Mapping Reaktor Ensemble Controls to Komplete Kontrol

qzirrel · 2023-01-08T19:48:59+00:00

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Hi,

I created a Reaktor Blocks Rack and opened it in Komplete Kontrol Software to create a few pages of controls so I can tweak them from my KK Keyboard. I then saved this configuration from the Komplete Kontrol menu, which creates a .nksr file including the controller mappings. So far so good :-).

But it would be cool to store the patch as an ensemble (.ens) instead, because that way, I can create shapshots (not available in Racks), and the snapshots appear in in KK after following this guide.

However, when I create change control mappings for an ensemble in KK and do "File save", it saves an .nrkt file separate from the ensemble. But these are not associated with the snapshots from the ensemble, so if I open one of those via the KK browser it does not have my controller mappings.

The official Blocks ensembles include KK control mappings (see screenshot below, made with the XY.ens included in Reaktor Blocks). These seem to be saved directly in the .ens file (you can find the parameter names in a hex editor).

But I could not figure out how to edit them or create them in my own ensembles. Can anybody help?

2023-01-08 20_11_47-Komplete Kontrol.png

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qzirrel

Regarding racks in Komplete Kontrol, they're actually pretty well integrated. I thought I needed snapshots to better organize my racks. Turns out, this also works with racks. You have one rack file per snapshot, but the files are fairly small, and you can organise them in banks and sub-banks, so e.g., you can have one bank containing different configurations of the same patch.

For anyone struggling with the same problem, let me summarize:

In the rack's properties, Function tab, define a bank and sub bank. Reaktor will create corresponding subfolders in your /User Content/Reaktor library, and you will find the banks and sub banks under the Reaktor instrument in Maschine and KK :-).

Every rack then has its own controller mappings (which you can edit in KK and KK will write them to the rack file).

Regarding ensembles, I still couldn't find a solution. That is unfortunate, it would be cool to map out some more ensembles from the User Library for use in Maschine and KK as Kymeia did in the past.

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Rob Gee

I’ve mapped racks in Maschine, after you’ve mapped the controls in Maschine you save the rack. Then when you reload the rack everything should be premapped. I’m presuming it’s the same in Komplete Kontrol and with ensembles.

Kymeia

The problem with the official NI guide is it only tells half the story. To really build controls into the ensemble you need to edit the automation params in the ensemble itself. See this old thread (although created before Blocks which may have some changes)

https://www.native-instruments.com/forum/threads/reaktor-ensemble-integration.325531/

Rob Gee

Yes that is correct, the parameters need to be setup, named and automatable in order to be NKS mapped.

qzirrel

Thanks for the answers.

Rob, let me clarify: I can already map the parameters in KK using the learn function, so they seem to be setup good enough for that out of the box (every block has parameters exposed). Saving a rack in KK works fine. My issue is that my mappings will not be saved as part of the .ens file, so they will not apply to snapshots within the .ens.

Kymeia, thanks for the link! I will have to investigate further some other time, but that looks promising.

I checked out the Gaugear ensemble you mentioned. It has exactly what I am looking for: Not only mapped controls, but also section labels that group the parameters.

It seems the order of the controls in KK corresponds to their IDs in the connection/automation panel.

I have managed to change their order by changing IDs. But the labels in Komplete Kontrol are still the same (now not matching the parameters). Would you have a hint as to where these labels can be edited?

Kymeia

Do you mean the Grip example I created?

First you need to give the params automation IDs and put them in a logical order with logical names - all that can be done in the ensemble. Then you complete the mapping in Komplete Kontrol, where you can add section names and group controls. tbh I have not tried this with blocks though but I thought Racks were supposed to make this easier?

qzirrel

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/47987#Comment_47987

I was referring to this one, found it in the library because you had mentioned it in the linked thread: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/12041/

You also wrote in the old thread:

"... the mapping is done in KK as you would with a plugin. But the beauty of it is it seems to be saved internally in the ensemble so obviously NI did something clever to enable that to happen."

Ok, I get it now but sadly it seems no longer to work, or I can't figure it out. When I save my mappings in KK it saves an NRKT file. When I save the Ensemble in Reaktor (within KK), the mappings are not applied to it.

By the way, this isn't specific to blocks. Right now I was just messing with the Gaugear ensemble to figure out how it works, because it has built in KK mappings, but I haven't managed to change them.

Racks do make it easier in that you have one NKSR file with one configuration of your rack, including mappings, but no snapshots. So you have to save a copy of the rack for every "snapshot", and all your racks end up in the same folder.

Kymeia

Ah I forgot that one :)

I wish NI would make this process much simpler.

Rob Gee

Can’t get it to work here with ensembles either. Think I’ll stick to blocks and racks lol

qzirrel

For anyone struggling with the same problem, let me summarize:

Every rack then has its own controller mappings (which you can edit in KK and KK will write them to the rack file).

Regarding ensembles, I still couldn't find a solution. That is unfortunate, it would be cool to map out some more ensembles from the User Library for use in Maschine and KK as Kymeia did in the past.

Arianicide

So, #qzirrel, did you finally found a solution to embed the section labels of the parameters control in KK of a Reaktor Ensemble into the .ENS itself ? (not in a separate .nksr file). I have exactely the same problem as you, and I couldn't find the solution. Obviously (as you stated it) it IS possible to do so, because there are a lot of examples of ENS "nks-ready" in the User Library, made by Kymeia (thanks a lot to him!) that work this way. For example his last Padrones NKS (great one!) :

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/15037/

I get how to change the Automation IDs parameters in the ensemble, but I couldn't find how to do embed those section labels into the .ENS itself.

Kymeia (or some other power user), please, what is the secret? ;-)

Kymeia

The only way is to make them in the NKS template then drag that onto the Reaktor ensemble and save out the presets based on it

Arianicide

Wouldn’t have guess. Thanks a lot, Kymeia, will try that!

Kymeia

The sections are created by KK, but once you have applied that template to the ensemble every preset you save with it also has that mapping

Arianicide

Hi Kymeia,

Sorry, I couldnt' make it work.

What am I doing wrong? Here are the steps I follow:

1) I prepare my ensemble to be KK-ready (Bank=name of the ens; snapshot metadata=Instrument; Automations IDs sorted and named).

2) I open this prepared ens in KK, then I do the mapping.

3) When the mapping is OK, I save via KK the .nkrt file somewhere on my computer. I close and open again KK, and drag and drop this .nkrt file onto the ensemble in Reaktor (on Edit Mode), and then I throw this .nkrt file in the trash, because I don't need it anymore now.

4) I save the ENS. The mapping of the ONE snapshot I made the mapping on is now embeded in the ens.

5) In Reaktor's Preset browser (trough KK), I scroll through other snaphots, and yes, the mapping is staying the same as I want.

6) But there, if I try to "store" the snapshots, or to copy them with "add", or even to copy them as preset in the "User" Preset Browser folder, when I reload the ENS in KK, the mapping is not stored with this other snapshots or presets.

Shall I do all the mapping by hand for each snapshot?

Thanks a lot if you can help me!

Kymeia

The problem is the snapshot doesn’t retain the mapping made in Komplete Kontrol but .nkrt presets do so save the snapshots as presets. I have on occasion then deleted the snapshots and remade them based on each preset but since KK can use .nkrt anyway that’s the easiest solution.

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