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Using Reason

Propellerhead first blew electronic musicians' heads apart in 1999 with Reason 1.0, an entirely unique synthesizer workstation in a single application, perfect for dance music. During it's long evolution, Reason has remained an essential piece of music-creation software, now equally relevant for nearly any musical genre and with greatly more advanced sequencing, sampling, synthesis and effects capabilities. This collection of Propellerhead Reason resources guides you through version 1 to the latest version 4 with tips, tricks and advice for studio production, remixing, live performance and synthesizer programming.

FEATURES

Phantom Power: God of Thunder

Create massive modular synth patches with Propellerhead Reason 4’s Thor. “God of Thunder” starts from the ground up with the oscillator and filter types, and then moves on to some simple modulation tips....

4 on the Floor

For whatever reason, Propellerhead's flagship Reason 4 software is stubbornly different. Maybe the Swedish office has Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way...

Sound Cycles

Experience the life of Mocean Worker’s Cinco de Mowo tracks, from sampling and songwriting to stage...

Reason 3 Jacked Up

This story provides instructions on learning how to use the Propellerhead Reason 3 back panel for patching together new sounds. ...

THE SOFT MACHINE

Despite today's proliferation of music software, it still pays to be deft with old-fashioned hardware. Both are interchangeably used in studio environments,...

RACK TO BASICS

Last month's column, The Soft Machine, presented an introductory lesson on hardware courtesy of Propellerhead Reason software, which is a software mirror...

RACK 'EM UP

Loop-based performance programs garner most of the attention for using software live. But if you look under Propellerhead Reason's hood and think outside...

BEYOND THE PRESET

When using synthesizers and software instruments during the writing process, most of us reach for the presets on our favorite plug-ins and keyboards....

PORTABLE MUTATIONS

There's a movement afoot. Well, maybe not a movement per se, but certainly a nascent trend is gathering momentum under a talented crop of producers that...

The Cool Kids

With a throwback sound and retro style more likened to the era of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing than that of today's typical rap group, it's safe to...

MODERNIZED MIDI

Despite the blinding speed of technological progress, 21 years after its birth, the MIDI standard is still heavily in use a testament to its strength...

Propellerhead Software Reason 4

To borrow a slogan from a well-known winery, Propellerhead will sell no software before its time. It took a couple of years and then some to get Reason 4 out the door, and it was worth the wait....

SAMPLE CONTENT FOR REASON

Propellerhead Software Introduces Reason Electric Bass ReFill

Propellerhead Software today announced the Reason Electric Bass ReFill for Reason, Propellerhead’s acclaimed music production system for Mac and PC. Reason Electric Bass captures the soul of the bass guitar, delivering amazingly realistic electric bass sounds for music producers of all contemporary music genres....

NEW REASON DRUM KITS REFILL FROM PROPELLERHEAD

Propellerhead Software has released the Reason Drum Kits ReFill, a huge multigigabyte collection of pristine drum kits recorded in a professional setting....

NEWS BLURBS

Ask Video Ships Propellerhead Reason 4 Tutorial DVD

Ask Video is now shipping a new DVD video tutorial featuring more than five hours of instruction on Propellerhead Reason version 4 virtual studio rack....

Composer Duane Neillson Creates Original Music With Propellerhead Reason For The Emmy Award-Nominated Sitcom, “Everybody Hates Chris”

Composer/musical creator Duane Neillson is the man behind the music on hit TV shows including “Dr. Phil”, “Entertainment Tonight”, “Insider”, “Rachael Ray”, and a host of other productions for CBS/Paramount and Warner Brothers. ...

REVIEWS

Propellerhead Reason 4

The ever-growing rack expands again...

PROPELLERHEAD REASON 3.0

With electronic music, a great divide has existed between what happens in the confines of the studio and what happens on the stage. Software synths and...

ONE-SHOTS

APULSOFT APTRIGGA 2 SAMPLE-TRIGGERING PLUG-IN One of the best tricks that professional engineers employ is the ability to augment drum performances with...

PROPELLERHEAD REASON 2.5

Few pieces of audio-production technology will ever enjoy the explosive popularity of Propellerhead Reason. In just a few short years, the program has...

PROPELLERHEAD RECYCLE 2.1

ReCycle is the application that started it all for Sweden's Propellerhead Software. A landmark application that single-handedly spawned a whole new way...

ONE-SHOTS

Native Instruments Vokator VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT It would be entirely too straightforward for Native Instruments to replicate something so kitsch as an analog...

PROPELLERHEAD Reason 1.0

A virtual rack of hardware that nearly does it all. During the Winter 2000 NAMM show, Propellerhead Software (creator of ReCycle and ReBirth) announced...

Mix Field Test: Propellerhead Software Reason 4

If you'd rather record all-electronic instrumentals than eat or sleep, then the release of Reason 4 ($499, $129 upgrade) will make your life complete....

Mix Field Test: Propellerhead Software Reason 2.5

For many, Propellerhead's Reason is the go-to application when your creation requires a whole lot of virtual synthesis and sampling horsepower....

TUTORIALS

Master Class: Reason 4

Propellerhead Software's Reason 4 introduces a new sequencer that has a region-based interface, similar to DAW applications. Clips displayed along the sequencer's timeline represent note and automation data. ...

Sound Design Workshop: Reason 4

One of the exciting features of Propellerhead Software Reason 4's new Thor Polysonic Synthesizer is its ability to route audio into the device and process signals with its variety of new filters. ...

Sound Design Workshop: Liven Up REX Beats With Effects in Reason 4

For fifty or a hundred dollars, you can buy a CD or DVD that's packed with great-sounding, professionally designed drum loops. But sometimes a beat needs a little work to sit well in your mix. ...

Sound Design Workshop: To the REXcue

Sometimes a sampled beat sounds perfect just the way it is. But a little creative patching can transform it into something wildly new. ...

Power Tools: Reason Versions 3 and 4

Ever since Propellerhead first showed Reason, its sequencer and virtual rack filled with cool-looking DSP models of mixers, synths and effects ...

Power Tools: More Tips on Using Version 3

Although it's now at Version 3, Propellerhead's Reason is as easy to use as ever. However, there are a number of cool things you can do with it that go beyond the obvious. ...

Power Tools: Reason

Although Reason is designed for speed, its versatility can at first be daunting. With all that virtual gear at your fingertips, finding your way around, choosing the right modules and following the signal path are not always no-brainers. ...


Avid Presents:
Remix Hotel Los Angeles
Dec. 4-6, 2008

Remix Hotel heads to SAE's L.A. campus for another weekend of music-production technology; industry panels; and appearances by Danja, DJ Babu, J-Rocc, Squeak E. Clean, Sid Roams, DJ Shortee and more. And RHLA 2008 adds a new programming component: video production. You won't want to miss it—register today!

REMIX RESOURCES

Download PDF files of glossaries, charts and mixing tutorials to hang up in your studio as quick-and-easy references for your recording process.

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