white gui is better. this looks weird

 

Harsh words but true... I always found Reason to be super duper charming, but everytime I tried it it always felt barebones and complicated at the same time (strange feeling I know)

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2026

My gut feeling is that Reason, just like ProTools, is dying and that, due to some questionable decisions, we're witnessing their long funeral day by day... it's going to be inevitable. When you close yourself off, you have no future.

I remember trying it a couple of times back in the MacOS9/PowerPC days (I can't remember which version), but there was always something telling me not to buy it. I wasn't wrong.

Besides, the fact that nobody's cracked it on the latest Mac versions probably suggests that very few people are actually interested in it, who knows...

In any case, it just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2026

Just a quick question, when we are on Reason topic.
What is the latest cracked working version of Reason that can be used as a rack VST in Ableton 12 on Win 11 machines?

 

@Djord Emer
Yes the main problem with Reason is they forced us to use "workarounds" for everything.
I remember, before they released Rewire, ppl recording their vocals on a DAW and using them as samples inside Reason ... what a mess.

Rewire itself was a workaround for THEIR limitations.
No VST, no audio, no MIDI out ?
No problem ... Rewire Reason with a real DAW

 

No arguments to anything you have said but that one simple rewire facility for doing large complex creations that synced really well at that point in time, was very useful - then.

 

That's why they dropped Rewire when they added VST and audio to Reason : it was only for themselves.

 

Reason will die slowly... I'm glad I changed to Logic 15 years ago.

 

If someone needs some Reason refills, this is great https://archive.org/download/ReasonRefills

 

At the time, it was also for Sibelius, Ableton, ACID and Fruity Loops and rewire then i.e., for example, ran inside Cubase. So you could slave every one of those and Reason to Cubase or the others vice-versa.

Spoiler: List of apps that used to become slaves via Rewire

ReWire was used with various music applications, including Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, and Steinberg Cubase. However, it has been discontinued as of 2020, so these applications no longer support it.

Music Applications That Supported ReWire
ReWire was a popular protocol that allowed various music applications to connect and share audio and MIDI data. Below is a list of notable applications that previously supported ReWire:

Hosts (Sequencers/Trackers)
Application Description
Ableton Live A versatile DAW known for its live performance capabilities.
FL Studio A digital audio workstation favored for its user-friendly interface.
Pro Tools A professional-grade audio editing and mixing software.
Steinberg Cubase A comprehensive DAW with advanced MIDI and audio capabilities.
Logic Pro Apple's professional music production software.
REAPER A flexible and affordable DAW with extensive customization options.
Cakewalk Sonar A long-standing DAW known for its powerful features.
GarageBand A beginner-friendly music creation software from Apple.
Devices (Synthesizers)
Application Description
ReBirth RB-338 A software synthesizer that emulates classic drum machines.
Renoise A tracker-based music production software.
Vocaloid A singing voice synthesizer software.
Arturia Storm A virtual instrument suite for music production.
Discontinuation of ReWire
ReWire was officially discontinued in 2020, meaning that these applications no longer support the protocol. Users are encouraged to explore alternative methods for integrating their music software.

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2026

The above only exists because a LONG time ago I switched from scoring by hand (I do it occasionally) to Sibelius and was running Cubase and when I installed rewire into Cubase the above options to enable including ACID and Sibelius which are not listed, would be there. I did not want to seem like I was pulling the wool over anyone's eyes, because it is discontinued, and I am not a big fan of online AI searching, but for that kind of information historically, it is good.

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2026

I hardly ever use Reason as a "DAW" and never really thought of it that way. I have used the built in sequencer for throwing together ideas or what not but mainly I use it as a giant sound module. Rewired to a proper DAW it's very useful in that capacity. Someone had remarked previously about not being able to modify waveforms, etc... With rewire all that is totally possible - just connect it with a proper daw and you have endless possibilities to play around. The vst support that was stuffed into Reason always seemed like an after thought to appease the hordes who were clamoring for it for years.

I never really found sensible cause for the removal of ReWire and not certain who was the one who initiated the dropping of rewire from supporting apps and reason itself. If I have to make a guess it was probably the propheads who were responsible for the entire thing just because they were notorious for doing stupid shit like that on a regular basis.

 

I used to use the Rewire also in Cubase but appreciate Reason Rack for the instruments, effects, utilities and players etc. we can still use today

 

Reason Studios Reason v12.5.3

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2026

Pretty annoying that they stopped right before they fixed a bug with REX files in the v.12.7

 

I forever hold a grudge against Reason. I bought an upgrade to 12 i think it was, and the Reason Rack Plugin was working just fine in my M1 MB Pro, as an AU. A few months later I bought Mac Studio M1 Ultra, and guess what, the AU wouldn't show. They wanted me to pay again to upgrade to 13, that was the only way to use the rack plugin under Silicon, even tho I had just been using the rack plugin under Silicon. I know that the AU on my MB was running under Rosetta, but it should have still been running under Rosetta. They had to have made that conscious decision to remove Rosetta support, which for the most part, that is the only software ive had this issue with. A couple years later Im still able to run countless older AU's or plugins I have not updated as AU via MacOS automatic conversion.

The entire reason I updated to 12 to begin with was because I bought a rack extension ($100) that I wanted to use within Ableton, otherwise, I was perfectly content running the standalone version. So not only did i buy the extension, but I paid for the update, and then 3 months later they expected me to pay the full upgrade cost again.

 

Considering how incredibly uncooperative they were and the lack of support to inform you of any potential issues, not forgetting a total lack of understanding a justifiable reason to grant either a heavily discounted upgrade or free upgrade, and then expecting you to pay three times over, I believe overall you are being quite calm. That may be one of the worst experiences I have heard.

 

@shinyzen in this situation, it is BOTH Apple and Props fault.
Each one pushing THEIR agenda without any consideration for their clients.

Apple killing softwares with their silicon AND Props didn't updated their software for compatibility.

Remember how many time Apple changed their architecture ...
Motorola 68k PowerPC Intel x86 Apple Silicon

It is an a**holes battle. And we are in the middle.

 

I see Thomann are doing Reason 13 for £122, which will get a free update to 14 in May. I bought the £61 upgrade for my old v11. Pretty good deal I think.