Propellerheads Reason 3:

The latest update of one of the most famous software studios out there brings a lot of new features to the table to expand on the already proven formula. The question however is that is it really worth upgrading from version 2.5?

Lets first take a look at what is new in this third coming of Reason.

Combinator :

This is a new device that lets you combine many other modules inside the software. If you have ever wanted to make that fat sounding lead with multiple instances of a synth such as Substractor and route it through a couple of EQs and filters, then you can do that in the Combinator and save it as one preset. This really simplifies making big sounds out of many different modules inside Reason.

The Combinator may look simple, but you can combine as many other devices as your computer can handle and even split up sounds on you keyboard in the shown programmer window.

Mclass mastering suite :     

This is a combination of 4 modules that make up a collection that can be used to quickly and easily master your tracks. A few music genre specific presets are included so that you can effortlessly master your dance track with the dance preset. 

The quality of the effects in the mclass series seem to be of high quality. Playing around with the effects and using presets did make the output of Reason more proffesional sounding than ever before.

MClass mastering suite is there to make sure that the sound coming out of Reason is better than before. Even a few general presets have been included to help those that know nothing about mastering.

Remote :

This is a new technology that basically eliminates setup time for the supported hardware midi devices. If your device is supported (and a extensive range of the most popular controllers are) then you will find this feature more than useful as it means that you might not have to do anything to use your controller in Reason. You can edit the mappings if you really don't like the way that controllers are mapped.

I had a Behringer BCF2000 control surface in review at the same time as Reason 3 and got to test the REMOTE function with that. I was blown away by the mappings that are given, which are really well made, with care down to the smallest details; such as being able to control the EQ bars of the BV512 vocoder in EQ mode with the motorized faders of the BCF2000. REMOTE really shows a way forward in providing native support for control surfaces and controller keyboards.

The mappings are not perfect though and I noticed that some modules didn't have the ability to control all the knobs. Also I was expecting some controls to be used more wisely and some of the features could be better. Still overall the Remote function stands at a awesome level of literally being able to use your compatible control surface straight out of the box.    

The Remote technology makes it possible to automatically detect control surfaces and keyboards for use in Reason, also many keyboards or controllers can now be used at the same time.

New browser, new sounds:

Reason 3 has a new browser that lets you look for sounds in a completely new way. It lets you search through the type of sounds that you want disregarding the module that they work on. This means faster finding of the sounds you want to hear and they can even be auditioned while the browser is still open.

Also Reason 3 brings along a updated soundbank with more presets and sounds. Especially the new Combinator module sounds show what Combinator is capable of.

Also the earlier released free Electromechanical refill that includes some sweet sounding vintage keyboards has been updated to version 2.0. The new version adds some Combinator patches and new presets.

Other things that have been added

Also included in Reason 3 is the brand new 6 channel line mixer, this is used to make submixes or smaller mixes. Although not as useful as the standard mixer, this mixer is suitable for submixing of things such as drum tracks or for using inside the Combinator patches.

The new line mixer provides new sub-mixing possibilities

Still the same old Reason underneath

So far I have talked about the new things in Reason 3, but the reality for people new to Reason is that this won't be very useful. However to allay your fears Reason is still one of the best (and a personal favorite of mine) of the software studios. For more on Reason, read our review of Reason 2.5 here. 

Is it worth upgrading?

After first seeing the upgrades of Reason 3 over 2.5, I was rather turned off - asking myself how they can charge for this. The reality is that the butterfly effect occurs (small things can have big effects) since all of these changes that appear small are in fact a quite significant add. For example the Combinator seemed useless to me as I thought I could do everything it does anyways. Later on I just realized the complexity and power of that module. Also I overlooked the power of the new browser as I didn't realize the power of being able to choose instruments and scroll through presets that can be in different modules (and at the same time auditioning them).

If you're using Reason 2.5 and are considering the upgrade, I would recommend it just because of the new mastering suite that will make your music sound better than before. If you have a REMOTE compatible control surface/keyboard such as the tested BCF2000, then this upgrade is a must have as the capabilities of this new technology are truly inspiring.

Conclusion

The newest version of Reason comes with less added features than I expected, but the features that are in there have pleasantly surprised me. From the new patches and sounds to the new browser, the update seems worthwhile. It is not however till you have tried REMOTE with the likes of the tested BCF2000 control surface that you see the full potential of the update. If you own a BCF2000 or any other Remote supported controller, then upgrading to Reason 3 is the logical thing to do. If you don't own a Remote compatible controller, you will still find that Reason 3 offers a substantial improvement over Reason 2.5 providing you with more sounds, easier and better mastering plus a new way to browse for sounds.

Propellerheads have done it again. They have updated one of the best software studios to work with many different midi controllers without setup, provided us with a few new modules and sounds to work with, revamped the way you browse for sounds and even made sure that you can get better sounding music out of Reason. Awesome.    

9.5 - The third coming of Reason is a step up from the earlier incarnations. Especially for Remote compatible control surface/ keyboard owners this is a must get, the other people will still enjoy the new mastering suite and the new sounds that make Reason sound better than before.

+New modules, new sounds
+Remote technology makes keyboards and controls surfaces easy to set up
+Mclass mastering class makes Reason's output sound more professional than before

-Remote mappings not fully complete