Reasonists -Which RE Instruments beyond basics do you have onboard?

[IncarnateX]

After a 6 years break from Reason, I am happily rediscovering it. My last version was 6.5, now it is the 11 Suite. Lots of great modules and opstions happened meanwhile, and I am impressed by the quality of some of the new synths, both Reason's own and third party.

I have carefully selected and bought mine trying to be rational and keep GAS at distance. I am not sure I managed, so now I need some to compare with. So, could you list some favorites (or even all) RE instruments for me to see if my sweet spots resemble yours?

If I dare, I may even supply with some of my own arsenal. Add an explanation to your choices, and my eyes will get even wider when reading.

Thanks for your time.

[enCiphered]

For my personal workflow I find the players which come with Reason very useful. Like the Quad Note Generator and all the interesting sequencers. I don´t need instruments as extensions as I have all I need for sound design within my VST collection. The real fun starts when using M4L with Reason Rack

[aMUSEd]

I added Parsec, Complex and PX7 but you'll have those now already in Suite. Other than those I just bought a few more instruments that filled gaps in terms of sound production - JPS Harmonic Synthesizer (which I love), Nostromo and Resonans Physical Synthesizer - for effects I added Lectric Panda Fritz and Echobode.

[IncarnateX]

I don´t need instruments as extensions as I have all I need for sound design within my VST collection.

Well, that is one thing new to me; VSTis in Reason. However, I do not want to go back to the neverending sea of VSTis releases. It is too GAS invoking, unlimited and intimidating to me, and scanning for new releases steals time from actually making music. So I stick to a few pearls that fit my concept: Uhe ACE, BazilleCM and TyrellN6. Besides, I use modular set ups, so I make use of the REs connectivity. Though I stear clear of VSTis, it has not prevented me from buying a good deal of REs.

[SonicDimension]

I added Parsec, Complex and PX7 but you'll have those now already in Suite.

I think that PX7 is not included in Suite for some reason. It's a DX7 clone with a nice interface. I tend to only buy rack extensions from Propellerhead, or some top developers like Synapse Audio (The Legend, and OBsession coming next month) or GForce (Re-Tron, Re-Strings, Chambertron). Particularly with instruments, I don't think that RE's measure up to the quality of the best vst plug-ins.

As for the Propellerhead RE instruments, I find that they often don't sound as appealing as their popular vst counterparts, but they have well-designed interfaces and some unique ideas. Also, they usually integrate well with the rack (cv and audio cables).

[Eclectrophonic]

After a 6 years break from Reason, I am happily rediscovering it. My last version was 6.5, now it is the 11 Suite. Lots of great modules and opstions happened meanwhile, and I am impressed by the quality of some of the new synths, both Reason's own and third party.

I have carefully selected and bought mine trying to be rational and keep GAS at distance. I am not sure I managed, so now I need some to compare with. So, could you list some favorites (or even all) RE instruments for me to see if my sweet spots resemble yours?

If I dare, I may even supply with some of my own arsenal. Add an explanation to your choices, and my eyes will get even wider when reading.

Thanks for your time.

I started on 6.5 and if you want a rundown of what features have been added since 6.5, give me a shout lol!

[IncarnateX]

I started on 6.5 and if you want a rundown of what features have been added since 6.5, give me a shout lol!

Shout, shout, let it all out. Your list is welcome, I haven’t finished counting yet, so an overview will do fine.

[IncarnateX]

I think that PX7 is not included in Suite for some reason. It's a DX7 clone with a nice interface.

Yes. It is not onboard. However, they had a wild May-sale, where I got this and many other goodies for 50-60% of their prices.

I tend to only buy rack extensions from Propellerhead, or some top developers like Synapse Audio (The Legend, and OBsession coming next month) or GForce (Re-Tron, Re-Strings, Chambertron).

I have fallen for synths such as Blamsoft’s Viking 2 and Expanse. Skrock‘s Solar 5 and Orbis (which was given for free during lock down), and I must say Pink Noise studio’s Maia and Luna impress me, with wave sequencers and all besides from great sound quality. I am going for the wavetables mainly, because I do not need analog emulation as such. I have recorded a good deal of raw waveforms from my Deepmind 6, the analog part of JD-Xi and my Bassstation 2. NNXT treats the samples nice enough to get the “analog vibe”, which I only get picky about if it concerns synth basses anyway.

As for the Propellerhead RE instruments, I find that they often don't sound as appealing as their popular vst counterparts,

I haven’t tested much side by side, but when I bought 6.5. years back, I got the RE version of of ABL Bassline Pro. They sounded nothing alike. Dissapointing port. My old Korg Polysix sounds as dated to me as it has done for a decade on all platforms, but I am probably just too fed up with it. Used it a lot when it was hot.

but they have well-designed interfaces and some unique ideas. Also, they usually integrate well with the rack (cv and audio cables).

Yup. That is priceless to me if I am iin a modular mood.

[dave dove]

lectric panda

[ShawnG]

Anything by selig

Turn2on makes some nice effects, didn’t really like the one synth I have from them tho.

Revival’s interface is horrible, but it’s a good sounding drawbar based synth that can do anything from Hammond to swirly space weirdness.

The Gforce tron instruments

[aMUSEd]

Revival’s interface is horrible, but it’s a good sounding drawbar based synth that can do anything from Hammond to swirly space weirdness.

Yeah I don't know why they don't update it with the same GUI as the VST - then again they haven't touched the VST since it was first brought out either - they seem dead in the water

[cowby]

complex-1 and those players made me upgrade to 11 suite. If some of the REs become
VSTs... How nice !

[imrae]

The Noise Engineering stuff is pretty unique and modulation-friendly. Not the cheapest, but a lot less expensive than the hardware...

... although one thing that makes the hardware really special is the use of a variable clock rate to give harmonically-related aliasing and presumably the REs don't do that.

[Eclectrophonic]

I started on 6.5 and if you want a rundown of what features have been added since 6.5, give me a shout lol!

Shout, shout, let it all out. Your list is welcome, I haven’t finished counting yet, so an overview will do fine.

Off the top of my head -

* Updated mix channel in the rack with a volume slider and panning, also a keyboard shortcut now to add a mix channel, ctrl shift M.
* Slice Edit where you can quantize audio with transient markers (very good as well, sadly no time displays for the transients or sensitivity control) in the sequencer
* Parallel Processing on the Main Mixer
* Grouping of channels on the Main Mixer
* Spectrum EQ which corresponds with the EQ on the main mixer, so all controls are the same controls from the main mixer and the Spectrum EQ has an icon on all Mix Channels / Audio Channels in the Rack for easy access and also on mixer channels on the Main Mixer
* Ganged Faders on the Main Mixer including grouped solo'ing and muting
* 12 more colours added
* RV7000 MkII added Convolution Reverb (Impulse Response loading)
* Bounce In Place
* Pitch Correction (Monophonic material only)
* Audio To Midi (Monophonic material only)
* An easy process to bounce and turn a sample into a Rex loop and stick it into a Dr.Octo.Rex
* Built in Browser (show hide with F3)
* Drag and Drop Functionality with patches and instruments and instruments have a section of the browser too with screenshots of the devices to easily drag into the rack or sequencer
* Scroll bar to scroll through your project and zoom in / out easily
* VST 2.4 support
* PDC (Plug-In Delay Compensation)
* The SDK has been updated twice I think since 6.5 and can do loads more things including sample loading now and more functionality that it couldn't do / display before
* 2 Themes Added (Dark and Blue - sadly don't apply to the mixer as yet and you have to restart Reason to apply)
* Quick zoom into clips with the Z key
* Multi-Lane Edit (Ghost Notes) in the midi editor
* This like grid zooming thing you can select in the snap
* 1/128th Snap and Absolute and Relative Snap Settings added
* Slice Midi Notes with the Razor
* Mute Midi Notes
* Lengthen / Shorten Midi notes from the start
* Double click to add notes in the midi editor
* Octave Shift of Midi Notes
* Pen Tool for quick easy drawing of Snare Rolls or notes in the Midi Editor
* Notes will now highlight on the midi editor piano in conjunction with your midi controller key depression or dependant on what notes are played in the midi editor
* Crossfading of Audio in the sequencer
* Automation Curves (well curve)
* Explode tracks in the sequencer
* Audiomatic, Pulsar, Synchronous and Radical Piano now come free
* Europa, Grain, Sweeper, Quartet Chorus Ensemble, Channel EQ, Channel Dynamics and Master Bus Compressor (from the Main Mixer) now available as rack devices
* 3 Other devices were added in 10 in conjunction with SoundIron called Humana, Pangea and Klang. Humana does ooh's, ahh's and choir type sounds.
* The new Players devices - Scales & Chords, Note Echo and Dual Arpeggio (they play devices and don't generate sound). There have been others such as Drum Sequencer but not sure if they were only available at the time and won't be free with it now
* + Button on the sequencer tracks and in the rack to quickly bring up a menu to add devices

Sadly ReWire support has been dropped in 11, the Line 6 Amps have gone but have been replaced by 2 pretty good Softube Amps:- Amp and Bass Amp oh and the Reason Rack Plug-In VST 3 for use in any VST 3 compatible daw.

There were also loads of Sample Magic House and EDM drum loops and one shots added in Reason 10 and in a couple of updates since 6.5 there have been a lot of patches added so you'll probably get over a 1000 more patches too.

Think that's everything, may be a couple more I've forgotten.

[IncarnateX]

Wow. Thanks, man. Never even got to the mixer in 6.5. Right now I am building them old school with the old mixers, so I have something to catch up on.