level up the Rack experience. The Rack is really the core of what makes Reason unique and where a lot of sounds and music is made. We wanted to make that look and feel just right while making it even more immediate and powerful to make music with.
First we’re making Reason high resolution.
Reason 12 also includes a brand new sampler. This sampler goes way beyond what’s available in Reason today. It’s designed to quickly explore and play back sounds in interesting ways—be that from your collection of samples, something recorded on the fly, or even an export of the very track you’re working on.
Enhancement of the Combinator. Updating the Combinator is also one of the most highly requested features of all times—from more CV inputs and controls to easier programming and more patches. We’re making good on all of this!
The Combinator in Reason 12 is overhauled to be fully customizable, more powerful, and easier than ever to work with. Create a custom interface with the controls you want laid out how you like, add images, set up expressive macro controls, change the panel size, and more to make any patch your own.
To help you navigate all this content, we’re also improving the Reason browser. Search is now blazing fast and your search results are categorized to easily find what you want.
You can buy or upgrade to Reason 12 when it releases on September 1st and if you’re a Reason+ subscriber you’ll get the new stuff as soon as it’s available.
Maybe there will be some crazy modulations with Max for Live and the Reason Rack Back and it will encourage the think of reason devices… instead to launch and setup everything for fast experiment load the reason rack boom > experiment it’s cool
Finally! I was an early Reason user from version 1 and stopped with version 5 when Re-wire between the 32bit reason 5 and my 64bit daw would not work anymore. I still like the instruments and fx a lot and will take a close look at the new version! upgrade prices should be cool from 5 -> 11.
I’ve always been interested in Reason and even played around with Reason 10 for about a week. I really like the idea of using only a DAWs native instrument and fx without 3rd party vsts and Reason seems perfect for that. In the end I didn’t have the time to learn a whole new workflow. As an Ableton Live user, would anyone recommend ditching Live and going fully with Reason? If so why (or why not)?
Personal opinion (subjective)
I would say “no” for audio warping algorithms… (you have many types under Ableton) workflow is also better on Ableton Live for sketching musical ideas… (Ableton + Push 2 is still a very great Software/Controller setup difficult to beat)
Then for track construction the normal time/horizontal mode is more or less the same…
Combo Ableton/Reason Rack should be the best option at the end. If they made a great job with their Reason VST Rack. (regarding CPU and routing I would say)
I think it was more that the old Rewire way of working was a bit clunky to use. IIRC you had to open one DAW, then Reason, and then route the midi and audio between them. You could then sequence Reason from your regular DAW and receive the audio back. It worked ok but never felt particularly integrated.
I find reason so interesting to use because the suite reflects the development of virtual instruments and effects in general. Keep in mind that Propellerheads were pioneers in the programming of the music technology that we all take for granted these days.
pretty stoked about Reason 11, I’ve been using it since R.3, such an underrated tool imo. So many kats over look it’s potential, I’ve been using Reaktor for about as long and I usually end up using Reason due to its streamlined modular design. I don’t use a daw for much more than recording now, but I pretty consistently use Reason to build patch’s for stems, or individual sound for my Elektron samplers. the cost verse sheer power and potential, your basically robbing them of revenue lol! My only beef is that it’s audio editor is lacking in some key features that make some tasks less than enjoyable, I tend to use Beatcleaver for chopping, but everyone’s needs are different … if Renoise will get on board with VST3 support, could be a really powerful combo for a lot of kats . Reason is doing away with rewire as of the Reason 11 release, but this reason rack vst will bring a lot more power to those who cross platform their daws. the other additions are quite nice aswell. with everything you get, the price is pretty damn sweet too…
Reason as @v00d00ppl said is very great at GUI so all is like a Real Studio but Virtual for their Instruments, Effects and even for the Mixer. As things are visual I do think the Learning Curve is more on the Sequencer and it’s Tools.
If I can work in Ableton with one Screen. it’s a better idea with Reason to work with Two Screens one Horizontally and one lower than your main screen vertically (there’s a lot of great and affordable screen that rotate that way and it’s really a comfort to work with reason that way…)
That’s a really good point about Reason’s reliance on multiple screens for a decent workflow. I loved Reason around the time of 3 and 4. It was the perfect self-contained environment for my friend Andy and I to make music together. It had limitations but I never minded them (until I got into hardware synths and drum machines). We could share tracks and collaborate better than at any time before or since.
The addition of the SSL-style mixer and merging of “Record” really harmed the UI for me. Working on tracks within Reason on our laptops wasn’t ergonomic or fun anymore, and I found the clean interface of Ableton worked so much better on a single screen.
The thing I still loved about Reason was the rack and its modular nature. I’m pretty excited at the thought of having that more easily available again, without the frustration of the rest of the Reason environment.
Interesting points, thanks. I’m disappointed to hear that reason doesn’t work well with just a single laptop screen. I struggle on just my laptop screen with ableton too… are there any DAWs that really just have a single screen interface?
and it will encourage the think of reason devices… instead to launch and setup everything 
… if Renoise will get on board with VST3 support, could be a really powerful combo for a lot of kats . Reason is doing away with rewire as of the Reason 11 release, but this reason rack vst will bring a lot more power to those who cross platform their daws. the other additions are quite nice aswell. with everything you get, the price is pretty damn sweet too…