Reason Studios shares their roadmap (September 7, 2021)

[Billy+]

Also, great to see them acknowledge the need for offline authorisation and the fact that the current one is flaky

Funny thing about this is I've always had to basically buy an RE launch authorizer load Reason only to get told I'm missing a license so I go back to my account sync all again which usually fixes the issue.

Now I'm trying Plus you still kinda get the same run around go to the shop add RE do the authorizer then launch Reason only this time round the authorizer runs and updates the licensing and as you have to sign in it works.

But it's still basically doing twice, now it's a little improvement as you don't need to use a browser but it's still taking two runs before it updates the licensing.

[PhillipOrdonez]

I want the groups to work as they do on live, so that you can fold all the tracks contained within a group into one track on the sequencer and mixer.

I want the RRP to load vst.

I want to see vst 3 and 2.4 fully implemented as they are in other music making programs.

I want inter plugin communication for the RRP.

I want lots of sequencer and workflow updates. There were a lot on Reason 11 and I appreciate them, but the work is still not done. Even one workflow and sequencer feature per release is better than nothing.

I want the RRP to be vertically resized, so it can take as little space as possible when I want it to.

I want the mixer to contain various types of metering options: peak, true peak, loudness units, RMS.

These are a few I can think of right now.

Thanks RS, I like the new openness. Onwards and upwards!

Ps: oh, almost forgot: want to be able to zoom out and see the whole project for longer projects (up to an hour long projects at least)

[chimp_spanner]

Pasted from my post from elsewhere:

Under Development

Smart Browser: does this mean tags? Please let it mean tags! Also, playhead for long audio previews.

More Styles for Combinator 2: styles is an odd choice of term but I would hope this means more controls, switches, perhaps flat/digital controls for "screen" type displays.

M1 Support: not an issue for me but a huge one for some, I'm sure.

VST3: excellent news. Splice Bridge in Reason, yes please!

Under Investigation

Tight DAW Integration: I plan to stay put in Reason for the foreseeable but still interested in this.

Immediate Results: if I take this to mean workflow/sequencer improvements, then YES PLEASE haha. For as much as people complain about Reason's sequencer, having tried to get into Live for several months, it is *not* that far off. It really isn't. Said it before, say it again. Half a dozen small, boring updates and I'm Reason standalone for life. Also if we're talking workflow, auto device order sync, splitters built into audio/cv outs, better sample handling (define tempo, a proper pool).

Authorizer Offline: Yes please!

New Devices: I'd love to see a brand new RS branded VA synth. A drum-loop slicer (Mimic is great but still doesn't scratch that itch). A multi-band Scream.

[Stamatz]

Good day,

Just read this on Reddit and very glad to see it.

[Billy+]

We already have the thread started

[plesio]

I just cannot believe it.
After all these discussions we saw here.
Did you notice that RS mentions THIS forum in the first place as a feedback channel ?
Quote from RS blog:
"The virtual microphone in this case being Reason Talk, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so feel free to speak up on what you think of our direction."

Who would have thought that something like this would happen ?
I like this !!

[Billy+]

I just cannot believe it.
After all these discussion we saw here.
Did you notice that RS mentions THIS forum in the first place as a feedback channel.
Quote from RS blog:
"The virtual microphone in this case being Reason Talk, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so feel free to speak up on what you think of our direction."

Who would have thought that something like this would happen.
I like this.

So long as RS takes off the real world blinkers and pulls out the ear plugs then things could work out well this time next year

[oyvindur]

Yay! I'm really happy that Reason Studios are becoming more transparent! Being a user for ~20 years, I've wanted this transparency for a long time. It makes investing time and money in updates feel safer. And it stops a least some of the speculation. I also want to say that I really appreciate the work that has been put into Reason 12, even if not all users are super happy. As a software dev myself, I know how important it is to allocate time to do the major refactoring and rewrite tasks – even the ones that takes months and years and that user won't even notice. As for doing rewrites and new features simultaneously like some people mention, I know that most companies can't just throw more people at it. It costs money to hire people, and it takes time and effort to teach them the domain, code and workflow. Also, more devs means more complex organizations, (often) more complex code, and more complex coordination – which in some cases may actually slow things down.

As for roadmap feedback, the two features I want the most are not mentioned:
* MPE support
* Softube Console One integration.

There are threads related to both features elsewhere on this forum, so I know I am not the only one wanting this. Both relates to hardware integration, which probably could be better in general.

As for MPE, there's no need to rebuild all existing Reason devices for MPE support. Support for third party VSTs would be more than good enough. I assume this to be a major task to implement, though.

When it comes to Console One support, this is only for Console One users. Still, most professional DAWs do have integration. So it would be great if Reason could at least do the bare minimum, like remembering track order so that it's not a complete mess every time I open a project. Transfer of track name would also be nice. Full integration would be just amazing. My guess is that this is a reasonably low hanging fruit, at least the minimum stuff. Also, Softube is a Swedish company. So what about hiring a bus and go to Linköping for a team building workshop together with Softube and implement it over the weekend? (From my understanding after emailing their support, they want to help DAW vendors implement this.)

What I don't need is more devices. With VST(3) support, I can put whatever I want into Reason. That doesn't mean new devices isn't cool, but I'll agree with other around here that there are lots of other smaller things that should probably be prioritized. I do understand that new shiny devices probably sells more copies of Reason, but my guess is that some people will hesitate to upgrade if their main issue or wanted feature never gets fixed/implemented. (Figuring out the stats for lost sales after neglecting an issue/feature is probably a lot more difficult than counting copies sold after adding a device.)

Anyway, thanks for the good work! And I hope to be using Reason as my DAW for years to come.

[dioxide]

Great news that they are being more open and turning things around faster than they have done in the past.

Alao I have a request for the mods at ReasonTalk. Could you create a new subforum specifically for moaning about every detail of what the mods do? I'm bored of reading all their petty complaints in amongst genuinely interesting threads. Having a subforum would provide a good place for them to blow off steam without the rest of us having to read that drivel. Thanks!

[StephenHutchinson]

I just cannot believe it.
After all these discussion we saw here.
Did you notice that RS mentions THIS forum in the first place as a feedback channel.
Quote from RS blog:
"The virtual microphone in this case being Reason Talk, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so feel free to speak up on what you think of our direction."

Who would have thought that something like this would happen.
I like this.

Time for everyone to "get on it." ... a sanctioned avenue for direct feedback... sounds great to me. Also, I'm very happy to see this roadmap come out.

[marcuswitt]

• VST3 support: brilliant, hopefully it will be going hand-in-hand with support of Multitimbral instruments

• tight integration with other DAWs: seamless Drag & Drop of Reason device's patterns into other DAWs sequencers (?), AAF import and export in Reason (?)

• new devices: a Reverb that allows designing custom made Early Reflections patterns (in form of an even further updated RV7000 (MkIII ?)) would be nice

RS: Thanks for sharing your Roadmap! Great move!

[R303]

Nice to see all the requests coming back now

Hopefully, the roadmap will calm down some discussions.

And the most important thing is "Set track as default height"

[plaamook]

I’m in the ‘gimme the new sequencer’ camp. That said, I’m happy to hear there’s a future for the Daw. This is great news.
My upgrade meter just nudged a bit more towards the green.

[PhillipOrdonez]

• VST3 support: brilliant, hopefully it will be going hand-in-hand with support of Multitimbral instruments

• tight integration with other DAWs: seamless Drag & Drop of Reason device's patterns into other DAWs sequencers (?), AAF import and export in Reason (?)

• new devices: a Reverb that allows designing custom made Early Reflections patterns (in form of an even further updated RV7000 (MkIII ?)) would be nice

RS: Thanks for sharing your Roadmap! Great move!

Dude that seamless drag and drop from RRP into daw sounds amazing, sign me up for that!

[Aquila]

This is fantastic to see!
I've often been critical of the company for not telling us what they've got planned, or if they don't appear to be taking on board user requests.

Sure, this particular roadmap doesn't address much of my concerns and wishes (sequencer upgrades, fix annoyances, restore removed features, etc) but the sentiment is still very much appreciated.

Thank you, Niklas and team!

[Wee Joe]

This is Great.......

[MuttReason]

Long-time Reason user back to v1.0 here…. and pleased that at last RS have decided to open up like this. We may not all get what we want from Reason in future, but knowing that some of the biggest issues identified on this forum are in the devs’ crosshairs is a big improvement. And kudos to Niklas for fronting this up as well.

I have been holding off on R12 (let alone R+) up to now because:

a) I don’t like what I read about stability and CPU overloading etc. A big USP about Reason in the past (for me) was it was the one piece of software that was golden and rock-solid from launch (or worst case post a x.0x patch). The Props were code gods and the stuff they wrote worked out of the box. It bothers me that Reason could now be a buggy mess as bad as other software I use that flaps around uselessly for months until the nth patch comes out and finally stabilises it.

b) It takes a long time to become really fluent in using a DAW (or a complex plugin in a DAW). It’s like learning an instrument in many ways. I’ve been concerned that RS have rushed this release (and are pushing R+) for the worst kind of VC business plan motives and that, behind the scenes, there isn’t really a plan or forward view beyond hitting revenue targets to drive up the multiple for a trade sale after the usual 3-5 year VC “strip and flip” cycle. I don’t want to invest any more of my time if Reason is to become a music technology dead end, the kind of DAW equivalent of the MiniDisc or Zip disk.

For me, this roadmap provides reassurance on both of these points. The missing stuff (from graphics to VST3) is on the task list, and I assume in the course of delivering those there’ll be bug fixes and CPU/GPU optimisation work as well (better be!). And, just as importantly, the guy who runs the business has made it clear that his company (and its owners) have some clear views on the need for Reason to evolve further, and on how it could evolve.

Overall this is the single most positive piece of comms I’ve seen from the company since the old Props was laid to rest and it became RS. It’s almost enough to convince me to move to R12… well… at some point in November when the early fixes have been delivered and work as advertised

[raymondh]

This new transparency is very much welcomed and appreciated. Big thumbs up for Reason Studios on that one.

+1

It's not about getting the features I want, it's having the visibility to know what I'm continuing to invest in.
Major Kudos to Reason Studios for sharing plans.

[avasopht]

This is interesting and clearly communicated their intent and what to expect

Good move

[DJMaytag]

This is a pleasant surprise, but the haters are still going to nit-pick it and get all gloom and doom. I’m still upgrading to R12 next week, but this announcement makes me feel a hell of a lot better about doing so.

[SuryaDnB]

I'm glad about the transparency.

Doing the sequencer in HD is nice of course, but it's not something that addressed workflow issues. I suspect implementing this improvement opens them up for future improvements to the sequencer, but they don't list anything that is DAW specific in the article other then "investigating sequencer updates". That is very vague and doesn't instill a lot of confidence that they have heard our cries for sequencer updates at all. If they had, why not list the ones they plan on working on? After all, it's a plan, not a promise!

I think collapsible folders in the sequencer should be the first improvement there, and I can't imagine it being all that hard to implement

I would also like the volume on audio tracks to be automatable. Currently you can set the overall volume and to a (straight) fade in and out. Why not full automation options?

How about doing something like blocks but track specific? Would be much more flexible.

So far I have found R11 and 12 to be very disappointing. I don't use the RRP. Hi res is nice but it's essentially just eye candy that doesn't solve problems, the new devices in R11 and 12 are... not for me and the sequencer updates in R11 were very minimal. And I don't think there are ANY in R12.

[QVprod]

I just cannot believe it.
After all these discussions we saw here.
Did you notice that RS mentions THIS forum in the first place as a feedback channel ?
Quote from RS blog:
"The virtual microphone in this case being Reason Talk, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, so feel free to speak up on what you think of our direction."

Who would have thought that something like this would happen ?
I like this !!

Yep, I mean it's been this way for a while... but we are officially the unofficial Reason Studios Forum!

[Barriott]

Authorisation/offline mode.

Yes please. I don't know if I'm in the minority but I tend to use reason as an instrument in a band setting and it's just such a bummer to have to log in to venues internet to make changes.. get this sorted pleeease

[drun robots]

I actually registered just to be able to comment on this.

So.. I started with Rebirth, and later got a not-so-legal copy of Reason 3. I was amazed, but what drag me in was when finally Reason was able to record, and mix, audio as I was getting out of my 4-track tape machine - just better (This was Reason 6.5, and it's actually the only box of software I kept until now). I am running R11 Suite, and to be honest some of its glictches were starting to get me concerned about the future of it. This post from RS is a decent step forward and the right approach - baring in mind that no promises are held beside listening to everyone. Which leads to what I think is really missing:

1. Improvement of the pitch and transient detection. Don't get me wrong, it is quite good and one of the best stretch algorithms around, but if you try to record DI bass or more harsh vocals, it fails here and there. I know that the lower frequencies are tricky, you can see it if you try to tune a dropped-tune bass with Reason's tuner.

2. Notepads, or better clip labelling: it's useful, very useful if you are recording audio...and it can't be that hard to have a notepad per track, or clip.

3. Notation (tab and score): not all the people I record fancy the midi thing... and if you want to recall how to play that part, you have the notation in pdf...

4. Getting the mixer the same colour as the theme: the idea is to save your eyes, not to have a light blast when you change from the sequencer to the mixer.

5. Improved meters on the mixer: it would be so useful and time saving to have more types of measurements on the tracks and master (RMS, LUFS, and the rest of the family).

6. Getting the EQ spectrogram window to be able to superimpose at least two tracks simultaneously - the one you can actually EQ and one more. Everyone that knows the kick bass fight would be thankful. Adjusting its speed and db per octave would turn it even better.

7. Adding metadata to the songs. I mean, doing the whole thing in Reason and then you have to open it on an editor just for that...

Regarding the new Combinator, looks great and I have a ton of uses for it when I upgrade, but there's something missing... meters. LEDs, VU, whatever, but meters (audio and cv) would make the new Combinator a beast!

Regarding the browser, I hope they include tags... I mean, it's a no-brainer.

And now, I'll go back to making music. And regarding haters and affiliates - dudes make some tunes and chill... music is the only reason you should be here in the first place.

[SuryaDnB]

Authorisation/offline mode.

Yes please. I don't know if I'm in the minority but I tend to use reason as an instrument in a band setting and it's just such a bummer to have to log in to venues internet to make changes.. get this sorted pleeease

Does the current authorizer not work for the RRP? Don't get me wrong, it's not a great piece of software, but once authorized, it does work quite reliably for me. I wouldn't say no to a more convenient way of doing this, but it's not at the top of my wish list.