Reason 10: Not Very Impressed

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Geltic Höhn
Posts: 43
Joined: 17 Apr 2018

17 Apr 2018

I have been using Reason 10 now since it was released, which gives me 6 months (?) of hands-on use, and over that time there have been some things that frusrate the heck out of me.

Maybe some readers can offer solutions, if there are any, so I hope to use this thread to vent, and maybe get some tips from others.

Some of what I bring up are peculiarities to Reason 10, while others I think are problematic of all previous versions, but seem like strange development decisions, or a lack of vision in best serving the user.

1. The Browser

When I launch Reason, the Browser is always on-screen by default. Who on earth needs a file browser always on ? I have never seen any other software that does this, because it doesn't make any sense. Sure, I can simply close it with the F3 key, but I usually work in a dark environment so it's silly to have to go hunting for the key to close something that for the most part should never be open. It would be more logical to assign the closing of the pane to the ESC key.

And with the embedded browser design, rather than a pop-up screen (like every other software out there), the ability to arrow up/down to browse patches to listen to while a track is playing seems to be gone. Am I missing something here? It's a real pain to have to drag every patch onto a device just to preview it.

2. The Mix Channel Container
Sometimes I like to drag my chosen instrument in to the Mix Channel, as a speedy alternative to creating a Combinator, since the rotaries and buttons can be programmed in the same way. But when I do this, it re-manes the container as 'Mix Channel', rather than keep the original name format

3. Renaming Rotaries
Still with the Mix Channel/Combinator style utilities, when a rotary is renamed to whatever it's doing (let's say 'Delay Dry/Wet'), once that function is automated in the sequencer, the renamed function does not carry over. It still says Insert FX Rotary 1 or whatever. This means that there is no actual reference to what each automation lane is doing, in the window that users are working in while drawing or playing the automation.


4. Organising ReFills and the Favourites Feature
I have renamed all of my ReFills according to the instruments the open up in. For example, 'Miroslav String Ensembles ReFill' I would change to 'COMBINATOR String Ensembles' in the Windows folder where it lives, but in Reason's Browser window, it shows as the original name. Where is it pulling the name from, and why isn't my custom name (making for more logical quick reference) appearing ?


5. No export to MP3
Unlike other DAWS, even the free Audacity software, it seems not possible to add the codec such FFMPEG, so users need to export a WAV, then re-open in another DAW to render to MP3. What a hassle this is.

Some may be aware that the MP3 technology patent is expired, so it should be able to be built right in to Reason now. And isn't the Propellerhead-created Alihoopa platform serving media as MP3 anyway ?

6. No Custom Color Swatches

Assigning colors to individual tracks is an invaluable workflow management tool, but Reason 10 only has some stock colors, half of which look pretty terrible, and some that are even outright unusable. Like using the yellow colour, you then can't make out the bar lines in the sequencer. And with the darker colors, the track title fonts don't revert to white, which makes them so difficult to read.

7. Screen Real Estate
I run a 27" screen and a 23" screen at 1920x1080, which is hardly tiny. But with the Browser pane open, I can't even view two columns of rack devices in the browser's default state. To me, this negates the whole rack experience that makes Reason unique. It means I need to use the ridiculous Navigator in the top left of the screen just to see what's going on. Or if I reduce the horizontal size of the Browser to fit two rack widths, the Browser menu reverts to icons only

And if all three windows in a project stay attached to one screen, while in sequencer active mode, there are those three grey bars that span vertically, taking up space that could otherwise be used for one extra track view.

Not to mention every time they roll out an update, there is a nag-screen reminder that will not go away on each new launch, taking up even more space.

8. No Zoom of the Rack Window
Since so much of the magic happens in manipulating device functions, and since so many modern instrument pack so many knobs into as few horizontal rack units as possible, it makes me sad that I cannot use a simple zoom control to get a closer look. For example in a web browser, or Word, or Excel, or other software, it is second nature for me to simply use CTRL+Mousewheel to zoom in and out.

9. The Audio Editor
Oh my gosh, I could write a short story on how bad this is. Audio DAWS have been around for a very long time, and everyone else seems to get it. But Reason is still clunky, time consuming and illogical.

10. Sequencer Horizontal View Limit

This may not be important to many people, but it is for me. We can only see around 20 minutes at any one time when viewing a project.

11. The right-Click 'Add' Menu Popup
I'm really struggling to see how to make sense of the decision to group everything by developer. If I want to go to a B3 organ, I want to see a B3 organ, and not have to remember who the developer is. If I want an Amp Sim, do I look for it in Reason Devices because it's Native, Propellerhead Software because it's a Rack Extension, or Softube, because they've developed it , and it's branded as Softube? Those are just examples, I know where to find these things, but it's a whole lot of extra menu diving.

It would be much smoother if it were simply "Add Instrument > List all' or even "Add Instrument>Synth>List All.

12. A-List Extensions & the Humana/Klang/Pangea Suite

This one is just crazy. If I load a new patch, the mix channel and the device gets named as that patch. But if I change the patch within the device window itself rather than select from the Browser, the mix channel name stays at it's original loaded name.

13. Renaming Mix Channels / Sequencer Tracks

If I rename a channel in the SSL, it reflects on the Mix Channel in the rack, and visaversa. But it doesn't update the sequencer track !

Also, if I load a new instrument from new, and switch between patches, the mix channel is updated to reflect the patch name. But if I have previously renamed anything to make more sense, then change a patch, it doesn't update anything. What the heck ?

And on that topic, I really don't like that a track/channel will take on the patch name by default, because somewhere down the track in a project if I change a patch within the same device, the mix channel name is still locked in as the old patch name.

:thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down:

I should probably stop this list for now, because instead of relieving my frustration, it's only adding to it. I know some of these issues have been inherent in Reason for a while now, but it annoys me a little bit that nobody has the foresight or the vision to fix them. And some of these points are very unique to Reason 10, so in my opinion it's actually a backwards step.

There are a lot of more technical and advanced design flaws that I'm sure super-users encounter, but I feel like these are all pretty basic things, that are simply ignored. I guess Reason designers and developers don't actually use Reason very much.

And I hope and pray that I'm missing some custom features here, so I welcome any comments that may help me use Reason a bit more cleverly, because Reason 10 to me is actually less efficient than the version I bought into (6 releases prior to the latest one). If I had a time machine, I would have not bothered upgrading, because it doesn't offer me very much that's improved upon over the past few years.

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MannequinRaces
Posts: 1543
Joined: 18 Jan 2015

18 Apr 2018

I thought there was a way to zoom in on either Mac or PC but I think it's on a Mac. Anyway everything you listed is valid criticism. When people complain and say they want Reason upgrades to focus on workflow rather than new devices this is exactly the kind of stuff they are talking about. Wish I could tell you there are workarounds for some of these but I don't think there is... your #6 is especially true and that yellow color is for the most part unusable. There is so much low hanging fruit that you would think they would have worked on by now but alas they haven't. I LOVE Reason, have been a user since R4. I guess over the years I've gotten used to its quirks but it does need some cobwebs cleaned off.

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Jagwah
Posts: 2549
Joined: 16 Jan 2015

18 Apr 2018

I didn't like the browser at first, I found it very intrusive and I shared your sentiments. After using it over this time though I have come to appreciate how it simply streamlines Reason's workflow in a great way.

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Loque
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18 Apr 2018

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
1. The Browser
I never tried it, but how is the browser state in a song, meaning you create your own default song. In dark rooms a keyboard with lights helps and it is not good for your eyes with only the monitor light in the room. And there is always the mouse to hide the window. How is Live handling there browser?
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
2. The Mix Channel Container
I used this workflow first too, but than i rather use a Combinator to have the instrument (including fx) separated from a real "insert fx". Maybe Reason could be smarter here, if no external device is connected it uses the internal device, but which? YOu have an idea how to solve this?
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
3. Renaming Rotaries
Yea, reflecting the rotaries (and probably other controls) with the right naming and values seems still to need some improvements. TBH, it never prevented me from working.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
4. Organising ReFills and the Favourites Feature
I dont know where the name is coming from. The favorites was a good start, but i still want a database containing my devices and i can browse them differently. Also i want to tag and rate them. Improvement is required. And it is also pretty slow if you have a lot of files and refills. I rather use the OS search which is 10000 times faster.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
5. No export to MP3
Never needed this feature, but it should be available somehow because it is standard today. Maybe they should also add FLAC, OGG and some other stuff? What do you think?
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
6. No Custom Color Swatches
Yea, sometimes it is bad readable, so i dot use those colors. No big deal for me. Id rather try to get the job done and dont get lost in configuring the GUI. But sometimes i find it a bit annoying to dive deep into the menu for coloring.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
7. Screen Real Estate
Some ppl miss the controls, some like it. Maybe an option to show them could help.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
8. No Zoom of the Rack Window
Windows plus "+" key and you are done. On Mac is a similar feature available.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
9. The Audio Editor
Ok, you dont like it. What are you actually referring to? I agree there is a lot of room for improvement, from zooming, accuracy of display, looping, editing...
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
10. Sequencer Horizontal View Limit
You create long songs...Or do you try to mix something? Maybe this is not the right software for it? And how small do you want to zoom out? Until everything disappears?
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
11. The right-Click 'Add' Menu Popup
Never use this menu, it is too clunky. I use the browser (remember the database idea?)
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
12. A-List Extensions & the Humana/Klang/Pangea Suite
Did you changed the mix channels name? Names are connected until you rename something (maybe except if you are IN a mix channel). Connection is device->combinator->mixchannel->parallelchannel until you break the connection.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
13. Renaming Mix Channels / Sequencer Tracks
Are you editing the mix channel automation or the device automation? To reset the connection, just rename something in the connection to nothing (ereas it and leave it empty).
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
:thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down: :thumbs_down:
Ok, now i am the arse here: RTFM
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
I guess Reason designers and developers don't actually use Reason very much.
You guess, yes.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
Reason 10 to me is actually less efficient than the version I bought into (6 releases prior to the latest one).
Maybe you just get used to a few things. AFAIK Reason workflow and GUI did not changed that much since R6 and all you are referring here, is not R10 specific (maybe the browser, dunno).

And you are free to report your improvement ideas to PH at any time. Looks like in the past a lot of ppl had requested "more content"...
Reason12, Win10

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Kategra
Posts: 327
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18 Apr 2018

Loque wrote:
18 Apr 2018

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
8. No Zoom of the Rack Window
Windows plus "+" key and you are done. On Mac is a similar feature available.
Thanks for sharing the solution!

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
9. The Audio Editor
I wish that Propellerhead would focus on improving the audio clips handling in Reason sequencer, especially extra fade in fade out curves!
Also have an right click menu option to send that clip into an external audio editor, like it was done in ACID PRO. Once I sent the audio clip from ACID (along with vertical markers that marked the ACID sequencer beat measures) to SoundForge; I would then edit, save it and it would automatically reload into ACID.

Goodbye
Posts: 220
Joined: 21 May 2017

18 Apr 2018

Your concerns are valid. Unfortunately Propellerhead have left Reason to rot. They haven't fixed anything for a long long time.

There are plenty of people here who have their heads firmly buried in the sand and will offer you clumsy workarounds, but truth is that app needs a comprehensive rewrite.

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candybag
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18 Apr 2018

All good points except 10 and 12, my tracks never get that long and i don't use those devices :)

To add;
The spectrum analyzer (F2) could really use some extra features like phase correlation, stereo width and band bypass.
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chimp_spanner
Posts: 2908
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18 Apr 2018

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018

1. The Browser

When I launch Reason, the Browser is always on-screen by default. Who on earth needs a file browser always on ? I have never seen any other software that does this, because it doesn't make any sense. Sure, I can simply close it with the F3 key, but I usually work in a dark environment so it's silly to have to go hunting for the key to close something that for the most part should never be open. It would be more logical to assign the closing of the pane to the ESC key.

And with the embedded browser design, rather than a pop-up screen (like every other software out there), the ability to arrow up/down to browse patches to listen to while a track is playing seems to be gone. Am I missing something here? It's a real pain to have to drag every patch onto a device just to preview it.
Can't say I've noticed (or at least been bothered by) the browser auto appearing. As you say, a quick tap of F3 should fix it. I also just did a test with saving a song with the browser hidden, and re-opening it. So it's possible that saving your own default template with the browser hidden might work? I would recommend this anyway as you can turn on a number of other things that should be on by default (such as record quantize, pre roll, etc.). The arrow buttons still change presets. You just need to hit the browse button on the synth first to give it browse focus. Then you could search the soundbank for "piano" (for example) and then arrow up and down through presets regardless of device.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
2. The Mix Channel Container
Sometimes I like to drag my chosen instrument in to the Mix Channel, as a speedy alternative to creating a Combinator, since the rotaries and buttons can be programmed in the same way. But when I do this, it re-manes the container as 'Mix Channel', rather than keep the original name format
I think considering that the Mix Channel isn't supposed to be an instrument container (although I've tried this myself!) then this is kind of expected behaviour. If Mix Channels assumed the name of connected devices, then dragging an RV7000 into the Mix Channel would rename the channel to "RV7000". Not sure how Reason would know when you want this to happen or not. Of course there's nothing to stop you using the Mix Channel in this way if that's how you like to work. You just need to manually rename the channel. Bit of an inconvenience but I can't see how it'd work any other way.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
3. Renaming Rotaries
Still with the Mix Channel/Combinator style utilities, when a rotary is renamed to whatever it's doing (let's say 'Delay Dry/Wet'), once that function is automated in the sequencer, the renamed function does not carry over. It still says Insert FX Rotary 1 or whatever. This means that there is no actual reference to what each automation lane is doing, in the window that users are working in while drawing or playing the automation.
Confirmed and agreed! Would be nice to see it fixed.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
4. Organising ReFills and the Favourites Feature
I have renamed all of my ReFills according to the instruments the open up in. For example, 'Miroslav String Ensembles ReFill' I would change to 'COMBINATOR String Ensembles' in the Windows folder where it lives, but in Reason's Browser window, it shows as the original name. Where is it pulling the name from, and why isn't my custom name (making for more logical quick reference) appearing ?
Not entirely sure I understand but I'd imagine this has to do with how the ReFills are packaged by the author. You can embed graphics, website links, author name, etc. So it might be taking it from some kind of metadata inside the ReFill?
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
5. No export to MP3
Unlike other DAWS, even the free Audacity software, it seems not possible to add the codec such FFMPEG, so users need to export a WAV, then re-open in another DAW to render to MP3. What a hassle this is.

Some may be aware that the MP3 technology patent is expired, so it should be able to be built right in to Reason now. And isn't the Propellerhead-created Alihoopa platform serving media as MP3 anyway ?
Agreed. Although if you're on Windows I'd highly recommend FlicFlac converter. It's free. And you basically drag one or more MP3s onto a big button, and it'll output them as MP3s in the original location. Not ideal, I know. I too would like MP3 export!
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018

6. No Custom Color Swatches

Assigning colors to individual tracks is an invaluable workflow management tool, but Reason 10 only has some stock colors, half of which look pretty terrible, and some that are even outright unusable. Like using the yellow colour, you then can't make out the bar lines in the sequencer. And with the darker colors, the track title fonts don't revert to white, which makes them so difficult to read.
Agreed - custom swatches would be great!!
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
7. Screen Real Estate
I run a 27" screen and a 23" screen at 1920x1080, which is hardly tiny. But with the Browser pane open, I can't even view two columns of rack devices in the browser's default state. To me, this negates the whole rack experience that makes Reason unique. It means I need to use the ridiculous Navigator in the top left of the screen just to see what's going on. Or if I reduce the horizontal size of the Browser to fit two rack widths, the Browser menu reverts to icons only

And if all three windows in a project stay attached to one screen, while in sequencer active mode, there are those three grey bars that span vertically, taking up space that could otherwise be used for one extra track view.

Not to mention every time they roll out an update, there is a nag-screen reminder that will not go away on each new launch, taking up even more space.
I'll agree this is mildly irritating, although if I need the space I'll normally just hide the browser. Or the navigator. Whichever I don't need at the time. Not sure what the solution would be here. The last thing we need to do in the rack is zoom *out*. I'm 34. My eyes aren't what they used to be!!
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
8. No Zoom of the Rack Window
Since so much of the magic happens in manipulating device functions, and since so many modern instrument pack so many knobs into as few horizontal rack units as possible, it makes me sad that I cannot use a simple zoom control to get a closer look. For example in a web browser, or Word, or Excel, or other software, it is second nature for me to simply use CTRL+Mousewheel to zoom in and out.
Agreed. However, if you're on Windows press Start, type "Magnifier" and then you can hold Start and press the +/- keys to zoom in and out. Again, not perfect. Bit of a workaround. I believe this is something to do with the bitmap nature of the UI. Something a lot of us have been asking to be looked at!

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
9. The Audio Editor
Oh my gosh, I could write a short story on how bad this is. Audio DAWS have been around for a very long time, and everyone else seems to get it. But Reason is still clunky, time consuming and illogical.
See, the way I work in Reason I haven't noticed it. Of course, when I switch over to Cubase 9.5 the difference is night and day with regards to editing audio. I guess it depends how you use the software. What would be nice is an "edit in..." button, so you could at least define a custom audio editor.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018

10. Sequencer Horizontal View Limit

This may not be important to many people, but it is for me. We can only see around 20 minutes at any one time when viewing a project.
Depends on the work you're doing with it. Looks like I can get about 30 minutes (36 with the browser closed). But at those zoom levels there isn't much you can do beyond look so...file this under minor inconvenience haha.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
11. The right-Click 'Add' Menu Popup
I'm really struggling to see how to make sense of the decision to group everything by developer. If I want to go to a B3 organ, I want to see a B3 organ, and not have to remember who the developer is. If I want an Amp Sim, do I look for it in Reason Devices because it's Native, Propellerhead Software because it's a Rack Extension, or Softube, because they've developed it , and it's branded as Softube? Those are just examples, I know where to find these things, but it's a whole lot of extra menu diving.

It would be much smoother if it were simply "Add Instrument > List all' or even "Add Instrument>Synth>List All.
Agreed - device categories would be SUPER useful. Some of us have been using the Favourites List to emulate this behaviour but it still requires manual work at the start. I guess it would require each device to be tagged either by the dev or by PH. Which I'm sure they could do.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
12. A-List Extensions & the Humana/Klang/Pangea Suite

This one is just crazy. If I load a new patch, the mix channel and the device gets named as that patch. But if I change the patch within the device window itself rather than select from the Browser, the mix channel name stays at it's original loaded name.
Hmmm. Just tried this and the Mix Channel name seems to change regardless of how I change the preset (drag and drop, spinner buttons or drop down menu). Try double clicking the Mix Channel name and deleting it to restore the link between device/patch name, and Mixer Channel name.
Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018
13. Renaming Mix Channels / Sequencer Tracks

If I rename a channel in the SSL, it reflects on the Mix Channel in the rack, and visaversa. But it doesn't update the sequencer track !

Also, if I load a new instrument from new, and switch between patches, the mix channel is updated to reflect the patch name. But if I have previously renamed anything to make more sense, then change a patch, it doesn't update anything. What the heck ?

And on that topic, I really don't like that a track/channel will take on the patch name by default, because somewhere down the track in a project if I change a patch within the same device, the mix channel name is still locked in as the old patch name.
The relationship between the device, sequencer and SSL names is a bit tricky. In general I'd say do all of your renaming in the arranger. That way you're guaranteed to have everything sync'd up. It is possible, for whatever reason, to name the Mix Channel independently of the device. Not entirely sure why you'd want to do that? But you can. As I said in the above post if you find that the Mixer Channel name is locked, you can just delete its name and press return. And then the link will be restored. Or on the flipside, if you want to ensure that changing patch names doesn't change the Mixer Channel name, then name it manually and it will be locked to whatever you want.

I think some of these things are just peculiar to Reason itself and may take time to get used to. And some are legitimate gripes. I've been using it since version 1 so I guess even the bad/clunky stuff is kinda second nature to me now! I'm really excited and hopeful for the next update. I mean we've done content (I *love* Grain and Europa). I can't imagine we won't get some program tweaks/features in 10.5 and 11 now...

madmacman
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18 Apr 2018

chimp_spanner wrote:
18 Apr 2018
I mean we've done content (I *love* Grain and Europa). I can't imagine we won't get some program tweaks/features in 10.5 and 11 now...
And to contribute an overall positive point of view: I've worked for a software company which did something similar: a major release with mainly content to keep customers entertained while our developers got more time to implement larger features which might have been too rushed when doing them within the "usual" interval. If developers now have > 2 years for finishing features we should be more than excited. ;)

EdGrip
Posts: 2343
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

18 Apr 2018

I am quietly confident that 10.x and 11 will be mainly program/workflow-y. If they're not, I'll accept the "I told you so's" in good grace.

Last night's project was making a pitch-shift combinator so that I might amuse my friends by doing a version of Daft Punk's "Teachers' just listing people from our town who we hate. I'm not a proper enough user for workflow frustrations to bother me much.

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QVprod
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18 Apr 2018

Geltic Höhn wrote:
17 Apr 2018

2. The Mix Channel Container
Sometimes I like to drag my chosen instrument in to the Mix Channel, as a speedy alternative to creating a Combinator, since the rotaries and buttons can be programmed in the same way. But when I do this, it re-manes the container as 'Mix Channel', rather than keep the original name forma
The mix channels is intended for insert FX, not instruments. It's being tricked into thinking you're using the attached instrument as an effect (since that's possible with quite a few devices). There's another quick way to make a combinator. Shift click all desired devices, then right click and select 'Combine'.
5. No export to MP3
Unlike other DAWS, even the free Audacity software, it seems not possible to add the codec such FFMPEG, so users need to export a WAV, then re-open in another DAW to render to MP3. What a hassle this is.
I can understand the annoyance, but you don't need to use another DAW. There are several free mp3 converters.
13. Renaming Mix Channels / Sequencer Tracks

If I rename a channel in the SSL, it reflects on the Mix Channel in the rack, and visaversa. But it doesn't update the sequencer track !

Also, if I load a new instrument from new, and switch between patches, the mix channel is updated to reflect the patch name. But if I have previously renamed anything to make more sense, then change a patch, it doesn't update anything. What the heck ?

And on that topic, I really don't like that a track/channel will take on the patch name by default, because somewhere down the track in a project if I change a patch within the same device, the mix channel name is still locked in as the old patch name.
Agreed it can be confusing if you don't understand how it works. It's actually pretty straightforward. The sequencer tracks name is linked to the device name, not the mix channel name. So you can change the name on either the device itself or in the sequencer and it will change the name for all 3. That behavior is from before Reason had mix channels and I supposed they left it that way since there's all kinds of crazy routings that can be done, allowing the mix channel to be named independently of what's connected to it should you need to do so.

As far as the patch change behavior goes with mix channels, the mix channel will be the same as the patch name, until you manually change the name. Once you do that, it will remain on the name you chose.

sdst
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18 Apr 2018

I'm not very impressed with your list

especially with the MP3 export

i don't see the point of spending hours of mixing, to export to mp3

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QVprod
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18 Apr 2018

sdst wrote:
18 Apr 2018
I'm not very impressed with your list

especially with the MP3 export

i don't see the point of spending hours of mixing, to export to mp3
Because that's how most people will listen to it.

sdst
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18 Apr 2018

QVprod wrote:
18 Apr 2018
sdst wrote:
18 Apr 2018
I'm not very impressed with your list

especially with the MP3 export

i don't see the point of spending hours of mixing, to export to mp3
Because that's how most people will listen to it.
by that logic, are you telling me that all the great music engineers in the world are doing that?

i don't think so,

you do the things at high quality and then convert to mp3

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Noplan
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18 Apr 2018

It happens all over the world and the answer is easy: Reason is not the right DAW for you.

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QVprod
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18 Apr 2018

sdst wrote:
18 Apr 2018
QVprod wrote:
18 Apr 2018


Because that's how most people will listen to it.
by that logic, are you telling me that all the great music engineers in the world are doing that?

i don't think so,

you do the things at high quality and then convert to mp3
Basically yes. There's no difference between exporting to mp3 from the DAW and converting a wave file to mp3 after bouncing. You get the same result. All of the major DAWs that the "great music engineers in the world" use have mp3 export. I guarantee you many of them use it for one reason or another. That's not to say it should be uploaded for distribution that way, but there are scenarios where only mp3 files are an acceptable way for sending music.

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Noplan
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Location: Cologne, Germany

18 Apr 2018

Mp3s were once necessary to reduce the file size. Now that everything tends to get faster and faster, I do not give the Mp3 a big future. If you need it, you do it with an additional program. Absolutely no reason to cry.

sdst
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Joined: 14 Jun 2015

18 Apr 2018

there are much more important things to do than export to mp3

there are a million programs for that

But that's my opinion

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joeyluck
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18 Apr 2018

sdst wrote:
18 Apr 2018
QVprod wrote:
18 Apr 2018


Because that's how most people will listen to it.
by that logic, are you telling me that all the great music engineers in the world are doing that?

i don't think so,

you do the things at high quality and then convert to mp3
I share mp3's constantly with clients. I'll share an idea, they'll have comments and suggestions, I'll make changes and share it again, they'll have more comments, etc. It's only when it's finished that I need the uncompressed file.

mp3 export isn't on the top of my list, but it certainly would be handy to simply export and share... rather than exporting, opening in something else to convert, and then sharing. And then going back and deleting two files for every one example I create and share.

I'm trying to get in the habit of using Allihoopa non-listed for sharing ideas. Some clients are ok with streaming, but most still prefer files.

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kuhliloach
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Joined: 09 Dec 2015

18 Apr 2018

I still love Reason but I agree with all points mentioned and honestly it's taken me years to learn the user-interface which in my opinion is about as unfriendly as it gets. It seems the problem is cultural, philosophical, and structural. The Propellerheads website describes Reason as "Reason is easy to get started with". This could not be further from the truth. As a result I would never recommend this product to a new buyer. Going forward I hope the rotting code does get updated but it seems it's going to take more than rewriting a few lines of code. The upper management levels of this company need to be cleansed in order to initiate the cultural change that is needed.

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QVprod
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18 Apr 2018

sdst wrote:
18 Apr 2018
there are much more important things to do than export to mp3
I don’t see how importance plays a factor in something so small. It’s a convenience thing. Saves time, especially for processes like Joey described. Should they ever include it, I seriously doubt it would get in the way of any features you would want.

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FlowerSoldier
Posts: 470
Joined: 03 Jun 2016

18 Apr 2018

I also get a bit frustrated when I have to convert mp3s to aiff or wav to chop up in Reason or Recycle, but I get by all the same.
1st world problems i guess.

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chimp_spanner
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Joined: 06 Mar 2015

18 Apr 2018

I mean when it comes to exporting, when a song is done you will invariably have to render it to WAV anyway, for full fidelity. And then you'd turn that file into an MP3. So whether you converted the master WAV, or just exported twice, there's still somewhat of a process involved. Where it's mildly irritating is when you just wanna send quick demos or rough versions to collaborators or clients. You end up with a bunch of WAV files that you're not gonna keep. So yeah it does feel a bit clumsy. It might only be a small thing but if you have to do it enough times over the course of a working week/month/year, it adds up!

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joeyluck
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18 Apr 2018

FlowerSoldier wrote:
18 Apr 2018
I also get a bit frustrated when I have to convert mp3s to aiff or wav to chop up in Reason or Recycle, but I get by all the same.
1st world problems i guess.
You actually don't have to do that anymore. Reason has supported mp3 import since Reason 7 I believe :)

But yeah, just about all the feature requests are first world problems, right?

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raymondh
Posts: 1776
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

18 Apr 2018

Gosh, harsh audience.

I actually like this software that's "been left to rot" and needs a management overhaul.
I stopped using FL Studio and Tracktion because the inspiration I get using Reason means I produce, and finish, more tracks and get better results.
I've tried several times to use Ableton Live but I never found it very intuitive. It's an awesome product, but it didn't click for me.
I used to use Logic a lot before it went Apple-only, but my friends who use Logic a lot tell me that Reason inspires them way more. There are a few things about Logic that they wish Reason was better at (e.g. Comping and Track Freezing) but generally Reason was more fun, more productive and a sound designer's dream with heaps of content.

I don't want Props to rewrite the product.
The biggest 'free' thing they could do to improve my music is provide e-learning because the tool is not the problem, it's me not using it to it's potential.

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