Sample like it’s 1994: Iconic sample editing software ReCycle makes a comeback – and it’s completely freeReCycle, the iconic sample editing tool from the 1990s, is officially back.
The software was launched in 1994 by Propellerhead – now Reason Studios – and is officially back and available as a free download, retaining its original character. The launch arrives alongside a beat challenge hosted by Grammy-winning producer Don Cannon, for which you’ll need to flip a provided sample for the chance to win a year-long subscription to Reason+.

READ MORE: Reason 13 and Reason+ subscription: At almost 25 years old, does this DAW still cut it?

The original ReCycle arrived at a time when working with samples was time consuming, and often involved difficulties with pitch and speed. ReCycle revolutionised the sampling game, allowing music makers to time-stretch samples without messing up their pitch for the first time.
At its core, ReCycle works by identifying all the transients in your sampled material, and slices your loop while holding on to its timing information, so you can play it back at any tempo. Reason says that by relaunching ReCycle, it hopes new generations can experience what the workflow was like 30 years ago.

“The year is 1994. The pilot episode of Friends has just debuted on NBC, Nelson Mandela has been elected president of South Africa and you’re a young and aspiring producer who has just gotten your hands on ‘ReCycle – the perfect tool for sampled grooves,’” begins a statement on Reason’s website.
“These days, it’s less ‘perfect tool for sampled grooves’ and more ‘old-school-tool for sampled grooves’. But back when it was originally released, this sample tool was the go-to for producing grassroots electronic genres of the 90’s. Almost 30 years later we gave it hi-res graphics, made it compatible with Apple Silicon and added some back-end stuff for performance. An ode to all the legendary producers and artists that kept ReCycle alive throughout the years.”
It later adds, “Maybe you’ll fall in love with its old-school workflow. Maybe you’ll use it once, smile, and go back to your usual ways. Either way, we’re giving everyone a chance to experience a tool that helped shape modern sampling into what we’ve come to know today.”
To enter the ReCyle The Beat challenge or download ReCycle for free, head over to Reason Studios.
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