Beat Week Breaking News: Reason 2.0 is Here!

The Swedish software Reason is a true gem: a virtual rack of synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, effects, and sequencers. Beginners can use it as a fabulous beat making toy, while pros can break the rules by constructing patching scenarios that combines recollections of the heydey of vintage analog synthesis with modern digital tools in a flexible, reliable environment. And now, Reason’s version 2 upgrade, which has been eagerly anticipated here on the PowerPage, is here. The new version adds the Malstr?m Graintable Synthesizer with realtime control and filtering of granular/wavetable synthesis (read: wild new ways of making sounds) and a new NN-XT Advanced Sampler with automatic pitch detection and mapping of samples, graphical zone editing, loop editing, layering plus zone velocity switching, and crossfading (read: you won’t need a $5000 Kurzweil sampler). Finally, the annoyingly hard-to-see sequencer has been enhanced so you can tear it off the rack, expand/resize/move a window, stick it on a second monitor, and take advantage of new zoom, line, and eraser tools. Best of all, the new version is OS X native, as well as supporting Windows and OS 9. US$399/EUR449 or upgrade for US$89/EUR99, on 3 CDs, suggesting perhaps new samples and presets. I’d like to believe they made the announcement just for PowerPage’s Beat Week.