REASON 4 THREAD

i just installed this and decided to wait until i finished downloading a large video tutorial torrent off isohunt. i used to use reason, mostly 2.0 back in the day i suppose but there looks like there's tons of changes now, for the better for sure

how many people are using this software? lets have a little talk about the program, what you like about it, what your doing with it, links to music i dunno. i'd be interested to know because i heard that this new version has better sound quality than before.

i can't wait to make some crazy stuff with it. i downloaded tons of samples, gonna go that route i think,rather than mess around with synths

i guess that's it

INDEED?

  YEK said:

i downloaded tons of samples, gonna go that route i think,rather than mess around with synths

Be sure to check out Thor, it's a synth worth messing with.

Can't remember if Maelstom was in version 2, but if you haven't seen it before it's worth a listen.

I use Reason 4 as a giant sound module controlled from Logic. I also love it for creating loops with Dr Rex and ReDrum.

i love maelstrom and thor. Just very simple synths that are easy to grasp and very versatile. One of my biggest irks with ableton is i have to use VST synths, and most all of them are either too limited or waaay too open-ended. Just gigantic walls of knobs and pages upon pages of parameters.

However i dont really like Reason for sampling. Recycle is the closest thing it has to a sample editor and while recycle+DrREx is a one hellova combo, its a bit of a clunky way to go about things.

Yes, Thor is a great synth. I love the subtractor too. I love Reason, but what I could use is a graph of the filter envelopes and stuff like that.

The new sequencer in Reason 4 is much better than the older ones by the way!

I use Reason 4 pretty much exclusively now and have a pretty good command of it. So, if you have any questions, ask away

  LOL Alzado said:

I use Reason 4 pretty much exclusively now and have a pretty good command of it. So, if you have any questions, ask away

Worth the upgrade from 3.0 or not?  I heard there were some features that were missing in 4, some new ones, some cool new features, some stuff not so amazing, etc.  I'm pretty fond of 3.0 on my shitty PC, but once I've got some funds stashed I want to put together some proper software and a proper Mac for it.

well, look at the feature list and see what's important to you: http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

The four main changes to 4.0 are: (1) the Thor synth; (2) the sequencer upgrades; (3) the regroove mixer; and (4) the RPG-8 arpeggiator.

I love the sequencer upgrades. the sequencer now functions as a first rate sequencer should. i use the Thor occassionally and never use the others. but, you might like them. in my opinion, the best upgrade that Reason has seen so far is the Combinator. it's a pretty awesome innovation that really makes reason modular (at least within the limitations of the available devices). so decide for yourself. i'm glad i upgraded to 4.0 even though i don't use 2 of the new features.

  42Orange said:

One of my biggest irks with ableton is i have to use VST synths, and most all of them are either too limited or waaay too open-ended.

That's what I've found about VST synths as well so far, it's a bit annoying.

  LOL Alzado said:

well, look at the feature list and see what's important to you: http://www.propellerheads.se/products/reason/

 

The four main changes to 4.0 are: (1) the Thor synth; (2) the sequencer upgrades; (3) the regroove mixer; and (4) the RPG-8 arpeggiator.

 

I love the sequencer upgrades. the sequencer now functions as a first rate sequencer should. i use the Thor occassionally and never use the others. but, you might like them. in my opinion, the best upgrade that Reason has seen so far is the Combinator. it's a pretty awesome innovation that really makes reason modular (at least within the limitations of the available devices). so decide for yourself. i'm glad i upgraded to 4.0 even though i don't use 2 of the new features.

I'm pretty easy to please, and as long as they kept the NN-XT and Dr. Rex I think I could be relatively content.

  Berk said:

  42Orange said:

One of my biggest irks with ableton is i have to use VST synths, and most all of them are either too limited or waaay too open-ended.

 

That's what I've found about VST synths as well so far, it's a bit annoying.

well, vst synths run the gamut. some are shit. but other are extraordinary. i love the novation vstation.

one of the biggest knocks on Reason is that you can't use it with vst's unless you rewire it to another application like ableton or cubase.

for me, even though i love the v-station, i hate being swamped with too many effects and too many synths. i got to a point where i was spending too much time toying around with the latest thing and not producing anything. so i decided to simplify my setup and use pretty much reason only (if it's good enough for Vibert, it should be good enough for me). that works for me. may not for other folks.

by the way, check out the fucking bad ass first place prizes in the new reason bassline contest: http://www.propellerheads.se/substance/bassline-battle/

I pretty much use only Reason 3.0, haven't really tried the new one.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECORD LIVE INSTRUMENTS?!

  assegai said:

I pretty much use only Reason 3.0, haven't really tried the new one.

WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECORD LIVE INSTRUMENTS?!

probably never

I have to say that the upgrades on reason 4 are great. The sequencer is now much more friendly in terms of automation. Thor and the rpg8 don't bother me too much. I don't really have any use for them. Thor imo dosen't have too great a sound to it but it's not a bad addition as when you feed things through the filters it sounds pretty nice.

I have been spoiled by working in cubase now though. I have been trying to write a track in reason and it takes about three times longer to do some things that in cubase are reallly a piece of piss. Mostly when it comes to editing things.

I don't think the sound quality has changed that much really. The eq's really arent good enough to get the sounds I want. However this is mostly relating to the material I have been writing more than anything. In the past it was brilliant for everything I did and I discovered some really cool things you could to mash up the sound. Which really works for the ambient side of things.

All of this is just my two cents. I really wish you could have proper audio tracks then it would be really super good. I know as much as anyone though that this will never happen. Also, it dosen't bother me as I have cubase and that does what I need it to perfectly.

personally, i could still be using reason 2.0 and wouldnt notice much of a difference, i mainly only use the redrum and dr rex, i dont use any of the new effects they added in 3, or the new stuff they added in 4 (aside from the occasional thor), at first i hated the sequencer changes but now i dont really care.

the scream distortion is fucking great and the combinator opens the thing wide up. those are worth a look.

i used to do all my snare-rushing in reason. the new 'modern' sequencer means i have to double click to edit sections and the vector envelopes are fiddly; id already perfected drawing smooth envelope shapes in 64th blocks. pretty annoying.

reason has always been heavily used in my setup - efficient meat and bones to compliment more fancy vst use. simple squeltch and sub, break mashing, intuitive routing etc.. but now that im getting a better computer, its going to be used less.

Pro Tip:

You can unscrew the rack screws on the Subtractor.

  Idrn said:

i used to do all my snare-rushing in reason. the new 'modern' sequencer means i have to double click to edit sections and the vector envelopes are fiddly; id already perfected drawing smooth envelope shapes in 64th blocks. pretty annoying.

I'm writing stuff in reason 4, but I couldn't agree more about drawing enevlope shapes.. I wonder how would new reason 4 users feel if they were given reason 3 to draw with blocks.

I still think that 3.0 was better in that aspect. It was cooler and simpler.

i wish you had the choice in the sequencer for switching back and forth between vector envelopes and the old blocks method.

i think the envelopes are preferable in some instances, like for automating knobs, but i agree that the old blocks were easier to deal with when you wanted to use the pencil tool at a very precise resolution.

Alzado is on the money with the Combinator, it's essential. It means you can hook any LFO or envelope generator up to any controller. A Malstrom suddenly becomes your best friend without having to make a single sound, and it's trivial to have, for example, an LFO controlling the speed of another LFO. Then have another LFO controlling the depth of the second LFO and put one of Malstrom's fancy envelopes in control of the speed of the third LFO. And why stop there? Why stop anywhere? It's monstrous.

Any Reason 4 users here ever able to get anything useable out of the ReGroove Mixer? I've tried, but it's effect has always been too subtle or too extreme.

they messed up with the sequencer in version 4. People were telling them during the beta testing, but they took no notice!

i have no idea how to create combinator patches but i'll probably figure it out

  LOL Alzado said:

Any Reason 4 users here ever able to get anything useable out of the ReGroove Mixer? I've tried, but it's effect has always been too subtle or too extreme.

i use it occasionally for throwing off the rhythm of arpeggiating synth lines. i completely agree about preferring the old block style of editing automation, the line business is fine and all but it takes longer. i should reinstall reason 3.

  LOL Alzado said:

I use Reason 4 pretty much exclusively now and have a pretty good command of it. So, if you have any questions, ask away

OK, I used to love Reason. Then I upgraded.

WTF did they do with the sequencer/piano roll?! It tries to put each take in separate regions or boxes, so you can't edit them all at once, you have to click between different phrases in the same track!?! i hate it i hate it i hate it. why did they have to complicate everything?!

also, i'm sure that no one else used this feature, but they removed the ability to midi map the pattern length in the ReDrum. why would you remove midi mapping? why not just add more?

I like the new instruments, but i don't use them... Thor just eats up hours of noodling, with nothing to show for it after. i'm just not a synth freak.

Honestly, I just want a soft MPC. The newer versions of Reason have strayed from that area. Also, I can't believe they're on version 4 and they STILL have no VST support OR audio recording/sample editing. bullshit.

I think i'm going to switch to either Renoise, Live, or go back to Reason 2.5

  beneboi said:

personally, i could still be using reason 2.0 and wouldnt notice much of a difference, i mainly only use the redrum and dr rex, i dont use any of the new effects they added in 3, or the new stuff they added in 4 (aside from the occasional thor), at first i hated the sequencer changes but now i dont really care.

just like me. how did you adjust to the sequencer. i can't seem to get past it. it constantly gets in my way and fights me.