Convince me to switch from Reason to Ableton

I've been wanting to for a while but i need some motivation, give me good reasons to choose ableton.

specificially I'm interested in the sample handling because when I used fruity loops I would always take samples and map them to keys but Reason has no reasonable sample support

Switch to Reason.  Switch to something else later.

reason sounds hi in eq

ableton is more powerful, sounds better, and can do more sound wise

yeah and vst support + easy interface, easy and fast, versatile editing + not much cpu load + drunk

btw hauntingsoul didn't you make this thread before or something?

luke vibert, aux 88, and beneboi (3 time watmm remix competition winner!!) use reason, so I'd think twice before switching.

  Berk said:

yeah and vst support + easy interface, easy and fast, versatile editing + not much cpu load + drunk

 

 

btw hauntingsoul didn't you make this thread before or something?

yeah well it was a reason vs ableton thread. So I guess yeah I did.

This one is specifically asking for evidence against ableton though and I still havent really given it a thorough go.

2 different workflows

2 nice samplers in addition to some nice audio editing

a good array of native effects

2 cool synths

easy to learn and use

Vsts

maxforlive

Another artist friend of mine is a die hard reason user and he is always asking me to give him input on ableton vs reason, as Ableton is what I tend to use most. Following is my summarized thoughts from numerous discussions on the topic.

Reason is much more streamlined and conductive to getting ideas down and out. In my experience it can be easier to assemble a track but considerably more complicated to manipulate it, tweak it and go back and make changes. To be specific, I can't stand the way it handles recording knob tweaks and how if you stop recording them it reverts to previous states. If your using anything but samples Reason is pretty easy to pick out as the creation application because of the limited number of synths, but it is a solid application if your willing to learn it inside and out.

Ableton is my preference because it allows for jamming out sequencing, something that is far too cumbersome in Reason. A lot of my best work comes to light as a result of long jam sessions, and Ableton records everything at once unlike Reason which only records the midi data from the track you have selected. I find editing a sequenced track a bit cumbersome in Ableton, mainly because of the interface, but I also find it more robust especially when using VST's. I find the way Ableton draws those tweaks a lot easier to work with than the pencil tool in Reason. Ableton has a lovely feature where you can append data to samples, so when you finally get your loop or sample cut just right that data can be appended so it always loads like that without editing the sample itself. Swaping things in and out, changing patches, etc is all very functional. It isn't really 'easy' though, there are a lot of odds and ends to learn. That said, those are all things you can pick up as you go. Copying parts of a track from one file to another seems to be a lot easier in Abelton than Reason as well

Parting wisdom: Its a waste of time to hem and haw over which one is superior. The best music comes from knowing your tools inside and out, not from some bigger and better application. Its easy to get sucked into the notion that "If I only had a better application/synth/hardware/etc, I'd be able to make awesome music". Its too easy to squander creative energy dreaming about what you don't have. If you find yourself in this mind set just look at some of your favorite tracks and the kind of equipment it was made on. Some of the best tracks of all time were assembled on an Atari ST or a 4-track recorded and a Casio sampler. I grew up with an Atari, and spent years struggling to be creative because I wanted the next best app or hardware and lamented that any attempts I made with what I had would be subpar and a waste of time. If I had had any idea how wrong I was back then I probably would have quit my day job by now. Best bet is to switch from one to the other and be vigilant about using it enough to really get a feel for it. I didn't care for Ableton at first, but after a month or two it really clicked.

i dunno, i sort of adhere to the belief that trying new things and learning new ways of doing something totally spur creativity in addition to expanding your versatility. You shouldnt let not having top of the line software/hardware prevent you from experimenting, but you should be open to the possibilities that a new production environment brings. When you can try almost any DAW you want for free, go ahead and take the time to give all of them a fair chance before deciding your best fit.

I even have ableton on my computer. I think I'll attempt to make a track tomorrow.

thanks a bunch for all the input, especially Drahken

Use both. I prefer the instruments in Reason, but like to use Live for sequencing and the occasional vst.

  thehauntingsoul said:

  Berk said:

btw hauntingsoul didn't you make this thread before or something?

 

yeah well it was a reason vs ableton thread. So I guess yeah I did.

 

This one is specifically asking for evidence against ableton though and I still havent really given it a thorough go.

cmon dude just get on with it and try it out

you dont need us to hold your hand for you

i started on Reason, then tried Ableton, and now use Cubase because the sequencer in Cubase is so much better than either Reason or Ableton's ... because of multi-part editing

i've been using reason with live quite a bit. i use mostly live effects now, the beat repeat alone is hours of fun, and if you haven't used a DAW with VST support before, live is a good option.

it's

switch to renoise