Customer Reviews

Reason 2.5 Power!

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Propellerhead Software's virtual midi workstation Reason is truly a thing of beauty, as well as a daunting package at first; this is especially true if, like me, your last experience of midi and music technology was about 12 years ago and you're trying to get caught up. Thanks to Reason, the technology has changed for the better, because now all those devices can be contained in one's desktop monitor. Still, when I first installed and opened up the program, I was overwhelmed with a sense of getting more than I'd bargained for.

Fortunately, also such is the case with Michael Prager's comprehensive book-that-should-have-been-in-the-box, Reason 2.5 Power! I found it while browsing in a local bookstore, glanced over the section on quantizing, thumbed through a couple more pages, and before I knew it the book was in the bag. Prager's friendly title not only makes the reader see how simple the program is to use, but also gets one genuinely excited about learning it in depth. His enthusiasm about creating music with these tools is very infectious.

Reason is not so much a program as it is a suite of interchangeable, configurable components: appropriately, Reason 2.5 Power! is both a user manual and a collection of tutorials on how to make the most of each of these components, as well as use them together. You can read the chapters in any order, depending on which device you want to learn, and easily find what you're trying to do with each of your virtual rack devices. Example: in the chapter on the sequencer, early on in the book, we are shown how to create rhythm patterns on one of the drum machines either on the machine's controller, or using a music keyboard to input (my personal preference).

Reason 2.5 is several functional modules in one droolingly productive package; Reason 2.5 Power! is several operation manuals and tutorials masquerading as chapters in one of the most useful complimentary computer books for a powerhouse program I've seen. Combine the above, mix well, and hear the sweet music.

I'm not extraordinarily gifted in regards to all things digital, so I tend to "lose it" if any tutorial gets too clinical.
Michael Prager injects the perfect amount of humanity (spelled humor and familiarity) into the pages of this book.
He is thorough enough for the gifted while encouraging to the rest of us.
I don't usually write reviews, but I have another book from another author... I think from the same publisher. This one is head and shoulders above it!
This book is being discounted because of the introduction of Reason 3.0. In my opinion, unless Prager magically comes up with an update in no time, I would spend the few bucks this one costs and worry about the new stuff later.
This book is just that good.

Finally somebody has written an easy to understand tutorial/instructional book on one of the best music compositional programs ever created. Mr Prager covers every part of Reason 2.5 in a very "user friendly" way. I can honestly say that "now I get it!" thanks to Reason 2.5 Power!

After weeks of guesswork and tooling about, on Reason 2.5, I opted to buy this guide. Boy am I glad I did. Prager lays it all out, plain and simple. Informative, but language, easy-to-use diagrams, little-known tips, and a clearly-marked chapter for each virtual instrument in the program make this book an excellent choice for beginning and intermediate Reason users.

I've read the Visual Quickstart on CuBase SX this week as well.

This book is also put together well, and is quite readable, though I found it's more of a reference than a walk-through.

Its the only book on Reason 2.5 I own so far, and it fit it's purpose on my shelf as a resource.