Reason has been a longtime favorite of many producers, so Propellerhead‘s announcement of the upcoming Reason 7 has created waves of excitement among musicians.

“The Reason rack has seen an exponential growth over the last few years with the introduction of unlimited audio recording, studio grade mixing tools, and support for third party instruments and effects. With Reason 7, we continue that expansion to let you take your mixing to the next level, to place Reason at the heart of your studio, and to continue to inspire you in your music making.” – Propellerhead

Along with Reason staples of the past, a lot of exciting new features have been announced. MIDI Out will allow communication with external MIDI hardware through the new External MIDI Instrument device in Reason’s rack. The new Spectrum EQ window gives you a powerful spectrum analyzer with a graphic EQ overlay controlling the mixer’s renowned EQ so you can make easy adjustments. New bus channels making it easier to group your tracks. Recorded audio can be automatically sliced and used within Reason loopers and samplers. A streamlined mixer makes level and pan controls available in the rack. Oh, and you get an expanded sound bank too.

Reason 7 and Reason Essentials 2 are currently undergoing beta testing (which you can sign up for here) and are expected to be release in the second quarter of 2013.