Introduction to Reason
Propellerhead Reason is a powerful modular music creation software for people of all skill levels.
If you are interested in trying out the software, a full install is available for download at http://www.propellerheads.se/download/. At launch, select to run in “Demo Mode.” You can do anything in demo mode that you would be able to do normally with the exception of loading song files and exporting audio. Of course, if you make something you like, feel free to save it and bring it in to the Sound Studio (LINK) and use our fully functional version of Reason. If you buy a copy of Reason, there’s no need to uninstall the demo version, all you need to do is register your online account and ignition key in order to activate the full version of the software.
Online Tutorials
In addition to the UW-IT digital audio curriculum for Reason, there are plenty of other online tutorials. If you’re trying to accomplish something specific, a Google or YouTube search can generally get started, but if you have no idea what you want to do, or don’t understand the basics, check out some of the options below.
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If you’ve downloaded Reason, and you’re completely unfamiliar or confused with the workflow, check out the intro video for a basic understanding of what Reason has to offer here.
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Propellerhead Software offers various text and video tutorials in order to help you understand Reason more thoroughly. Access these here (see the column on the right of the page to browse through all the tutorials)
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The Propellerhead YouTube channel also has some video tutorials (likely the much of the same material as listed above). Check out the tips and micro-tutorials. You can access their videos here.
Final Words
Reason can be a bit confusing for the beginner, especially routing with back of the rack. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, start out making simple, auto-routed instruments and chains. Use preset sounds and record basic patterns and performances. Once you’re comfortable with that, there are plenty of resources out