What do you love most about Reason?

[Grinder One]

Hands down, the idea of the "virtual rack."  I am not a polished keyboardist (drummer/bassist), but I need to compose, and I love synths and sounds.  And sounds.  And sounds.  I was stifled for almost twenty years while I fooled around with Cakewalks and such, and continued to buy racks here and there.  I love rack gear, but eventually, you just have to stop collecting and work with what you've got.  Music equipment is so inspiring to me.  Note: I love normal orchestral/band instruments too - I'll try to play anything, so my house is full of anything....mandolin, cello, trumpet, flute, whatever...anything is fair game.
I had almost stopped composing entirely until I discovered Reason.  It's like Reason was built just for me.  The infinite studio.  More gear.  More sounds.  More options.  And no 7-foot racks in my living room!
I can afford a master studio.  In my pajamas.  Kid in a candy store.
Also, thanks to Reason, I have only recently learned that finding good sounds only BEGINS with the patch.  All these Echobodes, and BeatCrushes, and Shapes, is where things start getting really clever.
(Here's where I mention Shpongle, even though it has nothing to do directly with Propellerhead Reason...but Shpongle changed my thinking greatly, and that kind of thinking requires a master studio...and MY Reason studio will do nicely)

Dream on and Best Wishes to all.

Thats a fantastic post, and I love the highlighted sentiment. <img title="Thumb - :thumb:" class="emoticon bbc_img" src="/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" alt="[thumb]

[guitfnky]

Just your number one feature?

For me it's *gasp*, the workflow. I switched from Digital Performer way back when with Reason+Record Duo, and it's only ever gotten more powerful, and more fun to use.

[Last Alternative]

I LOVE how alive it feels- colors, devices, the mixer, etc. It inspires me. The other DAWs feel really drab.

[raymondh]

I really like the Rack Extension architecture. The consistent user experience and excellent integration into the DAW.

I go back to my VST-based host every now and then and while the VST instruments are excellent, it feels like a frankenstien of different looks and feels and tacked on integration.

While RE's have their limitations, whenever I purchase a new RE, it is like the whole platform has become more powerful, rather than just adding another bolt-on.

(If I could top 3, it would be #2 combinator and #3 SSL mixer)

[rvman]

Jeez, just one? I'd say it's a tie between the sounds and being so stable and cpu friendly.

The workflow wouldn't matter if it didn't sound good.

[Gaja]

I love how I can just open up a combinator (which is a fantastic feature) and start noodling away and still end up with something useful, and/or learn something useful, production wise, sound design wise etc. No other environment has ever supported me in this wish, Reason made it come true.

[gak]

What I love is that it covers all my important basses (including guitar and bass work) well w/o nonsense. And it works. Minimal CPU hit, no weirdness, no issues (so far) 

[Yonatan]

I love how it does not get in the way of getting creative, letting me focus on shaping things as I want it, and the way all is integrated as a whole. I also love the good looking and sounding SSL mixer and being able to work as hardware, learning how things are connected. 

[forensickbeats]

That TAB key feature...

[trimph1]

What I love is that it covers all my important basses (including guitar and bass work) well w/o nonsense. And it works. Minimal CPU hit, no weirdness, no issues (so far) 

You took the words out of my hands....as well....for me the CV routing is a tweaker's heaven.

[zakalwe]

the modularity (?) of it.  i can get lost for hours.

[Grinder One]

The wires, "hmm, ok then, so what if I do something really stupid, like take this lead and plug it in errr...here....oh wow, that sounds great !"

[Noplan]

Unscrew the Subtractor!

[Shokstar]

what I like in Reason is, it is not modern like other DAW´s   :t0152: :s0959: :s0106: :s0221:

[tibah]

Simplicity and complexity both in right measures!

I guess after 14 or so years of using Reason my brain is just linked to how things work. 2nd nature. Even things like phasing REX loops don't annoy me!

[ionly]

The simple things like undo/redo for every action, and being able to automate just about everything. My other DAW, Studio One, gets right on my t*ts in this regard. 

[ionly]

I LOVE how alive it feels- colors, devices, the mixer, etc. It inspires me. The other DAWs feel really drab.

This also ^^^





EDIT: I can't do singular answers

[zeebot]

For me the best feature is the unsung hero of reason...the Combinator!!
Brilliant idea, from megasynths to complicated fx and mastering patches. If you can imagine it you can build it.

[rvman]

I'm really surprised at the amount of complaining about R8's workflow, like it's bad.

I started with R7, and some things I liked better in 7, but R8's workflow more than makes up for the little things I liked in 7.

Even though I'm still new to Reason, R8 increased my speed, which is a major plus when inspiration hits.

[zeebot]

I'm really surprised at the amount of complaining about R8's workflow, like it's bad. I started with R7, and some things I liked better in 7, but R8's workflow more than makes up for the little things I liked in 7. Even though I'm still new to Reason, R8 increased my speed, which is a major plus when inspiration hits.

It may suit you but there are a lot of people it doesn't and considering the main selling point of R8 was 'workflow improvements' its a fail for some, me included.

[True]

The rack metaphor.

[Nymphomation]

I find it super fast, super stable (never had a crash in Reason since v2.5!) and the modular functions. 

I work faster, and get stuff down quicker than any other bit of music software I've tried, and it makes me experiment.

I have more fun making music in Reason.... which is pretty important. Oh, and the MIDI mapping - touch a dial, touch your midi controller... done. Perfect every time.

[joeyluck]

It's stability and intuitiveness.

When I show it to my friends who are not Reason users at the moment, they instantly find they prefer it.
The virtual rack is something both engineers and musicians really appreciate. Not having to navigate handfuls of floating windows of plugins is a HUGE plus.

[motuscott]

That "Reason Sound".

[trimph1]

For me the best feature is the unsung hero of reason...the Combinator!!
Brilliant idea, from megasynths to complicated fx and mastering patches. If you can imagine it you can build it.

Love this as well!!