Reaktor vs. Reason? Looking to get into soft synths....

[chlorinedream]

I'm running a dual mac G4 500mhz with a gig of Ram and DP 3.1.

 

My style of music is trip hop/techno.

 

Which soft synth offers the most interesting sound? I dont need sampling (using Mach 5 for that).

 

Will Reaktor even work on my old computer?

[Chiisu]

I don't know if Reaktor would run on that. I have Reason 2.5, and love it. However, I use everything (stand-alone), while you wouldn't presumably use the sequencer or the NN-XT sampler. The Subtractor is an ok synth, though a bit on the thin side. Malstrom is an excellent synth, but I doubt it'd be the worth the cost of 2.5 for itself. If you're willing to use the other modules in Reason I think you should go for it, otherwise you'll have to find other soft synths (maybe from ReFX?)

[Trillian]

Reaktor should work but you might want to check with them regarding dual CPU's. I know that there were issues with dual CPU PCs because I had some problems with mine and they told me they knew about it and were trying to resolve it. This was before version 4 so it may be fixed now and may not apply to Mac anyway.

 

Reaktor and Reason are so different it's hard to compare them to each other really, they are whole other worlds.

 

Reason will prob be more friendly, more stable and certainly more complete as a working environment complete with synths, drums and sequencer etc. With reaktor you would really need to be sequencing in a dedicated recording programme like Cubase, Logic, etc.

 

If you didn't have any other software then Reason would be the clear choice between the two. If you want to do sound design and make crazy noises then Reaktor is more 'open-ended' for stuff like that.

 

-Sheryl

[malfunkt]

I would stick with Mach V... Reason is a fun program though, but I mainly use its sampler... I prefer to use samples instead of softsynths as I can get better dynamic quality (though less synthesis flexibility).

 

Reaktor should run on your machine under OS X. If you haven't upgraded to OS X, get the DP4.1 upgrade and you're set. I have a 800mHz processor, and Reaktor just barerly runs on it. To get responsive performance out of it it begs for a dual gHz at least, if not a G5.

 

Also there are a number of great free synths you should look into. One of them is called Crystal. It is far better than any of Reason's softsynths.

[KrazyKarl]

jeez, just download the demos and decide for yourself!

[Mike51]

Crystal + Drumatik+ Tracktion = 80$ and will surpass Reason IMHO.

 

Once you get setup with that, then get Reaktor Session for 170$.

 

You will then have something cheaper and much more powerful than Reason.

[Analog Kid]

actually, you might want to stick with DP3 if your gonna use Reaktor

 

since Unicornation shut down i havent checked up on it, but everything i used to hear would indicate your computers resources would go further under 9.2.2 with this particular setup.

 

Reason or Reaktor.... either one will be cool, they'll take you in different directions, but eventually you'll probably wind up in the same place down the road.

[Jeez]

 

Originally posted by KrazyKarl jeez, just download the demos and decide for yourself!

 

 

I tried the Reason demo. Damn that sucked. Seventeen mouse clicks just to set up a synth and an insert effect... Definately not for me.

 

And I'm not interested in Reaktor, since I've already got Max/MSP and Quantum-FX.

 

Forever,

 

 

 

 

Kim.

[Ed A.]

I've heard a lot of unfounded criticism about Reason, but that has to be the strangest. So I guess you'd rather take 200+ mouse clicks to set up a physical modeled synth in MAX/MSP or how about a few hundred lines of code in Super Collider to play a non real-time composition? To each his own. I have yet to hear anything done with MAX/MSP, Super Collider or similar non-mainstream programs that doesn't sound like all the other glitch compositions that have been done in the last 10 years. For "visionary" types of programs like these, the musical results leave much to be desired. I prefer to use programs such as Reason, NI and Arturia products and actually play my music, not program a computer language.

[mr.rob]

I am biased. Reaktor is the center piece of most projects. Most of what I'm doing with it I have not found possible with Reason. Reason will definately, without a doubt, run more smoothly on your mac. It will use less CPU. It might even do most of what you demand. It will crash less often to boot. I doubt you will ever have to bounce to disk with Reason. If you are more the casual tweaker it could render better sounding results. For building and using synthesizers, efx, samplers, and context dedicated studios Reaktor is more powerful. It is also more ecclectic. It will give you sounds that Reason will not. We're talking additive, FM, resonators etc. We're talking pseudo random shuffling of audio. We're talking ensembles based on all sorts of classic synths. A broad array of possible drum machines. We're talking all sorts of cool stuff.

 

I use Reaktor on a PC. Confirm that Reaktor will run well on your mac/dp set up before you buy. Try the demo and ask around at DP and reaktor oriented BB's and mailing lists.

[U&I]

Reason is only as good as the person using it and the choice of samples used.

Reaktor Session + Tassman would cost less than REAKTOR itself.

Both have built in sequencer modules and both have recording modules for disk bounce down.

Where's this leading.

Well.

Seriously you can esily do sound design + loop making in both.

Both render either AIFF or .WAV files.

These can be REX'd ,loaded in to REDRUM,NNXT etc etc at 24bit with hi-interpolation modes set to ON in Reason.

Add to this Reasons rather good REV7000 the CV/GATE (spider CV's) ,merger/splitters ,SCREAM the Vocoder and the modular patching nature of REASON and you have a dead stable ,killer composing application with a sound set designed by yourself.

There is a lot of excellent CV/GATE patching to be had in Reason.

It really comes into its own when used in a more personalised manner as mentioned above.

There are lots of nifty tricks to get Subtractor sounding more beefy.

Maelstrom is an excellent synth.

You can't really knock the Matrix sequencers either when patched in creative ways.

The samplers are very flexible if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and program on a per key mapped layer (micro sample level).

Don't write it off as a toy because that is very much far from the truth.

Like hardware it only sounds as good as the end user is willing to let it. Roll up your sleeves and get dirty REASON is full of suprises.

Lastly - and you have been warned .

REAKTOR + OSX is not the best combo in the world IMHO.

I'm just waiting for METASYNTH 4 (OSX) - it's currently being coded. Using this with REASON is going to yeild some jaw droppingly good results IMHO.

That said REAKTOR is far more stable as a PC/Xp application at the moment.

The choice of course at the end of the day is all yours.

[Jeez]

 

Originally posted by php I've heard a lot of unfounded criticism about Reason, but that has to be the strangest. So I guess you'd rather take 200+ mouse clicks to set up a physical modeled synth in MAX/MSP or how about a few hundred lines of code in Super Collider to play a non real-time composition?

 

 

Fair point, but when I'm programming in Max/MSP, I don't consider that work to be composition. When I'm composing, I want a much faster way of getting what's in my head out into the computer.

 

That's why I don't use Max/MSP for my personal composition projects.

 

 

 

To each his own. I have yet to hear anything done with MAX/MSP, Super Collider or similar non-mainstream programs that doesn't sound like all the other glitch compositions that have been done in the last 10 years. For "visionary" types of programs like these, the musical results leave much to be desired.

 

 

That's a limitation of the people using the tools, not the tools themselves. It's possible to get amazing results from very limited gear, and it's possible to get very mediocre results from amazing gear.

 

Forever,

 

 

 

 

Kim.