Frontal iFM: Reason 5 & Record 1.5

Propellerhead Software has released the updated Record 1.5 and Reason 5, which add new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more.

Her’s a quick guide to what’s new and what it will cost you.

Propellerhead Reason 5 & Record 1.5 Highlights:

The new Kong Drum Designer and Dr. Octo Rex loop player extend Reason’s instrument arsenal to help musicians get phenomenal sounding rhythms, drums tracks and beats.

Reason 5 and Record 1.5 add a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks—build songs parts like patterns and string them together for lightening fast arranging with the ability to freely go back and forth between pattern and linear modes.

Neptune, a pitch correction tool and amazing voice synthesizer, turns less than perfect performances into great ones in no time. Simply play new harmonies on a MIDI keyboard for instant backing vocals. Live sampling into all sample capable devices means any musician can use samples in a new and playful manner, discovering the lost art of creative sampling. The Expanded Factory Sound Bank, doubling in size, plus added signature sound designers’ patches, inspire new arrangements and compositions. Multi core optimization, an on-screen keyboard and tempo scaling of clips top the list of additional improvements.

Live Sampling – Reason 5 and Record 1.5

This is an interesting concept; software samplers that actually record and sample audio. Live sampling is a new feature that places a Live Sampling button on every location where a .WAV or .AIF file can be loaded in on each of the sample playback devices (i.e. Redrum, NN-19, NN-XT, Kong, etc.) Live sampling will allow for two main functions:

1. To sample external audio through your audio interface in realtime (i.e. mic input)

2. To resample any piece, part or section of your tune

When live sampling is engaged, a waveform editor that has now been built into the program appears, and allows you to trim, crop, normalize, reverse, crossfade-loop the sample, thus making this whole process self-contained inside the program.

Kong Drum Designer – Reason 5 and Record 1.5

Kong is a multifunctional drum design unit that allows for 16 different drum parts for each of the 16 different pads on its GUI. Sounds can be edited and shaped all-day. Kong also posses an arsenal of Support generators and FX processors geared towards shaping your drum sounds. Support generators will add additional body and tone to your drum sounds.

Drum generation methods are:

1. NN-Nano – Sample playback – multisampling/layering

2. Nurse REX – REX Loop playback – plays back as individual slices, or chunks

3. Analog Bass Drum Synth – think 808, 909, etc. analog kicks

4. Analog Snare Drum Synth – think 808, 909, etc. analog kicks

5. Analog Hi-Hat Drum Synth

6. Analog Tom Drum Synth – think 808, 909, etc. analog kicks

7. Physical Modelled Bass Drum

8. Physical Modelled Snare Drum

9. Physical Modelled Tom Drum

The Support generators are:

1. Noise

2. Tone

Kong’s internal structure allows for 2 Insert FX for each part; 1 Send Effect and 1 Master Effect. Kong also allows for flexible output routing (16 outs.)The FX are:

1. Compressor

2. Filter

3. Overdrive/Resonator

4. Parametric EQ

5. Rattler

6. Ring Modulator

7. Room Reverb

8. Tape Echo

9. Transient Shaper

Propellerhead – Reason 5 and Record 1.5 – Neptune

Neptune is a pitch device for audio in Record 1.5. It’s also an FX processor that you would add to an audio track as an insert effect. Overall, Neptune has three key functions:

1. Real-time Audio Transposer – This is pretty cut and dry; you have controls for the semitone shift and fine tune.

2. Real-time Pitch Correction – This function is a very welcome addition, as it detects notes in monophonic audio signals and/or tracks (e.g. vocals) that are off and corrects their pitch. It looks as though it will also allow for incoming MIDI notes to pull the pitches away from their root and correct it in a sliding and gliding real-time fashion. Hmm… feels like I’ve seen something like this before in a certain plug-in.

3. Voice Synth – This functionality allows for incoming MIDI chords to make duplicates of the audio to create what sounds like harmonies and backing parts. I was a big fan of a piece of hardware that did this years ago

Pricing:

Sidegrade (includes Reason 5 upgrade) EUR 149 / USD $169
Reason 5 Upgrade from any version EUR 99 / USD $129
Record 1.5 Upgrade from any version free download
Record Reason Duo bundle EUR 405 / USD $449
Reason EUR 305 / USD $349
Record EUR 279 / USD $299

If you purchased a qualifying Reason product after May 24, 2010, you can upgrade for free.

Source: www.synthtopia.com

Source: http://blog.dubspot.com