Reason 11 has just been released, and it marks some changes for the rack-based DAW, including a rebranding of the parent company from Propellerhead to Reason Studios. With the release of version 11, Reason Studios added new devices, workflow enhancements, and the Reason Rack as a VST plug-in so that you can work within the modular rack environment in your DAW of choice.
Reason Rack VST
One of the biggest steps forward in Reason 11 comes in the form of Reason Rack VST, which lets you load your favorite Reason instruments and effects into your favorite DAW. This plug-in lets you use the Reason modular rack workflow in any DAW that accepts VST 3 plug-ins. There are two ways to use the Reason Rack Plugin: run it in an instrument or MIDI track as a virtual instrument, or use it as an effect and process audio like a traditional plug-in. Currently the Rack Plugin is only available as VST 3 with AU coming later this year — no official word on an AAX version just yet.
New Devices
As you’d expect, Reason 11 comes with a bunch of new devices to play around with. Reason Studios has included their renowned analog-modeled mixer channels as devices in the rack. There is the Channel EQ, Channel Dynamics, and the Master Bus Compressor. Breaking these out into their own devices now allows users to insert them anywhere in their chains, as well as being able to use them in the Combinator for quick presets and effect chains.
There are two creative effects added in this Reason update: The Quartet Chorus Ensemble allows you to add four different flavors of chorus to your sound, ranging from subtle width to completely mangling the sound. The Sweeper Modulation Effect can add additional movement to your sounds with filtering, flanging, and phasing all controlled by a customizable envelope.
Scenic Hybrid is a new instrument with version 11. Reason Studios describes it as “a cinematic dream machine of atmospheric sounds and powerful performance controls.” On the surface, the user interface is as simple as changing the clock handles to invoke new sounds and textures. But if you’d like to dive deep into sound design, you can switch to edit mode and unleash its full power. At its core, Scenic Hybrid is two samplers with the option to be turned into granular engines. It comes with over 100 multi-sampled sounds, a modulation matrix, and a suite of effects that can be inserted to further manipulate the sound.
Workflow Enhancements
A number of features have been added to Reason 11 to speed up the workflow. In this update, Reason Studios has added automation curves and streamlined audio crossfades. Within the piano roll, they have added new tools to mute MIDI notes and draw multiple notes in a row.
Reason Flavors
The Reason 11 update also brings a new “flavor” of Reason, Reason Suite. The Suite version is a beefed-up version of Reason with added devices, including 16 of Reason’s Rack Extension plug-ins. Reason Suite is available for $599, while the standard version and Intro stay at $399 and $99, respectively. You can also upgrade from the standard version to Suite for $249. There is a grace period where if you purchased Reason after August 1, then you will receive a free upgrade to your version of 11.
Conclusion:
Reason Studios has certainly wowed us with this update. Being able to pull Reason’s famous rack into other DAWs will certainly get more people patching in their virtual cables to come up with new and exciting sounds. The workflow enhancements continue Reason’s tradition of quick and intuitive music creation, and the new devices add both a creative and technical element to an already exceptional music-making software. Whether you’re a seasoned Reason user looking to stay current or brand-new to the platform and want to get started with this incredibly flexible software, your Sales Engineer can help you out. Give us a call today and tap into the power of Reason 11!