Reason 8.0: A Review For The Dub Community

REASON 8.0: A REVIEW FOR THE DUB COMMUNITY
STUDIO DUBROOM SOFTWARE AND SOUNDWARE REVIEW

 

 

WWW, October 16 2014 - It's been close to a decade since the launch of Reason 3.0 and the Dubroom's review of the then groundbreaking, ultra-flexible Dub-friendly music production software. We've promoted the software continually ever since it was established how it was possible to make Dub using just one program. Just recently, Reason 8.0 was released and arrived in the Dubroom not much later. We went in-depth again, from 3.0 straight to eight and came back with this review exclusively for the Dub Community.

Of course, we don't have to re-establish how it is possible to make DUB using Reason as a Stand-Alone Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). We did that when Reason 3.0 had arrived and changed the way to produce the music we all love to produce. It's obvious that Reason 8.0 enables you to do what version 3.0 offered, and it's obvious that we're a decade later into the research and development at the Scandinavian laboratories.

Just in case, though. Yes, you can make Dub not just using just a computer but using just one program. The name of that program is Reason, of which version 8.0 was released just two weeks prior to the publication of this review. 

In a way, this is not just a review of Reason 8.0, it's a review of ten years of development at Propellerhead and in the production of DUB Music using just a computer. In this decade, producing music with just a computer has become what it should be: commonly accepted. No longer is it considered to be avant-gardistic to side-step snobby studio owners with attitudes and reach your audience directly with computer-based productions. 

No longer are computer-based producers looked down upon, and Reason has played a huge part in this wonderful development.

It's October 2014. Welcome to a review of Reason 8.0, software that enables you to turn that idea in your head into sounds from your audience's speakers.

We're going to take a deep look into the many new features that have been added to Propellerhead's flag ship during the last decade. Sure, there are many new devices that look promising at first sight. After all, that's what we need in our studio. Brand new in Reason 8.0 is the updated browser, which needs to be examined too. Will it be quicker in this new way to find what you're looking for?

Questions, questions. 

Door locked, all projects put on hold for more than a week. Reason was the object of undivided attention as this review was written, Dubs created and put on You Tube along with other things like detailed screenshots taken. You can read all about this in this extensive, in-depth review of Reason 8.0 where all things DUB are considered and tried.

In fact, the review is so long that it's divided in different parts. However, it's possible to check out the full review on one long page as well. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION CLICK TO READ
A review for the Dub community - A Dub engineer's perspective - The configuration - The installation process

PART TWO: FIRST STEPS CLICK TO READ
A first impression - A closer look - A first session

PART THREE: FEATURES CLICK TO READ
The mixing console - The rack -The devices - The sequencer - The browser - Two missing links - Rack extensions

PART FOUR: THE DEVICES CLICK TO READ
The effects - The instruments - The utilities

PART FIVE: CONCLUSION CLICK TO READ
The work-flow - A final Dub - Reason eight straight out...

REASON 8.0: A REVIEW FOR THE DUB COMMUNITY CLICK TO READ
Read the full review on one page

Reason 8.0 Has Arrived (Dubroom Announcement)

REASON 8.0 HAS ARRIVED
DUBROOM ANNOUNCEMENT

WWW, October 8 2014 - Currently, the Dubroom Webmaster is doing virtually nothing else but reviewing the brand new REASON 8.0 music production software. Since this is going to be an in-depth review with sights and sounds next to the words, there won't be any major updates, reviews or releases until this project is completed. How long it will take, remains unknown at this date but it could be more than a week. 

In the mean time, check the thread on the Studio Dubroom forum to read small updates on the project. Or join the Message Boards and state your comments or questions that might be incorporated in the review. 

Bubblin' Hot for 2014: Serving the Online DUB Community (Dubroom In-Site #36)

BUBBLIN' HOT FOR 2014: SERVING THE ONLINE DUB COMMUNITY
DUBROOM IN-SITE # 36

WWW, October 2014 - Well over a month after the release of the first Dubroom album in years, it has been everything but quite before and behind the scenes in the Dubroom. Both on the musical side and on the website, that is. Messian Dread reports and announces a special in-depth review of the recently released Reason 8.0 music production software.

encouragements

With the EP "Step It Up In Dub" released a few days ago, Reverb Nation updated it's counter to 35 released tracks this year. That's kind of nice to announce as opening for this 36th episode of Dubroom In-site. Next to a virtual 7" featuring Ras Kitchen and Asante Amen, music continues to be released from the Dubroom studio via the Net Label to the world wide massive and this is not going unnoticed.

The Dub Zone Podcast featured Dubroom productions, and so did the very popular Midnight Raver who also listed the Heavyweight Dubwise album as "Bubblin' Hot for 1024" next to Mad Professor and Luciano's "Deliverance" Showcase (Dubroom Review). On top of that, we were played on the October 1st episode of the well known Echo Chamber Radio Broadcast. Of course this is a humbling and thankful experience, as the Dubroom Productions are released to promote (DUB) Reggae and Consciousness much more then our studio, label or website.

Two virtual 7"s have thus far been released featuring vocal samples from Ras Kitchen, whose free vocal sample pack has the daily attention of visitors and users of Studio Dubroom. The packs are to promote the Ras, who makes a humble living and partly depends on donations. The Dubroom is not reluctant to forward this request to all who like our Dub tracks with Ras Kitchen. And we're grateful for Ras Kitchen's Big Up at You Tube!

The Dubroom's purchase of licensed vocal recordings by not just legends like U Roy and Dennis Alcapone but also younger vocalists like Asante Amen and Ras Khaleel sometimes draws the attention of one of the vocalists whose works we're blessed to be able to use. We surely hope that our releases will promote these excellent singers and chanters and when one of them writes publicly "Total fulldorsement from I Rasta!!! Sen it a road :)" we're again humbled and encouraged to continue.

More encouragement came in the form of two articles at the French Culture Dub website, one a review of the Horseman EP. We also received a positive review at the Dubophonic Net label blog and at Dubmassive.org!

studio stuff

Studio Dubroom is a Dubroom subsite especially for producers and artists. One very well visited part of the studio is the tutorial on making Dub with computers. Since this tutorial started way back when, some of the earlier chapters have been re-written while more chapters have been added as well. In fact, there's now a special page from where you can keep track of every update on the tutorial.

There's also a new feature in the studio called "Digital Dignity". It's a portal to all Reggae products at Loopmasters and visiting will provide you with an explanation of the name and with 560 Mb of High Quality, legal and licensed material. Yet another thing that has been added to the studio is a simple page where you can find links and short descriptions of Online Music Distributors (OMD's). Members of the Dubroom Message boards and others are encouraged to add information to this list.

Reason 8.0 in-depth for the Dub community

Now, there's more news for the users and visitors of Studio Dubroom: only minutes after this update is posted, Reason 8.0 will be the topic of the undivided attention of yours truly for quite a while. Yes, the people at Propellerhead have just launched the latest version of their groundbreaking, ultra-flexible and DUB-friendly music production software and over here in the Dubroom everything is going to be reviewed on an in-depth level.

When Reason 3.0 arrived almost a decade ago, the Dubroom reviewed the software and continued to promote it. This is software from a company that has provided a generation of online (DUB) Reggae producers with the means of creating some of the finest works available. Even Reason 3, which is now considered antique, remains to be a crucial tool.

So, what about Reason 8. five versions further?

Expectations are high, but this-and-that has to be verified, tested, studied. Not a thing you do in a day.

Keep an eye on the Dubroom for updates and more, even more releases.

One Love,
Messian Dread (Editor/Webmaster, Dubroom.org)

Willi Williams: "Smugg Records Are Pirates"

WILLI WILLIAMS: "SMUGG RECORDS ARE PIRATES"
DUBROOM (DUB) REGGAE NEWS AND VIEWS

WWW, October 3 1014 - In a very informative, but partly disturbing interview the Midnight Raver recently held with well known Reggae Singer Willi Williams, the Ammagideon Man was quoted about a release called "One Love". As the album was reviewed and promoted by the Dubroom, it was shocking to hear what the brethren had to say about this release. In short: it's pirated, don't buy!

Ask Bunny Wailer about the early Wailers Black Ark recordings you can find almost everywhere. Ask Scientist about his well-known Greensleeves Dub Series. Ask Willi Williams about "One Love. Not the concept, but the album. Released by UK-based Smugg Records. Who were so kind to send the Dubroom a promo copy years back when it was released. Which was subsequently reviewed and promoted from this very website.

This is what he has to say:

“The ONE LOVE record is a pirated record. These guys been releasing my records for years and no matter how you try to get to them to let them know that it is not legal they insist on doing it. I send plenty letters from my lawyers and every ‘ting but they are shady. Its a shadowy business but Smugg Records is one of the pirates, they just using that name to sell the records. Especially this new record was pirated by them at whoever is behind this Smugg Records. I even got to one of the guys one time and he was very shadowy and could not tell me how he got it because I have no agreement with them. You know I did some tracks way back with an individual named Steven King out of the UK – him have a label called Uptempo – I did a couple of tracks with him as producer and he went and took my tracks from these sessions along with some others and I suspect that is how they release these pirated records.”

source

The Book of life teaches us how "The Love For Money Is The Root Of All Evil". That's not the One Love Willi Williams sings about, that's not the definition of One Love over here in the Dubroom, either. That's the love for pounds, euros, dollars. The kind of love that brings people to make wars and kill millions.

Needless to say that from this place we offer our apologizes -without any objection- to Willi Williams for having promoted something that did not provide him with the daily bread that he works for so hard. 

Equally, we gladly extend this piece of information from Willi Williams aka The Messenger Man to everyone who considers buying or promoting the album. 

One Love (yes!),
Messian Dread (editor, dubroom.org)

CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW

Step It Up In Dub (EP) (Dubroom Net Label Release)

STEP IT UP IN DUB (EP)
DUBROOM NET LABEL RELEASE

WWW, October 2014 - Hard hitting Steppers riddims form the foundation of this EP featuring seven vocalists in three long and intense Dubwise mixes. Extreme Dub work-outs on the bass, in fact there's a lot of abuse of the effect devices overall in this release. While the vocalists deliver enough lyrical content, sounds of creation and full blown instrument sections add to the undeniable power of the drum and bass lines.

While the three tracks can be played as a single track, for example in a play list or DJ set, listening to the full 16+ minutes will put them in a perspective. This EP is about the power of the bass, which -as a scientific study recently documented- is not just a slogan chanted in the Dance or otherwise, but a reality. The bass as foundational sound? Here is where DUB undisputedly stands at number one. That's reality too!

The second track is very deliberately put in the center of the three-track release. It's about the sound of a much greater power than any man-made bass instrument. It's about a power described in oh so many Rastaman lyrics and that's the power of JAH, audible in the real thunder and lightning. In the first track we'll hear everything about the bass line, in the last track we're rising up the Red Gold and Green banner of Conscious Dub.

The power of the bass, of thunder and lightning, blesseth are those that know themselves to be rooted in JAH.

Of course, with this trinity of Dub track about (Jah) Power you're given a hint to search something about another Ikon of the Power of Jah, Who Himself is a Trinity just like we little people are (body, soul spirit). 

With such a foundation, yes, step it up!

Stepping it up in three different Dubwise mixes, wherein no instrument, voice, slider knob or button is left untouched. Even though everything stays coherent, the hardware was put to enormous work as sometimes no less than seven different effects are used in the same time. 

Stepping it up in three hard-hitting steppers riddims, all with real horns and real this-and-that and original Dubroom bass lines. Visit studio.dubroom.org when you are interested in the more technical or legal aspects of this release, which is -as all Dubroom productions- fully legal and licensed.

TRACK BY TRACK DESCRIPTION:

Jah Rooti - Dub Up Di Bassline

It takes a while before you know what Jah Rooti is talking about, but after about 30 seconds or so you'll get the point more than clear. As the tune continues to develop after the initial start, effects are layered to the extend that it is no longer clear just what effect comes from which source. Not just nice for a little studio research but also for the enjoyment of Dub music. 

Then, everything drops except for the bass and Jah Rooti chanting about the bass line. Filters and reverbs are not spared and when the drums finally drops back in the Dub gets into a yet weirder phase, only to come back with full instruments and singing and lead to the end in yet another segment of full-effect style mixing.

Ras Khaleel - Pray Up In Dub (ft Aiva and Penti)

Definitely the center-piece of this EP, it's length being an indication of it's importance in the story of Step It Up In Dub. True sounds of nature open up, including a massive thunder roll. During this exposition of Jah Power, a melodica and Ras Khaleel lead us to the horns and Penti telling us what to do when we wake up in the morning: chant a psalm. Ras Khaleel enters asking for some positive thoughts while I and I pray as we pray about serious things.

Why does Babylon take our life for granted, killing our brothers and our sisters in a continual war against mankind and it's Creator? It should be about love, no hate should come around as we live this life that our Creator has given us. Once again, here is the message of One Love in Dub.

Excellent backing vocals by Aiva, crucial Horns by the Zion Train massive, intense Dub mixing from the Dubroom's in-house engineer, over six minutes of deep Dub meditation.

ADX - Dub Up Di Banner (ft Soulja and Penti)

Penti opens up giving a short history lesson before ADX continues to describe the current situation. Soulja takes over and calls for more love, honor and respect which is what has to be done in these current times of violence and hatred. Reggae, and especially DUB has spread from Jamaica to the UK to the whole world and has stood at the roots of virtually all electronic musical styles and techniques. 

Where the music is so influential, so should the Message that comes with this Music since ancient days. 

That's why we rise up the Banner of Red Gold and Green.

1. Jah Rooti - Dub Up Di Bassline (4:55) (320Kbps MP3)
2. Ras Khaleel - Pray Up In Dub (ft Aiva and Penti) (6:08) (320Kbps MP3)
3. ADX - Dub Up Di Banner (ft Soulja and Penti) (5:17) (320Kbps MP3)

Please do not re-publish the actual music, because unlike Dubroom releases before 2014, this release is © Messian Dread/Dubroom. Available for free: 128 Kbps/320 Kbps MP3 Files, CD Quality Wave Audio.

CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE

SOME SOURCES: