The recording software for Mac with everything you need to create music

Reason for Mac

Reason for Mac

  -  Demo
Reason for Mac is easy to get started with, yet as deep as you want it to be. It’s the music-making software that helps you create, collaborate and discover with musicians worldwide.

Lose yourself in a world of sound. You will never run out of creative options with Reason’s vast collection of instruments and effects. They all look, sound and feel like their real-world counter-parts, and are easy to understand with their simple layout, free of sub menus and cryptic interfaces.

Create, share and collaborate with other music makers using Reason for macOS and Allihoopa. Get inspired by something a musician across the world created. Add your own contribution. Then share your music with friends — or everyone!

Note: The demo version will not allow you to open song files or export them to audio.

Also Available: Download Reason for Windows

  • Reason 13.0.2 Screenshots

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    Reason 13.0.2 Screenshot 1
  • Reason 13.0.2 Screenshot 2
  • Reason 13.0.2 Screenshot 3
  • Reason 13.0.2 Screenshot 4
  • Reason 13.0.2 Screenshot 5

What's new in this version:

Reason 13.0.2
Features:
- Implemented an Indexing indicator in the Browser
- Changed handling of shortcuts pointing to Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud folders
- Remote support for Novation Launchkey MK4 and Launchkey Mini MK4

Fixed:
- Improvements for faster Indexing and resolving items for Browser
- Several Browser optimizations
- Searching in Indexed locations
- Searching in All locations, User locations, Shortcuts and Favorite lists
- Response time for greyed out Tag and Category buttons
- Preferences: MIDI ports are now showing the correct name on Mac
- Multiple file name searches are now properly combined in the Browser
- Fixed an Issue where Flat list view sometimes left out results
- Fixed an Issue where ReFills could appear empty in Tree view
- Fixed a bug where Combinator patches would reload when clicking on Shortcuts
- Fixed a bug where using multiple MIDI input channels could introduce latency
- Shipped Demo songs and Template songs can now be opened in Demo mode as expected
- Fixed an issue where navigating to a parent folder from a sub-folder was not showing all content within the parent folder
- Malström Patches are now visible as expected
- Improvements to how numbers are sorted in the Browser
- Fixed an issue where the Enable/Disable button for Time stretch was inverted
- Fixed a memory issue on Windows where a VST3 version of certain plugins used much more RAM than the VST2 version
- Fixed a bug where Folders in Song Samples wouldn't collapse properly
- Fixed a bug where Optional ReFills (Drum Supply and Loop Supply) weren’t visible
- The Date column in the Browser now defaults to descending sort
- .reason song files can now be tagged in Browser
- Shortcuts to REX files are now handled correctly and keyboard focus doesn't get lost when loading REX files
- Additional bug fixes and improvements


Reason 13.0.1
Features:
- Drag content from Finder/Explorer to browser
- Opening Edit area with clip selected in Arrange view will not Zoom to fit

Sidechain tool update:
- Listen mode is moved to “post-filter”
- Filters improvement
- Typo corrected

Mimic update:
- Fixed a crash bug on Windows

Fixed:
- Browser: Add Device - OK button now says Create
- Reason 12 can now be opened after Reason 13 has been installed and vice verse
- Reason logo is now correct in Reason 13 top bar
- Factory Soundbank Combi Effect patch was routed wrong
- Fixed a bug where the Browser crashed when clicking on search field and suggestions
- Fixed a bug where it was not possible to drag Favourites List to the bottom of the list
- Fixed a bug where Keyboardfocus was lost after loading a patch from Device Browser
- Fixed a bug where the Browser automatically switched to Tree view
- Fixed a bug where Clip resize handles remained on old clip after selecting new clip by clicking a note
- Fixed an issue where certain Reason 12 Songs couldn't be opened in Reason 13
- Fixed an issue where Browser Flat View didn't retain
- Fixed a crash that occurred while Audio slice editing
- Fixed some key commands in Browser


Reason 13.0.0
General:
New visual design of the Reason UI:
- New top bar with buttons for Device Palette, Browser, Sequencer, Rack, Mixer, and Help
- Old area handles replaced with slim dividers
- Changed all colors in Light and Dark mode, removed Blue mode

Ableton Link update:
- Reason now supports Start/Stop sync over Ableton Link

MIDI Clock:
- It’s now possible to send MIDI Clock to multiple MIDI Out ports
- MIDI Clock sent from Reason is now more stable
- New “Reason Studios” folder in your Music folder for easier organization of your content, including:
- New ReFills folder to store your ReFills, automatically indexed by Reason’s browser (see below)
- New User Library folder where patches are saved by default, automatically indexed by Reason’s browser (see below)

Improved and re-organized Context Menus:
- Access to new features previously not available on context menu
- Re-organized and re-grouped for easy access
- Some Context Menu options now bring up a dialog window with settings, for example Note Tools > Transpose…
- The Tool Window has been removed, all features moved to the new Edit Area or context menus
- Optional Refills and devices (i.e. Drum Supply, Loop Supply, Radical Piano, Klang, Pangea, and Humana) are now handled within Reason Companion
- Updated Companion with a new design

Sequencer:
New Edit Area:
- The Edit Area is visible at the same time as the main Arrange Area and can be re-sized
- Double-click/Enter to open clip and zoom its contents to fit Edit Area
- Single-click/select to open clip and scroll to it in Edit Area without changing zoom
- MIDI notes can now be joined with the Join menu item or cmd/ctrl+J
- New edit mode: Audio Overview Edit, the new default for audio clips
- Razor now snaps to Slice Handles/transients in Audio Overview
- Speaker Tool is now available in Audio Overview for quick auditioning
- New shortcut: Opening a selected clip in Edit Area is now “Enter” and showing/hiding Edit Area is now F8.

Edit Area Inspector:
- New area with inspectors for all events in the edit area
- Moved all applicable Tool Window functions to Edit Area next to its related inspector
- Added “Make Velocity Ramp” to the Edit Area Inspector

Zoom improvements:
- Zoom by dragging in the top of the timeline, in both Arrange and Edit Area
- Pinch Zoom is now possible with trackpads
- Improved scroll wheel zoom (cmd/ctrl+scroll and shift+cmd/ctrl+scroll)

Browser:
Device palette:
- Only shows devices and plugins
- Filter on device categories and formats
- All Rack Extensions are now categorized
- Device palette now reads built-in categories for VST3 plugins
- New shortcut: F3 to open/close Device Palette, cmd/ctrl+F to open and set focus to text field in Device Palette

Browser:
- Brand new separate browser with a new design
- All Locations is now default and shows all browsable files (patches, audio files, MIDI, REX loops) in locations that Reason’s aware of
- Filter results using any combination of name, category, tag, kind, device type
- Suggested filters will appear while typing
- Category and Tag buttons for quick filtering
- Browse Focus mode and Add Instrument/Effect/Player now loads an item in the background as it’s clicked
- Users can edit/add tags to content in the browser by right-clicking items
- Browser window automatically hides when dragging items outside it
- Improved Favorite List handling—right-click an item to add or remove it from Favorite Lists
- New shortcut: F9 to open/close browser, cmd/ctrl+F to open and set focus to text field in Browser
- New shortcut: cmd/ctrl+E to Add Effect

Devices:
- Ripley Space Delay
- Polytone Dual-Layer Synthesizer
- Sidechain Tool
- Stereo Tool
- Gain Tool

Sound content:
- All sound content included in Reason and Reason+ is categorized and tagged
- 1000+ new patches, loops, and samples (1 GB of content)
- Two new demo songs
- Updated song templates

Fixed:
- General fixes and improvements


Reason 12.7.4
Updated Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer:
- Fixed a bug where the level of the Dist effect in Europa was louder. Opening an old song with an instance of Europa (where Dist was used) in Reason 12.7.3 would result in a louder output from Europa compared to the output in 12.7.1 (and earlier versions)
- Fixed a bug in Europa that made the LFO curve type "smooth random" work as a steady sawtooth


Reason 12.7.3
Features:
- The online Help for Reason and Reason Rack Plugin now has a brand new design for better readability and searching. In other words, now is a great time to RTFM!

Fixed:
- a bug where a Reason document saved on Windows could crash Reason when opened on macOS
- a bug where Reason could crash when running in Windows in languages with certain unicode characters
- a bug where Reason would crash when running in macOS BigSur on ARM Macs
- a bug where reason could crash when disconnecting a MIDI device while Reason was running
- a bug where loading a bad sample into Kong would crash Reason instead of showing a "Bad sample" alert
- a bug in Europa where modulation on some parameters was wrong on macOS Silicon processors
- a Touch mode automation bug for Reason Rack Plugin, it's now working properly in DAWs with Touch mode automation support
- Various other bug fixes, optimizations, and improvements


Reason 12.7.1
Features:
- Reason 12.7.1 installer is now fully Apple silicon native
- Added option to open Reason Companion from the Reason menu (macOS) / Help menu (Windows)
- Changed name from “Your Products” to "My Account" in the Reason menu (macOS) / Help menu (Windows)

Fixed:
- a crash bug on Windows that occurred when trying to quit Reason while dragging a device
- an issue where audio recording failed when recording in a document saved on a network drive
- an issue where aftertouch on Arturia KeyLab mk2 didn’t work properly
- a bug where the Additional I/O sockets used by VST3 plugins were named "Unspecified" when no cables were connected to them
- a bug where the MClass Maximizer delay compensation value was wrong and reported even when the device was off
- a bug in Reason Rack Plugin on macOS where text boxes turned completely dark when system was set to dark mode
- an issue where a bounce including some VST3s wouldn't keep notes sustained
- Various other bug fixes, optimizations, and improvements


Reason 12.7.0
Features:
- Reason Companion has replaced Authorizer for Rack Extension management. This applies to all Reason 12 users going forward. Rest in peace, Authorizer, you magnificent bastard!
- New Remote maps for Korg nanoKey Studio and nanoKontrol Studio
- Remote maps have been updated for Mackie Control, Extender, and Combo

Fixed:
- Fixed a bug where an Access Denied alert could appear in Reason Rack Plugin (AU) in Logic when updating Rack Extension licenses on Apple silicon
- Fixed a bug where the Rack Navigator sometimes would show black boxes instead of devices (those were not really cool and edgy Dark Mode devices, sorry!)
- Fixed a bug where Korg Triton VST3 could hang on Windows
- Fixed a bug where VST3 plugins didn’t terminate correctly when deleting the last instance
- Fixed a bug in the Combinator where the Target label remains after setting it to "No Target"
- Improved error handling for macOS audio drivers


Reason 12.6.1
- Cleanups and fixes of audio threading code that can reduce glitches at low load (M1 Pro)
- Improved behavior in Rack Navigator where custom backdrops in Combinators were drawn as black boxes are now drawn with default backdops
- Various other bug fixes, optimizations, and improvements

Fixed:
- an issue where an error was triggered when clicking on the GUI icon for note lane performance parameter of a VST3
- an issue where crossfade gets silent when joining two audio clips
- an issue with unexpected behavior in fullscreen mode for certain VSTs on macOS
- an issue with Vocal Stretch analysis failing on ARM64
- an issue where dragging an item from a Favorites list in browser to the Rack sometimes failed (ironically making that item our least favorite thing)
- an issue where Combinator rotaries 5-32 didn’t work when a CV in was also routed to them
- an issue with the on-screen keyboard when Hold and Repeat were used simultaneously, which resulted in errors as Repeat was turned off
- an issue with cropped text in Preferences on interface inputs and outputs
- an issue where the audio settings sliders in Preferences were cropped on macOS
- an issue originating from using two monitors with different scalings on Windows
- an issue where the Remote MIDI Find window could be opened twice
- a Remote issue where Arturia Keylab 61 mkII keyboard MIDI Notes messages weren't recognized
- an issue with Legato mode where some devices became unresponsive after Audio Reset


Reason 12.6
Features:
Seamless Offline mode:
- The computer you started Reason on is automatically authenticated to run Reason together with all your devices without an internet connection
- Removed Codemeter dependencies

Apple silicon support (M1/M2):
- Reason standalone and plug-in run natively on Apple Silicon computers
- All Rack Extensions run natively on Apple Silicon computers

Remote support added for:
- Arturia
- Keylab mkII
- Keylab Essentials
- Microfreak
- Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A49/A61/M32
- Novation Impulse series
- Updated Remote mapping for a large number of controllers

Fixed:
- Implemented an automatic repair of songs that may have broken when saved in Reason 12.5.2
- Fixed a crash that occurred when context-clicking on certain VST3s on macOS and Windows
- Fixed an issue with Pitchbend and Mod Wheel. Automation didn’t appear as an option in the Automation dropdown for the VST Proxy device


Reason 12.5.3
Feature:
- Reason now resets the audio output of a device when you change the patch. This is to make sure the loaded patch sounds as expected right away and to avoid feedback, loud noises, or other unwanted sounds when changing patches

Fixed:
- Fixed a crash bug that occurred when attempting to automate the Master fader on the main mixer


Reason 12.5.2
New device filters in the browser:
- You can now filter the browser view by device format (3rd-party Rack Extensions, VST2, and VST3)
- VST2 plugins that have the same name and manufacturer as a VST3 you also have installed are now hidden in the browser by default
- VST2 plugin "duplicates" can still be viewed by enabling the “Duplicates” filter button or by searching
- Added support for dynamic properties in VST3, which allows for additional automatable parameters in certain VST3 plugins

Bug fixes and improvements:
- Fixed a bug related to max number of automatable parameters, which would result in audible glitches when certain VSTs were added, or when opening patches
- Fixed a bug where Apple Logic freezes when unloading the Reason Rack Plugin


Reason 12.5.1
Fixed:
- an issue where Reason 12.5 was prevented from starting on Windows
- an issue where the Template Song window buttons were sometimes not accessible without resizing the window on macOS
- a bug where Reason could randomly shut down on Windows
- an issue where closing the Reason Rack Plugin window was slow and laggy
- an issue where Waves VST3 shell took a long time to scan on Windows
- an issue where Reason 12.5 aborts plugin scanning
- an issue where you were unable to control functions inside the AcidboxV2 plugin
- several issues affecting Arturia plugins
- an issue where Neural DSP Archetype Rabea VST3 could freeze Reason
- an issue where Rob Papen VST3s could crash
- an issue where S-Gear VST3 would not process audio
- an issue where Spectrasonics VST3 Instruments could take minutes to load
- several bugs with Automation:

- Several fixes and improvements for VST3 support:
- General bug fixes and stability improvements in VST3 hosting
- Better keyboard hotkeys and keyboard focus handling for VST3, now typing text in several plugins works as expected
- Delete and Undo would sometimes result in a weird sound
- Editing parameters could result in a “laggy” sound
- Efx Fragments VST3 was mistakenly categorized as Utilities, not Effects
- FabFilter Pro-Q3's VST3 "solo" button did not work
- PSP Audioware VST3 meters now meter correctly, as meters should
- Automation Override did not reset properly in Blocks view
- Automation lanes weren't created for on/off toggle buttons on some plugins
- Reason instantly toggles the automated button off in some cases


Reason 12.5.0
Reason can now host VST3 Instrument, Effect and Utility plug-ins:
Updated Plugin Rack Device for VST3 and VST2:
- Indicates if the plugin is a VST2 or VST3
- Increased the number of audio inputs to 16
- Increased the number of audio outputs to 64
- Sidechain inputs has moved on the back panel for easy access
- VST2 and VST3 versions are now indicated in the device browser
- Increased the max number of automatable parameters in both VST3 and VST2
- Parameters are now grouped in automation lists and on the Plugin Rack Device (by the plug-in developer in VST3, if implemented, otherwise with generic grouping)
- Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3 Remote codec updated
- New version of Monotone that fixes a bug where using Send to Track on a Player could cause a hung note
- New version of Mimic that fixes a bug where very short slices could play back more than single slice in Slice Mode
- Fixed an issue where Reason Rack Plugin could crash when loading a document in Bitwig
- Fixed a bug where the VST screenshot feature would not functioning properly when using two monitors
- Fixed a bug where the buttons were sometimes not accessible in save dialogs without resizing the window (Mac only)
- Fixed a crash that could appear when opening certain .rns files (Windows only)
- Fixed a bug where users couldn’t write to external exFAT disk (macOS Ventura only)


Reason 12.2.10
- Fixed an issue with VST scanning where validation failed on certain VSTs
- AKAI mini mk3 codecs added
- Fixed an issue where users with a large amount of Rack Extensions in Reason Rack Plugin AU resulted in a "Failed Reading Rack Extension Data" alert

Graphical fixes:
- Graphical glitches when editing audio in Comp mode Editor
- Buttons blacked out in Control Surface dialogs in Preferences (Windows only)
- On-Screen Keyboard Sustain button cropped (macOS Ventura only)
- Added an alert in case installation fails when auto-updating Reason on macOS
- Fixed a bug where bounced samples could disappear (we’re still not sure where they went, but we’re suspecting they just needed a vacation)


Reason 12.2.9
Rewrite of how Reason handles multicore audio:
- Reason now adapts better to your document
- Reason now runs better on M1 under Rosetta, defaulting to high-performance cores
- New preference options for setting the max number of threads Reason’s allowed to use
- Implemented Silent Login in Reason DAW so that when you choose to remember your credentials, Reason logs you in automatically
- You can now remove your saved credentials in the Reason Preferences
- Monotone has been updated and now supports sustain pedal

Fixes and improvements:
- New remote codec for AKAI mini mk3 that fixes some issues
- Fixed a bug that made a line appear on Malström knobs set to max
- Fixed a waveform glitch that could appear in audio clips when zoomed in
- Fixed a bug that made lines appear around buttons on the transport bar
- Fixed a bug that could cause lines of the same color as the track color to appear on the back of Mix and Audio channels
- Fixed an issue where the Edit Mode button in Sequencer jumped around slightly when clicked
- Dr OctoRex has learned to count (pretty late in life for a Doctor) and the outputs are now named 1-2-3-4 instead of 1-3-3-4
- Fixed a bug that caused Reason to not start when several audio drivers failed consecutively
- Fixed a bug with crackling audio on Mac when opening a second document while playing


Reason 12.2.0
- The Combinator has been updated with new features and possibilities
- You can now customize the Combinator panel by changing its size, choosing and positioning controls, changing panel color, and adding a custom background with transparency
- The Programmer Section has been rehauled
- Mappings now have a “source range” setting for controlling a parameter with just part of the controls range (for example: only the second half of a rotary opens a filter)
- Several new built-in sources have been added (additional CV inputs, Random, Velocity etc.)
- The Combinator now has a summing mixer built-in to make it easier to add several instruments
- Right-click any parameter of a device in a Combinator to quickly assign it to a control on the panel (Standalone only)
- Automation lanes now show the name of the Combinator control instead of the generic “Rotary 1”
- Insert FX and Master FX section have been re-worked and are no longer treated as Combinators
- You can now add Combinators inside the Insert FX and Master FX sections
- The sound bank has been updated
- 100 new Combinator patches added
- 1000 Combinator patches has been updated to take advantage of the new Combinator features
- 100 new instrument patches added
- Mimic has been updated to Version 1.1.1
- Added root note detection, click SET next to the waveform overview
- Optimizations for better performance in time stretch modes and when playing high octaves
- Fixed a bug where the image shown while dragging a device in rack/mixer was not hi-res
- Fixed a bug where Ctrl-F didn’t work with a detached Rack in focus
- Fixed graphics glitches that could occur in Reason Rack Plugin in some cases. They made the rack look like abstract art and even though that was pretty cool it wasn’t very useful for making music
- New Authorizer version that handles hi-res Rack Extensions
- Please note: to update your Rack Extensions to hi-res, go to your account page and choose Sync All (or download just the REs you want to update)


Reason 11.3.9
- Feature: Shift+doubleclick on note in Edit mode selects that note + all following notes until end of clip
- Reason now falls back to Authorizer for updating licences, if Companion has been uninstalled, even for active Reason+ subscribers
- Trailing and leading whitespaces are automatically trimmed from Reason login username field
- Go To product page removed from Help menu for built in devices
- Improved performance for Rack Extension panels and glass / dirt overlay graphics
- Stepped controls mapped to knobs/faders and stepped outputs mapped to smooth displays were incorrectly scaled
- Improved error message for communication error alert
- Improved error message when downloading Rack Extension license fails
- Added retry option when Rack Extension license download fails

Fixed:
- a memory leak when loading samples
- a bug that made Calc wheel displaying incorrect status
- a bug that made it impossible to use keyboard to move notes above or below existing notes of same length in piano roll
- bug that caused crash when bouncing mono clip to MP3
- a bug in Remote where controls scales incorrectly between control surfaces and Reason
- a bug with malfunctioning external inputs on iZotope Neutron 3 (and possibly other plugins) in Reason Suite/Intro/Lite
- a bug that caused Redrum to crash if user did Delete Sample in the Assigned Samples list in the Song Samples page in the browser
- a bug that caused a crash when opening Sample Edit window for some users on macOS Big Sur
- a bug with song samples browser refresh in Kong
- bug that caused easy midi not to work on Windows
- a bug with Auto-routing of send / return sockets in Rack Extensions


Reason 11.3.8
- Fixed a bug where Windows users with French language setting got a crash upon opening Preferences


Reason 11.3.7
- General improvements and fixes


Reason 11.3.6
- Fixed a bug where Reason would not receive audio input on some versions of macOS in certain situations
- Fixed a bug where it was not possible to Run pattern devices inside a Combinator in Reason Rack Plugin


Reason 11.3.5
- Improved stability when running multiple Reason Rack Plugin instances
- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused parameter automation to fail when running the AU Reason Rack Plugin in Live


Reason 11.3.4
- Updated version of Beat Map (included in Reason & Reason Suite)
- Two brand new maps, Arctic and Tharsis
- A number of new device patches and Combinator style patches, using the new maps
- Three quick buttons for setting Reset Step to 16, 32 or 64. These are especially useful when the maps play long, complex rhythms. Restrain the beat by selecting 16, and play a variation or fill by briefly selecting 64
- Default value for Reset Step changed to 32
- Fixed a bug where ratchets on the last step of a beat could be inadvertently skipped
- Fixed a bug where Beat Map could sometimes go out of sync while playing back in Block Mode
- Fixed a problem where the Send to Track button on Players would not work in Block Mode
- Fixed issues when using Undo with some VST plugins in Reason
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused device parameters to reset to zero in the AAX version of Reason Rack Plugin Effect (when opening a document or changing instrument slot in Pro Tools)
- Fixed a problem that could cause a crash when removing an instance of Reason Rack Plugin in Maschine
- Changed heading text from Propellerhead to Reason Studios in the Create device menu


Reason 11.3.3
- Skip button at plugin scanning now skips only one plugin instead of all remaining plugins
- New “Enable All” button in Manage Plugins to re-enable all failed plugins for scan on restart
- Fixed a bug where plugin scanning would fail if Windows username contained non-ASCII characters