Users' Guide to Propellerhead Reason 2 (Book) Review

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(More customer reviews)Reason is a software program for making music, typically (but not necessarily) with an electronic or techno style. The program features synthesizers, samplers, a drum machine, a loop player, a mixer, and a wide range of effects, and is the REAL THING -- lots of professionals use this software on a daily basis, and the quality of the sounds are excellent. This book is currently the only intermediate level book available on the program; Craig Anderton's "Getting Started" text is really more of a basic beginner's introduction.
Johnson and Poyser's book is excellent. The chapters are well-written, cover all the features of the program, and contain lots of insightful comments. I've been using Reason now for almost two years, and working through the book really helped me to take my understanding of the subtleties of the program to a new level. You'd have to be one awesome power user to not get anything out of this work! Especially nice are the applications: after a discussion of how some component works, the authors then describe a little project in great detail so that you can actually use the technique to make some interesting sounds. These tips are a great addition to anyone's bag of tricks, and (in my opinion) are alone worth the price of the book.
If you're just getting started with synths and computer music, you should bear two things in mind. First, there's a lot of technical information about how synths & samplers etc. work, and if you're not familiar with these concepts then you might find the whole subject of working in Reason a bit daunting. In other words, if you learn how to modulate your filter cutoff with an LFO, but you don't know what a filter cutoff is or what an LFO does, the information does you little good. The authors do try to discuss this, and since I already know this stuff it's hard for me to really determine how it works for a complete beginner, but it's just something to be aware of. The other caveat is that the book is very thorough, and while that makes it great as a reference you might find it difficult to see the forest for the trees, especially if you're just starting out.
In summary: if you're completely new to making music on your computer and/or the technical world of synths and samplers, you might want to invest in the "Getting Started" guide by Craig Anderton just to get rolling. But if you're at all serious about developing your Reason chops, Johnson and Poyser are a must-have.

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Product Description:
Get up and running with Propellerhead Reason 2 in no time! The expert authors begin by explaining how to install and set up the program on a Mac or PC and then walk you through every separate Reason device with hands-on tutorials. Whether you are a new user or a more experienced Reason musician, you will find out how to get the most from the musical phenomenon that is Reason.

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