Audio Production Features:  

Where to begin? It would likely be difficult--nay, impossible--to discuss Reason's production and editing features without becoming overly verbose. It's synthesizers alone could likley inspire several pages of glowing descriptions. But really, the merit and value of Reason's production and editing features is in the sum of its parts, not the handful of standout features that even the most underperforming audio production software programs tend to have.

That said, there are a few particular production and editing features that, in a global context, deserve some limning.

Synthesize Me

Reason has three different synthesizers with three distinct synthesis processes and endless potential for creating new, interesting sounds. Despite their intimidating names, handling these synthesizers is fairly simple, albeit with a healthy amount of education and experimentation.

Malstrom is a Graintable synthesizer (combining elements of waveform and graintable for a curiously unique hybrid effect). With Malstrom, producers can pre-process sampled and patched sound into periodic waveform renderings, making experimentation, creation and transformation sans the typical distortion of the harmonic spectra incredibly easy--and fun!

Thor, another of the 3 synthesizers with a classic sound, is polysonic in type and comes with four filter types and six oscillators. Factor in its modulation matrix and an analog step sequencer and you have all the fixings to make melodies like its 1989 with equipment clearly yet-to-be-dated.

The last--but not least--of the synthesizers is Substractor. Like Thor, Substractor looks back to find direction to move forward. Unlike Thor, however, Subtractor looks back a little deeper. The interface is noticably inspired by 80s-era Roland and Korg synths. And, even better, the Subtractor produces well-known, some might say "classic" waveforms like square, sawtooth, triangle and sine, as well as additional sample-based waveforms--perfect for when you want to take it past Boys Noize and back to Kraftwerk.

Sample, Simply

Synthesizers? check. Samplers? Double-check. Reason offers two samplers, one an advanced, fully-equipped studio-appropriate sampler, the other, an ad hoc, on-the-go sampler ideal for live automation, modulation and track manipulation. The advanced NN-XT offers of palette of tools to make detailed sample arrangements, instrument emulations and effects implementation within a full-bodied interface with all the controls a producer could ever want--or need--to give samples that umph to go from bland to baroque.

The NN19 sampler, on the other hand, strips away the fat to expose a highly flexible, clean, efficient bone. Where the NN-XT is geared for thoughtful, pensive, time-intensive sampling by detail-oriented producers, the NN19 is its free-spirited younger brother, still effective, still easy to use, but less concerned with the details and more concerned with enjoying the moment.

Rack 'Em Up

No matter how impressive the synthesizer, sampler, looper or any other feature for that matter, in the case of audio production software, the tool is only as useful as its box. In other words: not having a rack to organize, aggregate and combine these features will greatly undermine their individual and collective potential. Reason deserves a tip of the hat in this regard, providing a rack that seamlessly combines MIDI devices, audio-out devices and the sequencer, all while leaving a healthy amount of space for other instruments and effects. Impressed? Well, throw "fully-automated" into the descriptive mix and you might get an idea of what exactly the Reason Rack isn't: difficult.