Propellerhead Record review

The Sequencer is where audio and MIDI recordings are captured and edited. Its MIDI features are taken directly from Reason, providing straightforward but capable editing for Reason’s instruments and the basic virtual instrument built into Record. It also inherits Reason’s support for tempo and time signature changes, plus its excellent automation facilities, making it easy to record and edit changes to any knob or fader in the Rack or Main Mixer.

Audio recording and editing facilities are generally excellent. Audio objects have independent level, fade-in and fade-out handles, and the snap-to-grid function correctly moves recordings that don’t start at the beginning of a bar. A Comp Mode records multiple takes to a single channel, displays them as lanes and lets users compile a best-of take by switching between them, complete with crossfades for seamless joins between sections. Sadly, however, it’s hampered by a clumsy approach to auditioning takes before making an edit. It’s also tricky to export spare takes for use as a double-tracked performance.

The Sequencer’s best feature is automatic time-stretching of audio recordings when the tempo is changed. The process is entirely seamless and audio fidelity is excellent. It’s disappointing that this algorithm isn’t also used to deliver pitch shifting, though. There’s nothing here to match the audio quantise features offered by competing software, and basic functions such as reverse and normalise are also absent. The fact that the Sequencer’s mute and solo buttons are independent of those in the Rack and Mixer proved to be a regular irritation.

Conclusion

Record has taken a bit of a battering in this review, so it may come as a surprise to learn that, on the whole, we like it. Its retro hardware emulation interface has its drawbacks but it also has an undeniable charm. Record will appeal to avid knob twiddlers more than songwriters, but that’s not necessarily a criticism.

As a stand-alone application, it’s a long way off being ready to compete with Cubase, Sonar or Ableton Live, but for a first attempt it’s remarkably capable. And as an upgrade to Reason, it surpasses our expectations. We’ve often pined for basic recording features in Reason to add a vocal or guitar part. Record goes way beyond that, with some top-notch tools for adding polished live performances to Reason’s synthesis arsenal.

Author: Ben Pitt