# 1. Reason Control Surface Installation - Mac OS

We have created a control surface to control Reason's native devices, extension devices and plugins.

[![IMG_20251029_191505.jpg](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/r0F8SHeW25qljneM-img-20251029-191505.jpg)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/r0F8SHeW25qljneM-img-20251029-191505.jpg)

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Download the installer from the user portal and run the installer on MacOS. It will install the following:</span>

1. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Reason Control Surface app. in the Applications folder </span>
2. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Reason Control Surface launcher on your Desktop</span>
3. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The presets for Reason native devices in the [/MP/Host/](https://kb.mpmidi.com/books/mp-controller-documentation/page/3-mp-host-properties-and-config-files)MP Reason CS Presets</span>
4. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Reason Control Surface scripts and remotemap file in</span>  
    <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">~/Library/Application Support/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Codecs/Lua Codecs</span>  
    <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">~/Library/Application Support/Propellerhead Software/Remote/Maps</span>

<p class="callout warning"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Note that the MP Controller must be connected to the computer for the Control Surface app to work</span></p>

---


##### Installation and Control Surface configuration:

<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first time, run the Reason Control Surface app from the Applications folder.   
MacOS will ask for your permission. See [this page](https://kb.mpmidi.com/books/mp-controller-documentation/page/3-reason-cs-mac-os-installation-permissions "Reason CS Mac OS Installation Permissions") on setting the permissions and then continue with the rest of this article.</span>

<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Run the Reason Control Surface launcher from your Desktop.   
Repeat the same for the permissions needed as above.  
</span>

[![image.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/Guu6nEhj8CVkkTB9-image.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/Guu6nEhj8CVkkTB9-image.png)

<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and it will start the control surface app and Reason.</span>

<p class="callout warning"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The launcher app is made for Reason 13 and Reason 14. It requires Reason to be in the Applications folder.   
If it does not start the Control Surface app and Reason, it is probably an issue with the permissions required.</span></p>

Set the Display of the controller so that the Control Surface app appears there automatically. Right click on the empty area above the buttons and the following menu will appear. Select the last monitor in the list.

[![2026-06-28 08_19_39-.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/scaled-1680-/O1JTfc4cMHu88dQr-2026-06-28-08-19-39.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-06/O1JTfc4cMHu88dQr-2026-06-28-08-19-39.png)

---

##### **<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reason MIDI Configuration</span>**

<span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Open Reason &gt; Preferences and add the control surface. Click on "Add Manually" and select the MP Controller and the available MIDI ports. </span>

[![image.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/WsHPnFRemUJH8QXH-image.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/WsHPnFRemUJH8QXH-image.png)

[![image.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/rzrPjEfwp8Fmg4LP-image.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/rzrPjEfwp8Fmg4LP-image.png)

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When you close Reason, the control surface app will quit as well after a couple of seconds. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When running the Launcher it takes a few seconds for Reason to send all the necessary data to the control surface. You can then select any device or track to control it.</span>

<p class="callout info"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On Mac the Reason Control Surface app must start before Reason so that it finds its MIDI ports.</span></p>

---

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To view the version or quit of the Reason Control Surface right click on the bar icon</span>

[![image.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/whdwUtcLNmDYacLV-image.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/whdwUtcLNmDYacLV-image.png)

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">To quit click OK on the popup window:</span>

[![image.png](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/scaled-1680-/tktZ13iA9uX8zi3C-image.png)](https://kb.mpmidi.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-10/tktZ13iA9uX8zi3C-image.png)

---

<p class="callout info"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When running the Launcher it takes a few seconds for Reason to send all the necessary data to the control surface.   
You can then select any device or track to control it.</span></p>

---

Next: [Documentation](https://kb.mpmidi.com/books/mp-controller-documentation/page/2-reason-control-surface-documentation) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">of the Reason Control Surface</span>

---