Reason (synthesizer)
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Reason is a software synthesizer and sequencer developed by Propellerhead Software. It can either be used as a complete virtual music studio or as a ReWire synth application in other sequencing software. It can also act as a ReWire mixer application but only for ReBirth.
The design mimics a studio rack with various standard studio modules available to the user. As of version 3.0 these include two mixers, a subtractive synthesizer, a graintable synthesizer and four different kinds of samplers - one designed to be used for drums/percussion, two samplers for tonal instruments, and a sliced loop playback device. Various effects modules are also present, including distortion, reverb, chorus, a vocoder and mastering effects, to list just a few. A new device is the Combinator, which allows for combining several different modules into one. As many of each module can be added to the virtual rack as processing power will permit.
Reason does not allow for third-party expansion. In lieu of this they attempted to provide a complete production environment - so far expanded with each version number. If used as a ReWire synth application in other sequencing software the lack of third-party expansion capabilities is without consequence since the sequencing program being used can handle third-party plug-ins.
The English band The Prodigy used Reason as a main production tool to create the 2004 album 'Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'.