Ochen K. has introduced Chip64 – a chiptunes Rack Extension for Propellerhead Reason.
Chip64 includes mathematical modeling of 5 chips:
- the TIA used in the Atari 2600;
- the SID chip used in the Commodore 64;
- the TA0x series used in the NES and Gameboy;
- the Vic-I used in the Vic 20; and
- the SN76489 chip used in the ColecoVision and Sega consoles.
It also offers an on-board sequencer, as well as a multi-mode filter, LFO, modulation envelope, and more,
Here’s a detailed overview of Chip64:
Chip64 is available now for US $39.00.
I love how gritty it sounds!
Well done Ochen K. This is just great.
I did not realize that people still use Reason. This is news to me!
Not sure where KVR got the statistics but if the intro to their interview with Ernst Nathorst-Boos is to be believed (http://bit.ly/TTa2nc), Reason is the second best-selling DAW after ProTools. So yeah, I guess people still use it. 😀
I didn’t know there was anyone who didn’t use Reason.
Wha? Of course people use Reason. It is lots of fun, like a giant software modular synth, and as far as I have experienced the DSP is very efficient and fast. Some of the new rack extensions like Synapse’s Antidote and Propellerheads’ Parsec are quite good. There are quite a few rack extensions that function like modular synth modules (Oscillator/LFOs, filters, envelopes, switcher/routers, etc). You can ReWire it and use it like a modular in Cubase.
The GUI needs a serious overhaul, though. It is ancient, tiny, overcrowded, and hurts this old fart’s eyes!
nah, i don’t want a gui overhall. the rest of the world is going flat and that’s fine but reason doesn’t even make sense in the new flat aesthetic. keep reason unique. on the other hand maybe they could find a way to let the interface scale up like how you can put logic’s old synths on 200% size. if they made it so the interface could scale up that would be cool but an ios7 style flat reason seems unappealing.
I actually LOVE Reason. The sounds, the speed etc. I agree with Gribs though, I’m a lifetime Logic user and part of the thing that keeps me from using Reason more is that I can’t change the key commands and screen sets to the way I’ve worked forever. I don’t know where that is on their request list, but it limits my use. I’m just too slow on it for detailed work. That would be an amazing surprise if they changed the look (or gave you the option) or made the GUI more customizable.
I’ve always used Reason more than any other DAW (I”m not a professional). Reason 7 was a giant leap forward for them/us, but I agree, the GUI has needed attention for a very long time. The fact the everything is so damn tiny, with no option to enlarge, is ridiculous and certainly makes it hard to use sometimes.
I bought the Reason 7 upgrade last summer, but right after that I also bought some hardware synths and drum machine. I have to admit to not having used reason more than once, for anything besides recording and mixing, since I started playing with hardware again (just over a year now). It isn’t that Reason isn’t capable or fun. It’s just the fact that I work on a computer all day, and when the work day is done, I do not want to sit down with another computer at all.
I don’t give a damn about chip-tune anything, and I thought that fad had already played out. Guess not! Oh well.
Oh yeah, I forgot to bitch about the fact that Reason has gone to this ‘Extensions’ model where they now charge us for every new synth. It makes you wonder what is left for new versions of Reason (besides the obvious need for GUI update). We used to get cool shit like THOR. But now you just get weird effects machines. I don’t know, I see the advantage of making it open source so more people can create products for Reason, but they price the damn things to be about 1/4 – 1/2 the price of the complete version of Reason! Seems wrong.
Dude, it’s better to pick the stuff you want rather than being forced to get instruments you don’t need just because it’s built into the upgrade. Do you really want an upgrade that forces you to buy “A-List Acoustic Guitar” or whatever? I mean maybe you can use that but I really don’t need it and would rather get synth. Besides last time they had an upgrade that just included a bunch of new effects (i forgot i think it was 6.5) for $100 and everyone complained. I see why guys like Steve Jobs didn’t listen to their customers. Customers don’t know what they want and customers aren’t designers nor programmers so the stuff they want is probably dumb anyways.
Do you complain about VSTs that are 1/4 — 1/2 the cost of Cubase and Live or AUs that are that to Logic? You realize that VSTs exist that cost as much or more than a Cubase license, right? Why the double standard? REs are a way that Props AND third-party developers can add new synths and effects to Reason.
Not a big fan of chip stuff. However, the discussion on Reason here is good. I totally agree on the GUI that needs an update. It could be much better looking and pleasant to look at. At times the comes across as “toy” looking compared to other softwares. I use Reason as my main DAW but do the mixing in ProTools still. I use analogue outboard that adds warmth to Reason audio in PT and it works really well. However, it’s so obvious how good Reason is at the production stage with its modularity. I just wish Propellerheads would release a decent sampler on par with NI Kontakt. Having the modularity/connectivity inherent in Reason combined with state of the art sampling (filters!) would provide one of the most interesting sampling environments ever. Right now the sampler is the only thing I miss about Reason and I stick to my old Prophet 2000 for this still (because of the filters).