I know some of you probably will get mad to see this thread, but I'm still on the debating on which one I want to buy being a starter for producing. After I realized that there was FL 9 out I been really debating on that and Reason 4. I just can't decide if the extra 200 bux for reason 4 is worth it. I'm wanting to create hip hop beats but later on record as well. Again I apologize, but I haven't seen a whole lot of comparisons between the two, that's why I didn't name it FL 9 Vs Reason 4.
FL 9 compared to Reason 4
- Thread starter CousinBo
- Start date
I'm still a greenhorn when it comes to producing, but I've got my setup finalized and for the most part I'm pretty happy about it. To spare the gory details, my main software apps right now are FL Studio 9, Reason 4, Massive, and Kontakt 3. I started learning how to do all this stuff in Reason 4, but then realized I wanted more instruments than what Reason had to offer. I was about to get FL Studio 8, but 2 days later FL Studio 9 was set to be released so I went with that.
As far as I can tell, the extra 200-300 bucks for Reason 4 will allow you to use the instruments that Reason 4 has to offer rewired into FL Studio 9. I mainly use Reason 4 for Redrum and Dr. Rex into FL Studio.
From what I've heard you can eventually move on from that setup and completely use FL studio 9 depending on what you choose to replace Reason 4's instruments with.
Again, I'm still new to all this but thats my understanding. But I've been enjoying using Reason 4 and FL Studio 9. Still getting used to the workflow in FL Studio 9 but its pretty cool.
As far as I can tell, the extra 200-300 bucks for Reason 4 will allow you to use the instruments that Reason 4 has to offer rewired into FL Studio 9. I mainly use Reason 4 for Redrum and Dr. Rex into FL Studio.
From what I've heard you can eventually move on from that setup and completely use FL studio 9 depending on what you choose to replace Reason 4's instruments with.
Again, I'm still new to all this but thats my understanding. But I've been enjoying using Reason 4 and FL Studio 9. Still getting used to the workflow in FL Studio 9 but its pretty cool.
I wasn't saying that exactly. I was just laying out how I use Reason with FL Studio 9. Could I have saved and not bought Reason and just went for FL Stuidio 9? Absolutely. But in my situation, I had bought Reason, wanted more VST instruments, then had to find a DAW that supported those. So case in point, save your money unless you absolutely want some of the synths and samplers that come with Reason 4.
Ito Da Superman
Dre's Beat Maker
Using Redrum over FL's HIGHLY PRAISED step sequencer?.... MAN lol... but I started making beats back in 04 on FL, it was alright but I was always under the impression that it was just a little drum machine PRODUCER's TOY if you will.... so I moved up to Cubase so I wouldn't lose all my versatile VSTs because only the fact that I could not use vsts on Reason is what kept me from getting it but I switched to Reason cuz out of all the instruments I had I only used like 10% of them, so the number of synths should not be the motive to get FL, because reason offers refills for just about any sound you need and I learned that its not the sound that matters because you can have the whole damn New York symphony but it wont mean **** unless you know how to work it, a highly skilled producer with 2 instruments beats a crappy producer with the biggest and most expensive setup in the world, and a crappy one with 2 instruments is no better or more worse than a crappy one with 100s of instruments... it all boils down to skill.
word.
word.
Ito Da Superman
Dre's Beat Maker
I rambled on back there, sorry LOL but what i'm saying is get REASON, you'll be more than satisfied, the bread and butter sounds on it are gold.
D
DBawls
Guest
a little long winded...but i agree...you can have the biggest and best sound library there is but if you dont have any skill it does nothing for you...i personally favor FL...because of its adaptability...its seems as if you can custom build the program to your liking...there are many ways to do music on it and that rewire thing is awesome...i think the stock sounds suck (in Reason and in FL)...but Reason will start you off with more sounds than FL...but FL is much more in depth when processing sounds...reasons FX devices kinda suck...so if you want to compare the two...that would be something to take note of...the fact that FL has such good VST support gives Reason a swift kick in the pants but reasons stock sound library has more natural banks and sounds than FL (better strings, horns, orchestral etc.)...and reason is a good live tool...FL i think is better for down south producers and dance producers...the way that you are able to process sound in FL the muscle of the program...if reason had all that built in....i think FL users would switch in a heartbeat...of subject...but i wish they would switch up FLs GUI
Sometimes when I write things in Reason I'll use Redrum and just bounce the pattern over into FL Studio. That being said I definitely like using the FL Studio step sequencer. Much easier to deal with and easier in general.
Like I said I'm stilll a noob when it comes producing but I'm picking stuff up everyday lol!
beats are us
New member
the thing is that most (well i hope most do) play there drums via keys/pads.. so a step sequencer would be useless..
i love the redrum.. there is nothing that i have found that would let me preview, and PLAY that sound in preview mode as my entire track is playing.. it makes a HUGE difference for me and is the biggest reason i haven't left Reason yet.. redrum plus the nn-xt..
fl studio help me started out and get the concept of producing in the whole 9, but without 3rd party plug ins i would say
reason 4 is kinda more complex but yet helps you "mature" more as a producer as far as sound designing,, realtime seqenceing. plus it comes with ight sounds.
i switch from FL> to reason to try and master something new. after this im moving stright to daw for producing plottin on cubase 5!
reason 4 is kinda more complex but yet helps you "mature" more as a producer as far as sound designing,, realtime seqenceing. plus it comes with ight sounds.
i switch from FL> to reason to try and master something new. after this im moving stright to daw for producing plottin on cubase 5!
Level Seven
New member
(r)
98% of beats makers going to tell you Fl all the way.. Ask the million dollar producer/ music makers that you hear on the radio and comercials singles grammy's live award shows composer you name it. And only 1 will tell you Fl....
98% of beats makers going to tell you Fl all the way.. Ask the million dollar producer/ music makers that you hear on the radio and comercials singles grammy's live award shows composer you name it. And only 1 will tell you Fl....
I think Reason is more powerful from every angle personally.
From a CPU resource point of view.. I find it much easier on your computer if you can create most of your production in Reason. It has great mastering tools once you learn how to use them... and you can do almost ANYthing in Reason. My only gripe is I haven't been able to find a good Brass Refill anywhere. But it's great b/c you can just pop in 3-4 NN-XTs and have a full sounding arrangement, without needing to navigate 3-4 CPU hungry VSTs. Also I find the midi sequencer is much easier to use than FL and DAWs.
Personally I use Reason and rewire it to a DAW. I do most of the beat in Reason, and outsource some of the sounds to VSTs if they can do a job than my Reason instrument can. For example, I use RealStrat and Real Guitar b/c you can do sooooo much more w/ guitars (strumming, power chords, octaves, etc). Sounds more like the real thing than any Reason guitar b/c of how you can play it (not the actual sound). Sure you can strum in Reason... but you have to play it on the piano as such to get that feel... too much work.
To answer your question, it's a matter of your taste. They can do the same things... just in different ways really.
If it were an earlier version of FL i'd tell you that it's only good for drums and nothing else, Reason is better hands down.... but that's not the case anymore. They are both excellent programs. The only thing is noticed is that people who want to be "musical" usually gravitate to Reason, and people who are sample based, grimey hip-hop seem to gravitate to FL. I personally am Hip-Hop, but i'm a more "musical" hip-hop, so i love reason. But i only have FL b/c you can really do some cool stuff w/ drums, and quickly too.
From a CPU resource point of view.. I find it much easier on your computer if you can create most of your production in Reason. It has great mastering tools once you learn how to use them... and you can do almost ANYthing in Reason. My only gripe is I haven't been able to find a good Brass Refill anywhere. But it's great b/c you can just pop in 3-4 NN-XTs and have a full sounding arrangement, without needing to navigate 3-4 CPU hungry VSTs. Also I find the midi sequencer is much easier to use than FL and DAWs.
Personally I use Reason and rewire it to a DAW. I do most of the beat in Reason, and outsource some of the sounds to VSTs if they can do a job than my Reason instrument can. For example, I use RealStrat and Real Guitar b/c you can do sooooo much more w/ guitars (strumming, power chords, octaves, etc). Sounds more like the real thing than any Reason guitar b/c of how you can play it (not the actual sound). Sure you can strum in Reason... but you have to play it on the piano as such to get that feel... too much work.
To answer your question, it's a matter of your taste. They can do the same things... just in different ways really.
If it were an earlier version of FL i'd tell you that it's only good for drums and nothing else, Reason is better hands down.... but that's not the case anymore. They are both excellent programs. The only thing is noticed is that people who want to be "musical" usually gravitate to Reason, and people who are sample based, grimey hip-hop seem to gravitate to FL. I personally am Hip-Hop, but i'm a more "musical" hip-hop, so i love reason. But i only have FL b/c you can really do some cool stuff w/ drums, and quickly too.
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Level Seven
New member
Reason forces you to be musical, Its built around a Midi controller without that you pretty much stuck. FL is for young cats whos tryna make Beats not Music. I like the sound in FL thats why i snag some. I like dif sound period. Reason will teach you how to layer, how to use a realistic drum machine, sampler, teach how to route, come up with your own sound and ideahs. Basicly it will teach you how to work a million dollar studio and equipment.
meer power
FPC is for DRUMS
get the demo of both, see how you like them. FL has a very nice sequencer and works with audio way better than reason. reason doesn't have a silly name and will make you use your midi controller more.
florida_power
New member
Use Fl. Use vsts and tight drums. Do most everything on keys or pads live. O ya and do almost everything live. You'll be tight. U can learn othere daws too
youngregin
New member
Actually, this is swiftly and surely becoming not true. There are plenty of people that are really going the Reason route these days. I say you can't lose with FL or Reason, because they're both fully expandable. With companies like Sonic Reality, who makes TONS of Refills for Reason, and third party folks like Native Instruments (for FL users), the possibilities are endless. Concentrate on your beatmaking, arranging and mixing skills, and no one's gonna care what you're using.
say it terror
New member
exactly. to somebody starting out now it would be almost retarded to go the hardware route.
Level Seven
New member
Not really the music you hear on radio, tv, cd's comercials, are produced by the producers that started off with hardware. Thats all the producer now days and back then started off with. I didn't, I dont use hardware i use Reason +Record but now i know how to use hardware cause of the program. they are not teaching Reason in college to studio engineers and music producer for nothing. If you use a program like FL you will learn how to make music and all, but only on that program. Thats okay if u just doing for fun. But if u wanna do it and be big make money, its not. some one hire you to produce they album and u pull out FL on you pc they going to be thats it?
Level Seven
New member
Why get a program that depends on 3rd party vst's. If you spend money on a program wouldnt you want it to have everything you need atleast 98% of it? Speaking of Refills almost every Refill uses Reason devices to make the same sound or better as people favorites Vst's. a program that powerfull is amazing uses its own devices to creat anything you want.