Since its release, Propellerheads‘ Reason has been quickly propelled to the hottest music software anywhere, loved by many and criticized by others, ironically, for making music too easy. Everyone agreed, however, radical as this product was, version 2.0 would be better. Well, folks, 2.0 is here. Click ‘Read More’ for details. Stay tuned this week for additional news from the Musikmesse conference: I’m pouring through new product announcements even as you read this!
Since its release, Propellerheads‘ Reason has been quickly propelled to the hottest music software anywhere, loved by many and criticized by others, ironically, for making music too easy. Everyone agreed, however, radical as this product was, version 2.0 would be better. Well, folks, 2.0 is here.
In addition to being OS X native (as well as supporting OS 9), Reason 2.0 adds a Malstr?m Graintable Synthesizer which combines wavetable and granular synthesis (I’ll get back to you on what exactly that means once I get a chance to play with it!), a new ‘advanced’ NN-XT to compliment the ‘quick and dirty’ NN-19, adding automatic pitch detection and mapping of samples, graphical zone editing, loop editing, layering plus zone velocity switching, and crossfading, and even programmable zones, an extensive orchestral sample library for the NN-XT, plus (finally) enhancements to the rather anemic original sequencer. The most terrifyingly powerful feature for would-be beatmeisters: sequencer-locked, tempo-syncable LFOs throughout all Reasons’ modules. (Don’t worry if you don’t yet know what that means. Stay tuned for my review: you will.) The upgrade is due second quarter, with upgrade pricing set at US$89 or EUR99.
Also today: Zero-G and PowerFX in the UK have announced ReFill sample libraries for Reason, with everything from vintage synths to breaks to Indian music and everything in between.
