Cables do not re-route back to stereo after deleting Mono effects

[Propellerhands]

Sorry for rant in advance.

Reason is getting on my nerves these days. Spent an hour looking what's the deal, why I can't make my Bass back to stereo (for science) even though I deleted all insert effects that made Bass into mono (specifically FapFilter C2 (mono)). Checked Mixer setting, width and all that, then back to synthesizer (Monotone) looking maybe I reduced Spread to zero, nope.

Finally pressed TAB and looked at cables. Only one channel. Facepalm.jpg.

Why it did not re-route back? Was it always this way in Reason?

And here's the kicker, even if I bypass those effects (which are inside VST container with on/bypass/off switch) they still do produce Mono sound. I have to bypass entire Combinator and click that button "ByPass insert FX", otherwise it is not real bypass.

It is so confusing sometimes troubleshooting in Reason.

[deeplink]

I actually think troubleshooting in Reason is way simpler.

But I think that is because I always start with checking the routing. Then I look elsewhere if there's still an issue.

[selig]

FabFilter C2 is stereo - how or why did you want to make it mono?
There are no mono FX in Reason. I know this because I tried to release one (DeEsser) and was told it must be stereo even if the internal effect itself is stereo. Since there are no mono FX in Reason, there is no way I’m aware of (yet) that can cause the cabling to drop one channel.

As for bypassing FX inside a Combinator vs bypassing the Combinator - they are different things. For example, if you only (intentionally) connect one cable into the Combinator (on the inside) then it is the Combinator (and not the internal FX) that is making the signal “mono”. Thus, bypassing any of the internal devices will not ‘bypass’ this wiring, BUT bypassing the Combinator WILL - make sense?

Same for if you wired a Combinator in a mixer insert to ‘mono’ from the INSERT into a combinator - you have to bypass the insert itself in this case because that’s where the ‘change’ is coming from (not from the devices inside the insert). Bypassing the Combinator here doesn’t do anything to the wiring OUTSIDE of the Combinator!

I’m with deeplink - if I hear a problem the FIRST thing I do (basic troubleshooting) is start at the beginning of the signal path and work you way through it until you located the cause. And this is remarkably easy to do in Reason IMO!

[Propellerhands]

FabFilter C2 is stereo - how or why did you want to make it mono?

Buying FabFilter C2 gives you two plugins, one regular C2 and another C2 (mono). Same with Pro-R.

As for your other points, what I mean by mono is that Combinator drops one cable (right) and leaves only left cable as mono. Saw it with my own eyes when finally pressed TAB. And on top of that, if you delete that FX, the cables dropped still stay dropped and I had to manually connect them back to full stereo (or just remake combinator again, which is honestly in my case easier and fool proof lol).

Also I had no idea that: "As for bypassing FX inside a Combinator vs bypassing the Combinator - they are different things.". Good to know and will be more careful.


I think you answered all my questions and reasons why something was happening. Thanks.

[Propellerhands]

I actually think troubleshooting in Reason is way simpler.

But I think that is because I always start with checking the routing. Then I look elsewhere if there's still an issue.

I don't know, since after Reason updates some time or many years ago (I switched from version 4.0.1 straight to version 11), I noticed that finding the correct cable while TABed is way harder even if I press K. They overlap and I have to disconnect multiple cables to see their paths. But maybe that's just me. I rarely press TAB anyway, mostly when do signal splits.

Working with cables in version 4.0.1 was much easier to me than now, is all I'm saying.