2016-10-12 09:26:19

Published: 2016-10-12

In this article I will present the list of all known Free Rack Extensions known in the shop till today. I will try to keep this post updated if new entries will appear. Just to include, Rack extensions are only available for Reason users who use Reason 6.5 and above. Some rack extensions might even be only compatible with Reason 7 and above (since that version comes with an SDK update).

You can download all these rack extensions using the shop page (I will also include the links in the section below).

For quite some time we have a complete list of all the Rack Extensions in the shop. These lists are live feeds from the shop which are located here:

Free Rack Extensions for Reason

Rack Extensions on Sale

All Rack extensions

Jiggery Pokery TMA Series

The TMA series comes with 3 different flavors. The TMA-9, TMA-4 and the TMA-1. All 3 are meant as "commenting" boxes inside the rack. The major difference between all 3 of them is that they vary in size. Where TMA-9 is the largest, while TMA-1 is the smallest. In case you need a notepad in your rack to document certain features, of have a notepad explaining how things work, then these devices are ideal for that type of purpose.

TMA-9 in the shop

TMA-4 in the shop

TMA-1 in the shop Lolth CV Delay Splitter The Lolth CV Delay splitter is like a big brother of that half rack device "CV Merger Splitter". The major advantage with Loth is that you have full control on the Scale of the Control Voltage outputs (since these are rotaries at the front, thus you can automate them). Additionally every 4 groups comes with an additional Delay amount. Lolth in the Shop Shelob Audio Bypass Splitter Shelob is an Audio Splitter that works with 4 groups of 4 outputs. Every audio output can hereby be turned on/off. Quite handy if you need to route your audio and time them in a sequence. Shelob in the Shop

Miranda CV Delay merger

The CV Delay merger has a similar touch on controls as it comes to Lolth. While Lolth is meant for splitting a Control voltage in to multiple paths, Miranda is used to merge different signals together again. In theory, you could create some odd LFO patterns with devices like these if you want.

Miranda in the Shop

Mordred Audio Bypass Merger

Mordred is the counter part of Shelob. While Shelob splits an incoming audio signal in to multiple paths, mordred is a device where all the audio signals can be merged again. It has similar controls as Shelob. Every audio path can be turned on / off. While in theory, merging is similar as using a Mixer 6:2 or Mixer 14:2 and using mute switches. You can call me biased. Whatever...

Mordred in the Shop

Anansi Mid Side Router

Anansi Mid Side router has been a standard weapon in terms of Mid/Side compression here at the lab of Hydlide (ow... being biased again... sorry). While the Red rock M/S router has a nasty bug (it can kill the audio in a certain way), the Anansi Mid/Side router does not have this flaw. In theory a device like this would normally be found in the Mastering suite. Since Mid/Side Routing is all about Mastering the final output. Yet at some point you can use Mid/Side routing in devices as an insert effect if you like. For routing things for this device, we made a video tutorial about it. Which you can find here: Anansi Mid / Side router

Anansi Mid Side Router in the Shop

Itsy Audio Phase Inverter

According to the specs on the shop page, this device inverts the incoming audio. It has some more flexibility rather than using the "INV" switch on the audio channel.

Itsy Audio Phase Inverter in the Shop

Kuassa Silencer

Silence, I will kill you. Kind of like a compressor, but then a device to kill off unwanted sounds. Concept is similar as using this as a noise gate.



Silencer In the Shop

KiloHearts Chorus

The kiloHearts Chorus kind of resembles what you would expect from a chorus effect. The delay time from 0.5ms till 100ms. While the delay depth increases this from 0.5 till an additional 100ms. The beauty behind this device is that the lower delay times are way more precise than when you compare this with for instance the Chorus Flanger half rack device that comes with the Reason stock devices. Also it gets way more clearer to pin point 'that exact' chorus by adjusting the milliseconds with precision. It is like having the swiss knife on chorus effects.

Also, if you use a series of chorus, you are able to perform a stunning type of unison effect while doing so. DSP this device is pretty descent. With having 70 of these units in the rack, things till play along.

KiloHearts Delay

The Kilohearts Delay is another awesome free rack extension. Just by its look and feel, I could see this as the ideal compensation of lacking features in the DDL1 Digital Delay, and the some what overwhelming 'echo'. While there are some features I can think of which would be an awesome additional value (for instance a break out insert like the echo), other than that the delay kind of feels like an advanced digital delay.

If this device doesn't really do the job, than I would most likely go with the more heavy DSP hungry the Echo. This is the part where this delay kind of shines. It is very low on CPU usage (170 instances with out any issues).

KiloHearts Gain

The kiloHearts gain however does lack... ehm, appeal. Personally I don't see where the gain seems to have any function in the realm of the Reason Rack. At some extend the Mixer 14:2 has level settings, so most likely I would still go with that directions instead of inserting a Rack Extension for having some form of level control. But this is me just thinking out loud from that angle. Since I can't seem to find any applicable usage for this device rather than making things loud / soft.

KiloHearts Limiter

The limiter acts like a hard clip limiter (at least, I could not really spot a 'soft clip' for it, let me put it that way). In comparison to the Gain, I do see a lot of applicable usage for this one. Since a limiter is just for making stuff loud and drop it at a specific threshold (something that the previous device, the Gain does not have). This device can be handing to avoid clipping issues. It would even be handy in a free alternative version for setting up a mastering suite (instead of using the ow so powerful Ozone maximizer). Since it is a freebie, this could fit nice as a replacement tool for the MClass Maximizer. Since serious, that one just sucks hard (compared to what we have).

KiloHearts Stereo

The Kilohearts Stereo is the last free rack extension in the series of kiloHearts bundle. This device uses Mid/Side routing techniques to 'widen' up the stereo field. Make note: mid/side routing does not work on mono signals. Neither does the Stereo device from kiloHearts. The only major difference between this device vs a lot of other Mid / Side routers is that you have a switch for controlling the "width". This would be somewhat similar as balancing how loud the side is. However I have no real hard facts to confirm that this is the case yet (but at first, it feels like it does just that).



The mid knob in this case seems to be similar as controlling the output level of the mono channel (also known as the mid channel).

So if this indeed is a mid / side router, then the term 'width' in this case might seem a bit confusing to some. Because it isn't the same as "width" using the MClass Stereo imager. Even better, it works different then a MClass Stereo Imager (since that device 'blurs' the stereo field).





Select CV Switch

Select CV is a device to set up 8 different gate / note inputs and use that to control an instrument (or Dr OctoRex). The most obvious route would be using 8 different step sequencers and connect those independent to different channels in the Select CV switch. Eventually you can sequence the outcome of which sequencer is being used by toggling the different banks in select CV. This setup would be ideal in combination of step sequencers which do not have a pattern selection box. Step Note Recorder and the AS16 Analog Step Sequencer come to mind.



Link to the Shop : Select Cv

CVA-7 CV Analyzer

In case you ever have wondered what a CV signal look like or what type of note they would be triggering, the CVA-7 would be ideal. By default it is used as a "passthrough" device. Meaning it just listens in on the CV input signal and passes it along to the other device. The device itself also allows CV manipulation (inverse, uni polar or bi polar).



Link to the Shop: CVA 7

VAC-6 Analyzer

The VAC-6 is a Peak volume meter that analyzes the audio buffer from 5 to 30 seconds. I might admit that using the Big Meter in Reason already does something similar as this I there for barely use this device.

Link to the Shop: VAC-6

The A/B 12 Stereo Audio Input switch

The A/B switch is a A/B testing utility to test case 2 different audio inputs (A and B). In theory this could be handy for (as example) comparing an A/B mix session using the mastering suite, or you could use it to compare A/B effects inside a combinator (just throwing in some other ideas).

Make note, you could also use thor as an AB switch utility. Just saying ;)

Link to the Shop : AB 12 Switch

The A/B Audio CV Switch

This is the smaller version of the A/B 12 switch. It is common used to A/B switch one pair of audio or cv.

Link to the Shop : A/B Switch

Little LFO

While Little LFO used to be a paid for Rack Extension, it has been put in the shop for free because the developer of this synth had different ideas in mind. While Little LFO could be somewhat compared with Pulsar (which houses 2 oscillators). While the Little LFO has 4 in pair. While the LFO can be remodeled in different directions being a modulation source Little LFO can also be used as being a Synth, which is quite nice to play around with.

Link to the Shop: Little LFO

MoPol Polyphonic CV Merger

What MoPol tries to do is something that has been a piece of the puzzle for ages in the Reason Rack. For example, what if you have 3 different monophonic CV lines, and you want them to be merged together to play chords. MoPol does just that. For instance you have 3 different sequences using matrix patterns. Yet you only use one subtractor to play the notes. If you would normally do this, it would "add" the CV inputs all together and just turning it in to this high pitch sizzle... Mopol solves this. Make note, get ready for some heavy CV routing to make it work though. Still, the results are pretty awesome!

Link to the Shop: MoPol

Remark

After Peff released its Spacre (currently in the shop for 9 euro / 9 dollar), the spacre got a lot of flack because well.. it was just about adding space in your rack for 9 euro. Some community members (Selig / Meowsqueek) joined forces and released Remark as the "public" release being the label device for Reason. If you have Reason 7, this is a must have device just to make your rack a bit more organized. If chaos is your game, then don't even bother ;)

Link to The shop: Remark

Polymodular

From blamsoft there are a few free rack extensions that were partially developed for the polymodular systems. While these polymodular are all based on modular synthesis, the free devices might make routing a bit more easier. They are "bigger" versions of the CV merger / Splitter and Audio Merger Splitter.

The breakout box is somewhat similar as the MoPol device I enlisted before.

Links to the shop:

CV Breakout Box

Audio Merger

Audio Splitter

CV Splitter

CV Merger

CV8x4 CV Generator

CV Generator, uses 8 different rotaries where every rotary value can be used against 4 different cv connections. Ideal using this inside a combinator (as it has been advertised). While I haven't personally used this device as much, since I personally prefer to use Thor as a Scaler device instead. However I can think of that it would be ideal for users who own Reason Essentials.

Link to The Shop: CV8x4

The Red Rock Mid Side Router

The Mid Side Router of Red Rock is a nice free utility that is capable of doing mid / side routing pretty fast. Only issue it has is that it may result buggy on the from time to time (eg: silence) with certain setups. It is a very basic mid side router, but in case you can't afford a different mid side router, then this would be suitable.

Link to the Shop: Mid Side Audio Converter

CV Meter

CV Meter is an awesome device to learn what happens in the realm of Control voltage inside Reason. While the device itself is not the best appealing device (like compared with Revolt for instance). But looks shouldn't really matter for a free tool where you can learn a lot from. This is a must have when going down the CV path

Link to the Shop : CV Meter

One Note Stand

This is one device where the application of it all totally baffles me. Serious, I am being honest. Just see for yourself what kind of "stuff" you can do with "it".

Link to the Shop : One night Stand

Mod Stepper

The modstepper is an odd beast in the realm of free devices since it is also one of the hardest to "understand". In theory you can send out different values using a step. The step number is changed by midi keys C#0 and D#0. At some extend you could for instance control different loops using this device if you want.

Link to the Shop : ModStepper

CV Gateway

This is the 3rd device that merges CV signals and ramps it up in to one output. Similar as Mopol and Blamsoft CV Breakout.

Link to the Shop : CV Gateway

Softtube Saturation Knob

The Free, 25 euro costing free device is now free again (huh?!). The saturation knob is a nice type of distortion which does miracles on drums , basslines or some synths. It is a must have. Nice that is free again.

Link to the Shop : Saturation Knob

RE180 Dynamic Driver

The RE180 Dynamic Driver is like a compressor but on CV signals. This is awesome for some complex envelope generations or if you want to do some dynamics on the CV outputs. For instance this type of device is ideal in the realm of converting Audio to CV (Envelope Follower).

Link to the Shop : RE180 Dynamic Driver

WBL3001

This device is just more for "fun". While FL users have the fruity dancer, we have the "dispositif pour contact premier" (I want Spielberg to make a movie with that name!).

Link to the Shop : WBL3001

Scope Junior

As the title might tell, this is a "lighter" version of a Scope. Personally I prefer the one from Lectric Panda (but that one isn't free), but if you ever wanted to have some visual scopes for seeing what waveforms do... now you can

Link to the Shop : Scope Junior

WBL5515

This is synth type of thing which I personally haven't used myself (I haven't gotten the device in my rack even). Just give it a swing and see what kind of sounds you can get from it.

Link to the Shop : WBL5515