v13 Reason Studios Reason

Reason Comparison Chart

Reason Rack Devices Comparison

Minimum System Requirements

macOS:

• Fast, stable internet connection
• Intel or M1/M2 Mac with multi-core processor
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions)
• 6.5 GB free system disk space required, plus 20 GB for optional content. Additionally, program may use up to 20 GB scratch disk space and additional space for cached graphical assets
• macOS 10.15 or later (64-bit)
• Monitor with at least 1280×768 resolution
• CoreAudio compliant audio interface or built-in audio hardware
• MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard recommended
• For using Reason as a VST Plugin, a host with VST3 support is required
• For using Reason as an AU plugin, a host with AUv2 support is required
• For using Reason as an AAX plugin, Pro Tools 12 or later is required

Windows:

• Fast, stable internet connection
• Intel or AMD multi-core processor
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended for large ReFills or Rack Extensions)
• 6.5 GB free system disk space required, plus 20 GB for optional content. Additionally, program may use up to 20 GB scratch disk space and additional space for cached graphical assets
• Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
• Monitor with at least 1280×768 resolution
• Audio Interface with ASIO driver
• MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard recommended
• For using Reason as a VST Plugin, a host with VST3 support is required
• For using Reason as an AAX plugin, Pro Tools 12 or later is required

Reason 12.6

May 2, 2023

Features

• Seamless Offline mode
  • The computer you started Reason on is automatically authenticated to run Reason together with all your devices without an internet connection
  • Removed Codemeter dependencies
• Apple silicon support (M1/M2)
  • Reason standalone and plug-in run natively on Apple Silicon computers
  • All Rack Extensions run natively on Apple Silicon computers

Remote support added for

• Arturia
  • Keylab mkII
  • Keylab Essentials
  • Microfreak
• Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A49/A61/M32
  • Novation Impulse series
  • Updated Remote mapping for a large number of controllers

Bug Fixes

• Implemented an automatic repair of songs that may have broken when saved in Reason 12.5.2
• Fixed a crash that occurred when context-clicking on certain VST3s on macOS and Windows
• Fixed an issue with Pitchbend and Mod Wheel. Automation didn’t appear as an option in the Automation dropdown for the VST Proxy device

Please use the latest Companion (Reason+ subscribers) or MyProducts web page (licensed version) to update your installed RackExtensions to their native Apple silicon versions

Reason 12.5.3

Feature

• Reason now resets the audio output of a device when you change the patch. This is to make sure the loaded patch sounds as expected right away and to avoid feedback, loud noises, or other unwanted sounds when changing patches

Bug Fix

• Fixed a crash bug that occurred when attempting to automate the Master fader on the main mixer

Reason 12.5 Release Notes

New functions and improvements

• Reason can now host VST3 Instrument, Effect and Utility plug-ins
  • Updated Plugin Rack Device for VST3 and VST2
    • Indicates if the plugin is a VST2 or VST3
    • Increased the number of audio inputs to 16
    • Increased the number of audio outputs to 64
    • Sidechain inputs has moved on the back panel for easy access
  • VST2 and VST3 versions are now indicated in the device browser:
• Increased the max number of automatable parameters in both VST3 and VST2
• Parameters are now grouped in automation lists and on the Plugin Rack Device (by the plug-in developer in VST3, if implemented, otherwise with generic grouping)

Bug fixes

• Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3 Remote codec updated
• New version of Monotone that fixes a bug where using Send to Track on a Player could cause a hung note
• New version of Mimic that fixes a bug where very short slices could play back more than single slice in Slice Mode
• Fixed an issue where Reason Rack Plugin could crash when loading a document in Bitwig
• Fixed a bug where the VST screenshot feature would not functioning properly when using two monitors
• Fixed a bug where the buttons were sometimes not accessible in save dialogs without resizing the window (macOS only)
• Fixed a crash that could appear when opening certain .rns files (Windows only)
• Fixed a bug where users couldn’t write to external exFAT disk (macOS Ventura only)

IMPORTANT:

Reason 12.5 saves Reason songs and Combi patches in an updated format – if the new Combinator widgets have been used. Attempting to open such songs/Combi patches in an older version than Reason 12.2.3 results in an error message that the song/Combi patch cannot be opened because it’s too new.

Reason 12.2 Release Notes

• The Combinator has been updated with new features and possibilities
  • You can now customize the Combinator panel by changing its size, choosing and positioning controls, changing panel color, and adding a custom background with transparency
  • The Programmer Section has been rehauled
    • Mappings now have a “source range” setting for controlling a parameter with just part of the controls range (for example: only the second half of a rotary opens a filter)
    • Several new built-in sources have been added (additional CV inputs, Random, Velocity etc.)
  • The Combinator now has a summing mixer built-in to make it easier to add several instruments
  • Right-click any parameter of a device in a Combinator to quickly assign it to a control on the panel (Standalone only)
  • Automation lanes now show the name of the Combinator control instead of the generic “Rotary 1”
• Insert FX and Master FX section have been re-worked and are no longer treated as Combinators
• You can now add Combinators inside the Insert FX and Master FX sections
• The sound bank has been updated
  • 100 new Combinator patches added
  • 1000 Combinator patches has been updated to take advantage of the new Combinator features
  • 100 new instrument patches added

• Mimic has been updated to Version 1.1.1
  • Added root note detection, click SET next to the waveform overview
  • Optimizations for better performance in time stretch modes and when playing high octaves
• Fixed a bug where the image shown while dragging a device in rack/mixer was not hi-res
• Fixed a bug where Ctrl-F didn’t work with a detached Rack in focus
• Fixed graphics glitches that could occur in Reason Rack Plugin in some cases. They made the rack look like abstract art and even though that was pretty cool it wasn’t very useful for making music
• New Authorizer version that handles hi-res Rack Extensions
• Please note: to update your Rack Extensions to hi-res, go to your account page and choose Sync All (or download just the REs you want to update)

Reason 11.2 Release Notes

• New Player device included in Reason and Reason Suite: Beat Map Algorhythmic Drummer
• New MIDI Out Device in Reason Rack Plugin, you can now send MIDI notes and MIDI CC to your host
• New MIDI Out Device replacing the External MIDI Instrument in Reason standalone
• Drag MIDI notes to track from Redrum, Dr OctoRex and Matrix from Reason Rack Plugin
• New version of Authorizer with several improvements, including fixing an incompatibility with other software using CodeMeter
• Fixed an issue where automating parameters in the AU version of Reason Rack Plugin did not work as expected
• Fixed an issue with plugins using iLok when using Reason under macOS Catalina
• Fixed an issue that made certain VST plugins crash (including SoundToys, Mastering the Mix and Cherry Audio)

Reason 11.1 Release Notes

• Reason Rack Plugin is now available in AUv2 format
• Reason 11.1 and Reason Rack Plugin are now notarized and ready for macOS Catalina
• Added keyboard input to Reason Rack Plugin, you can now use Tab, Delete, Enter, cmd/ctrl+z and the arrow keys.
• Added Bypass support to Reason Rack Plugin (VST3)
• Fixed a bug where delay compensation did not work properly on mono tracks
• Fixed a bug where multiple Authorizer instances could open simultaneously
• Fixed a bug where opening a project with Reason Rack Plugin and missing Rack Extensions would cause a Bad Format error
• Fixed a bug where the VST window could steal keyboard focus from the on screen keyboard in Reason
• Fixed a bug where Kong’s compressor could sound different when exporting
• Fixed a bug where curved automation did not work on certain automation clips on Windows
• Fixed a crash that could happen when exporting overlapping crossfade clips
• Fixed a bug where invisible notes could be accidentally clicked in multi-lane editing
• Fixed a bug where some Players would skip the first note in Reason Rack Plugin

Reason 11.0.2 Lite Release Notes

• This update only applies to Reason 11 Lite
• Remote support for the following M-Audio controllers:
  • Oxygen v4 Series
  • Code Series
  • Keystation mk3 Series
• Added Remote mapping for new Reason devices for selected controllers

Reason 11.0.1 Release Notes

• Reason Rack Plugin Effect now correctly reports latency to the host
• Fixed a bug where Reason Rack Plugin could crash if you had authorized your computer but also saved your password for auto-login
• Fixed a bug where Reason’s interface could sometimes completely freeze when using several rack devices with advanced displays

Reason 11 Release Notes

• Reason now includes Reason Rack Plugin, a plugin version of the Reason Rack
• Added new device: Sweeper Modulation Effect
• Added new device: Quartet Chorus Ensemble
• Added new device: Master Bus Compressor
• Added new device: Channel Dynamics
• Added new device: Channel EQ
• Curve automation lines between two automation points
• Crossfade between two overlapping audio clips
• Improved zoom, including individual track height, improved Zoom to Selection (Z) and increased zoom height
• Mute MIDI notes using the Mute Tool or pressing M
• New Pencil Tool mode to draw notes at current snap value
• Absolute Snap, a new snap setting where events always snap to the grid
• Improved key visualization in Edit Mode, showing both the notes played via MIDI and the notes selected
• Shortcut for moving notes up or down an octave,
• cmd+shift+up/down (Mac) or ctrl+shift+up/down (Win)
• Draw an automation point on the existing automation line by holding Shift
• Improved application start-up time
• New application icon and company name
• Removed ReWire
• Fixed an issue where Reason’s graphics could be slow on certain color profiles on macOS
• Fixed a bug where a Player could be left in the rack after deleting a Mix Channel
• Fixed a bug where parameter values were not correct when using Behringer BCR2000
• Various bug fixes and improvements

What’s new in Reason 11?

Reason Rack Plug-In

Your favorite Reason instruments can now be used in your favorite DAW, complete with the free routing and great sounds you’d expect from Reason.

Reason Suite

The brand new Reason Suite is a formidable collection of instruments, effects and other music making tools–more than 70 devices in total! It’s all of Reason’s instrument and effects and 16 extra Rack Extension plugins from Reason Studios.

New Devices

• Quartet Chorus Ensemble – Spice up your sound with four flavors of chorus and ensemble effects. From classic vintage chorus to the unique sound of granular ensemble.
• Sweeper Modulation Effect – Add more color with this high quality, multi-talented phaser, flanger and filter unit with expansive dynamic modulation options.
• Master Bus Compressor – Reason’s trusted ready-for-radio bus compressor can now be applied anywhere in the rack.
• Channel Dynamics – Use the subtle compressor, expander and gate from Reason’s studio-grade mixer anywhere in your signal chain
• Channel EQ – The legendary modeled EQ unit featured in countless platinum recordings is now its own rack device.

New workflow features

• Curved automation – Draw smooth curves for smooth control
• Audio clip crossfades – Create seamless crossfades of overlapping audio clips with zero effort
• Improved and individual vertical zoom – See what you need with expanded and per-track zoom in the sequencer
• Mute MIDI notes – Try out variations by muting and unmuting separate notes
• Draw multiple notes – Quickly draw strings of notes for fast rhythms
• Show played and selected notes in key edit – Easier overview when editing or playing your MIDI

New instrument

Scenic Hybrid Instrument is a cinematic dream machine of atmospheric sounds and powerful performance controls. Scenic is included in Reason Suite and will also be sold separately ($99) .

What’s new in Reason 10.1?

• Added support for Rack Extension SDK3, including support for Player Rack Extensions, pattern tracks and sample zones.
• Europa has been updated. You can now load a sample or custom wavetable into the Wave and Spectral Filter sections of the Engine.
• Improvements to Player timing and Send to Track.
• Hyper Threading is no longer the default setting on macOS and will be turned off at first launch of Reason 10.1. To turn it on again, just do so in the Preferences – the General tab. This is an intermediate fix for an issue we’re experiencing and working on fixing with Reason on macOS 10.13.4.
• Fixed a bug where undoing after opening a VST window could cause a crash.
• Fixed a bug where the full version of Reason could not open certain Reason Essentials documents.
• Fixed a bug in Europa and Grain where velocity did not affect the amp properly in mono legato mode.
• Updated the Reason Factory Soundbank with new samples for Europa.
• The first time you launch Reason/Reason Intro/Reason Lite 10.1 you will be prompted to download the updated sound banks.

What’s new in Reason 10.0.1

• Improved handling of missing Rack Extensions inside combinators.
• Added error alert on downloading optional content when disk is full.
• Fixed an issue where closing the optional content download dialog could close Reason.
• Fixed an issue where dragging patches to an empty favorites list did not work.
• ReWire master/mixer and slave/device is now always referred to as “host” and “device”.
• Updated version of Europa and Grain that fixes a problem where the compressor didn’t behave correctly when using sample rates higher than 44.1kHz.

New in Reason/Intro/Lite 10.4:

New instrument devices:

• Monotone Bass Synthesizer, a new bass synth device that’s cross-compatible with Reason Compact 2.0.
• Rytmik Drum Machine, a new drum device that’s cross-compatible with Reason Compact 2.0.

Bug fixes:

• Made a change in the Windows versions to allow certain VST plugins that became incompatible with Reason 10.3 compatible again.
• Made a change in the Windows versions to allow certain ASIO drivers that became incompatible with Reason 10.3 compatible again.
• Fixed a bug where the sustain pedal would no longer work with RPG-8.
• Also, fixed a bug where panning a signal fully right with a VST effect could cause the signal to cut out.
• Fixed a bug on Windows where CV inputs on the Combinator would not behave as expected.

Reason 10.3 / Reason 10.3 Intro / Reason 10.3 Lite Release Notes

• Rewrote big parts of Reason’s audio rendering code, now rendering audio using audio card buffer size, to improve performance
• New preference to enable the new audio rendering improvements (on by default, turn off for compatibility reasons)
• Removed “CPU Usage Limit” from Reason’s preferences
• Fixed a bug in the effects section of Europa and Grain
• Fixed an issue where macOS would say Reason was “not optimized for your Mac and need to be updated”
• Various bug fixes and improvements

Reason 10.2.2 / Reason 10.2.2 Intro / Reason 10.2.2 Lite Release Notes

• Fixed an issue that could cause widgets on certain Rack Extensions to appear out of place on Windows

What’s new in Reason 10.2.1

Changes:

• Removed faulty silence detection that caused, for example, VST reverb tails to be cut off prematurely.
• Fixed a bug where panning a VST plugin could affect other channels.
• Fixed a bug where Players could be invisible inside Combinator under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where creating a new note lane could sometimes create multiple note lanes.
• Fixed a bug where global MIDI ports were not saved in preferences.
• Also, fixed a bug where an error message could be shown for MIDI controllers without MIDI ports assigned.
• Added Remote codec for Novation SL MkIII.

What’s new in Reason 10.2

• Added Multi Lane Edit, for viewing and editing MIDI across multiple lanes and tracks at once
• Adjust faders, solo and mute across multiple mix channels at once in a “ganged”/”linked” fashion
• A new Snap setting in the sequencer – Grid – which adapts the resolution to the current zoom level
• Double click a sequencer track to open the rack and scroll to its device
• New “+ Add Device” and “+ Add Track” buttons in the rack and in the sequencer
• New context menu item – Route to New Mix Channel – on audio outputs on devices in the rack
• Easy MIDI Inputs automatically detects MIDI controllers when connected
• A new setting in Reason’s preferences for returning the play cursor to its last start position when stopping playback
• New Tutorial Area for quickly getting started and learning about Reason
• Improved track selection behavior in the sequencer track list, to match the behavior of device selection in the rack and clip selection in the sequencer
• Improved looping behavior in the Dual Arpeggio Player device
• Updated Europa to fix a bug where selecting an engine could alter the sound
• Fixed a bug where Reason could crash in certain scenarios when self-containing samples
• Fixed a bug where replacing a device could cause issues
• Also, fixed a bug where large files could cause issues with Pitch Edit
• Fixed a bug in ReWire for compatibility with macOS Mojave
• Various bug fixes and improvements

What’s new in Reason 10.1

• Added support for Rack Extension SDK3, including support for Player Rack Extensions, pattern tracks, and sample zones.
• Europa has been updated. You can now load a sample or custom wavetable into the Wave and Spectral Filter sections of the Engine.
• Improvements to Player timing and Send to Track.
• Hyper-Threading is no longer the default setting on macOS and will be turned off at first launch of Reason 10.1. To turn it on again, just do so in the Preferences – the General tab. This is an intermediate fix for an issue we’re experiencing and working on fixing with Reason on macOS 10.13.4.
• Fixed a bug where undoing after opening a VST window could cause a crash.
• Fixed a bug where the full version of Reason could not open certain Reason Essentials documents.
• Fixed a bug in Europa and Grain where velocity did not affect the amp properly in mono legato mode.
• Updated the Reason Factory Soundbank with new samples for Europa.

The first time you launch Reason/Reason Intro/Reason Lite 10.1 you will be prompted to download the updated sound banks.

What’s new in Reason 10.0.3

Changes:

• Added and updated: Remote files for Akai controllers.
• Improved error handling when scanning VST folders.
• Improved error handling for VST screenshots.
• Fixed a bug where Reason scanned 32-bit VST plugins on each startup.
• Fixed a bug where Reason could crash when replacing certain devices.
• If you have a Reason 30-day trial, you’ll now be informed how many days are left of your trial and when it has expired.

What’s new in Reason 10?

Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer

Europa was created for huge, epic sounds and oh boy, does it deliver… From big stacks of buzzing sawteeth to shimmering, glitched-up sonic explorations, Europa has you covered. To call it a wavetable synth wouldn’t be wrong, but it’s so much more than that. Apply a wide range of modulation to the waveform itself, to start with. Add advanced spectral filtering, harmonics processing and even draw your custom waveforms. And the best part: despite it’s deep synthesis powers, it’s still surprisingly easy to use.

Grain Sample Manipulator

Get granular with your samples! The Grain synthesizer opens up the world of granular synthesis for your creative use. Drop any sample into Grain and explore the endless sonic variations you can create with Grain’s selection of playback algorithms, ultra-flexible modulation, routing, and effects. With immense sonic power and an inviting interface, Grain is the easy-to-use sonic lab that turns your samples into grains and your grains into music.

New sampled instruments

Reason 10 puts three brand new organic instrument collections in your Reason rack. Expertly crafted in cooperation with sampling experts Soundiron, these new devices offer a wealth of inspiring and natural-sounding instruments to your music making.

Klang Tuned Percussion – A collection of tuned percussion instruments
Glockenspiel, Music Box, Wineglasses and a whole lot more. Tuned percussion sounds are great for creating melody lines or adding an organic dimension to an electronic production.

Pangea World Instruments – The sounds of planet Earth
Add more colors to your sonic palette with this collection of instruments full of character from all corners of the world. Plucked, pumped, blown or strummed, these instruments will add a new dimension to any style of music.

Humana Vocal Ensemble – Choir and vocal instrument
Give your music a human touch with the sound of Humana’s selection of choirs and solo voices. Perfect for soundtracks or epic pop ballads, these singers will add depth and harmony to your music.

More sounds, more inspiration

Loop Supply & Drum Supply – A huge cache of inspiration
Update your sound with this multi-gigabyte injection of cutting-edge loops and drum samples made to deliver up-to-date pop. electronic and hip-hop sounds for Reason. Get creative with a huge selection of patches for Reason’s Kong drum machine and Dr. Octo Rex loop player.

Radical Pian – Advanced Acoustic Piano
The premise is simple. The results are stunning. Three basic pianos paired with the technology to make an infinite number of your own. Based on a custom blend between sampling technology and physical modeling algorithms, Radical Piano affords songwriters, producers, and sound designers an unprecedented level of control to craft a realistic piano that is 100% unique.

Synchronous Effects Modulator – Timed Effects Modulator
Bring your music to life with Synchronous’ modulation effects. Create quick sidechain effects or draw your own LFO curves to control filter, delay, reverb, distortion and level. Make your sound evolve, change and loop over time.

What’s new in 9.5?

VST in the Reason rack

Delivering on our #1 feature request, VST plugins are coming to Reason. The creative flow you know and love, coupled with any plugin you want. This is music-making unlimited.

• Rack Friendly – VST plugins will be right at home in the Reason rack. Drag & Drop from the browser, use CV with your plugins, add Players, put them in Combinators with Reason’s own devices or Rack Extensions – all the things you expect when working in Reason!
• A device called home – VSTs live in the new Plugin Rack Device that sits in the Reason rack. Here’s where the plugin connects to Reason and where you can open the plugin window with a simple click.
• Tight sound – Reason’s patchable rack lets you route audio any way you want, and the new plugin delay compensation in Reason 9.5 keeps your sound in phase at all times.

What’s new in 9.2.2?

• Fixed an issue where saving a song in 9.2 with a missing Rack Extension could cause “Bad Format” when opening the song again.
• Fixed an issue where the checkbox for “Send error reports and statistics” in the preferences didn’t behave correctly.
• Fixed an issue where MIDI Clock Sync offset values did not display correctly.
• Improved error reports and statistics.

What’s new in 9.2?

Rack Extensions Expanded – The latest version of Reason adds sample loading and improved UI to the Rack Extensions toolkit.  Reason 9.2 is a free update for all Reason 9 owners.

What’s new in 9.1?

Reason 9.1 is a free update to Reason 9 that brings Ableton’s Link technology to the Reason Rack. The first third-party DAW to support Ableton Link, Reason 9.1 can effortlessly play in time with Link-enabled apps on desktop and mobile.

What’s new in 9.0?

• Reason will now automatically detect if there is a newer version available, and optionally download and install this.
• A typical Reason update (without soundbanks) is now around 100 MB – a tenth of its old size!
• If sound banks (Factory Sound Bank, Orkester and the content bank for ID8) are missing when Reason is launched, the program will now offer to download and install them.
• Soundbanks are now located in a global folder, which means new Reason updates can continue using the same sound banks without having them replaced or copied. It also means that different, parallel Reason installations can share the same sound banks.
• Reason and Authorizer no longer include the Codemeter driver. Reason will run with Internet Verification (or in Demo Mode) without Codemeter. Codemeter can be downloaded separately for new users, should they need to run Reason without internet access.
• When browsing patches, you can now Revert back to the patch that was loaded when you started browsing.
• The color palette for tracks, channels, and clips has been extended to 32 colors.
• The removable items for Redrum have been extended to allow programming of Redrum patterns from a control surface.
• Reinstated key command for Show/Hide Recording Meter: Command-F3 (Mac) or Ctrl-F3 (Windows).
• Reason comes with a version of Authorizer that support Rack Extensions larger than 2GB.
• Help files and documentation are no longer installed with the program, but accessed online.
• Removed 32-bit support. Version 8.2 is a 64-bit application only.
• Added updated Remote files for Livid Instruments.
• Fixed a memory allocation bug in Reason Essentials that could cause glitches under some circumstances.
• Fixed a bug where Authorizer misbehaved if initial installation duties failed.
• Keyboard focus is now returned to the sequencer after the user makes settings in the Transport panel.
• Fixed potential crash bug when scrolling time position during recording.
• Fixed a bug where Reason would assert when adjusting clip length during recording.
• Added version check of sound banks
• Fixed typos in Login Screen (German localization)
• Extended allowed username length in all login/authorization dialogs
• Updated Drop to Propellerhead icon.
• Fixed a bug where Reason would assert if setting tempo/position to very high values.
• Browse focus would be lost when adjusting any parameter on the browsed device if it was inside a mixer channel Insert FX container.
• Fixed a bug where Loop on/off wasn’t properly mirrored in both applications when Reason was ReWired.
• Fixed a bug where Reason couldn’t start if there was a broken Rack Extension.
• Fixed a bug where Reason could crash if the user didn’t have proper access rights to some folders.
• Fixed a potential crash bug when attaching or detaching rack while browsing samples or sub-patches.
• Improved trackpad scrolling in the sequencer.