Propellerhead Reason 9.5 – Thinking Inside The Box

Propellerhead Software released version 9.5 of their venerable Reason software this year, and since we loved version 8 so much, we thought it only fair to check out the latest version to see what’s on offer this time around…and as it turns out, quite a lot, actually.

(updated June 2020) Thank you for joining us once again on StudioWise. Today, we’re discussing one of the heavyweights in the digital audio workstation arena, none other than Reason. The last time we discussed Reason was three years ago when they unveiled version 8, which, at that time, marked a significant leap forward for the company, introducing numerous groundbreaking features and improvements.

Reason has always stood out as the odd one due to its refusal to embrace the VST standard that other developers have widely adopted. However, with the surprise announcement of full VST support in version 9.5 the internet went wild.

What is the Reason?

Reason’s unique selling point is its emulation of a real-world studio environment. This means that devices, like rack units, look and behave like their physical counterparts. You can even manipulate them just as you would in a physical studio, minus the frustration of crawling behind rack enclosures and scraped knuckles.

The mixing desk is a faithful SSL emulation that follows the signal flow of a real-world studio, from input gain through dynamics, EQ, and inserts to the main faders, mirroring your actual studio experience. The mixer imparts a definite character and vibe. Aside from perhaps Harrison MixBus, no other DAW I’m aware of has such technology built-in, which in turn creates a very recognisable “Reason Sound”.

While technically any DAW can achieve this using 3rd party plugins, Reason provides a more tactile feel due to its visual workflow. Working with the console benefits from some rudimentary real-world studio engineering knowledge, as understanding how to drive channel and BUS dynamics is key to pushing the console’s character.

Essentially, you can connect anything to anything and apply any effect to any track or instrument. It’s a digital sandbox playground for those who appreciate the engineering aspect as much as the musical side of music production.

Reason also boasts a couple of impressive features. Thanks to its rack interface, you can create ‘super racks’ within your racks, using the versatile Combinator. Think of a Combinator as a single rack module containing as many other rack modules as you desire. While it’s technically a subgroup, its ability to split MIDI to individual instruments, customize your patching, and create individual mixes all within a single Combinator opens up a world of possibilities that would be incredibly challenging to achieve in any other DAW.

Furthermore, Reason’s audio engine excels at resampling audio on the fly, making tasks like sampling, looping, and pitch-shifting samples effortless. Assigning samples to drum pads or keyboard strokes is a breeze. This feature becomes invaluable for more than just trap and dubstep producers. For sequencing and MIDI arrangements, Reason offers creative tools such as a built-in groove arranger, quantize tools, and a block mode that allows you to create song sections and incorporate them as needed, similar to Ableton Live.

Reason also features a built-in shop where you can purchase additional rack units (referred to as extensions), sample packs, or even some VST instruments. Most items are reasonably priced, typically ranging from $25 to $50, although a few titles may reach into the higher $100 range. You can easily acquire a collection of high-quality third-party plugins for a fraction of the cost of VSTs available elsewhere.

So, there’s a wealth of features and capabilities within Reason, and while it becomes quite intuitive to operate once you’re familiar with it, there may be a slight learning curve if you’re transitioning from another DAW.

In Action

Reason typically experiences a notable decline in performance due to the extensive routing and DSP enhancements in use, so don’t anticipate exceptional performance. In most cases, we observed a drop of approximately 5-10% compared to similar projects in Reaper.

While this isn’t a significant issue, large orchestral templates with over 100 tracks virtually come to a standstill. We reached out to tech support about this matter, and after a few initial emails, they went silent, which we interpret as an acknowledgement of the performance issues.

However, this isn’t a deal-breaker; you simply need to be aware that all these studio enhancements come at a cost. We anticipate that Propellerheads will be diligently working to improve performance in future releases, so it’s a matter of appreciating the features and being patient.

Regarding pricing, Reason is actually quite reasonable (pun intended). Out of the box, Reason provides an extensive collection of instruments and effects, essentially everything you need. Even if you desire more, purchasing a set of high-end plugins from the shop would likely cost less than acquiring, for example, Cubase or Cakewalk with a similar setup. With VST support now available, you can use your effects and instruments directly within Reason, potentially eliminating the need for further spending.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the choice comes down to what helps you create better music, and for me, despite the DSP impact, Reason feels like my creative home. I instantly find myself in the creative zone when I begin adding rack units, connecting synthesizers, and adjusting the mixing console—it’s my happy place, and it’s evident in the music I produce with Reason. In other DAWs, setting up effects sends and subgroups can be a tedious process, but in Reason, it’s something you can’t wait to do.

You can download Reason 9.5 for a 14-day trial, which I highly recommend. Allocate a few days to become acquainted with the interface, watch some tutorial videos (the official ones are excellent), and have some fun with it. I guarantee you won’t want to return it.

Full details and trial download on Propellerheads site: www.reasonstudio.com

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