(Part 2) Best products from r/reasoners

If you are a piano player, I recommend the Alesis Q88, a lightweight full-sized keyboard with a good action for both piano and synth parts. If your budget is for the keyboard and speakers and soundcard then this would be the list I recommend: Sound Card http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA202-Audio-Interface/dp/B000KW2YEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410636197&sr=8-2&keywords=behringer+usb+sound+card Monitors: http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MS16-Active-Personal-Monitor/dp/B00181T20O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410636254&sr=8-2&keywords=behringer+monitor+speakers Keyboard: http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Q49-49-Key-Keyboard-Controller/dp/B0038YX3BS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410636355&sr=8-1&keywords=49+key+keyboard
These are all units I have used and been very happy with.

Spend $50 on a dedicated USB audio interface and you will also get better sound to boot. If you can afford more, so much the better. But the audio ports in windows machines kind of suck for pro audio, best bet is a proper audio interface. (And yes I know suggesting a behringer here barely qualifies but it's still better than motherboard audio).

BEHRINGER XENYX 302USB https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EHILV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k2MAybCWB8GH4

I'm way late to the party, but akg k240s were the classics in most studios in the 70s (not the exact model, but their forbearers).

If you can make it sound good on k240s it will sound good on anything, with or without and amp, and they're $65.

Spend your money on a great soundcard and monitors, but spending a ton on headphones for production is kind of a waste.

I can't say. For people who have got it working after the same issue, they often bought something like this. Good luck, and God's speed.

Just make sure you have it going through a mixer with a pre-amp to bring the phono up to line level. Alternatively, something like this might be useful if you don't have anything else with a pre-amp.

DT 770 Pro (80 Ohms)

I've had these for quite some time now. Flat response and incredibly comfy. I wear them for hours at a time and without itch, pain, or bother.

As a plus, I've traveled internationally many, many times with them and I'll can attest, with 100% confidence, to how incredibly resilient they are.

Finally, they're surprisingly affordable. Hope this helps.

https://www.amazon.com/beyerdynamic-DT-770-Pro-ohm/dp/B0016MNAAI/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1468687946&sr=1-1&keywords=dt+770+pro+80

Never hurts to study some basic music theory, if only to learn how to communicate with other musicians.

Jazzology is a good book if you're interested.

Turns out it hasn't been updated in four years but here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1285866576 ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_pwNTzb9J4S62R

Even though it's for Reason 7, it's still good if you want to learn all about the included instruments and several intricacies of Reason.

... and it's $399 at AMS, Guitar Center, Sweetwater, The MIDI Store, Musician's Friend, B&H Photo Video, Full Compass, Front End Audio, and most other places as well.

Why didn't you just link the URL http://www.amazon.com/Propellerhead-Reason-Multitrack-Recording-Software/dp/B00CFK3MNU/ instead of one with a referral code?

for queuing when DJing, i need headphones that won't break when being put on & pulled off like a million times a night, and are loud enough. these have been GREAT and don't break!
for sound quality, i use these, but notice the wee little wires that you don't want breaking... they stay at home.

A few purchases I made recently after few days of researching and asking for recommendations.

Mike Stavrou - Mixing With Your Mind

Rick Snoman - Dance Music Manual, 3rd Edition

Bob Katz - Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science

Bobby Owsinski - The Mixing Engineers Handbook: 4th Edition


Edit: ...and I just checked out the ableton book recommended by /u/NeiloMac and now it's on its way.

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but some more options you may not have considered.

If you have a drum kit that you already drum on, you can buy midi triggers to attach to your drum heads that will send midi impulse responses to Reason in order to trigger drum sounds within Reason.


Personally, I've been practicing "finger drumming" a few times a day on a 16-pad midi controller.

Reason is $360. Are your bjs really 80 cents a pop? I think you should at least price match your local streetwalker and you just might spend less time on your knees.

http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Interface-Microphone-Preamplifiers/dp/B00AZLA9VY

I know you said you wanted cheap, but this one will let you hook up multiple effects and analog gear at the same time. I bought a sound card with less inputs/outputs, and quickly regretted it, and eventually broke down and bought the 18i20. Black Friday isn't too far away, and there will be lots of sales.

If you want to use your external compressor with sidechaining, and be able to hear anything at the same time, your audio interface will need at least 5 outputs (monitor L & R, mono sidechain, send L & R) and 2 inputs (return L & R). Keep in mind that lots of interfaces will say things like they have 18 inputs and 20 outputs, but only half of those might be 1/4" connectors.

If you must can use the mac's Audio MIDI Setup app to combine multiple audio interfaces into a single interface that Reason will talk to. So maybe you get a cheap interface with only a pair of outputs and inputs, and then use the onboard sound card to plug your monitors into.

Don't forget about latency, audio you send out from Reason to the compressor will come back into Reason with a slight delay.