How to Install Propellerhead Reason 7 on Windows 8 64-bit
Propellerhead Reason 7 is a powerful music production software that lets you create, record, mix and master your own songs. It comes with a huge collection of instruments, effects and sounds that you can use to unleash your creativity. If you have a Windows 8 64-bit computer, you can install Reason 7 by following these steps:
- Download the Reason 7.0.1 update for Windows from this page. This is a zip file that contains the installer and a complete fix list.
- Extract all files from the downloaded zip archive.
- Double click the “Install Reason.exe” installer and follow the instructions on the screen.
- If you have personal files, such as ReFills, song files and patches in your previous Reason application folder, move them to another location before installing the update, or they will be lost.
- If you don’t have the Reason 7 Factory Sound Bank and the Orkester Sound Bank on your computer, you need to install them again. You can either copy them from your Reason 7 DVD or download the full Reason 7.0.1 package including sound banks from this page.
- Put your Reason Sound Banks in the Reason application folder.
- If you have a Codemeter dongle, you need to install the Codemeter driver for Windows 8. You can download it from this page. Select the 32-bit or 64-bit version depending on your Windows version and run the downloaded .exe file.
- Launch Reason 7 and enjoy making music!
If you need more help with installing Reason 7 on Windows 8 64-bit, you can watch this video tutorial: Installing Reason 7 on Windows 8 64-bit.
What’s New in Reason 7?
Reason 7 is not just a minor update, but a major upgrade that adds many new features and improvements to the music production software. Here are some of the highlights:
- MIDI Out: You can now use Reason 7 to control your external MIDI instruments and devices, such as synthesizers, drum machines and samplers. Just add an External MIDI Instrument device to your rack and connect it to your MIDI interface. You can then record and edit MIDI notes in the sequencer, automate parameters, and even use CV signals from other rack devices to modulate your MIDI gear.
- Audio Slicing and Quantizing: You can now easily edit the timing and groove of your audio recordings in Reason 7. Just select an audio clip and choose “Slice Edit Mode” from the tool window. Reason 7 will automatically slice your audio into individual notes or hits, which you can then move, delete, copy, paste, quantize, or apply effects to. You can also convert your sliced audio into REX loops and use them in Dr. Octo Rex or Kong.
- Channel EQ: Reason 7 introduces a new graphical front end for the channel EQ in the mixer. You can now see the frequency spectrum of your audio and adjust the EQ curves with your mouse. You can also switch between different EQ types, such as parametric, shelving, high-pass and low-pass filters.
- Mixer Enhancements: Reason 7 makes mixing easier and more flexible with several new features. You can now create group channels and parallel channels in the mixer, which let you process multiple channels together or apply effects in parallel. You can also access level and pan controls for each channel in the rack, which is useful for quick adjustments or automation. Additionally, Reason 7 comes with a new spectrum analyzer that shows you the frequency distribution of your audio across the mixer.
- Audiomatic Retro Transformer: Reason 7 adds a new effect rack device that lets you transform your sound with different retro-inspired presets. The Audiomatic Retro Transformer can make your audio sound like it was recorded on vinyl, cassette, radio, VHS, phone, or even a video game console. You can also tweak the parameters of each preset to fine-tune the effect.
- Expanded Sound Bank and Audio Import Formats: Reason 7 comes with a bigger and better sound bank that includes tons of new loops and drum kits for various genres and styles. You can also import audio files from more formats than before, such as mp3, aac, wma, flac and more. This makes it easier to use samples from your music library or the web in your Reason projects.
These are just some of the new features and improvements in Reason 7. To learn more about Reason 7 and see it in action, you can watch this video tutorial: Installing Reason 7 on Windows 8 64-bit.