When will Reason 4 come out?

[Warmonger]

Focus is on new devices: 2 instruments, replacements for obsolete v1.0 effects

How can effects be obsolete?

Obsolete isn't the best term, I suppose. Outdated is the word I was looking for. The phaser and chorus/flanger are pretty bad, IMO. The delay isn't powerful enough (I know you can build complex delays using the combinator, but that doesn't work all the time).

It's not like this is unprecedented: just consider the RV7000 and the BV512. Imagine a modulator with that much relative improvement over the existing effects. Or, if you don't want to imagine, just look at GMO-1.

[headquest]

The delay isn't powerful enough (I know you can build complex delays using the combinator, but that doesn't work all the time).

Don't forget that RV7000 is a delay too - some impressive results are possible with that, and I prefer it to the older delay unit tbh. The older reverb is rubbish. I don't think they will remove them though, just add new ones. They are very keen on compatability with older songs in the Reason archive

It's not like this is unprecedented: just consider the RV7000 and the BV512. Imagine a modulator with that much relative improvement over the existing effects. Or, if you don't want to imagine, just look at GMO-1.

Yeah, that would be cool. The M-Class effects are outstanding, as is Scream, the Vocoder and RV7000. It would be good to see a few more additions on that level, perhaps a multimode filter unit, M-Class Multiband, and a new modulator effect as you describe it.

[John Vulich]

IIRC the three big deals with Reason 3 were: The Combinator, the improved Browser, and the new ReMote technology. Check out how those innovations have subsequently set the agenda for others to follow:

The Combinator - as copied by KORE and Live 6's racks

You're kidding right? I think that you're giving the Propellerheads WAY too much credit here. I think that Brainspawn Forte, Xlutop Chainer and Tracktion's Rack Filters had implemented very similar features before the Combinator even existed.

The Reason 3 Browser, which searches by sound, not device - as copied by KORE and Cubase 4. Also all the others before long!

I believe that the Sample Manager in ACID and Vegas did this before Reason and I know that there are one or two stand-alone sample managing system that have had these features for years. I believe that Gigasampler and Kontakt have also had similar search functions for sometime.

[TVD]

I hope it will be announced at the Winter NAMM 2007 in january, with better effects suite, and brand new synths, and finally why not audio recording ?!

It'll never happen.

[drez]

Do you have a link for that drez?

The Link.

Its at the bottom where Marcus is talking about multi-core. Makes me think it will be awhile, as it reads (to me) that he hasn't cracked that nut yet.

[headquest]

I think that you're giving the Propellerheads WAY too much credit here. I think that Brainspawn Forte, Xlutop Chainer and Tracktion's Rack Filters had implemented very similar features before the Combinator even existed.

Actually I think that the Combinator was inspired by hardware workstations, so yes I was slightly kidding . However, surely your comparissons are very wide of the mark - you're kidding now, right?

Tracktion's Rack Filters are a world away from the Combinator. IIRC they don't even allow you to set up a simple layer of two synths crossfaded via velocity layers, right? As for the other two, which I know less well, I would still bet that they don't allow you to use the oscillator of one virtual instrument to CV route to the LFO of another, while the whole thing is swept by the filter of a third, controlled in turn by a seperate pattern sequencer device, and all controlled by a single knob on the UI?

Every review I read of KORE compared it to the Combinator, I guess because it took the idea of layering stuff and assigning important features to just a few knobs (hardware in KORE's case, of course). As for Live 6's Racks, I have been beta testing them over the past month and a half, and the extent that they copy Combinator is uncanny. Every Live/Reason user involved in the beta test acknowledges that very openly.

Not that any of this is a bad thing of course. Combinator is a fantastic innovation in Reason, and it is great to see others applying its design to the VST environment.

I believe that the Sample Manager in ACID and Vegas did this before Reason and I know that there are one or two stand-alone sample managing system that have had these features for years. I believe that Gigasampler and Kontakt have also had similar search functions for sometime.

Browsing samples that way is not the same as browsing the synth patches of several different devices at once, previewing sounds right there and launching the appropriate synth/sampler directly loaded from the browser.

[neilpullen]

Speaking of FR for Reason, another thing I would just love to see is DrReXT - with the ability to import ordinary audio loops/clips, slice and convert them to REX2 files, thus dispensing with ReCycle once and for all. Okay they would lose ReCycle revenue (probably not what it used to be anyway) but I think it would be another good selling point for Reason itself, and help it to stand out within the crowded marketplace.

+1000

I've held off from buying Recycle for months to avoid being burnt in case something similar comes with the next iteration of Reason.

Audio in with Ableton-style timestretching would be for teh win, but the Props have said many times that they'll never do audio in or VST so I'm not holding my breath. Would be awesome though.

[ludwig]

Like others allready mentioned, the drrex should be able to import normal loops and automatically make rex2 files of it. I would also like to see the Rebirth machines in Reason. And what about this: better filters and oscs and modules, so you can build your own monster synth in the combinator (making Reason something like a Nord Modular software version).

[kmonkey]

Like others allready mentioned, the drrex should be able to import normal loops and automatically make rex2 files of it. I would also like to see the Rebirth machines in Reason. And what about this: better filters and oscs and modules, so you can build your own monster synth in the combinator (making Reason something like a Nord Modular software version).

+100000000

IMO just better filters and convo reverb combined with RV7000 and that's it. You dont need more

[kmonkey]

And this whole scenario reminds me on "Daikatana" scenario/controversy.The Game from one of leading programmer(at that time) in gaming industry John Romero (Ion Storm). That game has been known to be next big thing. Now is known as one of the major commercial failures of the computer game industry. Why? Because of too long development.

[neilpullen]

And this whole scenario reminds me on "Daikatana" scenario/controversy.The Game from one of leading programmer(at that time) in gaming industry John Romero (Ion Storm). That game has been known to be next big thing. Now is known as one of the major commercial failures of the computer game industry. Why? Because of too long development.

I'm waiting for the "Propellerhead are about to make you their bitch" ad

[neilpullen]

And what about this: better filters and oscs and modules, so you can build your own monster synth in the combinator (making Reason something like a Nord Modular software version).

This would be a really interesting development, I'd love to see it. Not sure they'd do it as it's getting away from the whole "virtual hardware studio" concept and heading more into modular synth territory. But if they did, updates could come in the form of new filter modules, etc and might come around a bit quicker.

[Synthbuilder]

Because of too long development.

I sort of understand this. I just sold Reason because I have given up on it. I loved using it, it introduced me to a world where computers could indeed let me make music without pissing me off.

But slowly the need for better sounds and to incorporate audio seemlessly into my work made me look elsewhere. I chose Live, but I could have probably gone to eXT if I hadn't been so hung up on rewire.

The key weaknesses in Reason for me were:

Lack of tempo automation.

Noticeable aliasing on the synths, although rendering at higher sample rates helped.

No real time audio file player.

No built in REX file conversion. DrREX could have been the front end for this.

I could have probably done without VST hosting if the synths sounded better.

But I have moved on and I don't regret it.

[kmonkey]

I'm waiting for the "Propellerhead are about to make you their bitch" ad

[spaceman]

so when's Live 6 coming out then?

oh.. wrong thread