Customer Reviews

Users' Guide to Propellerhead Reason 2

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Reason is an intuitive program whose interface mirrors much of the hardware that you'll find in a studio. Whether you have hands-on studio experience or have never loaded a music software program before, this book is the definitive guide to Reason.

The book starts out with a clear introduction in the basics of sound synthesis, MIDI, latency, and other issues surrounding compuer-based music. By the end of the first hands-on chapter, you'll have confidently created your first sounds with Reason.

Each chapter thoroughly goes through each device in Reason 2.0, describing the philosophy, abilities, and limits of each. Even Reason pros will likely find revelations, as the authors constantly find creative uses of Reason's control voltage (CV) modeling, as well as great ideas on how to create an arpeggiator, layer synth sounds in Subtractor, or work around Reason's lack of a feature for tempo changes.

This book is suitable for Reason 1.0 and 2.5 as well. The authors point out the differences with 1.0 (and even point out how to get around them, like how to manually create a synched LFO in 1.0, a feature that was introduced in 2.0.) Even with the recent 2.5 update this book is still essential. The 2.5 update adds four new effects and an audio and CV linking/splitting component but does not replace or update any of the core devices in 2.0 that are thoroughly covered here.

This is a clear and well-written guide that in a perfect world would come enclosed with every copy of Reason. If you're a Reason user, don't bother reading any more reviews. Just read this book.

This book covers just about everything there is to know about Reason 2.0. It has many examples, screenshots, and it is easy and fun to read. The book is great for beginners, but not boring for advanced users, I think everyone can profit from this book. It is also an excellent reference for use when working (This is great since the Reason handbook is not available in printed form).

I love the book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to get full usage of the reason program.

I began my quest toward fully understanding Reason 2.0 with the obligatory print version of the 'Getting Started' manual.

Then I moved on to the .pdf 'Operation Manual' that came with the software, which to my taste, is oriented a bit cryptically, beginning with 'Recording' before ever talking about creating the sound content to be recorded. But in its entirety, it IS a useful reference...

Then I moved on to the ... Propellerhead 'Producing Music with Reason' CD tutorial, which is also helpful, except the tutorial song to be recreated is pretty 'yesterday's music.' To me, anyway ;)

Then I got this book. If there is a better reference source to clue you in to what Reason can do, and most importantly, how to do it, I haven't seen it. Yet.

Thanks for reading, and, if you care about music and Reason, buy this book.

This book starts with a quick tutorial of how to make a song in Reason using most of the devices. Then the authors thoroughly explain each device, knob, slider and then some......Providing tips and tricks along the way.

I must say that the program is daunting once first opened but with the help of this book believe me that you will pick up the fundamentals of the program and be well on your way to producing music.

If your serious about Reason and think that it is the best music software out there, then let Derek Johnson and Debbie Poyser be your guide through the world of Props and their beast Reason.

Also to the last reviewer Mark Milne Reason does not record audio so it was left out of the book for a Reason :}

No, you can't RECORD with Reason. But there are countless ways to use files that you have recorded with other, very simple or even free applications (how about your Sony Minidisk recorder hooked up to a decent mike? talk about light years ahead of what we had available way back when); files that you have downloaded, files that you have gotten off of records or CD's or even TV, in Reason (shame!). It can be as simple as having the drum machine play a sound file from anywhere on your computer, with a surprising amount of control of, for example, sample start-and then you move on to the more powerful samplers... And then this will provide you with many different ways to control and distort, filter, and manipulate those files that are so easy to trigger or otherwise get inside Reason. Because that is what Reason does, it gives you a studio full of tools-synths, samplers, mixers, and the many sound sculpting modifiers to create, twist, and control your sounds.

And this book does a fantastic job of showing you these tools, in a very carefully thought out order and depth. Like another reviewer said, you would have to be a serious power user indeed not to get many good ideas from this book; and like yet another reviewer said, people that write textbooks should look at this one and see just how well it can be done. It will take you from a novice to synthesizers to an expert on Reason and computer synthesis music creation, giving history and background to help you learn about the many music synthesis tools. It is filled with tutorials, how-to's, and tips and tricks that even go beyond Reason sometimes. You could take a tutorial and change it as you follow along and create it and have a complete Reason song of your own easily. I also thought it gave a summarily good introduction into the powerful usage of the Control Voltage interface from ages past (one of Reason's most powerful tools in it's bag of tricks-one that ties everything together like you have never been able to do with so many different devices), with tips and tricks there, too. There are a lot of toys available in Reason, but once you get past a certain not-too-difficult level, it is actually a very intuitive and very fun to use interface; and this book is definitely filled with this same infectious enthusiasm for that rack o' modules and wires. It is an extraordinarily good book for beginner to expert.

You should see my copy of this book, it is nearly destroyed from so much usage, carrying it about wherever I go and constantly going back to it for reference.

As a side note, I think the Acrobat Reader Operation Manual supplied with Reason is also excellent. It's just what it should be-precise and to the point-it's an Operation Manual, after all. If you take the time to practise and apply what you read, it will give you the background to know what you are doing (as much as is possible-sometimes when you have so much going on in a patch it would be hard for anyone to say how you got there-and that can be fun, too) and what every control does. This book will do the same and take you farther with much more help.

Just got the book and already can't put it down. This is a book perfect the people like me who may not be software literate as far as the terminology.This book breaks it down so much that you might sometimes feel like a kid learning their ABC's again. The tutorials are very easy and thorough. And it is set up so that the impatient somewhat experienced user can skim through the book for easy lookups. Don't be intimidated by the thickness of this book because in the end everything that is covered will eventually be needed at some point and time. Complete satisfaction. I recommend it highly

this isn't a review as such, because i haven't read the book. but it seemed important to correct the review below, which states: "this book also fails where the manufacturer's user manual does, in AMAZINGLY omitting any information on how to record a HUMAN VOICE with the software! ... [it] fails (unbelieveable!) to discuss how one might hook up a microphone and sing, or add a real guitar, or bass guitar, or... What's wrong with you, Debbie and Derek???"

nothing is wrong with Debbie or Derek. their book, like the Reason user manual, doesn't explain how to record audio with Reason because you CAN'T record audio with Reason -- that's not what the program does. if you want to record audio, try Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, or any other audio recording software.

(the fact that the manual doesn't cover it should have been a clue. "unbelievable!" is right....)

Criticizing this book for not including information on how to record vocals or guitar tracks is like criticizing a book on driving a car for not teaching you how to take off and land.

This book is the most well written, documented, and friendly instruction manual I have ever read.

Firstly, its entirely clear that the author is a professional user of Reason, knows heaps about the program and how to maximize its potential, as well as suggests ways for taking it out of the norm.

Secondly, the tone of the author is friendly and fun. You get the feeling this book was written by your big brother or best friend giving you the details. The text is clear, simple, and accurate. The author conveys information without loosing your interest or overwhelming you with dry tech speak.

I have used Reason for 2 years and am a Reason 3.0 user, but still refer to this book often. It covers so much about the core of the program that you will quickly be able to learn the new devices in 3.0 as you will have a fantastic foundation and understanding of the application. The book explains all the devices in 2.0 (including the functions of knobs, sliders, buttons, synthesis models, loops, envelopes, etc), CV/Gating, Sequencing, ReWire, use with other major audio applications, useful tips/tricks, and plenty of links to helpful user websites. It also has numerous quick and easy "how to" tutorials, that are clearly documented step by step and with pictures.

Very well done. I am grateful for how quickly I was able to ramp up on Reason due 90% to this book. Honestly, this should be the standard for instructional texts.

I, like many, bought Reason 2.0 as soon it came out, and immediately loaded it into my Mac. I've had only modest success creating decent sounding loops.

It's been 2 weeks since I finished this book, and I am in the process of completing my first track.

This book is amazing. The manuals tell you what each piece of gear does, but this book explains how to use them. And through the examples, it also gives glimpses into its infinite potential.

By all means avoid the Quick Start to Reason 2, save your money for this one.

My experience with this book has me so pumped. I'm in the process of purchasing Cubase SX so that I can continue self schooling.

No doubt, both novices and seasoned vets will benefit.

Enjoy.

Before I read this book I had Reason installed on my computer and I didn't use it very often because the interface wasn't straightforward for a beginning user like myself to understand how to operate it beyond basic operations. This book is an excellent source to learn how to use Reason 2 or 2.5. It contains practical, hands-on tutorials, explanations of the knobs and interfaces, and helpful tips. This is a must have if you want to become proficient in Reason!