Propellerhead’s Reason 9.5 released, adding VST plugin support

Having resisted calls for it for more than a decade and a half, Propellerhead has finally taken the decision to add VST plugin support to its Reason DAW. This has just arrived as part of version 9.5, which is now available.

Initially a completely self-contained piece of music production software, Reason got a level of expandability in 2012 when Propellerhead introduced its Rack Extensions technology, which enables third party developers to create instruments and effects for it. This will continue to be supported, but now Reason will also be compatible with the most popular plugin standard on the planet.

You can drag and drop VST plugins right from the Reason browser, use CV with them, add Player devices and put them in Combinators with Reason devices and Rack Extensions. Any instrument or effect that’s VST 2.4-compliant should be compatible. There’s automatic plugin delay compensation, though you can also set this manually on each mixer channel if you’d rather.

Reason 9.5 is a free update for all Reason 9 owners. Find out more on the Propellerhead Software website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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