Reason vs a 'real' Daw with plugs

[Major Tom]

Hi guys,

How good is Reason compared to my current set up?

Ableton Live 8
Waves SSL
Waves L3
URS Saturator
Lexicon bundle

I really am intrigued by Reason especially since the next instalment has Record integrated into it but how good can something costing 300 pounds be as good as my current set up? And if it is what the hell am I spending all of this cash for and why is everyone else?

I do love the idea of how reason a hardware studio simulator.

[cerodios]

Reason has some great synths and effects like the Thor for instance. I would say that if you like it why dont you just buy it and rewire it to Ableton and that way you'll have it all I dont think you're gonna have a better setup with Reason instead of the one you are using now but you're definitely gonna have a broader one with both of them.

[Major Tom]

Yeah good point mate. I hadn't though of rewire.

I suppose im one of these who likes to work within limitations. (were a dying breed) This is why I have so few plugs in the first place.

[AbsoluteSpirit]

For me it's all about the fine details and personal workflow/time...

Pretty much all daws do the basics well these days and after that it usually just becomes a matter of taste or about easier interoperability with a wider range of people

[Llitsor]

I got quite a variety of software and hardware here too.. And it is nice to put it to all to one side and work solely in Reason instead from time to time. It certainly has some limitations to work within, but I find it really isn't such a bad thing.
And I love it's stability. It really is rock solid. You simply never get hung up on it due to bugs or crashes etc. And for me it's been very intuitive too.

Reason 6 looks great..
Still no plugin support, which I personally don't mind at all. But still no midi out either. Which is about my only real gripe with it.

[Major Tom]

Yeah MIDI out is a killer. I totally get the no VSTs to keep it more stable but what could a MIDI out bring that would cause any issues. And on top of that there are tons of ignored threads requesting a MIDI out but PH dont seem to care.

But sticking to the plugs. For EG, how can Reasons reverb be as good as my lexicon bundle? I mean my lexicon bundle cost more by itself. Not meaning to be a snob but surely the bundled plugs with reason are no better than the bundled plugs with say Ableton or Cubase. Thing is, we ca buy waves or URS etc etc to improve other DAWs. So how good are the reason FX?

[Resonance5]

as long as i remember delay is pretty good and customizable, even the scream distortion is nice.

but really reason's audio engine is :S

got sick of rewire so in the end had to dump it, too bad there's a very intriguing idea behind it

[Major Tom]

Yeah thats how I feel mate. Its the only hardware studio emulation out there.

But surely if this 300 pound DAW was as good as say, pro tools with 3rd party plug ins why the hell would anyone spend so much more.

I mean the UAD quad card costs 1500 pounds.

[RonGherkins]

You are using price alone to ascertain something's value..

[Major Tom]

Of course I am.

Would you pay 80k for a ferrari if a 3k car could do exactly the same?

[RonGherkins]

A better analogy would be you can get a low end Mercedes where you are paying for the name or you can buy a car that drives better. It's beyond assinine to think that price is the only thing that means something.

It's even funnier if you think something like a UAd quad is 4x better than reason because it is 4x the price. You have a lot to learn but why don't you google something like reaper and tell me if price always equals quality.

[RonGherkins]

Originally Posted by Major Tom

Of course I am.

Would you pay 80k for a ferrari if a 3k car could do exactly the same?

Also price alone is the main part of my first response you should be focusing on

[RonGherkins]

And, to answer your question, it's very obvious to me at this point in time that you do not at all need reason.

[Llitsor]

Your lex reverb plugs will be better than what Reason has. The Reason one is decent enough and useable. But I don't think you'll be knocked out by it.
You can spice it up a bit by putting Reasons Stereo imaging effect on the end of it though (something I usually do)

But as previously mentioned, you can use Reasons Rewire to good effect with most DAW's. Reason v5/6 also has some really good export options, which are useful.


It's not Pro Tools.. But that doesn't stop some respectable artists putting it to good use.
Reason is also easily the most fun DAW type software i've used too

[Major Tom]

Ron - What sequencer / plugs do you use? Some freeware im guessing?

If your correct and Reason is as good as Protools loaded with all of the best VST plugs then your saying the whole industry is a sham and most people are fools as there is no difference. Im sorry but I just cannot see how it can be this way.

I dont think a UAD quad will be 4 x better than reason because its 4 times the price. But I do think that it must be far superior, otherwise no one would buy anything else and they would all have Reason.

I mean why do people fork out thousands of pounds if a £300 DAW can do exactly the same with the same quality? It doesn't make sense to me.

Listor - Yes, thats the one thing that I think is so attractive about Reason. The hardware studio emulation is as you say fun.

UPDATE:-

Ok, I have downloaded the demo. I previously thought Reason like Logic didn't have a demo version, think I was getting mixed up.

After a night of playing around I love the concept of it but it is no where near the grade of my waves SSL package or Lexicon bundle. Its sort of like in a league below. (To my ears anyway)

Mind, I would imagine a talented producer could get great results from it alone so im not saying its poor or anything like that. Just there is a reason why specialist plugs are so expensive.

[AJ Reynolds]

does the Reason 5 demo have all the Record features?

i'm a big Reason/Record fan but I use it with Pro Tools and have a few plugins.

[Ldizzy]

THIS IS MY VERY OPINION : Reason is the best sounding most fun to play with audio tool ive come across so far... but mixwise, in my very own case, its a pure pain... especially if you own waves...

id never completely mix a track in reason.

i think rewire's ur best bet! best of both worlds,