Rack Plugin Experiences (VST/AU/AAX)

[Yonatan]

I was looking for a Rack Plugin thread to see what and how users of R11 experience the Rack Plugin so far. It is not meant to be a request thread even if it is impossible not for it to pop up too. Neither is it a ReWire vs Rackplugin thread but it is ok if that pop up too.

My intention is mainly for inspiration, or maybe a reality check for what may be downside compared to using Reason standalone DAW.

I am still on R10 and wont use my 30 day demo just yet as I wait for the next update to do so. That is why I wonder how you experience the Rack Plugin. Was it as you expected? Are you surprised in a positive way after trying it? Or was it the other way around?

I watched some videos and it kicked in that Rack Plugin could be or become a thing that will be very usable in a live playing setup. I mean, if you put several instruments one after the other, they play at same time in layer, and in say Logic it is easy to link different instruments in layers, for mega layerings.

What has the Rack plugin done with your workflow or creativity since using it? Have you seen devices in a new light?

Share anything regarding the Rack Plugin.

[DS_Joost]

It needed MIDI out and drag from devices yesterday. Outside of that, it's way cool!

[xboix]

I love it.
I'll love it double when it gets MIDI out.
I'll love it quadruple if they ever make it host VSTs too.

[joeyluck]

I'll love it quadruple if they ever make it host VSTs too.

I have friends and colleagues that would buy it and use it if it supported VST. And then maybe they would buy some REs. But currently, most of the people I know personally that are using it are people that were Reason users prior to the RRP becoming available.

[orthodox]

I'll love it quadruple if they ever make it host VSTs too.

My bet is that it's never going to be implemented.

[VIVIsect]

It desperately needs the MIDI out that has been "coming soon" for months now. MIDI drag and drop, as well. When using something like Drum Sequencer, for example, I can automate pattern switches and pattern start/stop in Ableton Live, but it's pretty much useless because patterns will constantly miss beats or sometimes it'll randomly start playing in the middle of a pattern. The thing needs some work. But if you're just interested in using Reason's synths or FX, then it's fine.

[Boombastix]

I'll love it quadruple if they ever make it host VSTs too.

I have friends and colleagues that would buy it and use it if it supported VST. And then maybe they would buy some REs. But currently, most of the people I know personally that are using it are people that were Reason users prior to the RRP becoming available.

Yeah, they try to target the non Reason users with the Rack Plugin. Those users have no REs but many many VSTs, but they made it so you cannot use the VST. It is a saturated market and you have to maximize user value to succeed, but they omitted one of the most valuable features. Still, I cannot wrap my head around how they think...

For me RRP is not enough value until I can host VSTs. I can make music w/o my REs, but there are VSTs that I don't want to be without. So again, I'm holding off upgrading from 10.4 until they provide VST hosting.

[Yonatan]

VST hosting would be great. We are many who have some VSTs that we have come to see and use as just another fellow in the Rack and made combinator patches with them. So having same ability in the Rack Plugin to host other formats than RE, would really be something extraordinary. I do not rule out that it will be added at some point. Main reason they dont have it at the start might partly be that one idea with their plan is to put an injection to the RE market. But may well be that other plugin support inside the Rack might also increase the RE market as a side effect because so many more will be a target for wanting the Rack Plugin.

But one other reason for waiting with such feature might be with the situation where the Rack is VST3 and Reason DAW support only VST2. If they get also vst3 support in the DAW, then would one be able to run Rack VST inside Reason Rack? Rack plugin in the Rack?

[VIVIsect]

But one other reason for waiting with such feature might be with the situation where the Rack is VST3 and Reason DAW support only VST2. If they get also vst3 support in the DAW, then would one be able to run Rack VST inside Reason Rack? Rack plugin in the Rack?

One interesting thing I discovered is that the AutoTheory VST, which hosts other VSTs, is capable of launching the Reason Rack VST inside of Reason. The Rack plugin can't receive MIDI from AutoTheory, so it's kind of useless, but I still thought it was sort of neat.



I really do wish that RS would take a cue from AutoTheory and allow the Rack to host VSTs instead of simply adding MIDI out to control VSTs. It's a much more elegant solution.

[Yonatan]

But one other reason for waiting with such feature might be with the situation where the Rack is VST3 and Reason DAW support only VST2. If they get also vst3 support in the DAW, then would one be able to run Rack VST inside Reason Rack? Rack plugin in the Rack?

One interesting thing I discovered is that the AutoTheory VST, which hosts other VSTs, is capable of launching the Reason Rack VST inside of Reason. The Rack plugin can't receive MIDI from AutoTheory, so it's kind of useless, but I still thought it was sort of neat.



I really do wish that RS would take a cue from AutoTheory and allow the Rack to host VSTs instead of simply adding MIDI out to control VSTs. It's a much more elegant solution.

Interesting discovery! Yes, really hope they'll do it. Just to see what people come up with. May it be risk of getting the plugin cracked that may be a hinderance at this first phase of it?

[QVprod]

Only downsides of the plugin vs the DAW (aside from VST hosting) are no sequencer (so no Regroove) and no way of routing CV between instances for say, one track to modulate another. Depending on how you work, these downsides may not affect you at all.

[buddard]

Only downsides of the plugin vs the DAW (aside from VST hosting) are no sequencer (so no Regroove) and no way of routing CV between instances for say, one track to modulate another. Depending on how you work, these downsides may not affect you at all.

A global CV bus would be a cool feature!

Sort of like the bus board in the Eurorack cases by Make Noise:

• It would be a device with a number of global inputs and outputs, say 8 of each.
• If you connect a CV cable to input 1, the signal would appear at output 1 in all Rack Plugin instances.
• You could have labels on each connector, either filled in automatically like on the built-in mixers, or manually.
• On the front panel you could have LEDs indicating which ones are used and/or signal activity.
• If two Racks are using the same input, their signals could be added together.
• It would probably be a fixed part of the rack, i e like the Hardware Interface, for simplicity's sake.

[RoryM0]

I'm still on Reason 10 and won't upgrade until I see MIDI out from the RRP, but I am excited about the RRP and it seems like a great idea.

However I honestly don't feel the same as those clamoring for VST hosting in the RRP. I don't desire to have to click to open a VST, only to have to click to open another VST in the RRP to get to the VST I want to access. Then imagine doing that a hundred times over the the course of a whole project... Seems like a usability nightmare.

[Yonatan]

I'm still on Reason 10 and won't upgrade until I see MIDI out from the RRP, but I am excited about the RRP and it seems like a great idea.

However I honestly don't feel the same as those clamoring for VST hosting in the RRP. I don't desire to have to click to open a VST, only to have to click to open another VST in the RRP to get to the VST I want to access. Then imagine doing that a hundred times over the the course of a whole project... Seems like a usability nightmare.

Yes, it could be a bit like...

[zoidkirb]

It desperately needs the MIDI out that has been "coming soon" for months now. MIDI drag and drop, as well. When using something like Drum Sequencer, for example, I can automate pattern switches and pattern start/stop in Ableton Live, but it's pretty much useless because patterns will constantly miss beats or sometimes it'll randomly start playing in the middle of a pattern. The thing needs some work. But if you're just interested in using Reason's synths or FX, then it's fine.

The patterns not changing correctly is something that happens from time to time in Reason daw too. Super disappointing to hear it's present and even worse in the RRP.

[QVprod]

Only downsides of the plugin vs the DAW (aside from VST hosting) are no sequencer (so no Regroove) and no way of routing CV between instances for say, one track to modulate another. Depending on how you work, these downsides may not affect you at all.

A global CV bus would be a cool feature!

Sort of like the bus board in the Eurorack cases by Make Noise:

• It would be a device with a number of global inputs and outputs, say 8 of each.
• If you connect a CV cable to input 1, the signal would appear at output 1 in all Rack Plugin instances.
• You could have labels on each connector, either filled in automatically like on the built-in mixers, or manually.
• On the front panel you could have LEDs indicating which ones are used and/or signal activity.
• If two Racks are using the same input, their signals could be added together.
• It would probably be a fixed part of the rack, i e like the Hardware Interface, for simplicity's sake.

That would be a fantastic way of going about it.