Yeah, Reason is more or less a complete package using software versions of hardware I think.
I'm using CuBase VST instruments and comressor plugins to get what I want... and it's starting to work well.
Waves VST
Enigma VST
Re-Birth VSTi
Is some of the above I use on CuBase... gives nice midi to work with for riff's ect and I use ACID to get samples of percussion to right tempo and compression to get the "gel'd" feeling with bass samples I'v tinkerd with.
Reason I find has a pooh compressor, but this is comming from a voice of inexperience and self teaching.
Nothing more... Nothing Less...