Propellerhead Reason 4.0

Reason 4.0 has turned out 2 be an upgrade that you will not want 2 miss, & if you're a newcomer, you'll be very pleased as well.

I started with Reason 3.0, & found it 2 be one of the most powerful softwares I've ever used. This is largely because Reason comes at the problem of music production from a new angle, that of setting up instruments 2 function as a hardware rack, with all the routing possibilities that it entails. We're talking about flipping the instruments & getting access 2 full back panels, with control voltage, gate, & note jacks that are wired up with virtual cables.

The 4.0 version has added some new extras, & they are all spectacularly useful. To start with, there is a new sequencer, which has been a SORELY needed upgrade. The origional sequencer was always Reason's Archilles' Heel, & the new one brings the program into line with other modern DAW's by utilizing clips 2 organize data, & adding the much needed functions of time signature & tempo changes. Vector Automation has also been added, & midi data & vector data are now organized into "lanes". The effect of this is much greater coherency of sequencer data.

The big addition tha everybody has been buzzing about is the new synthesizer, "Thor". It delivers in spades. The concept is this..... take classic oscillator & filter technology of numerous different types & put them in a single synth where everything can modulate everything. The result provides exactly what was needed in Reason, sonic flexibility. The sound is stunning, it is easily the phattest of Reason's synths, & can be made 2 produce almost any timbre. To top it off, it has it's own onboard sequencer. I found using Thor 2 be a joy,and I was able 2 come up with useful patches quicker than any synth I've previously used.

Another great addition is the Regroove groove mixer. It can be used 2 provide grooves 4 groups of midi data that take Reason out of the "thump-thump" arena, & into the territory of serious beat production.

Also added is the RPG8 arpeggiator. It is designed brilliantly, & can be used 2 modulate any instrument function that uses control voltage data, as well as note data. It's both flexible & intuitive.

The upshot? Propellerhead software looked at what their product needed, (while still staying within their "concept"), & provided it, making the new version more powerful, flexible, & useful. To those who desire audio in & vst support, these aren't in the offing, but Propellerhead Software has repeatedly pointed out that Reason is an instrument rather than a full recording DAW, (you can still record music produced within the program, it's just that Reason is highly insular. For those wishing 2 add external audio, however, it can be "rewired" into all popular DAW's. This is what I do, & it works GREAT!).

A must have upgrade that makes Reason an even more useful & powerful program!

Reason Version 4.0 - Mac - Review 9-15-2008

In order 2 give a meaningful review of Reason 4.0 & the major improvements in this latest version of Propellerheads' music creation software package, I first need 2 state exactly what Reason is, & what it is not.

The most descriptive definition of Reason is that it is basically a "virtual rack mount studio", complete with a built in sequencer, faithfully simulated in a single software package.

For those who are familiar with rack mount studio units, Reason incorporates most (if not all) common hardware rack mount units you would find in a typical recording studio. This includes mixer boards, effects processors (such as reverb, distortion, chorus & flanger units, etc.), two very robust digital samplers which can use samples & wave files as instrumental components, a drum sequencer, a drum sequence sampler/playback tool, & several analog synthesizer units as well - & much, much more. Each of these devices can be "cable patched" into one another within Reason in almost any conceivable combination, & all of the units look & act like their hardware counterparts would in an actual recording studio.

Also, you can "create" as many of these virtual hardware components as you need & the only limitation you have on how many you can effectively use is limited only by your computer's processor speed, RAM, & the sound card hardware in your computer. Since Reason 4.0 uses software 2 simulate the functions of these virtual hardware units, having a high-end soundcard is NOT necessary 2 get the most out of the Reason package. Any decent PC or Mac sound card or chip is capable of getting near perfect sound quality out of this package - even the basic sound hardware found in a standard off the shelf Mac laptop such as the MacBook Pro will do just fine.

As a digital music creation platform, Reason has been very good 4 years, with one noticeable feature missing: The ability 2 record "live" instruments, such as guitars or vocals.

While this lack of live recording ability has always made Reason a questionably "complete" DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software package, what it lacks in recording capability it more than makes up 4 by what it does best: Be a one-man-band/studio in a single box. For those who are already using another software package such as CakeWalk Sonar Studio 4 live recording, Reason does have the ability 2 be "rewired" into other packages that support rewiring, such as Sonar. As an add-on component 2 other DAW software packages, Reason adds a some huge capabilities 2 other programs & can more than stand on it's own 4 creation of any conceivable type of electronic music from hip hop 2 classical 2 jazz & far beyond.

If you are looking 2 do a lot of live instrument recording, you might want 2 look at another software package, but if you are doing something "instrumental", say composing a music piece 4 a television commercial, look no further. Reason has you covered - in a very big way.

This basic description of Reason as a "one stop recording studio" was accurate 4 version 2.5. While Reason Version 2.5 was very robust, there were several features that were noticeably missing:

- The ability 2 easily combine samplers or synths into "layered" instruments (more than one type of sound being controlled by a single sequencer track)
- A coherent & robust piano roll / track view with typical visual components (e.g. as found in other DAW packages such as Sonar)
- A mastering suite of tools 4 controlling final mix down of tracks into a final polished & well engineered song
- The ability 2 change tempo within a music project by measure
- A very robust & complex synthesizer capable of producing a huge range of different sounds

Starting with the last drawback first, Reason 2.5 & 3.0 contained 2 main synths: The Subtractor Analog synth & the Malstrom Graintable synth. Reason 4 also still contains these two instruments. While these two synths were plenty capable of producing a host of "vintage" style synths sounds, they lacked the kind of customization that can be found in other high-end digital music packages such as Apple's Logic audio software, making music such as "trance" or "techno-electronica" style music incredibly difficult, if not impossible, 2 do in Reason. This has now changed in a radical way 4 the better. More on that in a minute...

Reason 3.0 was a huge step in the right direction 4 Reason users. There were two major advances in Reason 3.0:

- The addition of a FULL suite of recording & mastering tools including a parametric EQ unit & a compressor unit, (among others). The mastering suite units were a huge leap forward 4 Reason because they allowed composers 2 control exactly how a finished song should sound - & even how individual instruments within the song should sound - & these units also greatly reduced the occurrences of audio-clipping which can ruin a digital recording. As with all other Reason "hardware units" the user has the ability 2 create & use as many mastering units as needed 4 any given project, limited only by processor speed & the amount of RAM in the user's computer.

- The addition of a new rack unit called the "Combinator". The Combinator was another giant improvement on the Reason package because it allowed users 2 "group" any other kinds of Reason units into 1 "package" or "group" & then assign the entire group 2 a single sequencer track. This meant that a user could now throw a mixer, some effects units, & several instruments into 1 package & treat the entire package as a single instrument from within the sequencer. Obviously, this stretched Reason's sound producing capabilities much further & allowed the user 2 create multi-layered polyphonic instruments with ease.

Reason 3.0 was a great leap forward, 4 sure, but there were still the problems of having a somewhat limited synthesizer capability (there were still only the 2 synth units, & Reason was still fairly limited in that respect), you still couldn't change tempos mid song (you were pretty much stuck with one time signature per song) & the sequencer still had several problems that made it difficult, frustrating & often time consuming when working within the sequencer itself. With respect 2 the sequencer issues, there were several other problems, but rather than go into all the details of what was still wrong with Reason 3.0, let's just get 2 the new version of Reason: Reason Version 4.0 & go over how any & ALL drawbacks of Reason 3.0 are now completely eliminated in Reason version 4.

Reason 4.0 is probably the first version of Reason that has finally eliminated any & all potential weaknesses with this software package, & Reason 4.0 is truly a devastating creative tool 4 musicians looking 4 full-featured music creation, recording & engineering package 4 less than a thousand bucks. This is especially true if you are looking 2 do any kind of techno, trance, or industrial music as the new "Thor" polyphonic synthesizer utterly SLAYS anything previous versions of Reason had in terms of synthesis of sound or synchronized sequences of sound.

Probably the biggest instrumental leap forward 4 Reason 4.0 is the addition of the "Thor" Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer as a new instrument found only in Reason version 4.0. The Thor synth is an amazing piece of "virtual hardware" that allows the user 2 create literally thousands (if not millions) of possible combinations of sound generators, oscillators, filters, envelope controls, & even automated or hardware controlled sound parameters, which can handle almost any aspect of sound generation. While Reason 4.0 ships with a fairly decent amount of Thor "instruments presets" pre-created, these prefabricated presets really only scratch the surface of what Thor is truly capable of.

When the sequencing hardware found within Thor is combined with various parameters of the Thor sound generators & controllers, Thor completely blows away any kind of synth found in previous versions of Reason, & now the Reason software package has the capability of producing the deep & complex types of sounds & sequence loops that are often only found in hardware synths costing nearly two thousand dollars or more. The sequencing generator in Thor can be used 2 create delays, arpeggios, small instrumental sub-sequences & all other manner of complex sound effects found in a lot of high-end keyboard synths, & this places Reason 4.0's synth sound generation & control squarely in Apple's "Logic" audio software territory as well as now putting Reason 4.0 on the same turf as higher end Korg & Roland keyboard workstations. By using Thor in combination with Reason's Combinator & the already built-in digital samplers, the sky is no longer the limit 4 sound creation in Reason. The Thor Polyphonic Synth is a HUGE addition 2 Reason version 4.0 & alone is well worth the price of admission by itself, but Reason version 4.0 doesn't stop there.

The second, & another very significant upgrade 2 Reason version 4.0 is that all of the previous drawbacks of the Reason 2.5/3.0 sequencer have been completely eliminated in version 4.0.

Like previous versions of Reason, you can color-code your track labels with a right click on the track header. You can now toggle between track view & sequence piano roll view with a single mouse click; each of the tracks can now be viewed with the sequence elements (such as note placement in the piano roll now visible in track view as well) as well as effects controllers & note properties fully visible with a mouse click or two. If you are a person who uses the visual cues of your sequence elements 2 keep track of what is what in your song, Reason 4.0's sequencer is now on par with the robustness of other software packages such as Sonar Studio. Also, you can now actually see the instrument (or Combinator unit) as a visual element of the left hand side of track view very clearly, & each track is now expandable individually, or as a whole. Also, all of your automation tracks are now controlled by "automation lanes" contained inside the track header 4 quick & easy navigation of automation channels within each track. Just these changes alone make working with Reason's sequencer fun, easy & very intuitive, & all of the sequencer controls now make sense from an ease of use & robustness standpoint. You want 2 open up a sequence segment in piano roll? Simply double click the sequence & Reason takes you right into piano roll, & places you exactly within the right measures - Reason even color codes & highlights the appropriate measures in question so no more hunting around 4 "those particular measures" you want 2 edit.

There is also one other consideration here: You can now toggle piano roll in your main reason rack-mount view window - easily. This is a huge feature enhancement 4 Reason 4.0 because now you can test your patch creations within the main rack mount window simply by playing the keys in Reason's piano roll, & you can switch between track & your Reason hardware units with a couple of mouse clicks without ever having 2 leave the main Reason window. This almost totally eliminates the need 2 hook up an external MIDI controller keyboard 2 test out your new sound creations. Of course, Reason has always included MIDI-capable hardware control via an external controller such as a MIDI keyboard, but now you don't need one 2 edit your sounds quickly & efficiently.

Another welcome addition 2 the Reason 4.0 suite of components is the brand new RPG-8 Arpeggiator which allows you 2 create custom arpeggios that can control various aspects of other Reason instruments. This is another great tool 4 people looking 2 create techno-trance music or musical effects 4 instruments, & again extends Reason 4.0's capabilities further.

Having said all this, I haven't even touched on Reason 4.0's continuation of previous strengths such as the built in vo-coder, the robustness & flexibility of the NN-XT built in digital sampler unit, the Dr.Rex drum sequencer, the myriad of effects processors & the incredibly intuitive & visual design of the virtual hardware units in Reason. What Reason has done extremely well with previous versions is now a whole lot better in version 4.0 while still retaining all of the elements that made previous versions of Reason great.

At $400, Reason 4.0 is an absolutely incredible value - being basically an entire recording studio in one box - & its previous weaknesses have been seen, faced, & dismissed outright. If Reason 4.0 supported live recording & VSTi compatibility, it would basically do anything & everything you could possibly want, no matter what type of music you are looking 2 create. Even with these two features missing, $400 is still a "steal deal" 4 this software package. For $400 bucks you basically get a $2,000+ keyboard, oh, & that keyboard also happens 2 come with a complete recording studio.

Try & beat that, 4 the price? You can't.

If all of this still isn't enough 4 you 2 get the job done, it is worth mentioning that there are literally hundreds of free downloads that you can get off the internet 2 "plug in" new pre-created instruments into Reason's various components & there are many commercial packages - both from Propellerheads & other companies - that can add whole new dimensions 2 Reason's sound capabilities that go far beyond the basic package you get from Reason "straight out of the box". Not 2 mention the fact that Propellerheads also have several other software packages that expand Reason's capabilities even further - not that you would need any of them if you learn how 2 use Reason itself, but even a great program can get even better with add-ons.

If you are a beginner just getting into the hobby of digital music creation & recording on your PC or Mac, Reason 4.0's intuitive & visual interface can get you into music creation easily, & is a worthy product just based on that. However, even a seasoned professional will find Reason 2 be a hugely flexible, robust & powerful application 4 professional quality sequencing, recording & engineering. And, while Reason may not be able 2 record vocals or live instruments on its own, Reason's powerful re-wire capabilities & sampling units can easily integrate Reason's powerful features with your existing DAW software. For example, you can create your instrumental tracks in Reason, then simply export the loop you created (or even the entire song) as a *.wav or *.aiff file 4 use in another application. Conversely, you can record your "live music" audio files in another application, export them as *.wav files, then import them into Reason's NN-19 or NN-XT digital samplers & then engineer & mix down your entire song in Reason alone. Bam! Done.

When you are done with all of your hard work, you can export your entire song straight 2 a *.wav or *.aif file & go from there. Sadly, Reason 4.0 still doesn't have a direct song 2 *.mp3 encoder, but that's not really a big deal since most computers these days have some easy (and often free) way 2 convert *.wav or *.aif files 2 *.mp3 format or 2 CD audio tracks. Mac OS X, 4 example has a free *.mp3 converter as a feature of ITunes.

All of that aside, Reason 4.0 is still an awesome program & a significant upgrade from version 3.0, & Reason 4.0 probably gives you more bang 4 your buck than any other digital audio workstation package out there (minus the live recording & VSTi compatibility issues). Reason is an amazingly powerful, robust, flexible & comprehensive music-making package worthy of addition 2 any home/PC-based recording studio.

The bottom line? Believe the hype.

Buy it, & try it, learn it, love it.

Reason 4.0 aims 2 please, & you won't be disappointed.

One final note: If the geniuses at Propellerheads give Reason 5.0 the power 2 include live instrument recording & native support 4 audio tracks it might be "game-over" 4 the competition. Competitors take note...

If you see this product on sale 4 $279 from a seller named Musician's Advocate, be advised, it is the ACADEMIC version. When I bought it, I emailed 2 double check & received a response telling me it was the full version, but when I received the confirmation email with the tracking information, it gave the product code 4 the academic version. I called 2 verify & was told it's the same as the full version. This sounded too good 2 be true, so I called around 2 double check. I found out that the academic version is limited in that you have 2 repurchase the software when upgrades come out. So when Reason 5 comes out, instead of buying the upgrade 4 $130, you have 2 buy the whole thing all over again. There may be other limitations I'm not familiar with, but this is what I found out from people who actually know what they're talking about.

Why this academic version is listed under the actual product & not the academic product, who knows? Just be careful you don't get scammed.

P.S. You can buy the academic version much cheaper than what they're selling it 4 & probably get free shipping, too.
Reason 4 Academic

I've always been into music, from the days when I did pause recording with a double deck 2 mix songs, 2 mixing records & CD players, right up 2 video editing involving the laying down of audio tracks. I strayed from music 4 a few years & went into design & photography, but when i asked a friend how i could get back into it in a good way he introduced me 2 Reason.

I needed 2 be able 2 try my hand at beat production but without the expense of a drum machine & a mixing board, as I was unsure about investing that much money 2 find out I was just so so. When I discovered that Reason had elements needed 2 put music together & could also be linked 2 other professional software like Pro Tools I knew I found a gem.

Considering myself an amateur 2 music production Reason has taught me a lot about all the various tools & tricks that go into making music that people will want 2 hear over & over again. I recommend it 4 anyone looking 2 get into music production on a small budget & 4 professionals who want 2 scale down their business & still get the same sound that they have had 4 years.

Also with a laptop you can produce music with reason anytime the mood inspires you. That is a key thing because inspiration 4 creative people comes at any point & Reason 4.0 helps make it a reality.

Reason 4 is possibly the best "production" software in the market today. The new additions (you can look at the item description) are a very helpful, specially the ReGroove function. Which lets you apply a groove (swing) 2 your tracks.

I can keep going on & on about the new sequencer, Thor, the new Automation & time shift capabilities. But 2 the the most underrated addition 2 Reason 4, is the revamped "sound driver." That alone is worth the price 2 update.

The new sound is warmer & richer. This is what separates Reason from other apps, the sound & "sounds" that are built in.

The sounds are so much warmer & richer, I've stopped using refills & soundfonts. I can't say enough about the quality of the sound.

I demoed a couple of expensive RTAS & VST instruments. And the same instruments coming from Reason sounded as good & in many cases, better than those from the RTAS & VST's.

Buy it now!!!

Stronger, swifter & smoother 2 work with, Reason 4 will alter the way you create your music. Reason's new devices & features will not only inspire you 2 produce great tracks, they will provide you with new ways of doing so. If you've never used Reason, there has never been a better time 2 start. The Thor polysonic synthesizer features six different oscillator types & four unique filters, as well as an all-powerful modulation matrix gives you complete control over your signal flow, letting you modulate anything within Thor with anything within Thor. Reason 4 ships with RPG-8, a brand new unit dedicated 2 the art of arpeggiation, & the ReGroove mixer, Reason's own realtime groove management device. The new sequencer is swifter, stronger & more intuitive than ever, & comes with new features & functions that all strive toward making your Reason experience smoother & snappier. Also new 2 Reason 4 is the new Tools Window, a floating window containing all your most frequently used tools, where you can create new devices by choosing from a device palette, fine tune your sequencer data from the Tools pane, or set groove parameters using the groove pane. Requires Windows XP or Vista, or Mac v. 10.4. Four different language versions - English, French, German or Japanese Sound Bank holds patches 4 all devices in Reason 2 help New Tools Window holds all your most frequently used tools Combinator & NN-XT updates Windows requirements - either Windows XP or Vista, Intel P4 / AMD Athlon XP or better processor Mac requirements - Mac OS X 10.4, G4 1GHz & up or Intel Mac processor