User reviews: PropellerHead Reason 1.0

09/05/11

yoTrakkz's review

Propeller head Reason 1 changed the way that I looked at software for music creation. Reason 1.0 was the first time that I saw the power of softwares and wanted to get away from all of the hardware in my studio. I was able to free up a ton of space in my studio at home by getting rid of the hardware and going with Propeller Head Reason 1. Reason had everything that I needed anymore and I had a great run with reason software. Reason allowed me to see the potential that a software has, and it opened up the gateway for me to use a bunch of other programs that created all of the compositions I have made today.

Suitability/Performance

I ran Propeller Reason 1 on my windows xp computer and it worked great, never had 1 single crash or freeze up. Also upgrading it was extremely easy as well, just did an online upgrade it only took about 10 minutes and I had the newest version of Reason. I have been using reason off and on for about 8 years strong, but today I don’t use it as much as I use to . I feel that Reason’s Mixer hasn’t moved into the right direction with the way that I like everything set up. Reason is a very powerful program but I thin they took to much time making it look like a powerful program instead of making it user friendly but still powerful.

Overall Opinion

Overall Reason is a great software, I wouldn’t recommend it for the beginner because it will throw you for a loop, there are other software’s out on the market that a beginner can try for free and download and if they like it they can purchase. But after you get use to using and sequencing with software I suggest you come back and try Reason.

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

For a casual songwriter like myself, it doesn't make sense to spend $10K on a rack full of gear when Reason can duplicate it easily. Saves space and ugly wiring! Doesn't allow live recording which is a limitation for most songwriters. Reason detects audio clipping, but its sometimes difficult to find the culprit.

Price paid

$250.00 USD

Interface is easy if you've spent any time in a studio or with a computer sequencer. A stronger tutorial would be nice. There should really be a "live" tutorial of each instrument. Reason is like chess: easy to learn, more difficult to master.

Suitability/Performance

Strong sounds, mostly techno style. Samples are good although many are simply variations on the same theme. Effects are good for a software program.

Reason is processor intensive. Using an iMac G4 Reason quit after adding 10-15 devices (mix of drums, samplers and effects). I exported several MIDI songs from Cakewalk 3.1 (yes 3.1!) and Reason imported them easily. No bugs, no crashes (yet). A very strong product.

Overall Opinion

The biggest investment is the computer you buy to use Reason (get the most processor you can afford). If Propellerheads continues to support their customers and add new devices (or at least new sounds) I will remain a customer for life!

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: bluezoo7 ( 3-, 2004)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

There are so many features ive used this to make beats for a year and dont kno half the sh*t and still make f*ckin hot beats. maybe for the rap side you dont go as in depth as techno or wahtever but for wahtever you produce this program has it and more

Price paid

free on kaazaa i think 200 in stores

this isnt easy to use because its so powerful. if youre an idiot stick to fruityloops. the manual has been helpful in answering all my questions. the interface is the best thing from having the physical equipment which would cost in the high thousands as appose to the the free download

Suitability/Performance

Sound quality is great. my stuff sounds proffesionally mixed with minimal work. i sample all of my sounds so i dont kno that much about what sounds come with it. i just experiment with some of the soundbank sounds and have tried some refills. the effects are great i upgraded to reason 2.5 and it has even more shit than b4

Quality: f*ckin great

Overall Opinion

I love it as far as software goes but making drum patterns is limited when you have to point and click them. id recomend a midi control drum pad like akai mpd16 or hooking up your mpc as a controller. other than what it lacks in being able to physically touch it(which you cant with any software....its software) this program is the top of the line-unf*ckwitable all the way

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

I would renew the compression module, now you have an analog display, and so it is more difficult to precisely synchronise your drums with a bassline that is gate limited. maybe a digital display perhaps ? i also see a few reverb modules, and few types of samplers... maybe, you can add the roland varios module or a vocoder, or a kind of breathcontroller? to emulate flutesounds (ocarina, flute, clarinet, ...)

i use it for over a year now, i make professional tune and songs for a top dj, but still i haven't figured out the complexibility of the wirering and other stuff, i guess you have to see the logic of it, and have basic knowledge of using LFO bases synthesizers. otherwise for a newbie like myself a year ago, i find it too complex. More personal, i rather use reason, then all the same synthesizers on cubase. cubase, reason and rewire are a winning combination, also wavelab and clean are highly recommended.

Suitability/Performance

I'm a little dissapointed, not in the program but in my soundcard. now if i play on my masterkeyboard on the midi input of my soundblaster live, the synth sounds aren't synchronised, i always have to wait a few milliseconds before i hear the tune. is there a soundscard, that has a better performance on that perticular field ?

the output is in one word superb, i've never been so close in soundquality, when i used my wavetable from my soundblaster, which has a 96 khz soundquality. keep doing such good work

Overall Opinion

Even in my grave i would use reason, why, because i have a "reason".

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

Me again. the feature i would add, is a interactive tutorial that teaches you the functions of reason, not only basic stuff, but also like using a gate on a bassdrum and a baseline, like in the song satisfaction. there you here the bassline fading away when the bassdrum hits. you can make such an effect with a gatelimiter, but how do you use it ? you can read in the help files the function of each module, but not how the combine modules, and what the outputs will be.

interactive tutorial. maybe an agent for a Q&A ? and i would really really love to see a zoom function, now if u use it at a resolution higher then 1024x768 some of the buttons become unreadable. maybe a sizeable window with synchonised zoom ? it's maybe a good idea if you could let a window popup with a slidebar, because when you have to change an effect with a round button with a mouse, it's not always very easy because you have to move in an opposite direction, of you make a window popup with a slider, it would make it more effective an preciser, and it feels more realtime. Oh, and since very shortly, an output limiter, because i just fucked up my soundcard, because the output i can create with reason, did a window burst in a thousand pieces, thank god for my genelec studio monitor speakers with an output of more then 150 dB. any idea's for a new soundcard ?

Suitability/Performance

Realtime midi would be great now the sounds are saved in a large file, the reason soundbank.... but, can each sound the will be frequently used be cached in higher random accessed memory, maybe that can inprove the synchronisation between midi and sounds ?

Overall Opinion

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

Great synths, samplers and loop player; the Chorus and Unison effects are quality. Reverb is lacking, it's hard to make it sound good quality, but the presets are acceptable. Can't change tempo in the middle of the song.

Price paid

$299

very easy to use for beginners, a little harder to figure out advanced functions. The manual is good.

Suitability/Performance

It takes some effort to get a good sound, but when you get used to making the sounds, it's great.

great quality.

Overall Opinion

It could use plenty of other features, but for what it is, it's a great all-in-one studio.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

As far as features, it's got pretty much everything to make music, although it's lacking the ability to sample audio. This is easily overcome by using audio editor and importing.

Very easy, but like anything new there will be that initial learning curve. The interface is awesome (it's greatest asset, IMO). The help menu is fine.

Suitability/Performance

Honestly, I'm not too impressed with the sounds that come out it. Others seem to think that Reason is a gift from the heavens, but when it comes to producing music on a professional level, I'm not feelin' it. my biggest problem is that the overall sound is lifeless; no energy or anything. Even when using the same samples as I do with my MPC, there is a considerable difference in quality.

It never crashed, but I did experience problems when having Cubase VST32 installed. I can't remember the error verbatum, but basically I couldn't launch Reason if Cubase was on my system. I never figured the problem out, though. Never had the desire to contact customer support. And no, the buttons don't bend or break.

Overall Opinion

I use it mainly for demo work and throwing ideas together at the studio. I didn't purchase it, but if I had, I wouldn't dash through burning buildings to save the CD-ROMs.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

Lets be clear, Reason 2.5 is the most powerful software sequencer known to man. It only gets a 9 because its missing the one component that would make it unstoppable, the ability to record live audio. Reason's power comes from its seemly infinite flexibility as it allows you to experiment not only with sound, but also the way modules are chained together giving you countless options.

Price paid

R2500.00

To get it to make a sound is childsplay but like any good tool it takes loads of time and coffee to master, and even then you prbably won't have unleashed half of its potential.

Suitability/Performance

The sounds are very useful, but for only a small grouping of genres mainly in the electronica, synthpop area. The previous statement is a lie and should be disregarded comlpetely. I am not a sausage because every sound patch in reason is completely editable and limitations are pretty much only the the mind of the user.

you could gig with it, if your idea of gigging is clicking on a screen. never needed customer support although i sent prop heads an email after i got 2.5 telling them how great they were and they sent me a bunch of eflowers, funny, thats about the time i got that hardcore computer virus... hmmm....

Overall Opinion

If this program could bare children i've make it take the pill and then "marry" it.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 1-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

Considering this software is usually described as "studio in a box", it does lack something for me: I wish I could record straight into it, instead of having to export reason songs as audio files into cubase(or cakewalk) to finish the song. You can import an audio file into the sampler, but it's messy. Other than that, the features are great, and extensive. A really wonderful piece of software.

Price paid

£150ish

Easy enough for a novice. I abhor manuals, so I study the examples and tutorial songs to learn. But you can definitely feel your way through. I'm sure it's even easier if you read the manuals.

Suitability/Performance

I have a Soundblaster Audigy soundcard... I've never had a problem w/ sound.

The propellorheads website is chock full of help and info. Free samples to download... I've never had to contact customer support and I've had it two years now, so good on Reason!

Overall Opinion

I use this as my lifeline really, I have a midi keyboard, and so far it's saved me getting a piano. It's really got everything a budding musician could want. A synth and sampler w/ a HUGE library of sounds... a drum machine, a Dr REX loop thingy which is a life saver for those of us (me) who don't know the semantics of programming a drum machine. load of effects. This will be a great addition to any studio.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown (January 0-, 2003)

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10/31/08

FP User Reviews's review

Getting Started

Absolutely amazing feature set. Limitless possibilities! Only thing it is lacking is VST support, but anyone who understands the relationship between steinberg and propellerheads knows why this won't ever happen, at least not in the forseeable future.

Price paid

$230 US

Does it get any easier?

Suitability/Performance

Maybe support for 5.1-10.2 will be added in the near future? (crosses fingers)

Top notch... I was not dissapointed, not even a little bit!

Overall Opinion

They need to add an eleven to this one... =)

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com

Posted by: Unknown ( 6-, 2003)

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PropellerHead Reason 1.0

PropellerHead Reason 1.0 user reviews ( 9/10) - 14 user reviews