Reason 5 and Record 1.5 review week

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The simultaneous release of Propellerhead Software’s Reason 5 and Record 1.5 on 25 August is arguably the biggest event of the music software year, and MusicRadar is celebrating the launches by putting all of our coverage of these two terrific applications in one place.

As well as an in-depth guide to Reason 5 and Record 1.5’s new features, we’ll soon have reviews of both, while our tutorials and tips will help you to get more out of the programs whether you’ve upgraded or not.

UPDATE: We've now added full reviews of Reason 5 and Record 1.5.

Click through the thumbnails below to find out exactly what’s on offer.

NEXT: Propellerhead Reason 5 review

Propellerhead Reason 5 review

We get to grips with Kong Drum Designer, Dr. Octo Rex, Blocks and all the new tools and updates that Reason 5 has to offer.

READ: Propellerhead Software Reason 5 review

Propellerhead Record 1.5 review

Reason 5 may be grabbing all the headlines, but this update of its audio-orientated little sibling is worth getting just as excited about. We take a look at the new Newptune auto-tune tool and all the other new features Record 1.5 has to offer.

READ: Propellerhead Software Record 1.5 review

Propellerhead Reason 5 and Record 1.5: what's new?

Propellerhead’s Reason 5 and Record 1.5 will be released on August 25: it promises to be quite a day for fans of the company’s two music production applications.

As you’d expect, both updates will come riddled with new features, both major and minor, but what are they and how do they work? Based on our experiences with the beta versions of Reason 5 and Record 1.5, we’ve put together this hands-on guide.

READ: Propellerhead Reason 5 and Record 1.5: what’s new?

14 Reason remixing tips

Great for producing original tracks, Propellerhead's Reason is also a superb remixing studio. It features a whole host of creative tools that enable you to rework your source material in all manner of different ways.

Here, MusicRadar presents 11 tips for budding Reason remixers. You bring the ideas - we'll show you the techniques.

READ: 14 Reason remixing tips

14 clever Reason routing tricks

The front of Reason's rack-style interface sure looks pretty, but it's when you delve round the back that things start to get really interesting.

When it comes to routing, Propellerhead's software is endlessly flexible. In fact, once you start getting busy with its virtual patch cords, you can do things in Reason that simply aren't possible in any other application.

Not convinced? Here are 14 routing and combining possibilities that you might not have considered.

READ: 14 clever Reason routing tricks

26 seriously useful Reason mixing tips

To get the best results out of Reason, you need to know how to mix in it. Check out our 26 tips and tricks and you'll be armed with the knowledge you need to make your music sound that little bit (or more than a little bit) better.

READ: 26 seriously useful Reason mixing tips

28 Reason 4 power tips

Everyone’s talking about Reason 5 at the moment, but if by any chance you skipped a version and didn’t catch up with the new features in the previous update, allow us to bring you up to speed.

We think there’s something here for everyone - whether you’re a long-time Reason user or a relative rookie

READ: 28 Reason 4 power tips

14 creative Reason RPG-8 arpeggiator tips

Reason's RPG-8 is one of the most stunningly useable, powerful and friendly arpeggiators we've ever seen, and it can be applied to any sound source in the Reason rack.

If you've read the manual, you'll know all this already, but if you're looking for some creative ideas on how to use it, read on.

READ: 14 creative Reason RPG-8 arpeggiator tips

Propellerhead Record: 12 things you must know

Record has been designed so that anyone can start recording without having to wade through pages and pages of documentation, but if you're looking for a quick overview of some of Record's finest features and tips on how to use them, you've come to the right place.

READ: Propellerhead Record: 12 things you must know

13 Propellerhead Record mixer tips

Propellerhead Record's mixer is a bit special, being inspired by SSL's 9000K, one of the most revered studio consoles in recording history. In fact, if you already own Reason, you might argue that it's worth buying Record just to get your hands on it.

If you don't give the mixer some serious attention, though, you might never know what a powerful tool you have at your disposal. Here are 13 ways you can make it do more for you.

READ: 13 Propellerhead Record mixer tips

How to make a dubstep beat in Reason

The syncopated rhythms of dubstep are no longer the exclusive preserve of underground producers - they've been adopted by other genres and made their way into the mainstream. We're going to show you how to create a dubstep beat using Reason.

READ: How to make a dubstep beat in Reason

How to make Daft Punk-style voice effects in Reason

Originally released in 2001 Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger was introduced to a whole new audience when Kanye West sampled it for his hit single Stronger in 2007. We're going to show you how to recreate the sound of the song's distinctive vocal effects in Reason.

READ: How to make Daft Punk-style voice effects in Reason

How to make a Giorgio Moroder-style bassline in Reason

Donna Summer's I Feel Love is frequently cited as one of the greatest dance records of all time, and its bassline one of the most influential sounds. Italian producer Giorgio Moroder was the mastermind behind the 1977 song – we're going to emulate its trademark bottom end using Reason 4's mighty Thor synth.

READ: How to make a Giorgio Moroder-style bassline in Reason

Propellerhead Software reviews

Propellerhead is a company that likes to take its time over new software releases, but when they come, they’re generally excellent. Click the links to find out what MusicRadar makes of the following products.