What Features Reason has and others DAWs do not have?

[dioxide]

Posted to complement this thread:
http://www.reasontalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7492020

We know that Reason is lacking in some aspects compared to some other DAWs but what are it's unique strengths? What can Reason do that other DAWs cannot?

[normen]

- A 100% consistent workflow including all plugins - presets, routing, undo/redo etc.
- Routing like in the real world
- CV routing
- A rack!
- Deep integration of sliced samples with a consistent format throughout all devices that support them (REX)
- One-button plugin install and authorization for ALL plugins
- Combinators (i.e. using the previously mentioned strengths to create "new" devices yourself)
- Very robust (few / no crashes)
- 100% the same environment on any platform it supports (including plugins)
- Cool developers that love their software (not 100% unique but especially the larger competitors have become quite anonymous workplaces)

[adfielding]

Universal undo is a big one for me. I use Studio One for VSTs and sample sets that I can't use in Reason and it brings my piss to a boil every time I accidentally do something stupid, press CMD+Z to undo it and watch as stuff starts disappearing from the sequencer. It's such a simple thing, and I know it's a limitation of external plug-ins, but it's something I've learned to take for granted having used Reason for so long. Consider me spoiled

[Tincture]

For me it's the pretty decent analogy with real world hardware. I can easily imagine using the sliders and turning the knobs in the same way as you might on a real synth or effect. Same goes for the routing and mixer. It just makes sense to me even though I've never used a big studio mixer or much of a rack.

Its looks draw me in. It looks good, even authentic. None of this false perspective that a lot of VSTs seem to use - how could you see the inside face of a knob to the extreme left and right?

So for me it's usability. Apart from a few things like comp edit (I just draw a blank, probably my fault) it's very intuitive for me. 9 times out of 10 I do something the way I imagine it might work... And voila... It works that way. Brilliant. Simple. I wouldn't be making any music without it I don't think.

[zakalwe]

rex2 built in.
integrated plugin format/management.
CV
universal undo.

[avasopht]

Other DAWs don't have ReasonTalk, bless em

But seriously, I'll add:

1. one click plugin reinstall
2. license management of all plugins
3. interoperability between devices, allowing for the creation of complex custom effects
4. multiplicative effect of new devices due to prior mentioned interoperability

[JerrelTheKing]

the Rack Extension format greatly reduces the learning curve for buying and using plugins right away. Like @tincture mentioned the real world layout is what hooked me on it back at Reason 4. There also may be no better daw for both production and mixing. Ableton and FL are more for production. PT is more mixing. To me Reason's only competitors are Logic and Studio One and because of the SSL mixer Reason is better to me.

[Exowildebeest]

Universal undo is a big one for me. I use Studio One for VSTs and sample sets that I can't use in Reason and it brings my piss to a boil every time I accidentally do something stupid, press CMD+Z to undo it and watch as stuff starts disappearing from the sequencer. It's such a simple thing, and I know it's a limitation of external plug-ins, but it's something I've learned to take for granted having used Reason for so long. Consider me spoiled

+1 !

I tried Studio One, and stopped trying because of this... (I already use Ableton for the same purposes, only marginally better when it comes to Undo...)

Another thing is the automation system, although I'm not sure whether there aren't any other DAW's with a similar implementation. I just love being able to drag automation clips around, mute and unmute them, non-destructively, and even place them on other tracks, just to get them out of the way or to "adjust alien clips to lane"

The free, "Lego-like" sequencer in general is awesome.

[True]

I haven't used every DAW out there, but for me Reason has a much less steep learning curve. I'm not saying everything is obvious, but I have to refer to the manual far less often for Reason than I do for the others, and it's because so much is visual...and what isn't visual is usually logical. The designers are very consistent and very precise with their metaphors, making it easy to find and remember what steps to take. Usually it's only the techniques that I have to look up, rather than the functions themselves. (Comp tracks would be the notable exception to this...that can take some getting used to.)

[Majestik Monkey]

SSL Mixing Console !
& everything above .....

[Ostermilk]

I've realised over-time that very little of what I do with music making software, i.e track, arrange, compose, engineer, mix, produce etc. isn't really tied in with feature sets that much.

If it was I'd probably be using Reaper where everyones' pet feature request is likely incorporated somewhere amongst a bewildering warren of choices where it's possible to take wildly varying routes to arrive at the same place.

I don't know specifically what Reason's particular attraction is for me but I do know that other DAWs have found and fallen out of favour with me over a considerable amount of time and the only constant bit of software for me has been Reason. When I started out with it I simply used it to create instrumental arrangements whilst rewired to another DAW which pretty much did everything else. I liked Reason then because I didn't have to reach out for a dozen different VSTi instruments it simply provided what I needed to break the back of what I needed to get done and it did it without fuss.

Since then Reason has gone through a sea change of improvements that have changed it completely from being an all purpose multitrack VST(i) workstation into a pretty well found free-standing environment with it's own audio, mixing and plug-in facilities yet strangely during a short period of huge growth in its capability the criticism of it being a poor relation to everything else seems to have grown exponentially. I say strange as if I look at something like say, Sonar from 2008 and where it is now it's very similar to how it was back then (all bar feature set add-ons), yet Reason has progressed from that humble rack into what it is now a contender that has completely transformed itself in the same time period.

I still use a complementary DAW as I always have, but despite the prophets of Reason's imminent demise, Reason has taken over more of the roles the other DAW used to provide rather than the reverse being true, and it's the other DAW where I've changed suits several times whereas Reason is the one constant because simply the environment where I am the most creative.

[avasopht]

What he said ^

It's not about feature set, but Reason just works for me. I have better sounds outside Reason but there's just something about Reason that inspires me and allows me to feel free.

In fact I know what it is. Like the simple *nix command line tools that perform simple tasks but are highly expressive allowing you to use them in ways to manifest your intent intuitively, Reason seems to have that same quality.

And yes, .. +SSL console.

I think it comes down to this, .. it's not the size of the feature set that matters, it's what Propellerhead has done with it that counts

[JNeffLind]

I'm not a Reason expert, and it's the only DAW I've really used, so I can't say much on this topic except that Reason seems incredibly intuitive to me. I've watched lots of general mixing tutorials where other DAWs are used to demonstrate examples and it just seems like there'd be a ton of learning to do before one could start making music. With Reason it seems you almost don't even need to read the manual. You can just kind of click around and find your way. Not what I'd recommend of course, but much easier to learn/remember how things worse when they're so intuitive.

[JNeffLind]

Also...

THOR!!!

[gak]

Music making instead of constantly futzing around? (of course unless you have futzbox then futzing isn't such a bad thing)

[electrofux]

-Remote
-Thor
-obviously CV
-ridiculously low CPU standard devices

[jonheal]

Universal undo is a big one for me. I use Studio One for VSTs and sample sets that I can't use in Reason and it brings my piss to a boil every time I accidentally do something stupid, press CMD+Z to undo it and watch as stuff starts disappearing from the sequencer. It's such a simple thing, and I know it's a limitation of external plug-ins, but it's something I've learned to take for granted having used Reason for so long. Consider me spoiled

Boiling pee pee must be exceptionally uncomfortable. I suggest applying an ice pack on one's lower abdomen while using Studio One.

[jonheal]

This is a bogus plus, but Reason is purtier than all the others (although I like the look of Ableton, too.) Reaper is butt-ugly. Some of the skins help, but apparently nothing can be done about its vomitous sequencer. I can't use Reaper for that "reason" alone.

(It's too bad the graphic design for most REs is not up to Reason's standard, because that does in fact degrade the experience for me, but then graphic design in its own right is just as difficult to get "right" as coding.)

[adfielding]

(It's too bad the graphic design for most REs is not up to Reason's standard, because that does in fact degrade the experience for me, but then graphic design in its own right is just as difficult to get "right" as coding.)

I agree with that whole-heartedly. I know a lot of people are of the mind-set that it doesn't matter what something sounds like so long as it sounds good, which is totally fine... but if I'm going to have to stare at a screen for hours then it does kinda make a difference to me. Plus, if I see a RE that has a horrendous UI then my first thought is going to be along the lines of "well, if they couldn't be bothered with the interface, what's it going to be like under the hood?".

[submonsterz]

Nothing ........

[dioxide]

-Remote

What's unique about Remote?

I don't buy that Thor is unique. It is very flexible but other systems have their own stock synths.

The same goes for the SSL. You can create your own SSL Channel using VSTs or in some case stock devices.

[avasopht]

What's unique about Remote?

I don't buy that Thor is unique. It is very flexible but other systems have their own stock synths.

The same goes for the SSL. You can create your own SSL Channel using VSTs or in some case stock devices.

Well Thor has one feature that is quite unique that you will never see in a VST, and that is breakout effects and processing, which I might add can be all processed in the same batch with no delay providing your matrix routing doesn't present any loops or in some cases make use of an instrument (like Thor).

[pjeudy]

(It's too bad the graphic design for most REs is not up to Reason's standard, because that does in fact degrade the experience for me, but then graphic design in its own right is just as difficult to get "right" as coding.)

I agree with that whole-heartedly. I know a lot of people are of the mind-set that it doesn't matter what something sounds like so long as it sounds good, which is totally fine... but if I'm going to have to stare at a screen for hours then it does kinda make a difference to me. Plus, if I see a RE that has a horrendous UI then my first thought is going to be along the lines of "well, if they couldn't be bothered with the interface, what's it going to be like under the hood?".

I'm not sure how GUI for REASON are built...but Propellerhead should allow people to build entire GUI using PHOTOSHOP etc..... I think the quality should go up if that where to happen!

[avasopht]

I'm not sure how GUI for REASON are built...but Propellerhead should allow people to build entire GUI using PHOTOSHOP etc..... I think the quality should go up if that where to happen!

Isn't that what the 2d rack extension GUI opens up the doors to?

[zakalwe]

I'd say subtractor and malstrom are more unique than thor. thor is a nice synth but if you have one of the kitchen sinky VSTi ones you probably have everything covered. i still see people posting requests on forums for a VSTi that can have its oscillators modulated like subtractor.