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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/282
MacDirectory 119
REVIEW | MUSIC
set of stellar sample libraries of keyboards,
basses and drums, with samples in
both16 and 24 bits.
The Abbey Road Keyboard collection
was recorded with a variety of vintage
mics and includes instruments from
classic sessions such as the Beatles' "Hey
Jude", "Strawberry Fields", "Mr. Kite", and
"Rocky Raccoon". The featured
instruments are a 1930s Challen piano, a
slightly detuned tack hammer-style
Steinway, a great Hammond RT-3/Leslie
122 combo, a stuffy and raggedly
charming Mellotron, a harmonium, a
celeste, and set of tubular bells.
The Reason Pianos refill includes
excellent samples of a Steinway grand, a
pair of uprights, and the jazz road warrior
of the '70s, the Yamaha C7.
The Bass collection includes eight
instruments including a picked Rick 4001,
a vintage Jazz, plucked and picked
Precisions, a vintage LP, an EBO, a fretless
Stingray, and a '63 Kay hollow body.
The Drum Kits 2 collection was designed
with the Combinator in mind and
provides a huge range of drums with a
spectrum or nuances determined by mic,
room, and environment. There are 58
Combinator-specific kits with various
presents, 96 Redrum sets and a selection
MIDI files, effects and style templates.
The fourth component is the RDK
vintage mono drums refill, which is
essentially the same as the RDK 2
collection but in mono and sampled
through a Neumann U47 tube mic.
Observations
You can easily lose yourself in Reason with
its millions of sounds and fountains of
inspiration. Whether you are into hip-hop,
avant-garde, traditional, or sweeping
orchestral compositions, Reason has
something for you. In addition to the
awesome power of Reason itself, the refill
bundle is quite a prize, with excellent
keyboards and (assuming you have the
chops) a selection of basses and drums
that can rival the real thing. The only
thing missing is its rather overt lack of
support for live audio recording, but this
aside, it is a fantastic tool.
The Reason 4 Premium Edition is an
excellent offering and is well worth the
$699 price tag. On its own, Reason costs
$499 (upgrade: $129) and the Studio
Combo refill bundle is $349. While its lack
of support for live audio recording
continues, its other capabilities make it a
must-have item for any aspiring or
professional musician.
Product Reason 4 Premium Edition
Made by Propellerhead Software