Cubase 7 or Reason 7

[synthroom]

I've been a Cubase guy since 1997 when ver 3.5 VST came out. And I've p[layed around with Reason since 2009. I've got both at version 6.5. Now that Reason has MIDI out, I'm thinking of switching from Cubase as my DAW to Reason as my DAW.

I really haven't used Reason a lot, and I'm not really into softsynths, but I like the idea of using them more.

So I'm looking for your thoughts on making the change. Is switching to Reason going to be pretty painless for sequencing midi and audio?

[ninja6485]

In before some dumbass suggests ableton live! . I've only tried older versions of these, but I seem to have preferred cubase. They may have really revamped reason with 7 though, I don't know. Can you try a demo first?

[pflosi]

Ableton live!

[Stab Frenzy]

DAW preference is a hugely personal thing, nobody can tell you what you like the most. But seeing as you already own both options, surely you can tell which one you prefer?

[meatballfulton]

How much MIDI do you need? Cubase is till the king of DAWs when it comes to MIDI functionality. Reason 7 has MIDI out but it's very rudimentary.

Try the Reason 7 demo and see for yourself.

From the SoundOnSound review:

The absolute number one new feature in Reason 7 is that MIDI out. How have Propellerhead implemented it? Well, to coin a marketing phrase, there's a rack for that: specifically, the new External MIDI Instrument rack device. When you create one, it appears in the rack and a sequencer track is created along with it. Each EMI can then address a single channel of any MIDI output available to your computer, including hardware MIDI interfaces, virtual inter-application outputs, and network ports.

It's all very straightforward. Front-panel controls are fairly limited, and aside from an output and channel chooser, there's only a simple Program Change parameter and a single knob for sending values of a Continuous Controller number of your choosing. The pitch-bend and mod wheels at the left-hand side do generate their associated data types when dragged with the mouse, but are really there more to provide visual feedback.

Tests I made across the whole gamut of MIDI output types threw up no difficulties on my setup, and all normal sequencing use of the EMI proved reassuringly reliable. There's very little to learn: you just get on and start using it. Most controls can be automated, and the CC knob isn't limited to generating only one controller message type, just one at a time.

It's possibly more interesting to note what this new device doesn't do, though. First, it doesn't 'see' any individual MIDI devices that Mac users may have described as being attached to their MIDI ports in the Audio MIDI Setup application. That's not a huge problem, but it does mean that you have to remember exactly what MIDI gear you have connected to your outputs, especially if you have several of them and a number of MIDI devices.

Second, there are no facilities for dealing with MIDI latency. Let's say you have a hardware synth that takes 10 or 20 milliseconds to respond to a Note On message. The EMI offers no facility to send its MIDI 'ahead of time' to compensate for that. Again, not a deal-breaker, because if it's a problem you can nudge your MIDI clips back in the sequencer timeline.

Third — and maybe this is a little more important for some — it's clear that the EMI does not turn Reason into an all-encompassing 'MIDI control centre' for a big rack of hardware modules. There are no patchlist, patch naming or external device management features. Standard Program Change messages can be generated, but CC 0 or 32 Bank Select values must be written manually into the sequencer track using editing tools. System Exclusive data (and, in fact, anything other than note, controller and pitch-bend data) isn't handled at all. All Reason 7's marketing imagery shows it driving a few external modular or vintage analogue synths, and that's no coincidence. It will work with your modern Roland or Korg workstation just fine, no question, but with less aplomb than some other DAWs whose roots stretch back to the heyday of the MIDI module.

A general consideration around Reason's MIDI tracks is how you'll monitor the instruments they drive. You can bring external synths' audio back into Reason via monitor-enabled audio tracks, but you'll need an audio interface with a lot of inputs if you're working with several synths. Stand-alone soft synths offer their own problems: there's no dedicated feature for handling their audio, and your best bet is to use inter-application audio gizmos like Soundflower or Jack, or some kind of real or virtual 'loopback' routing in your audio interface.

I own Reason 2.5 (dinosaur) and Cubase AI5, I chose to upgrade to Cubase 7.

[sequentialsoftshock]

Stab just gave you the best advice...

[synthroom]

"Cubase is till the king of DAWs when it comes to MIDI functionality."

I ordered the Cubase 7 upgrade. And I had forgotten about the Rewire function so I can have Cubase and still run Reason from it.

And as far as sequencing stuff goes, it seem like all I ever do these days is play with Page R...