Superbooth 24: Reason Studios has announced Reason 13, a major upgrade of its modular DAW and rack plugin with new synths, effects, and more.
Reason 13 is available now!
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Article From May 2, 2024
Superbooth is not so known for being a large software trade fair, but there are always some highlights. Besides U-he, Bitwig… Reason Studios will also have a booth again this year.
In 2023, they presented the powerful Objekt physical modeling Synthesizer for the rack, and this year, the Swedish developers are bringing something big to Berlin. No, just a rack extension, but a new Reason, more precisely, Reason 13.
Reason 13
Reason Studios, formerly Propellerhead Software, today announced Reason 13. As a reminder, Reason 12 was published in September 2021, so almost 3 years between them. That’s long for a DAW, and no wonder people have been wondering what will come next.
Reason 13 is now here—okay, almost. It’s currently in public beta. There are some new things to discover. First, Reason 13 has an all-new browser that puts all your patches, samples, and loops in one place. It offers deep filtering with categories, tag buttons, and more.
There doesn’t seem to be any machine learning or similar techniques like in the last Ableton Live 12 update that suggests similar sounds.
Also new is Reason 13’s look. According to Reason Studios, the Reason interface has been updated with a more modern and easy-to-use look.
Sequencer Upgrade
I have to admit I was never a fan of the look and workflow of Reason’s sequencer. As much as I like the sound engine, I would rather work in Ableton Live or Logic Pro. There now seems to be an upgrade here too.
The new sequencer now offers two areas, one of which is the edit area, making it easier to get down and dirty with all the details in your music. Plus, it comes with several new workflow improvements, improved zooming, layout changes, and easy access to editing features. I’m curious to see if the workflow has changed much.
New Synths, Effects, Sounds, And More
Then Reason Studios Reason 13 also ships with new content. Besides new patches, samples, REX loops, demo songs, and more, it also comes with a new synth and effect.
Polytone is a new two-layer analog-modeling Synthesizer inspired by RS’s favorite vintage hardware synths. Each layer offers two oscillators, a multimode filter with drive, LFO, and more. One of the highlights is the ability to stack and morph between the layers to create big, evolving sounds.
Further, Ripley space delay is a new multi-FX processor that combines delay and reverb with unique flavors of filtering (feedback), noise, and distortion. To juice up the fun, it also offers modulation capabilities with two LFOs and an envelope follower.
Reason Studios says that you can create “anything from clean taps or warm analog sounds to crazy lo-fi chirps or washed out ambiance.”
On top, you get three new Reason tools, aka devices that simplify the workflow, including a sidechain device for ducking signals, a gain tool, and a stereo tool. And, of course, Reason 13 is also useable as a rack plugin in any other DAW.
I would like to link a video, but Reason Studios doesn’t release one yet.
Reason 13 First Impression
At first glance it’s a nice, solid update. As a Reason Rack user, I’m particularly interested in the new devices. Nothing ground-breaking new, but I’m very curious to check them out. The DAW, on the other hand, didn’t get that much new stuff: new look, browser, and upgraded sequencer.
You have to test the new version to see how big the step from 12 to 13 is. Now seen from a purely DAW perspective, the update is a bit weak. I think RS’ focus remains on the Rack Plugin not on the DAW.
Availability
Reason 13 will be officially released on June 18, 2024, for the same price (499€) as the previous versions. If you purchased or upgraded to Reason 12 anytime after January 1st, 2024, you qualify for a free Reason 13 upgrade. The upgrade price is 199€.
Reason+ users also receive a free upgrade with an active subscription plan. Reason 13 is currently in beta, and you can join testing here. Reason Studios will have a booth (Z110) at Superbooth 24.
More information here: Reason Studios
Available at my partner
Not too excited about this, unless there’s a way to save different mixes or mix snapshots. Upgraded to 12 on my dedicated music PC, and I still mostly use 11, just because it ran better on an older laptop, and 12 projects couldn’t be opened in 11. (I tend to work on projects on both the music PC and laptop). Guess we’ll see, eh? For Reason, a company that used to be shithot, and for its users, I hope it’s a win.
Any forward momentum is reasonable.
Sequencer Upgrades are always nice
Still waaaaaaay too expensive. Which is a shame.
I agree that the Reason’s price is too high. I’ve been looking at it for years but since I’ve never found (caught?) a good sale on it I haven’t been able to justify it over, say, the used Digitakt (Mk I) that I recently bought.
I’m also very put off by their emphasis on the subscription path. I loathe the subscription model–it’s nearly always anti-consumer in its intents and impacts, look at Adobe–and it seems like only a matter of time before Reason is no longer available via a perpetual license.
Agreed. Sick of the constant barrage of subs. I only have so much spare income and other DAWS seem to contain MUCH better value for money.
Logic Pro X is different, but not too different. It’s $200 and updates for life, with a massive free library of loops, instruments and samples.
We could have a long discussion about the differences but they both host VSTs, have built in instruments, audio recording, looping, time stretching etc etc etc.
$20 a month is disgusting for Reason and $500 for a perpetual with limited updates is an insult.
Hard pass.
The coolness of Reason from 20 years ago is a bit surpassed by the fact, that a lot of people nowadays own real (big) modular systems. Maybe the Reason guys and Roland could work together and bring a physical module to the market, that directly integrates Reason in your modular system and vice versa, your modular system into Reason. Like the Roland AIRA modules, but in the Reason rack, dynamically configurable with fast workflow and also Audio over USB.
please not that stuff from big corporates like Roland. See what happened with the AIRA modules. They are discontinued and software is no longer working on new operation systems.
Sure, you are right. But it was a Roland development and they already have a lot of experience. They should have done a Reason integration right from the start. Nobody has created a dedicated Reason module yet.
There may be reasons why there is none 😉
“didn’t know that there are Synthesizer conspiracy theories 😉” 😉
Seriously, the arrow in the new Reason 13 logo is pointing downwards.