Alright, I just got a MIDI keyboard (Axiom 25). It was working okay, but there was a slight lag in the key press and quite a bit of lag with the trigger pads. So I downloaded ASIO4ALL and I set Reason's audio card to that. And magically my pads worked perfect..... But I tried to watch a youtube video and there was no sound.

In my playback devices I have:
ASUS MS228-1 (nvidia hd audio) [my monitor]
Speakers (realtek hd audio) [the original default device]
Realtek Digital Output (realtek hd audio) [??]
Realtek Digital Output Optical (realtek hd audio)

Okay, so... I closed all applications: I have my HDMI plugged into my monitor; my speakers plugged into my monitor's sound out. I made the ASUS playback device the default. Opened up Reason, made sure the sound was set to ASIO4ALL. I add a Kong Drum Designer and play the pads and it works fine. However, when I look at the audio mixer (in Windows), and select the ASUS, I don't see Reason and it doesn't show any change on the levels when I play.... but it still works. (Just thought that was weird)

Now, I open up Chrome and go to youtube and open a music video. I hear nothing. I look at the levels and it says the sound is coming out of Realtek Digital Output... I don't even know what that is. I look at the properties for it and it says under Jack Information: "ATAPI Internal ATAPI Jack". ??? No clue.

If I plug my headphones into the front jack on my tower... I hear nothing (from the youtube video). The windows mixer still says Chrome is coming through Realtek Digital Output. I close Reason, and refresh the video: AND THE SOUND COMES OUT OF MY SPEAKERS. Not my headphones.

I open up Reason again... No sound. The levels move but I don't hear anything.
I open up the ASIO4ALL window, it shows a red X on NVIDIA hd audio (and tells me it's in use by Wavetable Synth). I click on Realtek, the X disappears and both options are activated (wtf? lol).

Try to play the keyboard... And I have sound! Try to play the youtube video, and I have nothing! (note, my headphones are still plugged in at this point and yet the key sound comes through my speakers)

It just seems like the more I do the more confusing it gets. And nothing seems consistent.

At one point I had the youtube video coming out of the headphones and Reason coming out of my speakers... Which is neat, but not what I want... And plus, it was a pain in the butt messing around for an hour to get that and I'm not sure why it happened.

GRRRRRR

Reason and other DAW programs do not release the sound card for use by other programs once they activate it. I usually restart the computer and it works again. There must be a better way but i haven't figure it out yet. maybe there is a way to stop and restart the service in Windows.