MusicTech: Niklas Agevik talks Reason

[deeplink]

Link: https://musictech.com/features/intervie ... as-agevik/

[antic604]

I've learned from this interview that Reason can now - as opposed to version 1 - record audio.

[DaveyG]

A quote to send a chill down your spine:

"The competition isn’t other DAWs or plugins; the competition is actually Netflix or Steam – nothing to do with making music at all."

[joeyluck]

Link: https://musictech.com/features/intervie ... as-agevik/

Edit: lol. nevermind.

Lol would it be ok if we edited the title of this thread to something else along the line of "MusicTech interviews Niklas Agevik"? The talk about Reason 13 is not the main subject of the article and it's nothing new from what we learned from past roadmap updates—it only says that they are focused on Reason 12.

[joeyluck]

A quote to send a chill down your spine:

"The competition isn’t other DAWs or plugins; the competition is actually Netflix or Steam – nothing to do with making music at all."

For context, here's the full quote:

"Our mission is to turn music dreamers into music makers,” Niklas Agevik starts, echoing the company’s longstanding mission. "It should be inviting to make music. The competition isn’t other DAWs or plugins; the competition is actually Netflix or Steam – nothing to do with making music at all. When we say ‘turn music dreamers into music makers,’ it’s actually about making it so that you want to come home and start up Reason. It’s about making music-making as fun as it can be."

I like the idea of focusing on the experience. I want DAW features that improve workflow to get work done, but I also want to have fun, and there's plenty of features that can be introduced that would also improve the experience. But I don't want Reason to be like Pro Tools, because I don't find that fun or inviting to open.

[chimp_spanner]

I mean there's certainly a reason that I go to Reason when I could just as easily open up Live or Cubase. It *is* more inviting, to me. It's more fun. It feels like something I've earned after a long day; it doesn't feel like more work.

Of course I think they could still take some inspiration from other DAWs. Just because the aim is simplicity and fun doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't get QOL improvements too. Arguably they would make the experience more fun, because you'd spend less time doing things that are laborious or that aren't creative. Fingers tightly crossed 13 is the DAW update!

[DaveyG]

Fingers tightly crossed 13 is the DAW update!

It's unlikely, given that they don't think they are competing with DAWs.
Their biggest problem is that rack devices and cables tend to appeal mostly to oldies, who have seen/used/owned the real thing. They need to appeal to younger generations before us old farts all die out.

[selig]

I like the idea of focusing on the experience. I want DAW features that improve workflow to get work done, but I also want to have fun, and there's plenty of features that can be introduced that would also improve the experience. But I don't want Reason to be like Pro Tools, because I don't find that fun or inviting to open.

Same here, but will add that improving workflow CAN make things “less un-fun”, if not more fun IF it allows you to work at a pace/flow that gets more ideas documented/recorded and does so quicker than at present.

And I’ll add that Reason having features similar to Pro Tools (or better than in some cases) is not the same as Reason being “more like” Pro Tools. If you keep the fun factor, then it won’t matter if it has the exact same features as Pro Tools, right? Not saying that is at all want I want, just separating the two things (“fun and inviting” and “like Pro Tools”).

[joeyluck]

Well I did say, "...and there's plenty of features that can be introduced that would also improve the experience."

[deeplink]

Link: https://musictech.com/features/intervie ... as-agevik/

Edit: lol. nevermind.

Lol would it be ok if we edited the title of this thread to something else along the line of "MusicTech interviews Niklas Agevik"? The talk about Reason 13 is not the main subject of the article and it's nothing new from what we learned from past roadmap updates—it only says that they are focused on Reason 12.

Sure no problem

[EnochLight]

Right now, Niklas says as he sips a can of Swedish IPA, Reason Studios is an office focussed entirely listening to Reason users to make their products better, as opposed to any side quests, if you will, such as apps and hardware.

It's official: please bring all of our Reason DAW feature requests to the next big version, stat!   I can dream it...

IMG_9009.jpg (351.75 KiB) Viewed 1458480 times

That said....

While Reason 1 offered limited audio recording functionality

NO.  No it didn't.  Not sure where the writer of this article came up with this.  Reason 1-4 offered ZERO audio recording functionality, and it wasn't until Reason 5 that we could actually sample with the samplers.  It wasn't until Record 1.0 + Reason 5 that we had audio recording. Details, people - DETAILS!!!

[EnochLight]

A quote to send a chill down your spine:

"The competition isn’t other DAWs or plugins; the competition is actually Netflix or Steam – nothing to do with making music at all."

I mean, he's not wrong - in the sense that Netflix and Steam are things that typically take people away from music production. Doesn't matter if you're a "pro" working actively in the music industry, a bedroom musician that "dabbles", or someone who's always wanted to get into music production but never found an avenue that makes it "fun". All of those groups of people can be sucked into time wasting on Netflix or Steam instead of working on music.

[joeyluck]

Lol would it be ok if we edited the title of this thread to something else along the line of "MusicTech interviews Niklas Agevik"? The talk about Reason 13 is not the main subject of the article and it's nothing new from what we learned from past roadmap updates—it only says that they are focused on Reason 12.

Sure no problem

Cool.

Actually I'll just remove the "13" and I think then it'll be less disappointing to click on lol

[jklok]

So he wants it to be a toy for rich people who have multiple subscriptions, the Financial Times, the Economist, iCloud premium and rent their Mercedes and their F-350 truck, they have an X-box, they watch Netflix and play games and play with Reason just for fun?

But isn’t Reason supposed to be a creative tool? Like Unity which offers a free download for all novice users. Or Resolve which also does the same.

I don't think this way of thinking is a viable option for this software. It's not so easy to get a useful result that will surprise your friends.

People will remix their different samples and videos into apps that they can figure out how to use in minutes. Reason is not a toy and will not be considered as such in the future. I'm worried about the direction this company is going. They should cut their spending immediately.

They hired too many unnecessary creative directors, but the user base run off because the latest features are just a plugin manager and a licensing system update.

Musicians are stupid, we know, but music producers aren't as easy to fool, like printing compatibility updates that are just plain wrong.

[luckygreen]

... People will remix their different samples and videos into apps that they can figure out how to use in minutes. Reason is not a toy and will not be considered as such in the future. I'm worried about the direction this company is going. They should cut their spending immediately...

Possibly the wrong thread for that discussion, but sure, Reason isn't a toy. It's skeuomorphic design may cause someone to consider it as such. Maybe that's one portion of the "fun" part of Reason.

Coming from Ableton Live 11 I'm still in the process of learning Reason 12, but to me, Reason seems like a fairly complete DAW. Sure, we all want more devices, plugins, features and possibilities, but at it's core and with VST-support, I like it so far. So what are you missing? Or let me put it this way: What would be the worring direction the company could go?

PS Now that I think about it: the Mimic sampler could use an update with REX-support. But that's not possible because of limitations of the unterlying SDK, as I understand. So that SDk needs an update. Still, those things are valid feature requests, but generally speaking, I think Reason is fairly complete featurewise.

[antic604]

I just hope he means "fun" for music producers, not for general population.

Because - for some reason - all I can think of is those dance machines in arcades, where music plays, stuff flashes on screen and you have to move your arms & legs in coordination to the rhythm to get points. Reading that interview I imagine an inversion of that, i.e. a "fun" system where goofing around - in physical space, or maybe in AR/VR - will create music

[antic604]

...Reason seems like a fairly complete DAW. Sure, we all want more devices, plugins, features and possibilities, but at it's core and with VST-support, I like it so far. So what are you missing? Or let me put it this way: What would be the worring direction the company could go?

I wouldn't like it to go in the direction I explained above.

What I'm missing? Simple things, really:
* MIDI comping and retrospective recording
* automation of devices belonging to a track together with the track (not as a separate device track with separate automation)
* solo & mute keyboard shortcuts for track (in sequencer) or channel (in rack) in focus
* keyboard shortcuts to change length of MIDI notes, ability to hear MIDI notes when moving them around with keyboard
* bonus - set of new utility devices, like modulators suite (LFO, MSEG, Env. Followers, Random, etc.), splitters (by: frequency bands, mid/side, lefr/right, loud/quiet, transient/body, harmonic/noise, etc.)

Those would really improve my workflow and remove a lot of "unfun" stuff I do all the time.

[luckygreen]

...Reason seems like a fairly complete DAW. Sure, we all want more devices, plugins, features and possibilities, but at it's core and with VST-support, I like it so far. So what are you missing? Or let me put it this way: What would be the worring direction the company could go?

I wouldn't like it to go in the direction I explained above.

What I'm missing? Simple things, really:
* MIDI comping and retrospective recording
* automation of devices belonging to a track together with the track (not as a separate device track with separate automation)
* solo & mute keyboard shortcuts for track (in sequencer) or channel (in rack) in focus
* keyboard shortcuts to change length of MIDI notes, ability to hear MIDI notes when moving them around with keyboard
* bonus - set of new utility devices, like modulators suite (LFO, MSEG, Env. Followers, Random, etc.), splitters (by: frequency bands, mid/side, lefr/right, loud/quiet, transient/body, harmonic/noise, etc.)

Those would really improve my workflow and remove a lot of "unfun" stuff I do all the time.

Seem to me like valid requests for workflow improvement features. Most of your "bonus" utility devices seem to be covered by 3rd party RE. RS may want to leave it that way so RE developers (and RS itself) can make some (additional) money by selling those RE in the RS shop.

[Eprom]

A quote to send a chill down your spine:

"The competition isn’t other DAWs or plugins; the competition is actually Netflix or Steam – nothing to do with making music at all."

I read his comment as "Subscription, subscription, subscription" No pay, no play.

[EnochLight]

So he wants it to be a toy for rich people who have multiple subscriptions, the Financial Times, the Economist, iCloud premium and rent their Mercedes and their F-350 truck, they have an X-box, they watch Netflix and play games and play with Reason just for fun?

How in the bloody hell did you get that as your takeaway?

[guitfnky]

I can see how comparing Reason to Netflix sends a pretty off-the-mark message. it could be interpreted in a few ways already mentioned here--the subscription, and positioning as an unserious product meant for some lighthearted fun.

I don't think that's what he was trying to actually get across, but it definitely seemed like a poorly-considered framing. they want to get you off the couch, or out of the gaming chair, and into the studio (and he did say as much)--and that's admirable. but comparing Reason to a completely passive activity (watching TV) or to playing games (literal toys) is kind of a tone-deaf way to put it when music is anything but passive, and they've been trying to shake the "rEaSoN iS a ToY" label for-basically-ever.

and saying Reason isn't competing against other DAWs and plugins might've made sense in his head, but in the real world, where people actually exist, yes, they absolutely are competing against other DAWs and plugins--this isn't some fantasy-land vacuum we live in. they need a compelling reason for people to pick Reason over the other tools--wait-for-it...competing in the same space.

hopefully his leadership is a hell of a lot better than his sales pitch.

[antic604]

I can see how comparing Reason to Netflix sends a pretty off-the-mark message. it could be interpreted in a few ways already mentioned here--the subscription, and positioning as an unserious product meant for some lighthearted fun.

I don't think that's what he was trying to actually get across, but it definitely seemed like a poorly-considered framing. they want to get you off the couch, or out of the gaming chair, and into the studio (and he did say as much)--and that's admirable. but comparing Reason to a completely passive activity (watching TV) or to playing games (literal toys) is kind of a tone-deaf way to put it when music is anything but passive, and they've been trying to shake the "rEaSoN iS a ToY" label for-basically-ever.

and saying Reason isn't competing against other DAWs and plugins might've made sense in his head, but in the real world, where people actually exist, yes, they absolutely are competing against other DAWs and plugins--this isn't some fantasy-land vacuum we live in. they need a compelling reason for people to pick Reason over the other tools--wait-for-it...competing in the same space.

[jklok]

So he wants it to be a toy for rich people who have multiple subscriptions, the Financial Times, the Economist, iCloud premium and rent their Mercedes and their F-350 truck, they have an X-box, they watch Netflix and play games and play with Reason just for fun?

How in the bloody hell did you get that as your takeaway?

It feels like it, cause the $20 a month for a side thang fun joy is something you would consider after a lot of other expenses in most households.
I'd say for the private market he seem to be targeting that is the group of people who might get that Reason+ for the family.
That and the pro's who want to have everything on offer in their studio, which I understand.
Personally I just need to have a place I can call my own. It's feels like more of a predicament to me to be renting my own bedroom studio here.

[dioxide]

This article has given me an idea. I'm thinking of cancelling Netflix and replacing it with a Reason+ subscription. I just need to run it past my girlfriend and everyone else in the house but I think they'll be fine with it. I mean everyone love music right?

[dakta]

I've just found myself with both a netflix and r+ subscription, and it's probably worth the few quid to get distraction to allow one to use R+ unimpeded

on a serious note, it's an interesting twist because the DAW market - well, let's face it there's no shortage of competition, so maybe making the market bigger is one way