Reason 3.0 demo impressions

[TeeLangSun]

Reason 3 brings Reason closer to what you have in keyboard workstations like a Motif or Triton. Combinator combined with the new browser and clever routing is totally beyond ordinary synth layering which is implemented in pretty much every other sequencer. What I'm liking most about Reason 3 is the think that some of you find contempt with, "Canned Sounds". Even die hard Reason fans felt the same way about canned sounds. Fred, one of the people who worked for Propellerhead in the past called it compared it to "TV Dinners". I guess the Props didn't agree with him because that's exactly what they've given us. "Canned Sounds" and also the ability for you to "Can" your own sounds and the ability to recall those canned sounds INSTANTLY, right in the browser with all components in place and ready to play from you midi keyboard, while still in the browser. All I can say is, I hope my current favorite hosts/sequencers are paying attention. FL and Orion and dont' mind jumping on this bandwagon. FL raised the bar with it's massive featureset and affordable price, but Reason now has raised the bar with it's included soundset and sound creation ability. It's very exciting. Give me FL with Reason's sounds or Reason with FL's featureset and I'll be set for life.

[munchkin]

Jbravo

two things:

1. Computer Music Jan05 page 14 "Reason is a musical instrument..." Ernst Nathorst-Boos

2. I didnt start this thread.

anyways, this is a lame point to argue. I probably shouldnt even be doing it. The title of this thread is "Reason 3.0 demo impressions". What happened? Where did we go wrong? Well, look at exactly half way down PAGE ONE at hellbillys post. Its amazing we cant keep shit on topic around here for even half a page.

For better or worse Reason seems to be a very controversial app around these parts.

The thread title is 'Reason 3.0 demo impressions'. Some impressions have been favourable and others not so I think it's remained on topic.

The reason it was posted in the 'Host' section is because Reason is marketed as a self-contained 'studio' despite the Rewire contradiction to this claim.

I think the discussion goes round in circles when constructive criticism about Reasons development is side-stepped by changing the definition of what Reason is supposed to be. Pointing out inadequacies about it's use as a host are side-stepped by referring to it as an instrument and visa versa.

I love Sonar, ACID etc. but they all have their problems and so does Reason imo. I think a thread about Reason 3 impressions is going to raise some of these issues. When any host/upgrade is released it's compared to what else is on offer.

[celticdale]

Too many choices = no time to actually make music !

I thought that was REALLY funny! I'm thinking to myself, "Self, how do these people have the time to read and reply to this stuff? It's like a job...". Reason is a darn good program and rock solid. I beta tested version 3.0 and was a little disappointed at first. The thing I really like is the new browser. That was worth the upgrade for me. Like anything, though, you've got snobs and there's always someone that will cut a product down; an underminer. See? I'm even doing it! I'm cutting down the poeple that undermine! Ah hahahahahaha!

It sounds great going thru the PA systems I play thru and all the drunks in the club think so, too.



Back to the studio!
----

TRS-80 w/ cassette, acoustic coupler, Speak-n-spell and Kay 15 watt amp.

[Meffy]

I'm cutting down the poeple that undermine! Ah hahahahahaha!

Why -- I'll subvert you! :-}

TRS-80 w/ cassette, acoustic coupler, Speak-n-spell and Kay 15 watt amp.

Nice rig. I think there's a download to upgrade the Kay to a Pignose.

And welcome to KVR.

Meffy

[drez]

Nice rig. I think there's a download to upgrade the Kay to a Pignose.
Meffy

[lucille]

I think the whole cv routing thing, and now the
combinator--while interesting--is entirely overblown. I have listened to all the pad and rythmic combinator patches. Reason does not have a programable arp nor drawable envolopes--these are much more interesting to me for sound programming. I know some of this functionality can be obtained using
the matrix and synth lfo's--but ultimately the whole thing seems kludgey and hopelessly indirect.

[soulkraka]

[drez]

I think the whole cv routing thing, and now the
combinator--while interesting--is entirely overblown. I have listened to all the pad and rythmic combinator patches. Reason does not have a programable arp nor drawable envolopes--these are much more interesting to me for sound programming. I know some of this functionality can be obtained using
the matrix and synth lfo's--but ultimately the whole thing seems kludgey and hopelessly indirect.

Since you don't have a controller, you really haven't been able to tap into the combinator. I prefer it to any VSTi I have. And I disagree completely with you, the Pad patches that come with the demo are indeed exceptional. You can have as much movement as you want to create. You can create 32 patterns in the matrix and then step through those with one freakin knob! That same knob can control as many matrix, or parameters as you want. Take that x4 and you have some serious control.

If you think its kludgey, try learning about 10 different synths and how each of them does their thing. I'd rather have Reason's basic building blocks that I already know and let the combinator allow me to further my creativity.

[ianweb123]

I just loaded the demo and 1/2 an hour later I have deleted it from my system.. I just did not find enough quality in the inbuilt synths etc.. Certainly I need to spend more time with it but at the moment I fail to see what all the fuss is about! Whereas FL studio always strikes me as a bottomless pit..

[drez]

I just loaded the demo and 1/2 an hour later I have deleted it from my system.. I just did not find enough quality in the inbuilt synths etc.. Certainly I need to spend more time with it but at the moment I fail to see what all the fuss is about! Whereas FL studio always strikes me as a bottomless pit..

Can you be specific as to what you didn't like about the modules? Did you load individual instruments and go through patches? Did you run them through any effects units? Did you run them through audio spiders in to separate tracks on the mixer and apply different effects on top of each track?

How about the combinator? Did you make it through all of the patches?

[pHz]

nah ... he just didnt like the fact that reason has no vurtbox module ...

slainte rob

[ianweb123]

Can you be specific as to what you didn't like about the modules? Did you load individual instruments and go through patches? Did you run them through any effects units? Did you run them through audio spiders in to separate tracks on the mixer and apply different effects on top of each track?
How about the combinator? Did you make it through all of the patches?

Obviously in the time I spent with it I could not have gone into it in any depth but I played the Maelstrom and Subtractor synths in solitude and was underwhelmed with them both.. IMHO, if the basic building blocks are just not happening for me I can't be gubbered to go any further.. (blimey, I'm starting to sound like Bones ) I have spent more time with previous versions of Reason and liked some of their NN-XT sample sets but apart from that reason leaves me cold.. I also think that subconciously I have a in-built dislike for self contained stuff, I always am far mor exited by the opportunities that joining disparate stuuff together brings..

Bear in mind tho' that I am not anyone to offer advice on this as, again I say, I spent very little time with it..!

[drez]

Obviously in the time I spent with it I could not have gone into it in any depth but I played the Maelstrom and Subtractor synths in solitude and was underwhelmed with them both.. IMHO, if the basic building blocks are just not happening for me I can't be gubbered to go any further.. (blimey, I'm starting to sound like Bones ) I have spent more time with previous versions of Reason and liked some of their NN-XT sample sets but apart from that reason leaves me cold.. I also think that subconciously I have a in-built dislike for self contained stuff, I always am far mor exited by the opportunities that joining disparate stuuff together brings..

Bear in mind tho' that I am not anyone to offer advice on this as, again I say, I spent very little time with it..!

Hey Ian, hope I'm not coming across the wrong way. I was merely asking because usually what happens is people load open up a blank rack, open a subtractor, and then start stepping through presets, get underwhelmed, and then close it. That's why I asked. They never get to really make those building blocks work for them. If you loaded up a 1 osc synth and said "this sounds like crap", but didn't take several of those and combine them with other individual elements to create a great patch.

I can definitely see where you are coming from if you are only stepping through presets. You should hear some of the combinator effects modules...I think they go up with any multieffect units out there.

Did you open up the combinator at all? I would encourage you to reload it, go through all of the combinator patches and, if you have a controller, seriosly jack around with it.

[drez]

nah ... he just didnt like the fact that reason has no vurtbox module ...

slainte rob

I think they are working on a "ReVurt" clone.

[elv]

SInce alot of us seem litle disapointed with V3....what would you have liked so see in it.....


What would have stooped me from selling Theo my copy ....

1.(If only this would have been done I would still own Reason)
Update on DR Rex ...being able to load wav/aiff and cut them up and save as rex/rex2.Hated having to open Recycle to use a new loop.
2.Update on the code of Sub...make sound better...CPU have gone a long way since V1.
3.User loadable wav/aiff and scanning in Maltröm.

I dont think these are reallt big thing...just a litle update on the thing that are in Reason.

Dont get my wrong I think the updates are good....but just not enough