NI releases Reaktor 6

[andybizarre]

Are there Blocks like Mutable Instruments Grids out there? This thing is so helpful and its source code is open source. So, maybe?

I didn`t check the Blocks library recently, so I can`t tell, but for Max there`s this:
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/device/2518/grids

[slow_riot]

So impressed with Reaktor 6, surprised it didn't revolutionise the eurorack scene, because the integration between hardware and software is as good as it can be.

[Unifono0815]

So impressed with Reaktor 6, surprised it didn't revolutionise the eurorack scene, because the integration between hardware and software is as good as it can be.

Yes. Wondering too, why it's not more popular

[Jamnuska]

Perhaps it is the patching? Compared to VCV-Rack it is very unEurolike in patching. No idea why they went with behind the scenes patchcords?

[Worwell]

So impressed with Reaktor 6, surprised it didn't revolutionise the eurorack scene, because the integration between hardware and software is as good as it can be.

Yes. Wondering too, why it's not more popular

There's some pretty strong anti-computer bias around these parts. I enjoy the Reaktor/Euro interaction but don't find myself reaching for it as much because it can be less immediate. I plan to address that by setting up more easy go-to templates with Reaktor and Maschine but that of course takes some programming which isn't nearly as fun as just playing the hardware.

Also, I'm not sure it can really "revolutionize" the format. With the exception of the new Kodiak blocks, I haven't found much in the Blocks that can't be replicated in hardware. I find it best for saving money on not having to buy modules. For example, I have a Reaktor/Maschine/ES-8,3 template that outputs two Wavetable LFO's with knobs controlling Rate, Wavetablel, Amplitude, and Wave, another output with two Euroreakt chaos outputs with knob control over rate and amplitude and the Sequential Routing Matrix block controlled by the 16 Maschine pads to replace a WMD SSM. (Its awesome and I never seem to use it...)

[slow_riot]

One of the problems with hardware modular is that until you build up a 6U or 9U system you haven't really broken out of the fixed architecture paradigm. I see a lot of smaller systems that are just monosynths.

With Reaktor you can break out of those restrictions with only 1 hardware module.

Round trip latency is always going to be a barrier to really direct cross patching, you do get that with these DSP chips too though (maybe not FPGAs).

The cables are behind the user interface for a reason.

It's a shame there aren't any soundcards designed for DC accuracy (maybe something by Expert Sleepers?). My Audiofire 4 is DC coupled but the voltage reference driving the output DACs has really high drift, and once I had a fixed 1v/oct output it drifted by 20mV in a couple of minutes. They tried to compensate for that with the specialised 1v/oct block that used feedback from the osc but that won't work for complex multifrequency VCOs or VCOs under FM.

No problem to use a high DC accuracy midi to CV device instead though.

[Unifono0815]

So impressed with Reaktor 6, surprised it didn't revolutionise the eurorack scene, because the integration between hardware and software is as good as it can be.

Yes. Wondering too, why it's not more popular

There's some pretty strong anti-computer bias around these parts. I enjoy the Reaktor/Euro interaction but don't find myself reaching for it as much because it can be less immediate. I plan to address that by setting up more easy go-to templates with Reaktor and Maschine but that of course takes some programming which isn't nearly as fun as just playing the hardware.

Also, I'm not sure it can really "revolutionize" the format. With the exception of the new Kodiak blocks, I haven't found much in the Blocks that can't be replicated in hardware. I find it best for saving money on not having to buy modules. For example, I have a Reaktor/Maschine/ES-8,3 template that outputs two Wavetable LFO's with knobs controlling Rate, Wavetablel, Amplitude, and Wave, another output with two Euroreakt chaos outputs with knob control over rate and amplitude and the Sequential Routing Matrix block controlled by the 16 Maschine pads to replace a WMD SSM. (Its awesome and I never seem to use it...)

Yes I agree. It's not very immediate. I also build "module templates" with blocks and mapped them to Push in Ableton. That works great, but even though I have a tiny system (3U and a 0-coast) I tend to stick to the hardware as long as possible and only integrate Reaktor if somethings missing.
Still very powerful for small systems and to save money. And great sounding.
But not as fun as having hardware only.

The behind the panel patching can be great avoiding a cable mess. But it's not as immediate as Vcv Rack.

[slow_riot]

It's a shame there aren't any soundcards designed for DC accuracy (maybe something by Expert Sleepers?). My Audiofire 4 is DC coupled but the voltage reference driving the output DACs has really high drift, and once I had a fixed 1v/oct output it drifted by 20mV in a couple of minutes. They tried to compensate for that with the specialised 1v/oct block that used feedback from the osc but that won't work for complex multifrequency VCOs or VCOs under FM.

LOL, drift was due to multimeter running out of batteries.

[letitbleep]

NI insiders- any news on natively-supported microtonal implementation for blocks?

i realize it's available in silent way, but blocks work much better for me for calibrating hardware oscs

[mpl]

Are there Blocks like Mutable Instruments Grids out there? This thing is so helpful and its source code is open source. So, maybe?

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/r ... how/11695/

try this out
mike

[Entrainer]

"The 6.2.2 update introduces a host of powerful new DSP building blocks and macros for builders. New features include filters (6- and 8-pole Butterworth bandpass, and more), effects (such as thru-zero phaser and flanger, asymmetric overdrive, and bit and sample rate reduction), LFO features (including tempo and transport position syncing), and reworked crossover macros."

Sounds like a great update. I hope some of those new DSP building blocks find their way into the Blocks format.

[hermbot]

That's actually really great news, it's good to see that there's still back-end development going on. (Which is probably driven by products they want to release themselves.)

[SunSpots]

So I'm like 10 years late to the reaktor party, but I've been geeking out building synths and stuff in Reaktor for the last month. I feel like no one's doing it anymore, because it's all been done, but i'm still having fun

I came up with a drum trigger modifier idea, and obviously someone had made something way better so I started using that lol.

but then I wanted an 8 channel serial fx path that I could choose whatever fx to be in whatever slot I wanted, then to modulate with 16 different modulators out to 32 different destinations, each able to mix into each other in a matrix... and I built it! damn it was crazy, but any modulator, goes anywhere, and any fx slot can have any of the fx.

I'm making a fx version and a version with a simple oscillator. with that many fx you don't need complicated synth techniques.

I am having a little bug where I can't get it to do polyphony... everything is poly not mono, and my voice number is 4... just can't get it to do more than 1 voice.

and I'm either building a behemoth or i'm super inefficient lol. I'm always running like 35-50 cpu, and that's AFTER some scaling down...

[dpcoffin]

…
but then I wanted an 8 channel serial fx path that I could choose whatever fx to be in whatever slot I wanted, then to modulate with 16 different modulators out to 32 different destinations, each able to mix into each other in a matrix... and I built it! damn it was crazy, but any modulator, goes anywhere, and any fx slot can have any of the fx.

I'm making a fx version and a version with a simple oscillator. with that many fx you don't need complicated synth techniques.
...

Sounds wonderful; planning to add this to the User Library I hope!?

[SunSpots]

…
but then I wanted an 8 channel serial fx path that I could choose whatever fx to be in whatever slot I wanted, then to modulate with 16 different modulators out to 32 different destinations, each able to mix into each other in a matrix... and I built it! damn it was crazy, but any modulator, goes anywhere, and any fx slot can have any of the fx.

I'm making a fx version and a version with a simple oscillator. with that many fx you don't need complicated synth techniques.
...

Sounds wonderful; planning to add this to the User Library I hope!?

I may as Well! I still need to clean up some CPU issues. I found a bunch of waste earlier today which helped but I think there's some more in there somewhere. I'm also still testing to make sure all the modulation works. So far so good and I should be done anytime now. I was thinking about hacking some effects from some other people's stuff and just giving them credit for it because some of these FX actually sound really good. Recently I've just been using the basic reaktor and core fx... which is great too. I also need somebody to help me with the graphical design element cuz I think the basic design looks kind of stupid. Like the built-in design just looks dumb. I see all these really really cool looking synthesizers and I feel like mine should also look cool at the end of the day after I make it sound cool so people don't get turned off by the 1980s look that reaktor keeps flopping on to my user interface

[dpcoffin]

Excellent news:) Best of luck! There certainly are some great-looking ensembles out there…but also plenty, too, that have huge download numbers and sky-high ratings that don't use any added graphics.

IMO, better docs/help/comments and plenty of demo snaps are the most important "extra" features. I've been loving Reaktor and the UL for over 20 years now, written tutorials and made how-videos for various ensembles, but there's STILL a huge number of UL uploads that I can't figure out how to do anything—or anything interesting—with, including several of the just uploaded competition entries. Less is NOT more when it comes to usability!

This is definitely something I'd be happy to help with, in any way, like beta-testing, snap-making, even tutorial-video making. Wish I could also offer graphics help!

[SunSpots]

Excellent news:) Best of luck! There certainly are some great-looking ensembles out there…but also plenty, too, that have huge download numbers and sky-high ratings that don't use any added graphics.

IMO, better docs/help/comments and plenty of demo snaps are the most important "extra" features. I've been loving Reaktor and the UL for over 20 years now, written tutorials and made how-videos for various ensembles, but there's STILL a huge number of UL uploads that I can't figure out how to do anything—or anything interesting—with, including several of the just uploaded competition entries. Less is NOT more when it comes to usability!

This is definitely something I'd be happy to help with, in any way, like beta-testing, snap-making, even tutorial-video making. Wish I could also offer graphics help!

You're totally right. I made huge gains today, getting real close to doing snapshots but first I gotta nail down a couple more fx and test every single bipolar knob on the 8x16 matrix... as well as each of 32 destinations lol. Video ideas... General operation, quirks, how to connect another instrument, and how to slot in your own fx. I haven't thought about a manual... but it couldn't hurt... guess I was thinking about a video manual.

Well ill let you know when it's ready to go up and if you can help it would be great! I am guessing I'm very close... I guess I'll go default colors and knobs. I looked at some online free knobs and meh... standard is fine. I really just want it to work right and have no bugs and sound really cool.

[dpcoffin]

Yeah, video manual—Cool:) Lemme know, whenever, whatever!
dpcoffin at earthlink dot net

[modul8tr]

The beauty to me of blocks is using the CV modulation and sequencing with the ES-3. I've replaced most of my cv eurorack modules because of reaktor.

I assume most eurorack users have fed cv into a module and expected more and felt a little underwhelmed with the results. Reaktor kisses goodbye to this problem because of the excellent modules integrate so well with the ES-3.

Even things like a 8 step sequencer. 8 steps? It's not a lot. However, no problem, use 2, 3 or 4 sequencers with sequential switching.... You just can't do this with hardware without being very rich.

I can't wait for a new update. What I would like is a comprehensive sampler/looper with the ability to record audio.

I’m currently creating templates for sequencing my modular and was wondering if there were switchers. Gonna look into this tonight, but if you could explain the process or how you set it up it would help me a bunch. Still a bit of a newb with the blocks (due to so many responsibilities with my other instruments) but getting there. I’m also amazed this has yet to revolutionize eurorack! Love it.

[_lampshade_]

Anyone have a good workflow for integrating reaktor with external euro as a plugin in ableton? I have found this to be a major pita. For example it quickly becomes confusing which cv output channel corresponds to which track in ableton as all the numbers are different. And ableton only has stereo tracks, you can set a track to output only on a sound cards mono output but it will still correspond to a pair of outputs from reaktor? If I’m using the reaktor external cv controller block to calibrate and control a vco through ableton what should I do with that channels volume slider?

[listentoaheartbeat]

So many options in Ableton using the External Audio Effect (send CV, return audio with the added benefit of automatic latency compensation), groups or returns, track naming and colors.

Really a matter of personal preference how to do it, but once you have found your personal solution I recommend saving e.g. the group as a template. This way you can easily drag it in and all routing is ready to go.

Keeping naming consistent for the Reaktor ports and channels in Live is also recommended, and you can even name the inputs and outputs of your audio interface in the Preferences.

I posted more info about some of these workflows in the following thread: viewtopic.php?t=179502&start=0&postdays ... highlight=

[_lampshade_]

thanks! using the external effect setup helped a lot.