Reason 12 is here: a look at all the new features incl. Mimic sampler

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Reason Studios continues its new rack paths in Reason 12 with a new Mimic sampler, high-resolution graphics, and visual upgrade for the Combinator.

It’s September 1st and Reason 12 is now officially available to everyone. No teaser marathon is over. Yes, R12 is available as a subscription as Reason + but don’t panic it is not a one-way street. R12 is also available to purchase as a full version and upgrade.

This update contains, in my opinion, a lot that many has been waiting for a long time. It also clearly shows where the journey is going. Less DAW-centered but Reason everywhere.

Reason 12 rack

Anyone looking for new Reason DAW features will look in vain. There are no major improvements. The features are in the overall Reason package, especially in the rack (plug-in).

High-Resolution Graphics

The biggest new features and probably the most requested are the new graphics. These are now in high resolution and look super sharp on every monitor, also on 4K. I recently switched to a 4K monitor and when I opened Reason 11 the first I thought: oh that’s small. Later I joined the free 3-month subscription where I got access to the new version. And yes R12 is a huge step in this case, as it also allows to scale/zoom the graphics. Finally, classics like Thor or Malström in sharp, took a long time.

Reason 12 Mimic

Mimic Creative Sampler

A big new instruments/effects party does not take place in R12. But there is one thing that is the star of the update. Reason Studios introduces Mimic in Reason 12 Minimic, a modern creative sampler for beatmakers and producers. It comes with 8 sample slots and four sampler modes covering techniques from drum hit triggering, sample hock juggling, instrument creation, and more. Basically what you know from classic sampler plugins. Neat functionalities such as automatic transient detection and sample slicing are also included.

However, Mimic is not designed for large multi-sample instruments. Here the NN-XT Advanced Sampler device remains the first choice for Reason users. Mimic is more for the fast and immediate sampler tasks. Hopefully, RS will update NN-XT in the future. It’s such as beast and could definitely go the next step in features and design in my opinion. Mimic also features four creative stretch modes for advanced sample manipulation including granular synthesis. Besides this, it hosts a multi-mode filter, effects, and modulations (envelopes, LFO). A solid result-making sampler in my opinion that inspires quickly.

The third and already last new feature has been teased for a long time, now you can check it out right away. The popular Combinator engine has been completely revised, only visually.

Reason 12 Combinator

The Combinator In New Clothes

Combinator is a tool in Reason with which you can easily build your own instruments and multi-instruments. These can consist of sampler instruments, synthesizers, effects, sequencers, and more. The possibilities are endless and, to be honest, one of my Reason features. And this whole experience has been taken to the next level in Reason 12 where you can now design your own interfaces for Combinator patches.

Graphics and controls could be adjusted beforehand, but now everything is large and shiny. In a new editor, you can design custom interfaces with sliders, knobs… I think this is going to be a big deal for third-party sound designers and the Reason community. Maybe it gives the market of third-party content a boost, maybe we see a movement like in the Kontakt sampler, which lives off such creations from others. It would be amazing.

In my opinion, the new Reason 12 is trend-setting. Reason Studios leads its program out of the DAW to its own environment, the rack plug-in. It’s no longer in its own cosmos but now works with others. No matter if Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools… Reason is everywhere.  In Reason 11 there were already the first steps, now we welcome the next ones with version 12.

Friends of the Reason DAW will be less happy about this movement. Personally, I like it very much because I’m an Ableton Live and I have always loved the flexibility and sound of the Reason devices.

Reason Studios Reason 12 is available now for 399€ as a download. You can upgrade for 129€ or upgrade from intro/lite for 299€. There are no longer any intro or suite bundles. Alternatively, Reason 12 is also available as a Reason + subscription with all official rack extensions for $19,99 USD.

More information here: Reason Studios

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2 Comments

  1. The Mimic Sampler reminds me of a sampler platter you get at a restaurant. It offers a bit of a lot of things (that already exist), but is still limited. I don’t know what they were thinking with this unit.

    Maybe they should pair it with Reason Lite or something, that would be a marketing strategy in my opinion.

  2. Il è troppo alto io ho Reasono 10 e non mi sta bene acquistato un nuovo Reason pensavo che avrebbero fatto un upgrade dal 10 al 11 sarebbe stato possibile aggiornarlo ritengo che non sia molto professionale ricreare un nuovo Reason e spendere una somma eccessiva spero che in seguito ci sarà la possibilità di aggiornare la versione 10 grazie

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