Reason (synthesizer)

Reason is a software synthesizer and sequencer developed by Propellerhead Software. It can either be used as a complete virtual music studio or as a ReWire synth application in other sequencing software. It can also act as a ReWire mixer application but only for ReBirth.

The design mimics a studio rack with various standard studio modules available to the user. As of version 2.0 these include a mixer, subtractive synthesizer, graintable synthesizer, four different kinds of samplers - one designed to be used for percussion, two samplers for tonal INSTRUMENTS, and a sliced loop playback device - and various effects modules. As many of each module can be added to the virtual rack as processing power will permit.

Reason does not allow for third-party expansion. In lieu of this they attempted to provide a complete production environment - so far expanded with each version number. If used as a ReWire synth application in other sequencing software the lack of third-party expansion capabilities is without consequence since the sequencing program being used can handle third-party plug-ins.

The English band The Prodigy used Reason as main production tool to create the 2004 album 'Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'.