The visual programming interface for Reaktor is both its greatest strength and greatest weakness. I'd like to start a discussion about a feature request: adding a text-based language and file format as well. This would exist in parallel to the visual interface. Users could decide how they want to view and edit in Reaktor. An ensemble built using the text-based language could still be edited through the GUI and vice versa.
This would serve two major purposes:
- In the long term, such a language and file format would allow users to receive help and ideas more easily through AI tools like ChatGPT because instead of cumbersome GUI instructions, the AI tool would just offer code, like it does for any other programming language (Python, Java, C#, etc). Of course, the AI would need to be trained on thousands, perhaps millions of examples first, but these could be generated from the vast library of ensembles already available.
- Such a language and file format would allow programmers to immediately use their language of choice to generate Reaktor instruments and ensembles, including using loops to easily generate repetitive code without copy-pasting and then editing the copy.
Right now, ChatGPT can code well in text-based music notation like ABC and poorly in synthesis languages like CSOUND and Supercollider. This will improve over time. Reaktor should be part of that process. What do people think?
-d.vyd