Computer Music’s review of Reason 3 runs through the features of this program, starting off by noting that Reason is a complex but closed solution, which can be a blessing and a curse — no third-party plug-ins can be used, and in this new version, no new generators (instruments) are included.

Having said that, the review enthusiastically goes through the things that are included. The new Compressor and EQ get top marks: “The MClass EQ is perfect for making tonal corrections with surgical precision and silky smoothness.” But what they really love is the vastly expanded support for MIDI control surfaces: “The improved support provides an incredible level if integration that has to be seen to be believed.”

The big new feature is, of course, the Combinator, which allows multiple instruments and effects to be combined into a single entity. They say “A high level of routing flexibility has always been a big and useful part of the Reason experience — with the addition of combinator, the whole concept has been taken a significant step further. It’s simply brilliant.”

What else? They love the improved responsiveness; they love the higher quality audio export (audio can be dithered from 32 bits to 24 or 16). The thing nobody loves about Reason is its sequencer, and this review is no exception. They say the Sequencer is “beginning to look quite primitive and dated these days, and as a result, many of our pet hates relating to it remain.”

The conclusion in a nutshell is that you shouldn’t expect to be blown away, but this is a very high quality product nonetheless: “this revision represents a significant and positive step forward, but it’s perhaps not quite as earth-shattering as some would have hoped. … [but] rest assured that it’ll take some considerable time for even the most dedicated and imaginative fan to discover what this new and improved version is really capable of.”

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