Download the demo of Reason, and learn synthesis by doing. The Subtractor synth in it is an analogue emulation that will give you the basic understanding of signal flow, and all that.
Another nice thing about Reason is that it's functionally the same as real world hardware, so you can learn about all that without spending a bunch of money.
The only thing you will need is a computer, midi controller and headphones, which can be had for cheap. There are loads of tutorials on youtube to get you started.
A VST host, better if it has some kind of auto mapping:
You can get Komplete Start for free, maybe there's a demo for analog lab.
An old thing that has some sound basic sounds is https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason , yet it was/is a daw
> how does it work, do I bind a key to an account?
https://help.propellerheads.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002212794-How-do-I-register-my-product-
> Will I be able to purchase the upgrade digitally as I think? (even if my copy is retail?)
Yes.
> Does the upgrade licenses include the Europa synth and all the other goodies?
https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason
Scroll down for a complete list of what's included. The Reason 11 new devices and features are listed separately elsewhere.
> Anything else I should be aware of?
From the site:
Reason 11 comes in three flavors: Reason Intro ($99), Reason ($399) and Reason Suite ($599). If you want it all, the brand new Reason Suite is a formidable collection of instruments, effects and other music making tools–more than 70 devices in total! It’s all of Reason’s instrument and effects and 16 extra Rack Extension plugins from Reason Studios in one unbelievable package at an unbeatable price.
Already a Reason user? You can upgrade straight to Reason Suite for just $249/€249 when Reason 11 is released.
There won't be a separate "VST only" version you can buy. Every version of Reason (Lite, Standard or Suite) gives you both the standalone and the option to run as VST in another DAW.
If you happen to have Audiomatic (I believe it used to be bundled with Reason 7 or 8), it could probably do the trick for you pretty easily.
You can download a demo for the legitimate version of Reason here and try it for a month.
​
https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason/tryreason
​
Don't think you will get much help for your pirated version.
Same!
Reason (https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason) already made huge step outside their concept of stability,easy to use ecosystem and they where forced to add VST support + Audio recording over the years.
That indeed made software more complicated but their implementation of these functions was flawless.
As for NI - well this will be huge overhaul of the engine and it will add allot complexity to the UI.
Both Reason and Maschine suppose to be simple and quick way of laying down an ideas... i am afraid that additional functionality might hinder those basic design principles.
*less tools you have at your disposal - more likely that you will actually record something (instead playing with buttons and knobs all day;))
> We [HKE and telepath] both use a program called Reason to work in, which makes working together quite easy as we both have a firm understanding of it and we just tend to approach music in similar ways too which helps a lot.
So maybe they rely on the internal VSTs in Reason? HKE does have a reputation in not answering questions overtly.
> I have been running 100% ubuntu system for years now.
Same, jumped straight from Windows 7.
The software I really miss is Propellerheads Reason. Linux DAWs really aren't anywhere near as good.
All the electronic music you listen to, like lofi, is made on a computer 99% of the time. This bit of kit is just a more hands on way of doing things. All you need to do is buy a midi keyboard and a DAW. I've been using Reason for about 10 years now and I've tried some other DAWs but none of them are as unique as Reason. You can download a free trial for it here https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason/tryreason Don't be put off by it. Looks hard to use but everything functions in the same way. Signal comes out of something and goes into something. That's the gist.
This track was made 100% in Reason. Vocal samples from splice. The main synth I used in that breakdown at 2:20 is Subtractor. Reason users will be super familiar with that one. I was trying to make it sound like an old SH-101.
​
Happy to answer any questions about the track. Let me know what you think.
This is stuff you can you while making music with Reason: https://www.propellerheads.com/en/reason .
Depending on the software it's possible to use then with other DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation) like Ableton for example.