I’ve been using Propellerhead’s Reason since its first incarnation back in 2000. Reason houses a virtual studio rack loaded with great sounding gear and an easy-to-use sequencer. The samplers and synthesizers provide me with an arsenal of useful sounds while the effects and signal processors give me everything I need to mix and master my songs. To this day I’m amazed with the sound quality I get from Reason, and it’s no wonder I keep going back again and again. For my needs, no other program is as versatile or intuitive, which is why I use it on nearly every project. Whether it’s rock, hip-hop, or even classical, my songs always come together faster and sound better when I use Reason. When I want to add guitars, vocals or other live instruments, I simply ReWire Reason to Pro Tools and I’ve got the best of both worlds working simultaneously.
For those of us who appreciate the ability to work within the virtual environment, using familiar “real world” tools, Reason is indispensable. For instance: the Reason rack can be flipped around, revealing all the various connections on each device, while routing is accomplished by connecting the devices with animated patch cables. It is a truly surreal experience, which begs the question “Why isn’t everybody doing this?”
New in Reason 4, the Thor Polyphonic Synthesizer blew me away with its intense sounds and extreme flexibility. The presets alone were jaw dropping, let alone the sheer amount of editable parameters for manipulating them. I was also very impressed with the newly revamped sequencer. I am always impressed with Propellerhead’s ability to integrate new features without creating a massive learning curve for their users. Other new features like the RPG-8 Monophonic Arpeggiator and ReGroove Mixer inspire creative new ways for building tracks, while classic devices like Subtractor and Malstrom continue to hold their own as some of the best sounding recreations of analog gear to date.
For better or worse. Till death do us part. They’ll be prying this piece of software from my cold dead hands. I don’t need “a” reason to live… I need Reason 4 by Propellerhead to live.
