Buy Propellerhead Reason 4.0 Recording SoftwarePropellerhead Reason 4.0 Recording Software Product Description:
- Thor Polysonic Synthesizer: Thor is a semi modular synth with interchangeable oscillators and filters. With its six oscillator types, four filter types and endless modulation possibilities, this synth comes with a sound like nothing else on the planet.
- RPG-8 Monophonic Arpeggiator: A powerful arpeggiator with multiple play modes, pattern function and much more.
- ReGroove Mixer: ReGroove mixing is a way to work creatively with grooves, timing and feel in real time. Hands-on access to 32 channels of groove parameters will make this an essential tool for any musician who is serious about their beats programming.
- The New Reason Sequencer: With a whole new look, a ton of fresh features and a completely new way of handling sequencer data, the Reason sequencer still offers the streamlined workflow Reason is famous for, but with a new level of sophistication.
- Thor Polysonic Synthesizer: Thor is a semi modular synth with interchangeable oscillators and filters.
- With its six oscillator types, four filter types and endless modulation possibilities,
- ReGroove Mixer: ReGroove mixing is a way to work creatively with grooves, timing and feel in real time.
- Hands-on access to 32 channels of groove parameters will make this an essential tool for any musician
- The New Reason Sequencer: With a whole new look, a ton of fresh features and a completely new way of handling sequencer data
- The Reason sequencer still offers the streamlined workflow Reason is famous for, but with a new level of sophistication
Product Description
Reason has reached the next level. Stronger, swifter and smoother to work with, Reason 4 will alter the way you create your music. Reason's new devices and features will not only inspire you to produce great tracks, they will provide you with new ways of doing so. Reason comes in the shape of a classic studio rack, packed with all the gear you could possibly need: Samplers, Analog synths, Graintable synth, Vocoder, Mixer, Step time drum machine, Arpeggiator, Compressors, EQ and Effects � as many of each as your computer can handle. A realtime multi-track sequencer provides full control over every detail, letting you create and edit your music quickly and intuitively. Reason is an all-in-one music production environment, complete with a massive soundbank containing Sounds, loops and patches for all possible styles of music. Sounding good has never been this easy. Whether you're a big time producer or a bedroom DJ, a pro musician or an absolute beginner, this application provides all the necessary tools for you to create, edit and mix the music of your choice, all within the comfort of your own computer.
Customer Reviews
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56 of 60 people found the following review helpful.
Reason 4.0, The best Reason yet...
By Louis S. Carrozzi
Reason Version 4.0 - Mac - Review 9-15-2008In order to give a meaningful review of Reason 4.0 and the major improvements in this latest version of Propellerheads' music creation software package, I first need to state exactly what Reason is, and what it is not.The most descriptive definition of Reason is that it is basically a "virtual rack mount studio", complete with a built in sequencer, faithfully simulated in a single software package.For those who are familiar with rack mount studio units, Reason incorporates most (if not all) common hardware rack mount units you would find in a typical recording studio. This includes mixer boards, effects processors (such as reverb, distortion, chorus and flanger units, etc.), two very robust digital samplers which can use samples and wave files as instrumental components, a drum sequencer, a drum sequence sampler/playback tool, and several analog synthesizer units as well - and much, much more. Each of these devices can be "cable patched" into one another within Reason in almost any conceivable combination, and all of the units look and act like their hardware counterparts would in an actual recording studio.Also, you can "create" as many of these virtual hardware components as you need and the only limitation you have on how many you can effectively use is limited only by your computer's processor speed, RAM, and the sound card hardware in your computer. Since Reason 4.0 uses software to simulate the functions of these virtual hardware units, having a high-end soundcard is NOT necessary to get the most out of the Reason package. Any decent PC or Mac sound card or chip is capable of getting near perfect sound quality out of this package - even the basic sound hardware found in a standard off the shelf Mac laptop such as the MacBook Pro will do just fine.As a digital music creation platform, Reason has been very good for years, with one noticeable feature missing: The ability to record "live" instruments, such as guitars or vocals.While this lack of live recording ability has always made Reason a questionably "complete" DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software package, what it lacks in recording capability it more than makes up for by what it does best: Be a one-man-band/studio in a single box. For those who are already using another software package such as CakeWalk Sonar Studio for live recording, Reason does have the ability to be "rewired" into other packages that support rewiring, such as Sonar. As an add-on component to other DAW software packages, Reason adds a some huge capabilities to other programs and can more than stand on it's own for creation of any conceivable type of electronic music from hip hop to classical to jazz and far beyond.If you are looking to do a lot of live instrument recording, you might want to look at another software package, but if you are doing something "instrumental", say composing a music piece for a television commercial, look no further. Reason has you covered - in a very big way.This basic description of Reason as a "one stop recording studio" was accurate for version 2.5. While Reason Version 2.5 was very robust, there were several features that were noticeably missing:- The ability to easily combine samplers or synths into "layered" instruments (more than one type of sound being controlled by a single sequencer track)- A coherent and robust piano roll / track view with typical visual components (e.g. as found in other DAW packages such as Sonar)- A mastering suite of tools for controlling final mix down of tracks into a final polished and well engineered song- The ability to change tempo within a music project by measure- A very robust and complex synthesizer capable of producing a huge range of different soundsStarting with the last drawback first, Reason 2.5 and 3.0 contained 2 main synths: The Subtractor Analog synth and the Malstrom Graintable synth. Reason 4 also still contains these two instruments. While these two synths were plenty capable of producing a host of "vintage" style synths sounds, they lacked the kind of customization that can be found in other high-end digital music packages such as Apple's Logic audio software, making music such as "trance" or "techno-electronica" style music incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to do in Reason. This has now changed in a radical way for the better. More on that in a minute...Reason 3.0 was a huge step in the right direction for Reason users. There were two major advances in Reason 3.0:- The addition of a FULL suite of recording and mastering tools including a parametric EQ unit and a compressor unit, (among others). The mastering suite units were a huge leap forward for Reason because they allowed composers to control exactly how a finished song should sound - and even how individual instruments within the song should sound - and these units also greatly reduced the occurrences of audio-clipping which can ruin a digital recording. As with all other Reason "hardware units" the user has the ability to create and use as many mastering units as needed for any given project, limited only by processor speed and the amount of RAM in the user's computer.- The addition of a new rack unit called the "Combinator". The Combinator was another giant improvement on the Reason package because it allowed users to "group" any other kinds of Reason units into 1 "package" or "group" and then assign the entire group to a single sequencer track. This meant that a user could now throw a mixer, some effects units, and several instruments into 1 package and treat the entire package as a single instrument from within the sequencer. Obviously, this stretched Reason's sound producing capabilities much further and allowed the user to create multi-layered polyphonic instruments with ease.Reason 3.0 was a great leap forward, for sure, but there were still the problems of having a somewhat limited synthesizer capability (there were still only the 2 synth units, and Reason was still fairly limited in that respect), you still couldn't change tempos mid song (you were pretty much stuck with one time signature per song) and the sequencer still had several problems that made it difficult, frustrating and often time consuming when working within the sequencer itself. With respect to the sequencer issues, there were several other problems, but rather than go into all the details of what was still wrong with Reason 3.0, let's just get to the new version of Reason: Reason Version 4.0 and go over how any and ALL drawbacks of Reason 3.0 are now completely eliminated in Reason version 4.Reason 4.0 is probably the first version of Reason that has finally eliminated any and all potential weaknesses with this software package, and Reason 4.0 is truly a devastating creative tool for musicians looking for full-featured music creation, recording and engineering package for less than a thousand bucks. This is especially true if you are looking to do any kind of techno, trance, or industrial music as the new "Thor" polyphonic synthesizer utterly SLAYS anything previous versions of Reason had in terms of synthesis of sound or synchronized sequences of sound.Probably the biggest instrumental leap forward for Reason 4.0 is the addition of the "Thor" Polyphonic Analog Synthesizer as a new instrument found only in Reason version 4.0. The Thor synth is an amazing piece of "virtual hardware" that allows the user to create literally thousands (if not millions) of possible combinations of sound generators, oscillators, filters, envelope controls, and even automated or hardware controlled sound parameters, which can handle almost any aspect of sound generation. While Reason 4.0 ships with a fairly decent amount of Thor "instruments presets" pre-created, these prefabricated presets really only scratch the surface of what Thor is truly capable of.When the sequencing hardware found within Thor is combined with various parameters of the Thor sound generators and controllers, Thor completely blows away any kind of synth found in previous versions of Reason, and now the Reason software package has the capability of producing the deep and complex types of sounds and sequence loops that are often only found in hardware synths costing nearly two thousand dollars or more. The sequencing generator in Thor can be used to create delays, arpeggios, small instrumental sub-sequences and all other manner of complex sound effects found in a lot of high-end keyboard synths, and this places Reason 4.0's synth sound generation and control squarely in Apple's "Logic" audio software territory as well as now putting Reason 4.0 on the same turf as higher end Korg and Roland keyboard workstations. By using Thor in combination with Reason's Combinator and the already built-in digital samplers, the sky is no longer the limit for sound creation in Reason. The Thor Polyphonic Synth is a HUGE addition to Reason version 4.0 and alone is well worth the price of admission by itself, but Reason version 4.0 doesn't stop there.The second, and another very significant upgrade to Reason version 4.0 is that all of the previous drawbacks of the Reason 2.5/3.0 sequencer have been completely eliminated in version 4.0.Like previous versions of Reason, you can color-code your track labels with a right click on the track header. You can now toggle between track view and sequence piano roll view with a single mouse click; each of the tracks can now be viewed with the sequence elements (such as note placement in the piano roll now visible in track view as well) as well as effects controllers and note properties fully visible with a mouse click or two. If you are a person who uses the visual cues of your sequence elements to keep track of what is what in your song, Reason 4.0's sequencer is now on par with the robustness of other software packages such as Sonar Studio. Also, you can now actually see the instrument (or Combinator unit) as a visual element of the left hand side of track view very clearly, and each track is now expandable individually, or as a whole. Also, all of your automation tracks are now controlled by "automation lanes" contained inside the track header for quick and easy navigation of automation channels within each track. Just these changes alone make working with Reason's sequencer fun, easy and very intuitive, and all of the sequencer controls now make sense from an ease of use and robustness standpoint. You want to open up a sequence segment in piano roll? Simply double click the sequence and Reason takes you right into piano roll, and places you exactly within the right measures - Reason even color codes and highlights the appropriate measures in question so no more hunting around for "those particular measures" you want to edit.There is also one other consideration here: You can now toggle piano roll in your main reason rack-mount view window - easily. This is a huge feature enhancement for Reason 4.0 because now you can test your patch creations within the main rack mount window simply by playing the keys in Reason's piano roll, and you can switch between track and your Reason hardware units with a couple of mouse clicks without ever having to leave the main Reason window. This almost totally eliminates the need to hook up an external MIDI controller keyboard to test out your new sound creations. Of course, Reason has always included MIDI-capable hardware control via an external controller such as a MIDI keyboard, but now you don't need one to edit your sounds quickly and efficiently.Another welcome addition to the Reason 4.0 suite of components is the brand new RPG-8 Arpeggiator which allows you to create custom arpeggios that can control various aspects of other Reason instruments. This is another great tool for people looking to create techno-trance music or musical effects for instruments, and again extends Reason 4.0's capabilities further.Having said all this, I haven't even touched on Reason 4.0's continuation of previous strengths such as the built in vo-coder, the robustness and flexibility of the NN-XT built in digital sampler unit, the Dr.Rex drum sequencer, the myriad of effects processors and the incredibly intuitive and visual design of the virtual hardware units in Reason. What Reason has done extremely well with previous versions is now a whole lot better in version 4.0 while still retaining all of the elements that made previous versions of Reason great.At $400, Reason 4.0 is an absolutely incredible value - being basically an entire recording studio in one box - and its previous weaknesses have been seen, faced, and dismissed outright. If Reason 4.0 supported live recording and VSTi compatibility, it would basically do anything and everything you could possibly want, no matter what type of music you are looking to create. Even with these two features missing, $400 is still a "steal deal" for this software package. For $400 bucks you basically get a $2,000+ keyboard, oh, and that keyboard also happens to come with a complete recording studio.Try and beat that, for the price? You can't.If all of this still isn't enough for you to get the job done, it is worth mentioning that there are literally hundreds of free downloads that you can get off the internet to "plug in" new pre-created instruments into Reason's various components and there are many commercial packages - both from Propellerheads and other companies - that can add whole new dimensions to Reason's sound capabilities that go far beyond the basic package you get from Reason "straight out of the box". Not to mention the fact that Propellerheads also have several other software packages that expand Reason's capabilities even further - not that you would need any of them if you learn how to use Reason itself, but even a great program can get even better with add-ons.If you are a beginner just getting into the hobby of digital music creation and recording on your PC or Mac, Reason 4.0's intuitive and visual interface can get you into music creation easily, and is a worthy product just based on that. However, even a seasoned professional will find Reason to be a hugely flexible, robust and powerful application for professional quality sequencing, recording and engineering. And, while Reason may not be able to record vocals or live instruments on its own, Reason's powerful re-wire capabilities and sampling units can easily integrate Reason's powerful features with your existing DAW software. For example, you can create your instrumental tracks in Reason, then simply export the loop you created (or even the entire song) as a *.wav or *.aiff file for use in another application. Conversely, you can record your "live music" audio files in another application, export them as *.wav files, then import them into Reason's NN-19 or NN-XT digital samplers and then engineer and mix down your entire song in Reason alone. Bam! Done.When you are done with all of your hard work, you can export your entire song straight to a *.wav or *.aif file and go from there. Sadly, Reason 4.0 still doesn't have a direct song to *.mp3 encoder, but that's not really a big deal since most computers these days have some easy (and often free) way to convert *.wav or *.aif files to *.mp3 format or to CD audio tracks. Mac OS X, for example has a free *.mp3 converter as a feature of ITunes.All of that aside, Reason 4.0 is still an awesome program and a significant upgrade from version 3.0, and Reason 4.0 probably gives you more bang for your buck than any other digital audio workstation package out there (minus the live recording and VSTi compatibility issues). Reason is an amazingly powerful, robust, flexible and comprehensive music-making package worthy of addition to any home/PC-based recording studio.The bottom line? Believe the hype.Buy it, and try it, learn it, love it.Reason 4.0 aims to please, and you won't be disappointed.One final note: If the geniuses at Propellerheads give Reason 5.0 the power to include live instrument recording and native support for audio tracks it might be "game-over" for the competition. Competitors take note...
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Reason 4 is a must for all producers
By J. A. garcia
Reason 4 is possibly the best "production" software in the market today. The new additions (you can look at the item description) are a very helpful, specially the ReGroove function. Which lets you apply a groove (swing) to your tracks.I can keep going on and on about the new sequencer, Thor, the new Automation and time shift capabilities. But to the the most underrated addition to Reason 4, is the revamped "sound driver." That alone is worth the price to update.The new sound is warmer and richer. This is what separates Reason from other apps, the sound and "sounds" that are built in.The sounds are so much warmer and richer, I've stopped using refills and soundfonts. I can't say enough about the quality of the sound.I demoed a couple of expensive RTAS and VST instruments. And the same instruments coming from Reason sounded as good and in many cases, better than those from the RTAS and VST's.Buy it now!!!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.Dive in and make some noise
By Bobby W.
If you check out what people were saying about PROPELLERHEAD Reason 3.0 ( Windows/Macintosh ), then you'll get an idea of what this software can do.Reason 3 gave a lot of bang for the buck - if you're a first timer, you get Reason 4 for the same price, and that's a steal.True, you still can't run VSTi plug ins or record live (miked) sound in Reason.But the addition of the Thor synthesizer and RPG-8 Arpeggiator plus the significant enhancements to the already well laid-out sequencer make Reason 4 a tool/toy that will keep you out of trouble for a long time to come.The new features add to the learning curve, but Reason's rack analogy still make it one of the most intuitive applications of its kind. For the most part, it's just like noodling with real hardware (watch your volume levels).I would suggest that anyone running this program should have at least 1 gig of ram, preferably more, because Reason 4 has finally started moving the CPU meter on my 1Gb pc for some projects.Other than that, you can't go wrong with this miracle of software design.
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