We believe making music is not a self-contained, in-the-box activity. Everyone does it differently and with different setups. Making the Reason Rack a plugin means you can tap into everything that’s great about the Rack in any environment with minimal hassle. I’ve personally enjoyed using Reason Rack Plugin in Ableton Live for example, launching clips with my favorite Reason instruments, Players and Rack Extensions while improvising guitar over that. It makes for a different workflow and I end up with new music because of it.
Does this news mean we’re abandoning Reason as a standalone music production software? Of course not! Reason 11 is much more than Reason Rack Plugin though. It comes packed with five new devices as well as top requested workflow features for the DAW. From small improvements that make a huge difference, like quickly drawing multiple notes at the current snap value, to crucial editing features like curved automation and crossfades.
While I have a special place in my heart for the half-rack devices, it was also time for a fresh take on modulation effects. Sweeper Modulation Effect and Quartet Chorus Ensemble are those new workhorse effects—covering a wide range of chorus, ensemble, phaser, flanger, and filtering. I’m particularly fond of Sweeper because of its extensive modulation and 40-stage phaser (most phasers are 2 or 4 stages). It sounds crazy! Not only that, but Sweeper includes oversampled versions of the filters from Europa so it’s a great go-to filter.
I’m very proud of this release and we’ve all worked incredibly hard to make it happen. Whether you’re a long-time Reason user or an Ableton user curious about cables, it’s sure to change your music making for the better. We will continue to listen to your feedback, improving Reason and, above all, focusing on making music. It’s an exciting time
Mattias Häggström Gerdt Reason Product Manager