Propellerhead Software today announced Reason 6, a major update to the award winning music software, Balance, its first audio interface and foray into hardware, and Reason Essentials, the successor to Record that packs all the recording, editing, effects, instruments, mixing and mastering necessary to sound great in a streamlined package. Now all Reason products have complete audio recording and editing.

Combining all the features from Record, Reason 6 adds audio recording and editing, along with Propellerhead’s acclaimed mixing console with masterfully modeled EQ and dynamics on every channel, multiple parallel racks, Line 6 amp models, new effect devices plus additional features. New creative effects designed for inserting directly into instruments and tracks include: Pulveriser, sound crushing effect with crunchy compression, dirty distortion and flexible modulation; The Echo, advanced stereo echo with modern delay and analog tape echo emulation: and Alligator, a three band pattern gate for complex rhythmic texturing. Interface enhancements, high definition audio transpose and true 64-bit compatibility highlight other new feature improvements.

Balance, a two-in by two-out audio interface, is designed for the single person operated home/project studio. Fully USB 2 powered with separate volume controls for monitors and headphones, it contains 8 input connections to keep all instruments, mics and devices connected and ready to record with the press of a button—without software pop-ups or control panels. The included Reason Essentials packs in all the recording, editing, effects, instruments and mixing tools needed to create great sounding tracks.

“We looked at recording from our musician users’ perspective. They were spending time concerned with issues other than music making—riddled in installing software, managing cables, setting up control panels, setting gain levels, tweaking recording parameters, and more. It frankly wasn’t as easy and straightforward and it should be,” says Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO. “So, we were compelled to create Balance with Reason Essentials to let them focus on creativity and not on technology.”

Built for independent minded musicians, Reason Essentials has the feel of a million dollar recording studio with the streamlined simplicity of a tape deck. Distilled from the core of Reason, Reason Essentials contains a great selection of instruments and effects in a virtual rack that builds itself, or can be infinitely customized—drum machine, loop player, sampler, synths, reverb, delay, distortion, mastering effects and more. For guitar players, the built-in virtual guitar and bass PODs from Line 6 bring a wide range of top quality guitar amps, cabinets and effects. The intuitive audio and MIDI sequencer makes recording and arranging music a breeze. Users never have to worry about track counts, latency issues or adding that extra reverb or effect. With an easy to grasp interface, it won’t get in the way of ideas and will inspire users to make more music.

Balance’s class compliant drivers on the Mac ensure hassle free installation and compatibility with all applications from iTunes to Pro Tools. Integration with Propellerhead products goes further. Hardware buttons on Balance bring up a large meter/tuner in Reason and can also enable “Clip Safe,” Propellerhead’s new recording technology that with one click heals clipped recorded audio. Musicians no longer have to worry about losing a great recording because gain levels were too high, and can stay focused on creating that goose bump evoking performance.

On the Mac, Reason 6 will require OS X 10.5.8 or later, an Intel CPU (multiple cores highly recommended), 1 GB of RAM, a DVD drive, 3 GB of free hard disk space (program may use up to 20 GB scratch disk space), an Internet connection for registration, a free USB port for Ignition Key, and a CoreAudio compliant audio interface or built-in audio hardware. A MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard are also recommended. Balance has similar CPU, RAM and HD requirements, but Mac OS X 10.6.3 or later will be necessary.

Reason 6 and Reason Essentials begin limited public beta testing today and will be available for purchase worldwide on September 30, 2011 at the suggested retail pricing below. Propellerhead will also offer a special grace period for purchasers of Reason, Record and Reason-Record Duo this summer.

Reason Essentials with Balance audio interface will also be available for purchase worldwide on September 30, 2011 at a suggested retail price of $499 / €499. Any current Reason and Record user who purchases Balance can receive the Reason 6 upgrade for free.

www.propellerheads.se/reason6/

www.propellerheads.se/products/reason-essentials/

www.propellerheads.se/products/balance/

Propellerhead Software today released for sale worldwide the biggest overhaul to its Record and Reason application family to date. These highly anticipated upgrades to Reason 5 and Record 1.5 introduce new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.

The new Kong Drum Designer and Dr. Octo Rex loop player extend Reason’s instrument arsenal to help musicians get phenomenal sounding rhythms, drums tracks and beats. Reason 5 and Record 1.5 add a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks—build songs parts like patterns and string them together for lightening fast arranging with the ability to freely go back and forth between pattern and linear modes. Neptune, a pitch correction tool and amazing voice synthesizer, turns less than perfect performances into great ones in no time. Simply play new harmonies on a MIDI keyboard for instant backing vocals. Live sampling into all sample capable devices means any musician can use samples in a new and playful manner, discovering the lost art of creative sampling. The Expanded Factory Sound Bank, doubling in size, plus added signature sound designers’ patches, inspire new arrangements and compositions. Multi core optimization, an on-screen keyboard and tempo scaling of clips top the list of additional improvements.

The upgrades further solidify the Record Reason Duo as the mainstay tool for musical creation.

“I don’t put too many demands on (studio) engineers… except for them to have Reason on their system,” says Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas. “That is one of the only demands.”

Introducing Kong Drum Designer (Reason). Load, sculpt, build and tweak your sounds with your choice of drum synthesis, sampling, REX loops, physical modeling and custom-made effect modules for percussion on Kong’s 16 pads.

Dr. REX octuples into Dr. Octo Rex Loop Player (Reason). No matter how you use it—as a pattern sequencer for loops, or to completely mangle your REX’ed audio – it is guaranteed to inspire.

New Neptune Pitch Adjuster and Voice Synth Device (Record). Super flexible high-quality processor to correct and shift pitches, create backing harmonies, formant shift or take your vocals into outer space

Block based pattern sequencing mode makes song creation fast and flexible (Both). Go from pattern-based arrangements to linear—to patterns again. Take your music beyond the eight bar loop.

Vastly expanded Factory Sound Bank with Signature patches (Reason). Reason’s sound bank more than doubles in size, thanks in large part to signature contributors: Printz Board, Bomb Squad, Jason McGerr, Sharooz, Adam Beyer, Keith LeBlanc, Cari Lekebusch & others.

Live sampling is back! In the rack! (Reason). Re-explore the lost art (and fun) of sampling. Every sample player becomes a sampler; record with a single click — further tweak with the built-in editor.

A number of other additions that guarantee to make your music making more fun: Multi-core optimization, on-screen keyboard and scaling audio and MIDI clips, interface enhancements and many more too numerous to name.

Signature patch artists and producers

• Bomb Squad, Hank and Keith Shocklee
• Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas
• Jason McGerr
• Adam Beyer
• Sharooz
• Cari Lekebusch
• Keith LeBlanc
• The Salazar Brothers

All full versions and upgrades are available worldwide through authorized Propellerhead dealers and Propellerhead’s online store.

• Record for Reason Owners Sidegrade (includes Reason 5 upgrade): €149 / $169
• Reason 5 Upgrade from any version: €99 / $129
• Record 1.5 Upgrade from any version: free download!
• Record Reason Duo bundle: €405 / $449
• Reason: €305 / $349
• Record: €279 / $299

Anyone who purchased a qualifying Reason product after May 24, 2010 can receive the upgrade for free.

www.propellerheads.se

Discuss Reason & Record in our Reason & Record forum, of all places.

ReBirth is back! Propellerhead Software’s legendary Techno Micro Composer has been resurrected and made available for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. ReBirth faithfully emulates dance music’s three backbone devices: The Roland TB-303 Bass synth and the Roland TR-808 and 909 drum machines. Combine these with FX units, fully featured pattern sequencers and a quick-acting, scalable iPhone interface and you’ll soon be making techno on the train, trance on the tram or beats on the bus.

With the original desktop release of ReBirth RB-338 in 1997, Propellerhead pioneered a new era of music making by realistically emulating historic hardware synthesizers and drum machines in software on personal computers. For the first time, users could get the actual sound of those vintage analog devices without hunting down, paying exorbitant prices for and having the headaches of maintaining classic gear. This “virtual instrument” concept, seemingly impossible at the time, started a trend to the point that it now is commonplace in music software.

Now ReBirth literally puts faithful emulations of dance music’s vintage analog hardware at iPhone users’ fingertips. With dual bass synths and pattern sequencers, two sets of drum machines plus FX and mixer sections, ReBirth gives you an extremely streamlined but very powerful music production environment. Every knob and button on ReBirth’s devices can be tweaked and turned in real time, so when you plug your iPhone into that massive sound system, you’re in charge of everything from pattern selections to the depth of those nasty Acid filter squelches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HQ2GVMi2tQ

ReBirth for iPhone may be small and cute, but it’s no toy. With a fully-featured song mode and advanced copy and paste capabilities, ReBirth is a deep iPhone music application that lets you arrange and compose full tracks. You can even share your songs with other ReBirth users – one single click will upload your composition to the ReBirth server, allowing other users to enjoy your music on their iPhones.

Main features:

• 2 x TB-303 Bassline Synthesizers with pattern sequencer. The original Acid House and Techno bass synth. Unmistakable sound.
• TR-808 Drum machine, Roland’s sub-heavy 1980 beat computer. Instant Hip-Hop.
• TR-909 Drum machine. The go-to beatbox for everything House and Techno.
• A number of great sounding effects and audio shapers, including tempo-synced digital delay, distortion, compression and special pattern controlled filter.
• “Mod” support: Includes 5 original user modifications with alternative sound sets and graphics.

rebirthapp.com

ReBirth is available exclusively through the Apple iTunes Store for €5.49 / $6.99.

Discuss ReBirth for iPhone in our iPhone OS forum.

Propellerhead Software today released Record, the recording software that puts the musician in focus. Record combines effortless recording and a stunning software mixer console with a limitless rack of audio processing gear that builds itself or can be infinitely customized. Over 50,000 users tested Record during its beta test period, which began in May.

“We figured it was time that someone took a fresh look at recording from a musician’s perspective. Not needing to bolt music features onto an aging audio application, we truly started from scratch with full knowledge of today’s computer architectures and capabilities. Record is the result,” says Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO. “In short we wanted to do what we’ve always done—help people make more and better music.”

Built for independent minded musicians, Record has the feel of a million dollar recording studio with the streamlined simplicity of a tape deck. For guitar players, the built-in virtual POD from Line 6 brings a wide range of top quality guitar amps and cabinets. Record’s software mixer’s sound is faithfully modeled after the renowned SSL 9000K hardware with flexible routing, full dynamics, EQ, advanced effects handling and complete automation. With its state-of-the-art dynamic multicore audio handling, Record uses a computer’s processing power to its fullest. Users will never have worry about track counts, latency issues or adding that extra reverb or effect. With a straightforward interface, it won’t get in the way of ideas and will inspire users to make more music.

Owners of Reason have seamless integration in Record with their Reason instruments and devices. Not only will Record open Reason files directly, if Reason is installed and registered, all Reason devices appear in Record’s rack without plugging-in or launching a second application. For Reason owners, Propellerhead offers a special sidegrade called Record for Reason Owners that provides a complete copy of Record and updates any version of Reason to work with Record. For new users who want to buy both together, Propellerhead offers Record + Reason Duo, a bundle of both programs in a single package.

Record is available for sale worldwide today from authorized Propellerhead dealers and through Propellerhead’s online store.

• Record standalone software:  $299 / €279
• Record + Reason Duo bundle:  $629 / €535
• Record for Reason Owners sidegrade:  $149 / €129

www.record-you.com

Discuss Record in our Reason & Record forum.

Propellerhead Software today unveiled Record, the recording software that puts the musician in focus. Record combines effortless recording and a stunning software mixer console with a limitless rack of audio processing gear that builds itself or can be infinitely customized.

“We figured it was time that someone took a fresh look at recording from a musician’s perspective. Not needing to bolt music features onto an aging audio application, we truly started from scratch with full knowledge of today’s computer architectures and capabilities. Record is the result,” says Ernst Nathorst-Böös, CEO. “In short we wanted to do what we’ve always done—help people make more and better music.”

Built for independent minded musicians, Record has the feel of a million dollar recording studio with the streamlined simplicity of a tape deck. For guitar players, the built-in virtual POD from Line 6 brings a wide range of top quality guitar amps and cabinets. Record’s software mixer’s sound is faithfully modeled after the renowned SSL 9000K hardware with flexible routing, full dynamics, EQ, advanced effects handling and complete automation.

With its state-of-the-art dynamic multicore audio handling, Record uses a computer’s processing power to its fullest. Users will never have worry about track counts, latency issues or adding that extra reverb or effect. With an easy to grasp interface, it won’t get in the way of ideas and will inspire users to make more music.

Mac OS X System Requirements

• Intel Mac, multiple cores highly recommended
• 1 GB RAM or more
• DVD drive
• 2 GB free hard disk space (Record may use up to 20 GB cache disk space)
• Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
• Monitor with at least 1024×768 resolution
• Core Audio compliant audio interface or built-in audio hardware
• Free USB port for Propellerhead Ignition Key
• Internet connection for registration

Record begins beta testing today and will be available for purchase worldwide on September 9, 2009. Record will be available through all Propellerhead dealers worldwide at a suggested retail price of $299 / €299.

Propellerhead will also offer special bundles and pricing to its users through its retailers.

Discuss Record in our Reason & Record Forum.