The latest upgrade to Propellerhead’s Reason DAW software comes with a new twist: Propellerhead is no more, and Reason isn’t strictly a DAW anymore.
Starting with Reason 11, the Sweden-based Propellerhead Software is changing its name to Reason Studios, in alignment with the company’s flagship product.
That’s not the only change. A year ago, the company exported its Europa wavetable synth as a VST/AU plugin. Unlike past Propellerhead plugins, this one worked with a huge range of other music production DAWs, including Ableton Live, Logic, FL Studio, Cubase and also as a neat online toy. Now we’re seeing the devolution (or expansion, however you want to look at it) of Reason with the introduction of Reason Rack, a plugin that will bring the entire Reason Rack of devices to other production DAWs. Now users married to Ableton and the rest will be able to plug in Reason’s proprietary synths, instruments, effects and sounds into whatever DAW they prefer. Any DAW that supports VST3 plugins will be able to use Reason Rack. All Rack Extensions will also be compatible with Reason Rack Plugin. (Among them is the Europa synth, which since it’s included in the Reason Rack will no longer be available to purchase separately.)
Reason itself is getting an upgrade as well with “workflow features like improved sequencing and editing,” Reason’s Mattias Haeggstroem Gerdt said in a statement. Reason 11 includes six new devices and is available on a sliding scale, from the “Intro” pack ($99) through to the “suite” ($599 and includes 16 additional Rack Extensions). The initial launch of Reason 11 on September 25 will include the Reason Rack plugin for other DAWs as a VST; the AU version is coming later in 2019.
