Old Reaktor ensembles on 4K resolution

Blaise · 2025-01-05T14:36:00+00:00

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Is there any chance for Reaktor to display older ensembles in larger size?

Currently it is very painful to the eye to use them on a 43 inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) display, they are sooo small!

The current Massive update with resizable UI is a great help, even if it does not resize the graphics… I do not care, it became usable again on 4K!

Can we expect something similar for Reakor to just simply upscale the current graphics of old ensembles, even if they pixelated, etc. ?

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Kymeia

It is possible to reskin ensembles in Reaktor to give them higher res graphics - just look at some of the ones by Bolle in the user library for example and ensembles like those from Phuturetone have higher res graphics already eg

Philthy by Phuturetone - Native Instruments Reaktor Community Library | Free Synth Plugin

Blaise

Thanks for the recommendation, but this is what I would like to avoid… long and tedious reskinning.

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/202126#Comment_202126

Yep, a PITA for sure.

I suppose what it comes down to is what percentage of licenced users have these high resolution monitors, and what percentage of them will stop using/buying Reaktor based products.

Reaktor is currently in maintenance only state, development wise, so there would need to be a compelling argument for NI to push what would be a significant amount of resources into it to re-writing the GUI system for scalability. I expect it is based on very old libraries that were never designed with that in mind, so it might be a major commitment.

I'm still perfectly happy using a 1080p monitor. Works just fine for everything I do. It would be interesting to know what the balance is. Last time the question was tackled a few years ago, most who answered on the forum were in the same 1080p bracket iirc.

Once we get to the point where most new monitors are super hi-res, and that's what the majority of users have, then NI's hand will be forced, and they will have to choose between a big update or retiring the product.

Kymeia

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/202126#Comment_202126

Sure it can be a pain. I would still recomend checking out the User Library though as some older ensembles have been updated with larger more HD GUIs - eg Limelite

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/13861/

Sinebeats

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/13899/

FastFX

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/14267/

Banaan Electrique

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/15239/

Blaise

Awesome examples, thank you!

Blaise

Still a native solution that works on Reaktor side, that just upscales the old ensembles would be cool. They would look kinda ugly, but would be more usable.

iNate

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/202135#Comment_202135

Creative Software benefits hugely from higher resolution displays, due to how dense the UI can be on low resolution monitors.

Cubase, Resolve/Fusion Studio, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Maschine Software, etc. on a UHD display is a completely different (and better) UX from FHD, for me. There is just so much cramp on FHD. I prefer FHD on Laptops, but on desktop monitors I will use a 27-28" UHD over any FHD scale it to the setting between 1440 and 2160p and move on.

Additionally, the cost disparity between the two is too small at this point to care beyond that (unless you're buying the cheapest, lowest quality FHD displays). FHD is something many people continue to put up with because they don't want to spend money to replace the monitors they already own. I suppose I was in that position, for a while.

Unfortunately, lossy upscaling is an eye strain. I'd rather use something like Windows Magnifier than be forced to stare at blurry ensemble UIs.

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/215362#Comment_215362

Creative Software benefits hugely from higher resolution displays, due to how dense the UI can be on low resolution monitors.

You state that as though it were some objective, universal truth. And yes, there will always be a point below which the resolution starts to make things worse, but there is similarly always point above which it makes no practical difference whatsoever. This depends on various factors, not just resolution.

A 15'' monitor with a very high resolution will not offer any practical advantage over a 1080p version for the vast majority of users. On the other hand ultra high res will offer a significant practical improvement for a 50'' monitor.

Sure, someone with exceptional eyesight might see a difference on the small monitor, but it won't offer a measurable practical advantage.

It also depends on demographics. If some product has an older userbase, then there is less benefit, eyesight deteriorates as we age, so the benefits of UHD shrink. I'm already at the point where some of the buttons and controls in the Reaktor GUI are on the small size. I couldn't/wouldn't use a 'less dense' set of controls, because they would be too small.

I can see it might be a problem if an app had been designed for UHD, and was being used on 1080p, but that's down to the UI design, not the physical technology.

Personally, If I was using a physically much larger monitor, I would prefer a higher definition, but my current monitor, which is an appropriate size for it's context, is just fine at it's 1080p resolution. I would not benefit in any measurable way from an upgrade. Whereas I would probably have to buy a new graphics card for gaming, or suffer worse quality due to using scaling to maintain an acceptable framerate.

iNate

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/215372#Comment_215372

It is an objective, universal truth.

Anyone who uses a higher resolution monitor knows this. Not only is the display sharper, but you get more on the same surface than on a FHD display. On my UHD display I can work with 50-75% more screen real estate compared to a FHD monitor of the same size - after scaling.

That means the viewers in DaVinci Resolve are approaching 1:1 with FHD video. It means the entire mixer from top to bottom in my DAW is visible without scrolling.

It means I can see far more of an arranger.

It is far better for graphics design, digital painting, etc. applications.

I am not sure why so many people here feel like they just have to be contrarian.

Also, I clearly stated in my post that I prefer FHD on Laptops - for OBVIOUS reasons, which tells me you didn't even read my post. You basically saw a couple of sentences then wrote this worthless thesis because disagreement is your default position. You've wasted your time.

I prefer FHD on Laptops, but on desktop monitors I will use a 27-28" UHD over any FHD scale it to the setting between 1440 and 2160p and move on.

I honestly consider lots of creative software to be borderline unusable on FHD displays. I do tend to get FHD on small laptops, but I generally use those with external displays unless I'm literally mobile - in which case I am almost certainly not using a DAW, NLE, Graphics Design Software or whatnot. The UI is cramped and you spend too much effort opening/closing panels, scrolling, etc. It really affects the usability (and ergonomics) and a hDPI display is far more optimal.

Exceptions exist on laptops. I wouldn't buy most FHD laptops for Graphics Design or Video Editing because the better panels tend to be QHD or UHD - in terms of color accuracy, OLED, etc. Most creator oriented laptops have hDPI displays for that reason. And you just have to scale it down to FHD to use it.

If someone's eyesight is so bad that they have to scale a UHD display to FHD or can only use one if it's 43" or something… that is a personal problem. Enjoy your 1080p displays.

But, to wonder how many people use hDPI displays… Every iMac since several years ago has 4.5-6K displays. Tons of PC users using desktops for production [that aren't running competitive games on the same machine] are going to UHD displays.

We're a bit late on wondering if there are enough people using them to "matter."

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/215490#Comment_215490

It is an objective, universal truth.

Exceptions exist on laptops

ok, you win, can't argue with that.

Joking aside, the rate folk are moving to UHD panels is an existential issue for Reaktor. It is inevitable that they will become ubiquitous, but it would be interesting to know the the current state of play, and how fast the transition is happening. Actual usage data though. Anecdotal 'evidence' based on hunches and personal experience is worthless.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying you are wrong (or right), but I would be interested to know. That's why I challenged your response to my earlier post - to find out.

If someone's eyesight is so bad that they have to scale a UHD display to FHD or can only use one if it's 43" or something… that is a personal problem. Enjoy your 1080p displays.

Better get used to it, the first generation of folk who have always used computers as an everyday work tool are now getting to the age where these problems are the norm. They will still be working when the generation after them reach that age… It's not personal, its just a normal part of life, for the majority of people. It will likely happen to you too!

iNate

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/215517#Comment_215517

You did it again. You clipped out a sentence fragment and intentionally left out the context. I'm blocking you, because this is turning into blatant baiting.

Exceptions exist on laptops. I wouldn't buy most FHD laptops for Graphics Design or Video Editing because the better panels tend to be QHD or UHD - in terms of color accuracy, OLED, etc. Most creator oriented laptops have hDPI displays for that reason. And you just have to scale it down to FHD to use it.

The exceptions are not for music production software. They are for Creator Laptops that will be used for design and video editing because of the panel quality -not the resolution. The Resolution would still be scaled down to FHD because anything above that it borderline unusable on a 14-16" display.

I'd get the QHD Display because typically those are the only options in the SKU ladder for something that has validated color accuracy that was usable for graphics design work or color grading. That is a COMPLETELY different thing.

People who do both Video Editing and Music Production have to factor this in when buying a laptop.

For Music Production, that is worthless and I'd prefer a 144Hz Matte FHD Display on a 14-15" Laptop. 14" MacBooks (which I have) only scale up to 1080p, despite having higher resolution Retina Screens. You can't run a display at native resolution unless you're running an external display. It doens't allow it for the built-in display by default… and they're pretty cramped for running DAWs and NLEs - especially if you aren't auto-hiding the Dock.

I'm not reading the rest.

Bye.

Kubrak

And why Apple restricts hDPI laptop screens to 1080p? Is not it because less is better? For majority of folks…

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