KVR Audio

soulkraka · Post by **soulkraka** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:38 am

BONES wrote:
keyman_sam wrote:The combinator is supposed to kick major ass.
What can Combinator do that anyone couldn't using an instance of EnergyXT inside another host?

nothing, but it'll do it with much less cpu drain (in my experience).

bugs · Post by **bugs** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:43 am

I don't know if I would call it awesome, but Reason 3 is definitely one of the best "instruments" I have. I sit for hours tinkering and designing sounds to save as Combis. The possibilities are limitless once you become familiar with it and the sound quality of Version 3 gets my vote as the most improved package of 2004.

The sequencer is less than adequate, however, IMHO. But, it's not an issue as I use it in SX3, which is awesome.

My Ratings

As ReWire Instrument: A+ (and then some)
As Sequencer: C-

AD80 · Post by **AD80** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:43 am

soulkraka wrote:
BONES wrote:
keyman_sam wrote:The combinator is supposed to kick major ass.
What can Combinator do that anyone couldn't using an instance of EnergyXT inside another host?
nothing, but it'll do it with much less cpu drain.

That depends on which synths you put in the combo.

Warmonger · Post by **Warmonger** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:43 am

BONES wrote:
keyman_sam wrote:The combinator is supposed to kick major ass.
What can Combinator do that anyone couldn't using an instance of EnergyXT inside another host? And eXT only costs $39 which to my mind makes the Reason 3 upgrade look pretty expensive.

It's irrelevant what EnergyXT could do, because you can't use eXT in Reason, and you can't use VSTs in the Combinator. Within the realm of Reason, the Combinator does allow modulation of MANY more parameters than you had access to pre-3.0 via CV inputs.

It's not so much what new things it allows though. It's more about how much more practical it makes certain tasks. Sure, I could make a ping-pong delay, save it in an RNS, and copy/paste the devices in 2.5. But I never did that. In 3.0, I've done effectively the same thing in a Combinator, and actually used the result later on. So it's about convenience.

I would never claim it's a revolutionary feature (unlike some people who seem to have orgasms over it), but for the pragmatic Reason user, it's a major help. Much of the improvement in 3.0 is about cleaning things up, from a development and a user perspective. That takes significant effort, but unfortunately results in less sexy marketing bullets than a release like 2.5.

From a software engineering perspective, 3.0 was necessary, but I definitely think the Props would do well to get a very solid 3.5 release out as soon as possible.

alargechicken · Post by **alargechicken** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:23 am

toine6 wrote:

Okay, what the f**k is wrong with you people? ALL I DID WAS SAY WHAT WAS ON MY MIND. But that's ok really. I don't understand your basic vocabulary. What was that you said about somthing.. hmm. let's see... somthing funny.. You remember, don't you? Or did you forget already. Maybe you can't read this. Maybe your mother just helped you out abit. So I think that you guys (not including the other considerate people who ignored this vicinity), or rather your mother, wouldn't mind me saying that you can take your basic, remedial, and premature thoughts and drown in them.

camsr · Post by **camsr** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:29 am

drez · Post by **drez** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:34 am

BONES wrote:
keyman_sam wrote:The combinator is supposed to kick major ass.
What can Combinator do that anyone couldn't using an instance of EnergyXT inside another host? And eXT only costs $39 which to my mind makes the Reason 3 upgrade look pretty expensive.

What does money have to do with it?

I happen to own both eXT and Reason and I'd rather use Reason. I guarantee you that it isn't because Reason costs more, its because I make better use of it than eXT. Is it worth it to pay extra $$$ for something that is going to work for me?

Yes.

toine6 · Post by **toine6** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:40 am

alargechicken wrote:
toine6 wrote:

Okay, what the f**k is wrong with you people? ALL I DID WAS SAY WHAT WAS ON MY MIND. But that's ok really. I don't understand your basic vocabulary. What was that you said about somthing.. hmm. let's see... somthing funny.. You remember, don't you? Or did you forget already. Maybe you can't read this. Maybe your mother just helped you out abit. So I think that you guys (not including the other considerate people who ignored this vicinity), or rather your mother, wouldn't mind me saying that you can take your basic, remedial, and premature thoughts and drown in them.

SINGING "bird brain, is going insane, the eggs are cracked, they won't come back, Kentucky Fried, Kentucky Died, feathers are ruffled, here Tiny Tim a Large Chicken for him, Scrooge I am not, eat you not rot"

Welcome to KVR you feathered c**t, stay around a while and maybe you'll begin to catch on. At least that's what my mommy say's.

MORE SINGING "You've got to admit it's getting better, a little better all the time"

I like you, you are my special friend.

WA HAHAHAHAHAHA LAUGHING IN YOUR FACE LOUDLY TURKEY BREATH!!!!!!

soulkraka · Post by **soulkraka** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 5:44 am

drez wrote:
What does money have to do with it?

I happen to own both eXT and Reason and I'd rather use Reason. I guarantee you that it isn't because Reason costs more, its because I make better use of it than eXT. Is it worth it to pay extra $$$ for something that is going to work for me?

Yes.

now now, dont state obvious. If we didnt have passions getting ignited and logic prevailed KVR would be .....

spaceman · Post by **spaceman** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:04 am

whatever some people say about the 'dissapointing update', the combinator and mclass have turned Reason into a brilliant instrument, in my opinion

I always got frustrated after a while working in 2.5 (mostly because I'm lazy) but I've never ran into the same frustrations in 3

bloody marvelous that proggie

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:21 am

spaceman wrote:whatever some people say about the 'dissapointing update', the combinator and mclass have turned Reason into a brilliant instrument, in my opinion

Agreed. Add in the fantastic ReMote technology, the new browser, and all the extra sample content, and I think that version 3.0 was a stunning upgrade.

To those who keep going on about a version 3.5, I think you have become your worst enemies. By (unjustly, imho) whining about the version 3.0 upgrade, you have raised the stakes for the Props to an extent where the next upgrade has to be really massive. In my opinion, it's the whiners that have meant there will be no 3.5 at all now... we'll almost certainly have to wait for a very significant version 4.0 paid upgrade instead.

spaceman · Post by **spaceman** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:25 am

headquest wrote:
spaceman wrote:whatever some people say about the 'dissapointing update', the combinator and mclass have turned Reason into a brilliant instrument, in my opinion
Agreed. Add in the fantastic ReMote technology, the new browser, and all the extra sample content, and I think that version 3.0 was a stunning upgrade..

ah, of course, forgot to mention the browser..
that was 50% of my frustration gone

headquest · Post by **headquest** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:26 am

basic channel wrote:The "sound per cpu cycle" is pretty much unmatched.

Scrolling through the presets and you get not a single audio glitch on unloading / loading of next patch. Puts alot of VSTi's (and probably some VSTi hosts) to shame.

I totally agree that Reason 3 is awesome, and the point you make here is one of the main, ahem, reasons.

But it is also the explanation for why some people around here will always flame Reason threads. The fact of the matter is that in terms of efficient coding and CPU handling, etc, Reason really does put the VSTs and their hosts to serious shame. SOme VSTs can use as much as 50% of my meagre laptop CPU (but I'm getting a new one very soon now!), while I can still comfortably tun 50+ Reason devices without problems. The CPU issues associated with VST instruments is now regularly commented on in all the makor music press as a real problem.

KVR forum is inhabitted by a bunch of great people who happen to be highly committed to the VST format, in spite of the CPU issues. Because Reason shows that CPU and memory handling realy should not be such a problem in music software, it sets down a challenge that the VST developers seem unable to rise to, and that really gets their backs up

John Vulich · Post by **John Vulich** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 7:31 am

BONES wrote:
keyman_sam wrote:The combinator is supposed to kick major ass.
What can Combinator do that anyone couldn't using an instance of EnergyXT inside another host? And eXT only costs $39 which to my mind makes the Reason 3 upgrade look pretty expensive.

Yeah, I gotta agree with BONES here. The Combinator is much ado about nothing as far as I'm concerned. It's certainly convenient but adds nothing to the sound design capability of the program... other than the afore mentioned convenience that is.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, the only real value that Reason has is it's CPU efficiency. You can load up an absurd amount of Synths and Samplers and barely notice any CPU hit. Other than that, it's features are pretty mundane. For my usage, it's lack of host features has pretty much relegated it to being used as a group of Synths, Samplers and FX, via Rewire. Then again I HATE Rewire.

Reason 3 is simply awesome.