Your 5 favorite Reason/Rack Extension synths?

[TritoneAddiction]

This has probably been done to death already, or at least something very similar, but here it goes anyway.
What are your personal 5 favorite Reason synths? (Reason stock or RE synths)

Sample based/IDT synths like Grain, Scenic, Skrock synths count as well. Basically if you view it as a synth, it's a synth.

[Mataya]

Viking 2 x 5

[Benedict]

1. Europa - a do anything workhorse, Analog, Digital, FMish, all doable & fast. If I want to change direction, i don't need to change synth.
2. Thor - like Europa above only still better versatility in the Mod Matrix and better for FM and those PD Osc...
3. Subtractor - just a wonder for leads and some basses
4. Oberon - again, can do anything. Stranger than Europa/Thor but rarely lets me down
5. Parsec - There is something about what it does when it is the right tool for the job

I have many other things and they all get play at some time or other but it is also hard to keep everything in my head at once. Megasaur should get a mention as should Skrock's devices. In the VST world Surge is a powerful beast (if not unusual at first).

[TritoneAddiction]

For me right now it's probably:

Scenic
Legend
FM4
Expanse
Zero

The first three, Scenic, Legend, FM4 are great because they're all fun and easy to work with and I get great results with them. Expanse and Zero I don't particularly like working with but they sound great. With them I rely on presets, which is fine too.

[TritoneAddiction]

Viking 2 x 5

I think it might become a favorite of mine to with time. I've just bought it so I haven't really given it a fair shot yet.

[TritoneAddiction]

1. Europa
2. Thor
3. Subtractor
4. Oberon
5. Parsec

From the bits I've heard of your music I can see why Europa is high on your list. Seems like a perfect fit.

[Mataya]

Ok, in all seriousness, it would be better to also write a short why is it the best synth in reason.

1. Viking 2 just sounds as you expect this type of a synth to sound. Filters, oscilators, modulations don't have that "stepped" feeling and sound when you push it and that's why it's the best one for me.

2. Spectra. This one has no internal effects and it sounds amazing without them. You could get distracted with the effects built in and this way you're only doing synthesis. Not saying I don't like the effects on a synth, you just forget to use them for a longer time with spectra and also you can go really deep with the possibilities with additive type of a synth.

3. Legend. It's a classic Synth that sound great for an analogue type synth.

4. ABL 303. It's a 303 for God sake.

5. Parsec/Monopoly/FM4/ - They are just fun to use and sound awesome when you tweak them enough.

Honorable mentions. Nostromo - would be a perfect synth for me, but for some reason I can't get it to sound thick and powerful enough. Always goes on a "thinny" sound. I probably don't know how to use it properly. But for quick weirdness...you just can't beat that random button.

Expanse. For me, better then Europa or maybe it just sits right with me for some reason. I'm not a big fun of wavetable synths, but I understand the power of them.

A big underdoug would be Iridium from SKrock music. And it was free recently.


https://www.youtube.com/user/MrMataya000


M

[MannequinRaces]

My recent top five is:

Legend - analog goodness
VK2 - just picked this one up on sale now and using in a new song. More analog goodness.
Super Audio Cart - chiptunes for days
Nostromo - always pleasantly surprised by what sonic utterances come from the belly of this thing
Grain - granular awesomeness

[raymondh]

So hard to pick the top 5, so "top of mind 5"; (excludes VSTi)

The Legend
Antidote
Korg Polysix
Expanse
Korg Mono/Poly

[Spaceship]

Complex1. Europa, grain, Thor, antidote

[Faastwalker]

Complex-1
Nostromo
Ivoks
Parsec
EDS06

................ Looking through what I have I realise I don't have as many synths as I thought and that I want / need more!

Next sale I need to grab;

VK-2
Oberon
Driver
Autosub

etc, etc ...................

[MrFigg]

The Ochen K drum synth thing.
VK-2
The RYM one

...and that’s pretty much it. And I have many.
Oh yeah...sometimes FM4 but that’s much the same as the RYM one .

Edit: forgot Oberon. I like that one too.

[Mr. Watts]

In no particular order..

JPS SuperNova
JPS Harmonic Synthesizer
Expanse
Antidote
RP Vecto

[TritoneAddiction]

The Ochen K drum synth thing.
VK-2
The RYM one

...and that’s pretty much it. And I have many.
Oh yeah...sometimes FM4 but that’s much the same as the RYM one .

Edit: forgot Oberon. I like that one too.

Interesting. Do you have any track(s) with Ochen Ks drum RE? Would love to hear it in some context. Trialed it briefly a long time ago but didn't buy it.

[MrFigg]

The Ochen K drum synth thing.
VK-2
The RYM one

...and that’s pretty much it. And I have many.
Oh yeah...sometimes FM4 but that’s much the same as the RYM one .

Edit: forgot Oberon. I like that one too.

Interesting. Do you have any track(s) with Ochen Ks drum RE? Would love to hear it in some context. Trialed it briefly a long time ago but didn't buy it.

No I don’t. For the most part Reason is something I open a couple of times a day when I get the chance for a bit of music therapy. I can do a whole song and then when it’s done I just switch off without saving it. I like the drum module just ‘cos I like Ochen. I like the GUI and I like the sounds I get when I turn the knobs and press the buttons.
Simple guitarist you know.

[Oquasec]

Parsec oberon expanse Antidote A-series

[Zac]

Mine do change regularly, currently:

Europa
Monotone
Autosub
Nostromo
Vectro

[TritoneAddiction]

JPS SuperNova
JPS Harmonic Synthesizer

Yes, these don't get enough attention. I have them both but it's been a long time since I used them.

[MrFigg]

JPS SuperNova
JPS Harmonic Synthesizer

Yes, these don't get enough attention. I have them both but it's been a long time since I used them.

Liked the pedals on supernova but the synth itself just put me off buying it. Didn’t like harmonic either. JP effects in the other hand are awesome so I’ve got them all.

[Mr. Watts]

Yes, these don't get enough attention. I have them both but it's been a long time since I used them.

Liked the pedals on supernova but the synth itself just put me off buying it. Didn’t like harmonic either. JP effects in the other hand are awesome so I’ve got them all.

Yea well, to each his own! They offer me a different sound palette that I can’t as easily get with other synths. I also really like the Space Organ as well. Really weird and cool sounds from thes JPS re’s.

[ab459]

Parsec
Subtractor
Malmstrom
Grain
Europe

Ironically it's all what already include in program (despite i have Zero, Resonans, VK2 and some others. Well maybe did not explored it enough yet.)
Btw did reopen Malmstrom for himself after buy Reason finally couple years ago (after long years sitting in other DAW). Damn it's some amazing dark texture generator with endless variations, and it's zero CPU usage.
About Grain - i have a bunch of granulars in vst, but spectral mode in Grain it's something special (though have Padshop which has spectral mode too, but it not the same). The only thing it cpu load a bit during this, well at least it most hungry algo in Grain.
I would add Thor as well, due to his enormous modulation abilities, but can just 5 heh

[selig]

Strictly REs, based on how inspiring they are to me and how much music I've gotten out of them.
(No imbedded Reason synths, and in no particular order):
•Antidote
•Legend
•Complex-1
•Nostromo
•Proton
(honorable mention: Noxious)

[dvdrtldg]

(honorable mention: Noxious)

Noxious is awesome. Needs a bit of help sometimes if I'm trying for big beefy sounds, but it's full of surprises and a great creative sound design tool

[Auryn]

(honorable mention: Noxious)

Noxious is awesome. Needs a bit of help sometimes if I'm trying for big beefy sounds, but it's full of surprises and a great creative sound design tool

I'd be interested to hear what you guys like about Noxious versus its big brother Oberon

Also: there's entirely too many people still sleeping on Oberon in this thread!

[Creativemind]

Viking 2 x 5

I think it might become a favorite of mine to with time. I've just bought it so I haven't really given it a fair shot yet.

Watched a video on it a couple of weeks ago, certainly looks and sounds very nice. Will probably get it in the next month.

The Legend is very good but it depends on what you want to make really?

Europa as stated above is fantastic.

Haven't got it but Parsec 2 is decent (trialled it) and ReDominator.