to select, "Subtractor". Go ahead and play your guitar. You should now here all 6 strings transmitting on this single midi channel. If you don't, check your computer's audio output level or toggle to the rear of the Reason rack and make sure that everything's patched in correctly. The Subtractor's main audio output should be patched into the mixer channel 1's input and the master out of the mixer should be patched into audio 1, so if you're missing visible patch chords for any of these connections you'll need to create them and drag them from the appropriate outputs to the proper channel inputs.
CREATING MULTIPLE VOICES IN REASON
1. In order to get your 6 strings to transmit multi-voices via Reason, you'll first need to go back to your Axon editor and select "Separate" instead of "Common" under string mode in presets tab. Working with the original midi channel 2 that I assigned to the Axon, the Axon will now transmit on channel's 2 thru 7 when in separate mode.
2. After you've done that, you need to create 6 different sound devices in Reason (or 6 of the same, but you must make 6 devices) to assign a sound to each string. Create 6 devices of your choice (Subtractors, Malstrom, NN-XT, whatever). For the sake of keeping things in order, rename each device to correspond to channel/string it's going to be assign to (i.e. "Subtractor high E string", "Malstrom A string", or even "Piano low E string", etc). Reason should be recognizing that midi input is coming in on channels' 2-7, and you should see each midi channel light up in midi in devices at top, but you won't hear them (yet). You'll need to assign the 6 devices to each of their corresponding midi in channels and strings, so as mentioned earlier, click on each midi in devices midi channel button and scroll down to the device name you want assigned to that channel. Do this for all 6 strings/channels.
You should now hear each of the 6 sounds you assigned when you play each string.
If you want the same sound assigned to all 6 strings (but sent to 6 different midi channels), then when you create your 6 devices in Reason simply make the same sound 6 times. or even easier, create 1 device and copy it 5 more times. I won't go into how to do that, but I'm attaching a very informative article I found on Reason's site about how to further set up Reason and it touches on this.
As for overall playability, I'll leave that up to you to decide what works for you, but go back into your editor and fine tune your sensitivity and other parameters. For now, this should at least get you hearing and controlling Reason sounds with your Axon. I'm also attaching a good article I found in Sound on Sound about how to properly set up Reason when playing live.
Six strings attached:
http://www.propellerheads.se/substance/discovering-reason/index.cfm?fuseaction=get_article&article=part8Using Reason Live:
Part 1:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov06/articles/reasontech_1106.htmPart 2:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec06/articles/reasontech_1206.htmPart 3:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb07/articles/reasontech_0207.htmGood luck!
