Reason 6

If you really want to save in your Reason 6 purchase, then you might want to look at their Student/Faculty Edition, which will really help you save a lot of dollars. From the original price of $450, you’ll only pay about $285, really huge difference no? But of course, you need to get some kind of verification that you’re really a student or teacher, and not some high-salaried studio professional. I think that for most full-time students like myself, this is kind of a godsend. But for those of you who make music for a living, and who can’t avail of the student-faculty edition, then you can still check out our link below, which still gives you one of the best prices around for Reason 6. Definitely much better than what they’re selling it for in their official website.

Just a few days after Reason 6 was released, MusicRadar.com came up with their review of Reason 6. The verdict? An amazing five stars. The main pros, according to them, include: “Incredible ease of use. Great new devices, Fantastic pitchshifting/timestretching. Virtual SSL console sounds superb. Rock-solid operation and low CPU usage.” Of course the headline when it comes to Reason 6 is it’s new audio track capability, thanks to integrating Record into the main Reason program. And if you’ve ever tried Record before, then you know that it works very well when it comes to audio recording.

Music Radar also took notice of Reason’s powerful per-clip pitchshifting of audio, which works really well when it comes to vocals. The results are really good especially for pitching a few steps up or down. It’s not very natural when it comes to far ranges, but who needs to do that anyway? It seems that Music Radar took more notice of the pitchshifting feature, whereas Resident Advisor (previous review) took more notice of the time-stretching feature. I think both features combined make the audio processing capabilities of Reason 6 truly one of the best in the market. The audio mixer interface, an SSL-modelled desk, is still as good as ever, and effective as a final mixing tool.

Music Radar also calls the three new devices “fantastic, with a huge range of creative applications.” I think that’s no surprise, since the theme of Reason 6, in addition to the new Record integration, is “effects”. The most obvious use for the Pulveriser, according to the reviewer, is on drums, though it can have a very sweet effect on other instruments as well. There were good comments on the other two devices, The Echo and the Alligator, which we’ve already heard from other reviewers (and which we’re not so surprised about).

Of course, Reason 6 might not be 100% perfect. Some comments according to Music Radar include the limited file type support, and also the lack of certain advanced DAW features. By these “advanced DAW features”, I take it to mean the lack of support for third-party plug-ins. Well, we know the consistent philosophy behind Reason 6 since the very start. It was all about stability, and stability means being self-contained. I doubt that the guys at Propellerheads will compromise on that point any time soon. In fact, you could say that it’s what sets Reason apart from all the other Digital Audio Workstations out there.

In conclusion, according to Music Radar reason always was a great track-starter, but because of all the new additions to Reason 6, it has become a terrific track-finisher too. “In short, absolutely everybody should try Reason 6; whether they’re a complete sceptic or a hardcore Reason devotee.” I think that the new additions make Reason 6 an absolute must have for any musician or producer’s software arsenal.

Well, it seems that ResidentAdvisor.Net is very happy with the new release of Reason 6, calling Reason 6 a very strong comeback after what some users considered to be a slight letdown with Reason 5. According to them, “The new devices, the more efficient workflow and the integrated functionality culled from Record have all beefed up the Reason environment considerably.” And we certainly agree. If you’re a long-time user of Reason, you will immediately notice that the huge changes that they’ve made, primarily the integration of the Record features into Reason. And I think that even if you’re not a loyal fan of Reason, then these new features have at least turned Reason 6 into a must-try for any serious musician. Meaning you should at least try it out before finally settling into your current Digital Audio Workstation.

One thing that you’ll immediately notice the very moment that you open Reason 6 is the new mixer view, which is positioned just on top of the standard reason view. This is where you’ll find the various components of Record. It might look a little overwhelming at first, since you now have more channels and sliders on your screen, but the navigational aids make the interface rather intuitive, and it before you know it, it’s already second nature. Not only that, but the whole set-up requires relatively little work for your CPU. Reason has been known to be light on the computer, and Reason 6 is no exception.

There is a convenience when it comes to recording, since you can record audio in practically the same was as you record MIDI. There is also a kind of “back-up” feature, since Reason records more than one take in a live recording, meaning at the end of it all you can choose the best take, or still salvage the take if something goes wrong. This is a significant feature which I believe isn’t present in other DAW’s like Ableton. Another feature is that the content of your audio tracks are automatically time stretched, with three different time stretching algorithms, ensuring that you get the most perfect transpositions.

Of course, we don’t need to say much about the “meat” of Reason 6, which is the effects. Resident Advisor points out the disappointment that fans had with Reason 5, since after waiting for four years, Reason 5 was only equipped with two new devices: the Dr. Octo Rex loop player and the Kong drum designer. Reason 6 in contrast has three new devices. The first is the Echo, which is a space delay modeled after Roland Space Echo. Then second is the Pulveriser, which does exactly what is sounds like. Resident Advisor calls it a “Swiss Army knife bent on destruction, with a compressor, distortion, filter, modulation, envelope follower and configurable signal routing all wrapped up in a trendy steampunk interface.” Finally there’s the Alligator, which is a three-band gater that contains drive, phaser, delay, volume and pan controls for each band. It would really be interesting to see how people put this device to creative use.

Of course, Resident Advisor doesn’t call Reason 6 absolutely perfect. There are still some points for improvement. For example, they point out the lack of a MIDI out, which prevents you from controlling external hardware from Reason. They also expressed a little annoyance with the Ignition Key, which is required to authorize Reason each time you start the program.

However, despite this slight nuisances, Reason 6 really sets the standard, and has completely redeemed the Reason franchise from the slight dip that it had with Reason 5. The best way to know how good Reason 6 is, of course, to simply try it out for yourself. I think that it will surprise both long-time Reason users as well as other DAW loyalists.

In a previous post I mentioned a way that you could save on your Reason 6 through a Reason Duo purchase. Well, I’ve found an even better way. You can buy the Reason 6 complete package directly with a substantial discount here:

“Click Here for Reason 6 Discount”

If you’ve been following our posts, then you know that Reason 6 is going to be one of the most massive and powerful versions of Reason in its award-winning ten year history. The combination of two great programs Reason and Record into one neat package, finally makes this the all-in-one solution to every musician’s music-making needs. I think Propellerhead Software has finally found the winning ingredient that will set Reason above the rest of the competition, and which will make experienced music producers change their favorite music-making programs and finally make the switch to Reason, with its unique studio interface, high-quality instruments and effects, and dedication to giving the musician the easiest and most comfortable production experience ever. Even if it was sold for the original price of 450$ it would still be a steal, but like I said you can even get 50$ off by buying through the link above.

Reason 6 has been much anticipated by the music community. It had it’s very successful debut at the Producer Sessions Live event in London where it showcased its theme of “creative effects” as well as its merging of Record and Reason. As has constantly been reported, these creative effects are comprised by the Pulveriser, the Alligator, and the Echo. These effects already make Reason 6 an impressive improvement over the previous version, but the combination of Record and Reason is something which turns that impressive improvement into a tremendous, “earth-shaking” improvement. So far there have been only glowing reviews. Music Radar has given Reason 6 a complete five stars, while Resident Advisor has given Reason 6 a whopping 4.5/5 in their grading scale.

Well kiddies, here is the day a lot of us have been waiting for. Reason 6 is now officially out! I’ve been waiting for this for months! I’m sure those of you who have previous versions of Reason and Record are all busy downloading the upgrade patch, and I won’t be surprised if a lot of Reason users will be spending the whole weekend just immersed in all the new goodness, trying stuff out, remixing songs using the latest effects, etc. And I’m also very eager to read the reviews, which I’m sure a lot of people are now working on as we speak. My expectation is that it’s really going to be an overwhelming swell of positive reviews. We hope to give a comprehensive summary of reviews for Reason 6 here soon. Stay tuned!

It seems that Propellerhead Software is brewing a very unique promotional campaign for the release of Reason 6. For those who are already owners of Record and Reason (whatever version), you can decide how much you’d like to pay for the Reason 6 upgrade. This time it’s you, the user, who decides how much their software is worth. You can pay anything from just $1 to several thousand dollars, it all depends on you. The promo lasts from September 30, 2011, the release date, to October 31, 2011. You can read more about the news here. Owners of Record Reason Duo, or Record for Reason Owners, are qualified for this offer. If you own only Reason without Record, or Record without Reason, you can avail of the standard upgrade offers.

Well, I think it’s very generous of Propellerhead to think of such an offer. The whole Reason 6 upgrade was already a concession to their loyal fans, who have always wanted a stand-alone package that could do audio recording, plus retaining all the powerful features of Reason along with its unique interface. It took a while in coming, but they finally did it. I think asking the users (though I’d rather call us fans because Reason has attained a kind of celebrity status in the music production community) to name their price furthers that experience of putting the customer first, and building even more trust and relationship overall. Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some who’d purchase the Reason 6 upgrade for $1, and I think (I’m not proud in saying this) I’d be one of them. Now don’t get me wrong though, I think Reason 6 is worth more than three-hundred dollars even, but being a full-time student at the moment I don’t think I can sacrifice too much. Well, ok, maybe $5 then.

But if you’ve really grown up with Reason, and better yet, if you’ve made money through your music with Reason, then I think now is a good time to just show how much you appreciate the people behind this great piece of software. And that’s especially since Reason 6 marks a milestone in its development, being the biggest update ever in its more than ten year history. It’s time to show Reason 6 some love!

The first ever preview of Reason 6 at the Producer Sessions Live at the SAE Institute in London was a glowing success, as Mattias Häggström Gerdt demonstrated all the new features. What will long-time Reason users experience when they boot up Reason 6 for the first time? Mattias’ answer: “a ton of new things”. For one, Reason 6 is a fusion of Record and Reason, the first time in its history. This means that you get the full mixer, the amps, the Neptune pitch adjuster, as well as a new layout in your Reason interface.

Second, it turns out that Reason 6′s theme this time is: “creative effects”. And you’ll immediately notice that there aren’t any new instruments or synths in this upgrade, but three great new flexible effects, the Pulveriser, which is a compressor and demolition machine all in one, the Alligator, which can create new rhythmic textures, and the Echo, which Propellerhead hopes to be the final word when it comes to echo and stereo delay effects. These effects strive to take the existing sounds and synths that you already have in Reason to a whole new dimension. Using any one of these effects can give you a completely different sound, as if you had a completely new instrument hardly recognizable from the original.

I’m also excited for its public release on September 30, 2011! Please check our website again for a summary of reviews and hopefully the best discount price for Reason 6.

Propellerhead Software has just announced that Reason 6 will for the first time be publicly previewed on September 3 and 4 at Producer Sessions Live 2011, to be held at SAE London. Following up on the sold-out success of the previous year, Producer Sessions Live 2011 is an annual event that brings together some of the biggest names in music production, to provide intimate tutorial sessions and master classes for aspiring young musicians and producers. SAE London is the UK’s top school for sound and production engineers, and it wil definitely be a great privilege to attend the event and check out the state of the art facilities and equipment of the school for yourself. A day ticket only costs £10, while entry to each Producer Session costs £5. Definitely a great bargain. This is also a rare opportunity to get your hands wet in a hi-tech recording studio environment with some very successful names in the business. Some of the confirmed names include Mark Hill/Artful Dodger, Stonebridge, Kid Massive, Nicky Romero, Nu:Tone, Steve Mac, Dave Spoon, and others. The whole event will use five whole floors, and a total of twenty rooms, of the SAE London building.

The Swedish producer Mattias Häggström Gerdt will be the one in charge of showing off Reason 6 to an excited audience throughout the weekend. Mattias has been awarded for his accomplishments in the computer game music scene, and is a well-known composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Propellerhead product specialist. He has contributed scores to several computer games, such as “Cobalt” and “Scrolls”, with tracks made exclusively with Reason. You’ll also hear his music in the introduction and tutorial videos released by Propellerhead for the past Reason releases.

As has been mentioned in the other pre-release news, one of the main highlights about Reason 6 will be its powerful combination of the features of Record with Reason, namely audio recording and editing, making it a more complete all-in-one solution to music production. Perhaps there will also be significant demonstrations of the new effects like the Pulveriser and the Alligator, as well as any significant tweaks to the old ones.

There will also be an unveiling of the audio interface in Reason 6 called “Balance”, which works as a 2-in-2-out unit. It is an interface that is tightly integrated with Reason, as you will immediately experience with the innovative Clip Safe function, which records the same input on two channels, one of them at a lower volume, so you have a backup in case one of them “clips”, a magical lifeline for distorted takes. The interface is very sleek and user-friendly as well, as we have come to expect from Propellerhead Software, and their emphasis on the musician’s experience.

Reason 6 will be explained along with Balance at Level 5, Room 4 of the SAE London venue. For more information about the venue, as well as how to book tickets, click here.

The Pulveriser isn’t the only new effect in Reason 6, but there are also other great goodies in Reason 6 with The Echo, a “modern” delay and analog tape echo, and the Alligator, a three-band pattern gate, both of which can help get your creative juices flowing even more.

The Echo is a hybrid of the cutting-edge and the vintage, in that it is able to bring together the power of modern delays with those old-school sounds of tape machines and analog circuitry.

The knobs on this one contain delay settings, where you can keep the pitch in tune while applying the ping-pong effect, then there’s the feedback and color knobs, which includes among other things a Diffusion that produces a reverb-like effect. And then the modulation settings, where you’ll also find a “wobble” knob which simulates the tape wobbling effect. Behind the Echo you’ll find “breakout jacks” where you can insert other effects into the feedback loop, opening the way for more creative possibilities and sonic sculpturing.

The Alligator in Reason 6 is a cool reptilian effect, which will turn those bland rhythms into more interesting textures and patterns. Suddenly add breaks and accents onto a flat synthesizer sound, or completely revamp a standard drum loop. You can either use it on a single track, or on the entire song to completely reshape it.

Any signal that is input into the Alligator is immediately split up into three separate channels, where they are processed in isolation. They are then run through either a high pass, band pass, or low pass filter, until finally reaching the FX section, where you can apply the built-in distortion, phaser and delay effects. The controls are separate for each channel, making an endless number of possible rhythmic combinations.

All in all, these effects add more crunch and oomph in your musical arsenal. Another step in making Reason 6 the all-in-one-solution to turning the music in your head, into aural reality.

Given the great distortion effects that we’ve received from Propellerheads, one can look forward to the newest distortion effect in Reason 6, The Pulveriser. Get ready to crunch, crush and conquer those boring sounds and turn them into stardust.

You can use it to bring out more of the hidden details from your recording or sample, or make your live instruments recording more expressive and sharp. The first part of the Pulveriser is the “Squash” and “Dirt” knobs, which you can use either to add warmth to your snare or kick drum, make those guitars cry like babies, or completely mangle your sounds beyond recognition, and turn them into completely different lifeforms.

The Multi-mode filter comes next, and then the modulation, and finally the parallel compression. You can accomplish a lot from this distortion effect, from making your sound softer and warmer, introducing that tremolo effect, or bombarding grit and roughness onto any kind of bland sample. I think it’s great for all sorts of techno, rock, heavy metal, gothic, and futuristic/industrial genres. Though don’t let that stop you from experimenting on softer, mellower genres as well. Reason 6 continues the tradition that we’ve always come to expect from the Propellerhead guys.