Fruity Loops vs Reason 3.0 - Which is better? Here it is!

  • warzone round 1 voting begins in...

504MusicMan

Member
ill o.g.
I would just like to state for the record , that i put together this thread to only be a GUIDE of some sort to answer an age old question in today's music production era.

The bottom line is , it depends what your more comfortable with and what works best for u.

This thread is towards the NOVICE and not the $1,000,000 per track music producer.

Note: Some of the information in this thread was pull off Propellerhead & Fruityloops website to give Newbies a general idea comparion of the 2 products side by side.

Please visit these manfuc. to purchase there products!

* Hopefully , everyone can put in there 2 cents and finally kill the debate in one thread!


http://www.dirtysouthbeatz.com
#1 Hip Hop and R&B Music Production Community Online!

FRUITY LOOPS PRODUCT SPECS VS. REASON = Part 1

The Question has been ask again / again / again.

Which is better Reason or Fruity Loops?

Well it depends on,

What type of Music your doing?

What’s your Work Flow like when creating music?

What type of compatibility your looking for with other software / plugins on the market?

Hopefully after reviewing the product specs of both you will become a little familiar with what they both have to offer.

We will have a Part 2 to this article that will give u real life differences in Hip Hop & R&B Music Production between the 2 posted on our site in the near future.


Be looking out 4 it!


What is FL Studio?
FL Studio is a full-featured sequencer perfectly suited for creation of complex songs and realistic drum loops, with 32 bit internal mixing and advanced MIDI support.

The resulting song or loop can be exported to a WAV/MP3 file and all MIDI events can be exported to a standard MIDI file.
FL Studio is a pattern based sequencer, which means you create your songs in pieces (patterns) using the Step Sequencer and the Piano Roll view and then weld those pieces together using the Playlist window (the

Playlist also supports full-featured audio tracks with hardrrive streaming). Then you can add a wide range of effects to your instruments (reverb, phaser, flanger etc.) and route the resulting mixer tracks in any way you like to create complex mixing chains with ease.

Fruity Loops Main Features:
• Internal 32 bit floating point mixing, up to 96kHz stereo.
• Supports DirectSound and ASIO enabled sound cards for audio output.
• Ability to function as a VSTi, DXi and a ReWire client.
• Ability to host ReWire clients itself.
• Realtime linear interpolation & sophisticated interpolation algorithms at rendering time.
• Open architecture allowing third-party instruments (enhanced proprietary FL instruments standard, VSTi and DXi2) and effects (enhanced proprietary FL effects standard, VST, VST2 and DirectX).
• A full set of high-precision mastering and special effects filters: reverb, compressor, procedural equalizer, distortion, phaser, flanger, bass boost, delay line and other.
• Advanced sequencing methods allowing quick entering of realistic drum loops (step sequencing grid) and composing complex instrumentals (advanced piano roll, arpeggiator, keyboard tracking, real-time gate).
• Unique note properties morphing ability (pitch, cutoff, resonance, panning).
• Advanced mixer: 68 mixer tracks (64 insert and 4 send tracks) supporting up to 8 filters each; mixer tracks rerouting for creating of complex mixer chains; track recording with ASIO input support (for recording MIDI, vocals etc.); integrated procedural equalizer, volume and panning for each mixer track.
• Integrated instruments: Sampler, TS404 (the popular bassline engine), 3xOSC (subsynth), Plucked! (plucked strings), MIDI Out, DX10 (FM synth), Scratcher (turntable emulator), WaveTraveller (wave bend synth), Wasp (demo), SimSynth Live (demo), and more.
• Advanced playlist & full-featured audio tracks.
• Live recording of control movements & integrated automation events editor.
• Easy MIDI remote controlling of most parameters (VST plugins supported as well).
• Procedural control over parameters by using special controller plugins.
• Click removal & volume ramping to avoid pops.
• Imports *.WAV, *.SYN (SimSynth 1 & 2), *.DS (DrumSynth) files, with effects applied.
• Imports MIDI sequences and controller events.
• Exports audio to 16Bit or 32Bit *.WAV file, *.MP3.
• Can export MIDI notes & controller events to a standard MIDI file.


PRODUCT OVERVIEW: REASON 3.0
Propellerhead Reason 3.0 gives you one-step loading of complex, customizable instruments and effect setups, a new instrument-packed soundbank, instant integration with MIDI keyboards and controllers, a new intuitive file browser, plus a suite of mastering tools. For a pleasurable, performance-friendly Reason experience.

It's not an effect unit. It's not a synth. It sure isn't a sampler. It's... all of it. And more. The all new Combinator is a sophisticated device that allows you to build elaborate chains of Reason units - instruments, effects, pattern sequencers, you name it - and save as Combi patches.


Want big, tight, loud sounding tracks? Need extra stereo width, increased clarity, punchier bass? Say hello to MClass, the new mastering suite in Propellerheads Reason 3. MClass brings you four separate pro level mastering units designed to add power, presence and an overall professional feel to your Reason mixes.

As a Reason user, you can forget about the downsides of music production. Forget malfunctioning modules and confusing connections. Reason's cables don't tangle. Forget about steep learning curves and menus within menus. Reason is so direct you'll learn it in minutes. And forget the tedious process of gathering all the different disks and soundbanks needed to load up a song.

And so is the sound. The audio quality is everything you would expect from the people behind ReCycle and ReBirth. But pristine sound quality is only half the story; the instruments and effects in Reason are loaded with character and attitude. Reason will not just impress, but inspire you.

FEATURES/SPECS:

New in Reason 3.0

• Propellerhead Reason The Combinator

It's not an effect unit. It's not a synth. It sure isn't a sampler. It's... all of it. And more. The all new Combinator is a sophisticated device that allows you to build elaborate chains of Reason units - instruments, effects, pattern sequencers, you name it - and save as Combi patches.

• Propellerhead Reason 3.0 MClass Mastering Suite

Want big, tight, loud sounding tracks? Need extra stereo width, increased clarity, punchier bass? Say hello to MClass, the new mastering suite in Reason 3.0. MClass brings you four separate pro level mastering units designed to add power, presence and an overall professional feel to your Reason mixes.

• Propellerhead Reason 3.0 Remote

For those of you with a more hands-on approach to making music, the revolutionary Remote technology in Reason 3.0 will be a welcome new feature. Reason now easily controls motorized faders and control surface displays. And then some. This is true hardware integration! Remote gives Reason smooth, seamless, out-of-the-box communication with external MIDI controllers and hardware control surfaces, giving you plenty of scope for real-time tweaking of Reason's functions and features - on stage or in the studio. Because Reason 3.0 comes prepared for a majority of the controllers on the market, all you have to do is hook up your hardware and fire up Reason - no tedious configuration required. Reason 3.0 comes with complete Remote mappings for each of the supported controllers. The preset Remote mappings link your controller's knobs, buttons and faders to the parameters within Reason's devices, giving you instant, tactile control over any function in any Reason unit. Support for multiple control surfaces lets you dedicate one control surface and its faders to Reason's mixer, while using your master keyboard for playing and controlling other Reason devices.

• Reason 3.0 Browser

To allow you to access and organize the contents of your sound bank in the quickest, most natural way possible, Reason 3.0 features all new browser functions; you can now free-text search the entire library, preview-play sounds directly from the browser, and increase your efficiency in general. With the Reason 3.0 browser, the task of finding and loading sounds and patches becomes just as smooth and intuitive as the process of making good music in Reason.

• Propellerhead Reason 3.0 Soundbank

Reason's sound palette is getting bigger, better, wider and wilder. The new sound bank in Reason 3.0 adds huge quantities of instruments, sounds and patches to Reason's already massive library. Focusing on carefully sampled musical instruments and useful Combinator setups rather than loops and beats, the new soundbank takes a more playable, more performance- friendly direction. Load up any of the multisampled guitars, bass guitars, flutes, mellotrons, strings or melodicas and play away. Or try the mass of patches developed for Reason's new Combinator: load up complete instruments running through chains of effects in one single click, or get into some heavy-duty post-processing with the Combi FX patches. And then there's the pattern based patches, the weirded out Glitch category, the chromatic percussion section, a brass section... we could go on and on here.

• Propellerhead Reason Line Mixer 6:2

Line Mixer 6:2 is a simple but effective 6-channel stereo line mixer. Built primarily for use in the Combinator, the Line Mixer 6:2 handles basic mixing and panning of Combi devices, but can of course be inserted anywhere in Reason: use it for submixing large drum kits, or to add extra mixer channels when Reason's main mixer is starting to fill up. Each of the six channels feature level and pan controls, mute and solo buttons plus an AUX send level control. Need more sends? Extra channels? Just create another Line Mixer.

• Propellerhead Reason 3.0 More Features

Record automation on multiple tracks;

Copy automation between lanes and tracks in the sequencer;

New and improved Mute and Solo features in sequencer;

Faster loading of samples. Sample playing devices now load five times faster;

Improved sample playback timing and quality.


Close-up on Reason
• Propellerhead Reason NN-XT

When Reason 2.0 arrived, it had a new sampler screwed into the rack. We call it the NN-XT. This is a highly advanced sampler with an impressive list of features and functions squeezed into it. Where the NN-19 is a “fast-track” sampler, this machine is for more demanding sampling tasks. The NN-XT is bursting with detailed programming options, but comes with an intuitive user interface, making it the perfect tool for both sound design and life-like instrument emulation. Just load up one of the included orchestral library patches, and you'll know what we're talking about.

• Propellerhead Reason Malstrom

Malström, now an integrated part of Reason, creates its otherworldly sounds using Graintable technology. Never heard of it? Neither had we, we had to invent it. This technology is a cross between granular synthesis and good old wavetable synthesis. And the result? You’ll just have to hear it to believe it. The Malström Graintable synthesizer features all imaginable filtering and modulation options, and a couple of unimaginable ones too; Try some real-time waveform stretching, some spectral modulation, or some awesome wavetable sweeping.

• Propellerhead Reason Subtractor

Subtractor is an analog type polyphonic synthesizer based on subtractive synthesis, the method used in analog synthesizers. This close-up will show you the details of Reason and tell you about some of the goodies in it.

• Propellerhead Reason Redrum

Redrum is a drum machine with a built in pattern sequencer. It has ten channels that plays samples loaded by the user or sounds from a preset drum kit. In addition to the pattern sequencer, Redrum can also be played from Reason's main sequencer or via MIDI. By combining the pattern sequencer and the main sequencer you can easily create fills and variations to the patterns without having to create new patterns for every variation

• Propellerhead Reason Dr. Rex

The Dr-Rex Loop Player is a truly unique machine and will probably be one of the favorites in the Reason rack. It plays loops treated by Propellerhead Software's ReCycle and it's design enables some truly new and innovative ways to use ReCycled loops..

• Propellerhead Reason NN-19

Since the first digital samplers started to appear during the early 80’s, samplers have evolved from primarily being used to reproduce existing instruments to becoming instruments in their own rights. In fact, the sampler has been one of the main influences on modern music during the 90’s and producers have used them for such diverse tasks as spinning in vocals, create drum grooves, play music loops, emulate acoustic instruments, create unique sounds, remix and….. Well the list goes on and on.

• Propellerheads Reason Matrix

The Matrix is an analog style sequencer with a maximum of 32 steps per pattern and is really the part of Reason to use for ReBirth style sequences. Just like ReDrum, Matrix has 32 patterns and each can be freely sized regardless of what time signature has been chosen in the sequencer. So for instance a simple 5 step pattern played back as 16th notes in a 4/4 song would only repeat itself at the original starting position every 5th bar. (No, we didn't use a calculator to work this out, keep reading and the answer will come later).

• Propellerhead Reason Spider Audio & Spider CV

No knobs, no buttons and no display. Spider Audio may not be much to look at, but if you're a seasoned Reason producer, it might be just the thing you've been searching for. The Spider Audio utility has two purposes in life: to merge and to split audio. All this splitting and merging brings more of the hardware studio's patching capabilities into the software realm. Try merging multiple audio signals and process them with the same insert effect, as in sending three of Redrum's toms to the same compressor. Or try splitting an instrument's output into four, and send them to four different effect processors.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
• Propellerhead Reason 3.0 System Requirements

PC: Intel Pentium 2 or better, 233 MHz or faster, 64 Megabytes of RAM, CD-ROM drive, Windows 98, ME, 2000 or XP (or later,) 256 color monitor (or better), 800x600 or larger, A 16 bit Windows compatible audio card, preferably with an ASIO or DirectX driver, Microsoft DirectX (if supported by the card), A MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard (or similar);

Mac: For Mac OS X: Any computer that runs Mac OS X version 10.1 or later, For Mac OS 9: A Power Macintosh with 604, 604e, G3 or G4 processor or better, 166 MHz or faster, 128 Megabytes of RAM + Mac OS 9.0 or later, CD-ROM drive, 256 color monitor (or better), 800x600 or larger, A MIDI interface and a MIDI keyboard (or similar).

Hopefully this 1st part of a break down on the basic specs on these softwwre give u an idea of what each can really do!

Be looking for the 2nd part to this article on our website.
We will get into the practical differences between the 2.

One

http://www.dirtysouthbeatz.com
_________________
http://www.dirtysouthbeatz.com

FAQ's , Ebooks, Manuals, Drum Kitz, Samples, and HOT CHICKS all in one site!

http://www.soundclick.com/platinuminc
Over Quarter Million Hitz!!!


Here is Part 2 - (Practical Differences , N Real Life Hip Hop & R&B Production)

1. I if u would like to use VST Plugins you can not do so with Reason 3.0 because its not supported (at the moment)

2. Reason, has synthesis technology that allows one to "shape" sounds into whatever the producer wants the sounds to be like.

3. Fruity Loops does not have all the built in Hardware Racks and the flexibility to Route / Re-Route Devices to on another or even combine multiple devices.

4. If you creating "Techno / Dance" music Fruity Loops pre-package sounds will suffice. FRUITY LOOPS don't come with no patches for
"REAL"urban Hip Hop producers & R&B.

5. Reason 3.0 has a set of sounds that ship with the product that make it easy for u to open the box and start producing Hip Hop & R&B music immediately. Sounds such as there HyperBottom Bass is infamous in Hip Hop tracks today idiot.

6. Reason 3.0 has Samplers that do so much , i can't even explain it all in this 1 thread and the game is to be sold & not told

7. Reason 3.0 has a "Browser" feature that allows one to quickly access there samples / preview the files before loading in Devices (Samplers)

8. Fruity Loops has **** sounds it ships with but you can add your own custom sounds.

And you can render in MP3 FORMAT. REASON DOES NOT SUPPORT MP3 Format.

9. Quantization in Reason 3.0 Functions a whole lot easier then in Fruity Loops.

10 I not going to even break it down any further right now, i'm tired. lol


P.S. The Product Specs were posted in this thread so people could follow what i was going to kick to them.


One
_________________
http://www.dirtysouthbeatz.com

FAQ's , Ebooks, Manuals, Drum Kitz, Samples, and HOT CHICKS all in one site!

http://www.soundclick.com/platinuminc
Over Quarter Million Hitz!!!

This thread should be for the NOVICE!

PART 3 - (sorry that i digress)

Okay the Question is

Do I need a Keyboard to use with these Music Software Programs?

Not neccesarily!

You could use the computer keyboard.

But, "It is a lot more elegant to use a hammer to drive in a nail
than the flat side of a wrench.

Just because it can be done,
doesn't mean it should be."

(Quote Resource Sound On Sound Magazine, May 2005 Issue, lol)

Basically, you want to look at coppin a "Midi Controller" to play/control the Instrument Sounds

And look at getting possibly the AKAI "MPD16" or M Audio "Trigger Finger" to program yo drumz

(I am a AKAI fan working with a MPC 2000XL n all, but i must admit the M AUDIO "Trigger Finger" is way hotter! Do a google for the product promotional video on M-Audio website)

Ya , dig, look up more on those products at http://www.zzsounds.com to get idea how much it would run to get this setup (Don't buy everything from here , just get an idea what the prices are, do YO Homework, shop around)

(I don't have time to post prices, although i normally would)

One

PLEASE VISIT: http://www.propellerhead.se or http://www.fruityloops.com to Purchase There Products are For Sales Information!
_________________
http://www.dirtysouthbeatz.com

FAQ's , Ebooks, Manuals, Drum Kitz, Samples, and HOT CHICKS all in one site!

http://www.soundclick.com/platinuminc
 

CampO

BEAT u DOWN
ill o.g.
Wow Great Article I my Self am a Reason User and Just Never felt Comfortable with Working with Fruity Loops

The Reason I think FL is more Popular then Reason with all The people that Jumped on the Hiphop Producer Bandwagon is because . Most these Kids Went On ***** and Seen Fruity Loops a 25 MEgabyte Download and then Looked at Reason a 1.7 GigaByte Download and Were lazy and Did it the fast way

WIth that Said I dont Think theres anything wrong with it Especially when Nuff people are Making Hott Bangin Shit with F.L

I just think If more people took the Time waited a Few days or however long it took for that 1.7 Gigabyte Download then alot more Catz would be Using Reason then F.L

Especially if you got a Keyboard as Soon As you Sit Down With Reason You Could Come up with Some Descent Shit But with FL you would have To go Get a Bunch of Vst's or Tweak The Sounds alot which as a Beginner you probably wouldint no how to do anyways
 

Fury

W.W.F.D
ill o.g.
I say reason...i dont have much experiance with fruity loops but i have messed wit it but i like the setup on reason and the way everything goes....
 

504MusicMan

Member
ill o.g.
Campo, your right!

Illegal downloaded versions of Fruity Loops definetly contributed to its popularity!

Me myself, I am a Reason 3.0 user (Started with Reason 2.5)

I just prefer the sound bank and synthesis features of Reason.

I can make my music sound Exactly the way i want it.

* I'm waiting for that "9th Wonder" type of Fruity Loops producer
to Post us a real breakdown on the in / outs of Fruity.

I'm curious what they have to say.
 

kojo

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
well FL has more potential and flexibility, but it takes a larger investment. with reason you cant use external sound sources like a motif rack but you can with FL. Reason has better preset sounds HANDS DOWN, but with FL you have the ability to use VSTs such as battery, gigasampler, and atmosphere to name a few. that and the piano roll in FL is better. i use both and i do basically the same great music with either of em. i see FL more as a DAW than reason tho, i think Reason is best used as an instrument within something like cubase.
 

Greg Savage

Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
I love when people throw that.. But FL USES VST"S Shit u Pay $99.00 (atleast) if u paying for FL then another 100-400 on Each vst that u get (because want more sounds)

Reason has Expanded sounds aswell there not called Vst's though there Refill banks.. most made By the same Sound Design companies that Supplied your Favorite Plugin with its Sounds for less


people that normally Disagree with that^^^ are Normally the ones that aint payin for the app to begin with.. I serious doubt your Noob that just started in this actualy bought his Sampletank his battery His mini moog Plug etc


*Edit. yes u can use battery,and other samplers but reason has its own Samplers and Drums Machines .. alot of those Extra Vst sounds u can get n refill Format
 

that kid

Keep Diggin'
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 2
good post-that kid i perfer fL cuz i don't know how to use reason its confusing to me but maybe cuz i'm a newbie....lol
 

504MusicMan

Member
ill o.g.
that kid said:
good post-that kid i perfer fL cuz i don't know how to use reason its confusing to me but maybe cuz i'm a newbie....lol

There are alot of Reason Tutorials or CD Rom online.

People like www.zzounds.com sell the Interactive CD Roms

they can be real insightful.
 

MGTheFuture

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
Well - Off gate reason can be appealing cuz the newbs are wowed by all the "Racks" it has. *shrug*

And YES VSts - are correct - VSTs out there crap all over Reason - Kontakt alone...with all of its East West Banks and such.

And you go...well thats extra investing ? How many of these guys "here" ACTUALLY buy any refills or vsts..so the argument is redundant. Stab a FL user - tell him he dont buy his VSTs, Stab Back a Reason User - You dont buy your Refills or MP3 COnverter.

All of thats lame.

At the end of the day its what you like to use and if you know how to use it..some guys give up on FL probally becuase its too easy - and alot of guys give on reason cuz they think its too hard.

There is no real limit to either except for the minds of the users.

Cuz you can do the SAME JOB - in either program.
 

Formant024

Digital Smokerings
ill o.g.
reason is a limited platform, unless you use rewire. FL covers all fronts.

I shit on them quality bitchin noobs; FL rocks the dopest rendering engine with dope rendering options [reason still doesnt extract indvidual tracks for example
 

ghostmusic

Member
ill o.g.
Firts off, you can use either to make dope beats. You just spend the time and learn the ins and out of either program. For me I like the set up and flexability of Reason. For me it's just a much better program. But you know Four Tet made his first album with freeware, so in the end it's just a program.
 
ill o.g.
Yup I prefer Reason,just personal preference.Use what ever works best for you.

Reasons still shits on FL tho,lol j/k kinda...
 
D

dj C boss

Guest
ive used both, and reasons my choice

FL is too...well fruity if you know what i mean
reason is a bit more straight forward with a feel along the lines of all the other good producing progs like cubase and cakewalk fruity is to isolated to use for my taste
 

trinidad

The Last B-Boy
ill o.g.
Battle Points: 5
FL vs. Reason

I think the whole debat lies on whether or not ur trying to be Pete Rock or Scott Storch feel me. Ive been usinf FL since '99 and i personally prefer it, i actually like it more than my MPC 2000xl, The slicer is personally the illest tool in FL, The key in FL is to make everything sound as if u were using an MPC low filters and layering is , My stuff sound like pete rock or premier, so i guess for that sound Fl rules , the VST's are cool i have banged out a few like that but it think FL works best with samples, also sice i use Pro Tools i love that i can bring the wavs in sperate files as opposed to using Reason as an instrument in the PT.
Reason on the other hand is cool too but to just get started u need to learn befor u even can drop any thing, Reason give i think is better for ppl who dont sample n jus make everything from scratch, but to sample i dont like it too much, plus Redrum is kinda corney. every thing else in reason is iight the interface is a bit difficult at first.
But to wrap it up I think it all depends on what kinda music ur making.

bUT fL 5 IS hOTTTTTTT BELIEVE ME!
 

Kevin A

Differentiated Rebel
ill o.g.
I get tired of always having to tell someone how dope FLstudio is, or hearing negative comments by someone who attempted to use FL only for a season. If your tracks stink in FLstudio you can bet they stink in Reason. Time after time a few wise people have visited these types of threads to tell you that it's not the software, it's the person behind them. I often forget why this keeps coming up because both programs can be rewired to each other. The fact of the matter is that if you are going to make music, your gonna have to know something about it, and how much you know about it combined with talent will determine the quality of the production. When it comes to buying a music software to make good music on, the question is, How much do you what to pay for a piano roll and a playlist, then you can start looking at your other features. Because making good music is as simple as having a good piano roll, and playlist arranger.
 

ron herman

ILLIEN
ill o.g.
7. Reason 3.0 has a "Browser" feature that allows one to quickly access there samples /

fl has the same thing. one of the reasons I switch from hardware to fl.
 
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