Music 4.0 – You Can’t Argue With Reason
Propellerhead Software have just announced the Beta release of Reason 4.0, with a full release planned for the Autumn. A new Reason version is always cause for celebration, but what have the props got in store for us this time?
The major additions to version three were the M-Class mastering suite and the Combinator. Version four boasts a redesigned sequencer as well as the new polysonic Thor synth, an arpeggiator and a quantisation mixer.
The Thor synth features six different oscillator types and four unique filters, and the props claim it is the most powerful synth ever created. This is probably a moot point; from the screenshots, it does seem to be something of a behemoth, and given Reason’s track record, I’m sure it will be both fun and effective.
The ReGroove unit is a groove management console which looks more like a mixer. This can be used to apply different groove or quantisation settings to 32 elements of a track, completely independently of one another if so desired.
The sequencer has gotten a massive makeover, and now includes vector automation, a transport track and track folding. The RPG-8 is the new monophonic arpeggiator, which has been in the pipeline for some time now. Other features include French, German and Japanese editions, extra factory patches and a tool window for optimising your workflow. For some more details, check out Create Digital Music‘s preview.