Your thoughts appreciated..... :o)

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david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

Hi all...

So if anyone has seen my slightly OTT post about myself getting Reason+ for the measly sum of £20/month (so do they charge $28 in the US?), they'll know I am pretty excited about it.

So with all these new instruments available to me now, I just wondered if my fellow Reason users had any particular thoughts about any of them. Which ones are particular awesome, which are a total waste of space, if any?

New to me is Complex (it looks absolutely fab, but, as the name says, complex); Algoritm FM (FM synthesis - I didn't understand it back in the 80s when I had a DX synth, and I probably won't now - or is it easier to grasp with this synth?); Friktion Strings; Layers; Parsec; Scenic; Processed Pianos; Radical Keys and the two Umpf drum machines. Just typing these names is getting me excited - that is one thing about being an old bugger like me...I really appreciate what I have now (although I am not saying you have to be old to do so, just being old definitely puts it up another level - trust me...any other oldies out there who know what I mean? LOL!!)

And the players Beat Map; Drum Sequencer; Pattern Mutator. I have mixed feelings about the players. Some have there uses I guess, but things like Note Echo, still don't quite get the point of it, and some of the sequencers...I mean how many ways do you need to sequence a bunch of notes...we already have the RPG-8 and Matrix.

Most of the effects I had in the Full Demo when I had it that month, but still some new ones there....

So I just wondered - if any of you have nothing better to do and would like to let me know any thoughts you have on any particular (or all of 'em) instruments etc. please do stop by and say hi and let me know, that would be really cool....

D
Last edited by david1806 on 10 Mar 2021, edited 1 time in total.

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

For me, what I do know, I just love most of it. I remember Thor first coming out and just thinking WOW. I love the way it operates, it appeals to my old-skool head. Talking of which, I love the subtractor too. That is my go-to synth when I fancy a bit of learning the basics of synthesis, it is a great tool for that.

And the Euro - well, what can you say. For those big riffs, it really is awesome. Still getting to grips with learning to program it, it is pretty complex (to my tiny little brain anyway), but I think it will be worth the time invested.

I have always been a massive fan of Dr.Rex, and the amount of fantastic loops available. Same with the samplers, they are great to use. Lordy, I remember having two Akai S1000 samplers back in the day (cost me nearly £5k - each!!) and all for something like 2MB of memory......2 MB, you have to laugh now. And for samples, you could buy these CDs, Time+Space I think they were called, had about a thousand samples on each, 99% of which were total shit, but when you found a good one, it made the price of the CD worth it. I won't say "ah, they were days", because trust me, I would rather have what I have now!!!

I absolutely love the Monotone, kicks out some incredible bass sounds. I often layer it with other bass sounds to give it that extra punch - simple to use, with great results.

Now the Malstrom - I have never really played about with that one, but I hear good things about it. Same with Kong, never really bothered with it, can't find much on it that I just can't do on Redrum. I know RD doesn't have the effects, but I just put it in a combinator with its own mixer, give each instrument its own channel and I'm away - just add the FX to the to mixer. Feel free to tell me how wrong I am!!

Just some thoughts from me, feel free to join in........ :-)

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zoidkirb
Posts: 753
Joined: 18 Nov 2018
Location: Brisbane Australia
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10 Mar 2021

Algorithm makes FM synthesis about as easy as it ever gets. You'll be fine.
Complex-1 seems harder then it is, just remember to turn cable view on and you'll be right. Check out the videos by DivKid for inspiration.
Friktion: haven't used it yet but it looks like one of the Props best.
All the rest, mostly romplers , meh.

Each player is pretty strong though. Drum Sequencer is a million times better than Matrix for drums, and Note Echo gets a lot of use from me. One trick I like to do is automate it's on/off with an LFO, set pitch offset to 1 octave and repeats to 1. Then have notes passing from in from the sequencer to create interesting semi random octave jumps for basslines.

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

And while I am here - do you think it will be ok to uninstall my other Intro version of Reason - is it totally separate to Reason+...I'm scared to in case it messes it all up!!!

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zoidkirb
Posts: 753
Joined: 18 Nov 2018
Location: Brisbane Australia
Contact:

10 Mar 2021

Personally i'd leave it as a backup. Is it taking up even much space?

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

zoidkirb wrote:
10 Mar 2021
Personally i'd leave it as a backup. Is it taking up even much space?
Yeah, good point zoid - it is only 9.3GB (well, that is what it says when I click on the folder details, I guess that is right?). I have a TB of storage, so I will leave it on there. Thanks for that - I might have deleted it and fu@ked everything up!!!! :D

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Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

10 Mar 2021

I've used Note Echo for a few creative applications.

Put an attenuated random lfo into the delay time to humanise a bass line , so it didn't fall exactly in the same place every beat.

Coupled with an arp or arpegiated playing to get some dense textured chords.

Harp like strums

Pitched delay fx that don't rely on a pitch shift algo. So you get genuine tones.

In Combinator patches it can be nice for one voice playing immediately and another coming in later.

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

zoid & jack - now we're talkin'!

I will deffo be looking at Note Echo with fresh eyes, that's for sure. And good to hear about the FM synth. Haven't got to that one yet. At the moment I am just working my way through them, and whizzing through some presets of each instrument, whilst having a brief gander at the manual (downloaded all the manuals - I am a bit of a manual nerd. Actually, I am a bit of a nerd - full stop).

And zoid:
zoidkirb wrote:
10 Mar 2021
All the rest, mostly romplers , meh.
What is a 'rompler' when it's at home? :shock: I am guessing from the 'meh' it ain't a good thing. I am such a Reason fan, there is hardly anything on it I don't actually like. Sure, there are things if I had paid separately for, I wouldn't be impressed, but then, I wouldn't have paid for them in the first place!!! :D

jamespember
Reason Studios
Posts: 1594
Joined: 05 Feb 2020

10 Mar 2021

david1806 wrote:
10 Mar 2021
And while I am here - do you think it will be ok to uninstall my other Intro version of Reason - is it totally separate to Reason+...I'm scared to in case it messes it all up!!!
You can uninstall Intro if you want to, it won't impact anything to do with the version of Reason you got via Reason+. And you can always re-install anything you own (i.e. Intro) here https://www.reasonstudios.com/user/products

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bxbrkrz
Posts: 3846
Joined: 17 Jan 2015

10 Mar 2021

david1806 wrote:
10 Mar 2021
Hi all...

So if anyone has seen my slightly OTT post about myself getting Reason+ for the measly sum of £20/month (so do they charge $28 in the US?), they'll know I am pretty excited about it.

So with all these new instruments available to me now, I just wondered if my fellow Reason users had any particular thoughts about any of them. Which ones are particular awesome, which are a total waste of space, if any?

New to me is Complex (it looks absolutely fab, but, as the name says, complex); Algoritm FM (FM synthesis - I didn't understand it back in the 80s when I had a DX synth, and I probably won't now - or is it easier to grasp with this synth?); Friktion Strings; Layers; Parsec; Scenic; Processed Pianos; Radical Keys and the two Umpf drum machines. Just typing these names is getting me excited - that is one thing about being an old bugger like me...I really appreciate what I have now (although I am not saying you have to be old to do so, just being old definitely puts it up another level - trust me...any other oldies out there who know what I mean? LOL!!)

And the players Beat Map; Drum Sequencer; Pattern Mutator. I have mixed feelings about the players. Some have there uses I guess, but things like Note Echo, still don't quite get the point of it, and some of the sequencers...I mean how many ways do you need to sequence a bunch of notes...we already have the RPG-8 and Matrix.

Most of the effects I had in the Full Demo when I had it that month, but still some new ones there....

So I just wondered - if any of you have nothing better to do and would like to let me know any thoughts you have on any particular (or all of 'em) instruments etc. please do stop by and say hi and let me know, that would be really cool....

D
You can start here. Hours and hours of deep diving.

https://www.youtube.com/c/ZombieFightsShark/playlists
757365206C6F67696320746F207365656B20616E73776572732075736520726561736F6E20746F2066696E6420776973646F6D20676574206F7574206F6620796F757220636F6D666F7274207A6F6E65206F7220796F757220696E737069726174696F6E2077696C6C206372797374616C6C697A6520666F7265766572

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

Ah, thanks for that bxbrkrz. I found this ages ago, and probably even saved it somewhere in the depths of my YouTube account - it looks great.

And I know I sound like a ten-year old who has eaten too many e-numbers and has just found out it is going to be Christmas every day for the rest of his life - but, I kinda do too. 48 hours ago I had no keyboard, and a basic version of Reason....and for a long time I had watched all the RS videos of all these new rack devices, and I wanted them so, so badly. And now, in the blink of an eye, I have a new 88-key keyboard but more excitingly, I have (almost) Reason Suite, that is completely affordable. I keep expecting some catch, like you only get all the devices for the first month or something, but nope....it seems it's all true.

So for me, I am still at the stage of opening up Reason (opening it? I have been in it since early yesterday afternoon, been up all night) and just looking at what is in front of me...and trust me, coming from an old-skool background (cause I am, you know, old) it is exciting. Maybe younger users know more about what is out there and have comparisons to make, but for me, all I need is right here.

The simple fact is, if you cannot create something good with Reason, then you ain't never going to create anything good. There are more tools available in Reason to make good music than you will ever need. OK, I will stop banging on about it now!! But hey, be excited!!!! No? LOL! :thumbup: :D

Thanks for the replies guys.....

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

10 Mar 2021

[DOUBLE POST BY ACCIDENT - CAN'T SEEM TO DELETE IT :!:
Last edited by david1806 on 11 Mar 2021, edited 2 times in total.

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zoidkirb
Posts: 753
Joined: 18 Nov 2018
Location: Brisbane Australia
Contact:

10 Mar 2021

david1806 wrote:
10 Mar 2021
What is a 'rompler' when it's at home?
A Rompler is basically a device that plays back samples, rather than synthesize it's own sounds.
Plenty of people love 'em but it's not for me. For better or for worse I can't bring myself to use them or even synth presets.

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Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

11 Mar 2021

For me, the players are what really make Reason. They are like the utilities in a modular rack. They enable all sorts of stuff to happen beyond just pressing a key and hearing a note. Whenever I'm using Reason as a VST in Cubase it's nearly always to run players because there are no midi fx in Cubase that come close. You can stack them so they compliment one another and you can use CV Player tap by Lectric Panda to get CV out of them if you need to.
There is a ton of innovation in the third party Players in the shop. Delta Midi Computer is a highlight, Everything by Lectric Panda is worth a long look and Robotic Bean. (Careful though or your 'measly' £20 p/mo expenses could start snowballing! :lol:)

I was similarly blown away when I first bought Reason. It's a treasure chest of creativity.

User avatar
bxbrkrz
Posts: 3846
Joined: 17 Jan 2015

11 Mar 2021

david1806 wrote:
10 Mar 2021
Ah, thanks for that bxbrkrz. I found this ages ago, and probably even saved it somewhere in the depths of my YouTube account - it looks great.

And I know I sound like a ten-year old who has eaten too many e-numbers and has just found out it is going to be Christmas every day for the rest of his life - but, I kinda do too. 48 hours ago I had no keyboard, and a basic version of Reason....and for a long time I had watched all the RS videos of all these new rack devices, and I wanted them so, so badly. And now, in the blink of an eye, I have a new 88-key keyboard but more excitingly, I have (almost) Reason Suite, that is completely affordable. I keep expecting some catch, like you only get all the devices for the first month or something, but nope....it seems it's all true.

So for me, I am still at the stage of opening up Reason (opening it? I have been in it since early yesterday afternoon, been up all night) and just looking at what is in front of me...and trust me, coming from an old-skool background (cause I am, you know, old) it is exciting. Maybe younger users know more about what is out there and have comparisons to make, but for me, all I need is right here.

The simple fact is, if you cannot create something good with Reason, then you ain't never going to create anything good. There are more tools available in Reason to make good music than you will ever need. OK, I will stop banging on about it now!! But hey, be excited!!!! No? LOL! :thumbup: :D

Thanks for the replies guys.....
We all become a kid again in our mind every time we use Reason :puf_smile:
757365206C6F67696320746F207365656B20616E73776572732075736520726561736F6E20746F2066696E6420776973646F6D20676574206F7574206F6620796F757220636F6D666F7274207A6F6E65206F7220796F757220696E737069726174696F6E2077696C6C206372797374616C6C697A6520666F7265766572

Transonic Regime
Posts: 1
Joined: 11 Mar 2021

11 Mar 2021

There are a few standouts to me.
If you are looking for a power house old school synth for your basic synth sounds and the foundation of many others, subtractor is a great tool and often over looked.
You really can't say power house without mentioning Europa though. That thing is capable of some amazing sounds... Just start browsing patches and tweak a few knobs.
For anything string related in any way Friktion will be your go to. The ability to control expression along side the massive amount of control you have over sound modeling means from guitars to cellos to banjos to alien space harps its there.
Players... lets just put it this way... if you know nothing about music they will be wonderful aids. If you have a passing knowledge of music theory that are amazingly power at taking your compositions to the next level. If you are proficient with music theory they become the most power tool in the kit. From simple idea generators to full on work horse setups the players pull a lot of weight. (and no they are not cheating stop that)

And don't forget about the combinator... omg the combinator... I could go on for a while about all the cool stuff you can do with that. From making amazing layered pad sounds to gaining easy access to modulate that one setting deep in a synth it is something that ends up in every single one of my tracks.

I didn't even mention the awesome drum programers like Kong, Redrum, and Umph and the array of effects like Scream and RV7000 and Synchronous, Then there is full suite of mastering effects, oh yeah and the full SSL line mixer... Yeah there is a lot to be excited about.

By far the most awesome thing about Reason though is the rack. The power of being able to connect pretty much anything to anything else means that Reason is the most inspiring musical experience I have ever had.

I have been a Reason user since the very beginning when I upgraded from Rebirth... So I understand and share your excited!

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

11 Mar 2021

Hi all...

Some great replies, thanks for that. I was slightly (only slightly) expecting a bunch of moaning replies about the whole rental scheme but thankfully I was wrong! I finally got to bed last night about 2am after staying up the night before and playing right through. I have 3 days off work (including tonight - I work 4pm-midnight) so it's all good.

I first discovered Propellerhead way back in the 90s, the 303/808 emulators. I only ever played around with it (I was a record producer at the time, using Cubase - on an Atari ST to begin with then a PC). Then about 2004ish my mate gave me a copy of Reason (version 2 I think), I did one track on it then never really touched a keyboard again for a long time due to reasons I won't get into - apart from the odd period here and there. Then about 18 months ago I decided my love of music was too great, and by now we had Reason 10 I think it was, so that was me off and running again. Bought myself Intro, and as I've mentioned, was planning on getting Reason Suite maybe next year sometime. That is why I am so super-excited at just finding out about the option to rent for £20/month. I mean, renting just ONE unit can be about £8/month, so to have all of this for only twenty.....a total, total bargain in my humble opinion. I would of happily paid more......
Transonic Regime wrote:
11 Mar 2021
..."subtractor is a great tool and often over looked. You really can't say power house without mentioning Europa though. .......I have been a Reason user since the very beginning when I upgraded from Rebirth... So I understand and share your excited!"
Yep, love that Europa synth. Quite difficult to program initially, but with plenty of online help, I am slowly getting my head around it. I have a bunch of new players to discover now I have R+, up to now I have only really used Scales & Chords. I do play the piano and guitar, I am actually working my way through the Piano grades. And the combinator - yeah, I feel ya! Stick a mixer in there and you can kinda create your own totally new and unique instrument. And to think in the early days, those mixers were the progammes main mixer - no soft-Mackie decks available then in the software (I think it is a Mackie desk R+ emulates?). And of course, the lil'ol Subtractor.....I love that baby. Great for learning the basics of programming synths, like your Oscillators, LFO, ADSR, filters etc.
Jackjackdaw wrote:
11 Mar 2021
I was similarly blown away when I first bought Reason. It's a treasure chest of creativity.
bxbrkrz wrote:
11 Mar 2021
We all become a kid again in our mind every time we use Reason :puf_smile:
Agreed and agreed!! :D

So last night I had a play around with Parsec 2 - just wow. Some of the sounds that produces. Obviously I haven't had time to look at programming any of these new (to me) devices, just listening to the pre-sets to get a flavour of what they can do. Also Complex - jeez, it ain't called complex for no reason. There is so much for me to learn and only so many hours in the day, I won't be getting into learning modular synthesis, I would rather spend the time learning how to program Europa, or even Thor (another incredible device). Also flipped through some presets of Layers and again, just wow, the quality and thickness of what was coming out those monitors. I don't want to get into it now, but the whole analogue vs. soft-synth argument, nowadays, IMHO of course, just doesn't hold up. Maybe some real hardcore enthusiasts can hear the difference, but I honestly can't. Not these days. And your average listener certainly can't!!

Anyway, here is a question for any old buggers out there. I am trying to remember the name of a little keyboard, it was like a cut-price 303. It was black and a turquoisey/blue colour, monophonic (I think), and was great for acid lines, and was relatively cheap. We're talking about, mmm, mid to late 90s? Probably about a 2-octave keyboard? Answers on a postcard please - winner gets the grand prize of a bag of Wotsits....

Cheers all - can ya guess what I am going to do now? LOL!!!

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Jackjackdaw
Posts: 1400
Joined: 12 Jan 2019

11 Mar 2021

Are you thinking of the Novation Bass Station?

Baylo
Posts: 149
Joined: 17 Jan 2015

11 Mar 2021

Jackjackdaw wrote:
11 Mar 2021
Are you thinking of the Novation Bass Station?
That was going to be my guess, too. :-)

Nice to see the positivity in this thread. As another old bugger who grew up with Amigas and Ataris, and was absolutely astonished to discover what Cubase VST could do circa 1997, it’s good to reflect now and then on what is possible now. My son is getting the musical education I could only dream of (while perusing the pages of Music Technology magazine and SOS)!

david1806
Posts: 100
Joined: 26 Jan 2018
Location: London, UK

11 Mar 2021

Baylo wrote:
11 Mar 2021
Nice to see the positivity in this thread. As another old bugger......
I was thinking exactly the same.....and "hello" from one old bugger to another!

And........yep!! It was indeed the Novation Bass Station (even the name is cool...)

This bad boy:
http://www.vintagesynth.com/novation/no ... ushfcWW9E0

I didn't actually own one, I was doing a remix and needed a 303 squelch, so I borrowed one....funnily enough, from the guy who's track I was remixing! (Alucidnation, still going, he is on Spotify....). I used it one other time, again, for the 303 squelch line, it is on the track Magnificent, just a few bars stuck on the end, almost a bit randomly. If you wanna hear a small selection of my 90s singles feel free: https://www.reverbnation.com/sherwin I may well have posted them up before, and before you mention the bpm - remember, this was the 90s when everyone, was, how shall I put this.....full of eeenergy....! :D The vocals in The Rhythm are Dido (yep, that Dido). The label we were signed to was connected to Rollo (Faithless plus a ton of other well known stuff) and she is his sister. Although this was before she had that squillion selling album, that she asked me to get involved in and I said no, but that's another story....

Sorry, I'm waffling....I do tend to, that's what happens when you do your Pitmans Typing Examination and can type quick!! LOL!!
Baylo wrote:
11 Mar 2021
........who grew up with Amigas and Ataris......
I remember I had an Amiga, which was a way better machine than the Atari for gaming, but the one thing that the Atari had over the Amiga, and probably the only reason anyone ever bothered buying one....it had that magical, built-in MIDI port. And then later on you could buy those small, hi-res B&W monitors that (I think) would only work with an Atari.

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