I really think the best thing for people to do is just...try it. On September 25th, grab the demo and use it in standalone and/or as a VST and you'll know very, very quickly if it's worth the price of admission for you. There's a lot of speculation and drama surrounding this release. And to a certain extent I get it, especially if you're heavily invested in the platform. God knows I am - my device lists are comically huge
But ya know, take a breather. Try the demo. Plan your next move from there.
Having been on the beta for about a day (and without divulging any sensitive info!) I can say that this update is definitely for me. The new features and effects are super useful, and while there aren't that many, it's worth the price because I fully intend on using the Rack VST in my other DAW, Cubase Pro 10. Which, btw, is a hell of an experience. As I tweeted earlier, in dark mode it almost feels like a new feature of Cubase. Clever move. I will be using the rack for instruments and effects *way* more than my tired old Komplete Suite because I know the devices so well and can get so much more out of them with sequencing and modulation and routing. But I won't have to tie my hands and forgo Cubase's amazing sequencer and audio functionality any more just to use them. So for me, it's a win.
For those of you who don't have a second DAW...well I toooootally get why it's a tough situation. Do you invest and hope for more features in 11.5? Do you wait until 12+ and carry on with 10? Or do you cut your losses altogether and jump ship? Maybe what's needed is an additional upgrade tier that just gives you the new features for a few bucks (or maybe none!). But, that's not where we're at right now so my suggestion is this; if you've been making great music in R10, keep doing that. You don't need 11 just because it exists. And you won't be penalised for skipping a version if you decide to hold out. Alternatively, you could get on the upgrade path for any of the other major DAWs (Cubase Artist, Ableton Lite, etc.) and have access to most of the things you're waiting for in Reason, right now. Then with 11, you "unlock" your RE collection from the Reason ecosystem, and greatly expand the functionality of your host DAW in the process. Then just...see where it goes. At least you've got a foot in both doors.
I dunno. These are just my thoughts. Like I said, for me it's a must-have. I'll continue to use Reason as a DAW for what it's best at, but I look forward to combining it with other software when I need what it has. And I'm really looking forward to sharing tips and ideas on it too now that I'm back up and running with video finally! Turns out not everything is easier on a Mac