Reason 8 - Official

[hotmitts]

Just to clarify though, the Line6 devices are not being retroactively removed from any version of Reason that already included them so they'll still be available. They're not being phased out until mid-2016 and then simply won't be included in a future version (probably v9 or 10).

Okay, well it sounded to me like they were being retroactively removed, so that's something.
I agree with many of the recent points. I've always used Reason as a 100% reliable programme that runs on any system anywhere. I can see they're in a 'can't please everyone' situation absolutely. I just think a few new instruments or FX in every upgrade is the basic expectation for many (most?) users.

[bmrzycki]

Just to clarify though, the Line6 devices are not being retroactively removed from any version of Reason that already included them so they'll still be available. They're not being phased out until mid-2016 and then simply won't be included in a future version (probably v9 or 10).

Okay, well it sounded to me like they were being retroactively removed, so that's something.
I agree with many of the recent points. I've always used Reason as a 100% reliable programme that runs on any system anywhere. I can see they're in a 'can't please everyone' situation absolutely. I just think a few new instruments or FX in every upgrade is the basic expectation for many (most?) users.

It's possible they might be removed from all copies of Reason. Props haven't been very clear about it.

Imagine a simple scenario: Windows 10 or OS X 10.10 is released and Props have to post a patch to 6.5.x for it to work on the new OS. The patch also removes the devices because the time has passed for the license agreement with Line6. It's not clear that this will happen. But it's also not clear that it won't.

If you have any sounds using those devices now is the time to review and replace them, if possible. If not possible, bounce that audio to wave.

[Tronam]

Okay, well it sounded to me like they were being retroactively removed, so that's something.
I agree with many of the recent points. I've always used Reason as a 100% reliable programme that runs on any system anywhere. I can see they're in a 'can't please everyone' situation absolutely. I just think a few new instruments or FX in every upgrade is the basic expectation for many (most?) users.

It's possible they might be removed from all copies of Reason. Props haven't been very clear about it.

Imagine a simple scenario: Windows 10 or OS X 10.10 is released and Props have to post a patch to 6.5.x for it to work on the new OS. The patch also removes the devices because the time has passed for the license agreement with Line6. It's not clear that this will happen. But it's also not clear that it won't.

If you have any sounds using those devices now is the time to review and replace them, if possible. If not possible, bounce that audio to wave.

Considering they'll still be officially supporting these Line6 devices for the next 2 years, the likelihood of them releasing any program updates whatsoever for Reason 6.x is extremely slim. It'd be 5 years old by then. They've also explicitly stated that they won't be removing them from any previous version of Reason that includes them. They aren't rack extensions; They're integrated native devices. The storm in a teacup over this situation is becoming a tad overblown.

[Winstontaneous]

The storm in a teacup over this situation is becoming a tad overblown.

And heaven forbid if people have to actually, like, um, use their ears or something to get a similar tone from the Softube amps!

[jjpscott01]

I'm so ready for this version. It'll be fun to see what the reception is like AFTER the product is actually released. There are always tons of "im so pissed../i demand this feature.." threads when a new DAW version is announced. Then after the release of that version hits, we finally get an accurate idea of its general reception. Seeing the Reason 8 announcement ignite so much passion inspired me to go back to several threads on various DAW's on different forums and I had quite a laugh at just how ridiculous or even how predictable some of these threads have been. I have a good feeling Reason 8 will have a very different response after it officially comes out. Only 7 more days to find out if that feeling is accurate!

[kmonkey]

Well i managed to join beta few days ago, i read everything to the last bit and i won't spoil anyone but i am going to say that questions which i asked some even mandatory ones are not resolved in v8. However on beta forum i see even Propellerheads commented these things which i asked some users here (meaning for me that what i asked isn't something stupid) and they said they are aware of them, they are limitations but for now they did not have time to build them for this release. I won't say which ones, all fine, NDA and that stuff.

But i am under impression that some of you guys defended beta a bit too much. It is exactly commented what is new and how to work with new stuff and with all honesty - it's mandatory (to me) and exactly what some disappointed users told us here. No secret amazing features hidden and only for beta people..

However...

Maybe i am not right guy to say this since i joined Reason world few weeks ago, and R8 beta is clicking with me perfectly - meaning i did not suffer what some other long time users did. All in all GUI is improved, definitely workflow boost (new browser seems perfect for me) and to my taste new Amps are bang on. Superb!

[spikey]

And heaven forbid if people have to actually, like, um, use their ears or something to get a similar tone from the Softube amps!

What is this thing you call ears anyway ?

[fmr]

The storm in a teacup over this situation is becoming a tad overblown.

And heaven forbid if people have to actually, like, um, use their ears or something to get a similar tone from the Softube amps!

Are you saying this in a forum where there are endless discussions about where a version of a certain synth (or FX processor) in software is sounding similar enough to the very same version of that synth in hardware, sometimes even made with the same code by the same company?

[Tronam]

Well i managed to join beta few days ago, i read everything to the last bit and i won't spoil anyone but i am going to say that questions which i asked some even mandatory ones are not resolved in v8. However on beta forum i see even Propellerheads commented these things which i asked some users here (meaning for me that what i asked isn't something stupid) and they said they are aware of them, they are limitations but for now they did not have time to build them for this release. I won't say which ones, all fine, NDA and that stuff.

But i am under impression that some of you guys defended beta a bit too much. It is exactly commented what is new and how to work with new stuff and with all honesty - it's mandatory (to me) and exactly what some disappointed users told us here. No secret amazing features hidden and only for beta people..

However...

Maybe i am not right guy to say this since i joined Reason world few weeks ago, and R8 beta is clicking with me perfectly - meaning i did not suffer what some other long time users did. All in all GUI is improved, definitely workflow boost (new browser seems perfect for me) and to my taste new Amps are bang on. Superb!

You're not wrong. Reason 8 is not going to blow anyone's minds and the Props have been pretty upfront so far about what it has to offer. It's bread & butter... and light on the butter. It'll be a good deal for people who held off upgrading from R6 (or earlier) last year, but it's really the R7 users who are most divided about it and understandably so. I don't think anyone was expecting a new version this soon and even people who've been putting an improved browser at the top of their wish list for years aren't sure what to think of it. The non-guitarist synth geeks who spend most of their time programming and wiring up synthesizer patches will be the most bewildered of all. I could easily see them waiting this one out. I'm in that camp, but I personally like the improvements and will likely upgrade in the near future. It'll be interesting to see how this release plays out and what kind of reception it gets after people actually use it. Fortunately they have one of the best demos around; no time limit, almost full functionality (no bouncing audio tracks to disk), and can save patches and songs.

[KarmaShaman]

Having only recently discovered the second R8 video presentation, I am impressed with the feature that allows 'drag & drop' into OctoRex slots. Unlike many users (I assume), I rarely create my own beats, preferring the organic sounds of the imperfect playing of real acoustic drums. My biggest annoyance is all the fantastic pre-Octo ReFills that are 1-slot wonders, despite being part of a set library.

This feature, combined with my recent discovery of automating the slot triggers, is an appealing proposition. Is it worth $129 to me ? I'm undecided... although as a guitarist, the Softube RE's are also going to be of some value I suppose. For the foreseeable future though, that money would be better spent on Jiggery's delay and the Polar pitch shifter.

[hotmitts]

It'll be interesting to see how this release plays out and what kind of reception it gets after people actually use it. Fortunately they have one of the best demos around; no time limit, almost full functionality (no bouncing audio tracks to disk), and can save patches and songs.

Ahh, maybe that's what this one is all about then, enticing new users who didn't relate to the idiosyncracies (wow how many syllables was that) of the old style way of working.

[Mr. Fister]

This is the worst update for Reason ever. Period.

It's overpriced for what has been announced. So many of these features are already in other DAWS and now their making people pay for Props to update a program they havent updated certain parts in for over 5 years.

Propellerhead is so corporate now, there's no way in hell they were ever going to actually spend money on man-hours to update the outdated program WITHOUT passing that cost on to YOU. Everything they do these is scripted with the aim to NOT SPEND MONEY while raking in as big of profits as possible.

I think the pricing for RE's in a closed format is also opposite of what they should be doing. Instead, RE's are seen with a "gold rush" mentality. Like, there's this new and uncharted land full of money to be made.

Sorry. That time has passed. From a greed and corporate POV, best thing to do at this point is to trap and snare. Keep the people you have, and anyone in the future, ball-and-chained to your rules and %'s for each sale, and eek out any money that can still be made from "audio plug-ins for DAWs" before they finally cave, which will happen, and include VST.

Reason WILL have VST integration at some point, or the program is going to sink. It's already getting to be laughable in the DAW world.

RE's are simply overpriced. It's the age of "Oh wow, there's quality stuff all over the place including this bad-ass synth for my iPad that's damn close to sounding as good as any synth in Reason and it's only a $20 app!"

That's the world these days. Instead, some people WANT to look at RE's as if they're such game changing devices to recording audio that they're on the same level of awesome as real hardware like at Abbey Road.

They're not. They're little apps you download that you can't sell again. And that you can only use in one program.

They should sell that Parsec synth for no-more than $50 instead of where its at and quit trying to act like they're products are God's gift to audio and that everything they offer is covered in gold. Programs like Logic, Audition CC, Samplitude, Pro Tools, etc.....are SUCH classier pieces of audio production software, so much more mature, so NOT targeted at narrow-minded hipsters whose idea of musical success is posting loops to Soundcloud, that it makes the way they go about business in a such an extremely conceited fashion...well, mind-boggling.

That's what also makes the equation of their rather boisterous claims of being #2 coupled with the speed of progress, efficiency, and inclusion of popular features a tough thing to add-up.

(2nd best DAW and you can't launch clips when well over 80% of the people that use your product produce EDM music?? The 2nd most popular DAW can't launch clips? When EDM is the most popular music right now? Do you have any idea what a well timed addition it would have been to have clip launching in Reason 8??)

If it was a program like those other 4 DAWs I named above, Reason would be in studios - not bedrooms.

I hear people try to defend it and say "Reason is VERY new to being a DAW".

You're very right. It is very new. So let it be new. It needs humbled. Attitudes and claims of it being a studio DAW need humbled. The company seems like a bunch of arrogant snobs, to be honest. THEY most certainly need humbled.

It's a bedroom program. It just might be the best damn bedroom music producing program ever.

But it needs bedroom pricing for its little apps you cant use anywhere else and that you cant resell.

[keyman_sam]

My only gripe with Reason has ever been that it cannot be integrated with your existing DAW in a meaningful manner.

When I integrate it with my DAW, I want FULL reason's capabilities. Not some piss-ass rewire that only uses reason as an instrument. As if I don't have enough of those in my library.

What I need is Reason's rack environment at my disposal. The great sounding effects, the multi-layer lfo thingy, the arpeggiator, scream, etc. I want a proper solution for that.

[Mr. Fister]

My only gripe with Reason has ever been that it cannot be integrated with your existing DAW in a meaningful manner.

When I integrate it with my DAW, I want FULL reason's capabilities. Not some piss-ass rewire that only uses reason as an instrument. As if I don't have enough of those in my library.

What I need is Reason's rack environment at my disposal. The great sounding effects, the multi-layer lfo thingy, the arpeggiator, scream, etc. I want a proper solution for that.

What are you missing in a rewire session that you wish you had?

[JonSolo]

What are you missing in a rewire session that you wish you had?

I would speak up (though not directed to me) and say just what he said...the ability to use Reason like a Rack. Route any audio (from Cubase, for instance) through it including my VST's outputs, utilize some of the cool effects, and then back into my DAW. And that would be the simple start...

Oooh... this post could get real long.

Jon