Need a Tutor for Reaktor 6 -to build complex sample/granular instruments with GUI's

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P-box
P-box Member Posts: 60 Member
edited February 20 in Reaktor

Hi Reaktor community,

I am new to Reaktor, but not new to music software. Have been using Ableton for 15 years, have used and programmed multiple synths, Kontakt, Absynth, etc.

I am trying to shorten the learning curve with Reaktor. I have the real basics, but I keep bumping up against things that the manual is not resolving. Spending a lot of time viewing Youtube videos. All helpful, but mostly looking for needles in haystacks, and many questions remain unanswered.

Do any of you know a way to find a tutor, or would any you step up yourself?

I need someone with a fairly detailed knowledge of Primary, Macros, GUI building, among other skill sets.

Please let me know if you can help.

Paul (P-box)

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  • colB
    colB Member Posts: 831 Guru
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    Start with some simpler projects. Like delay effect, subtractive synth, sample player etc. Then once you have become fluent in Primary and core, try moving on to intermediate and advanced topics.

    Building a bespoke granular processor with custom GUI is not a beginner project!

    There is a fairly decent ready made granular engine in the factory library, you could start with that and just work up a GUI, but you still need a bunch of knowledge that will be easier to develop in smaller step... ?

    Do you have any other programming knowledge?

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 3,271 mod
    edited December 2023
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    Like the others here I started looking into the subject and ended up chewing through a lot of links on the internet and compiled a list for you with references of suggestions referring mostly to Reaktor. But it's not really what you are asking so I have ended up just giving you this one link (though about Straylight and has not anything to do with Reaktor either) to an article too beginner for you, which I am only giving you because it is an on-site N.I. blog article !

    Granular synthesis: a beginner’s guide : https://blog.native-instruments.com/granular-synthesis/

    Kind regards 🙂

    P.S.

    Shortest learning curve with respect to Reaktor might be to use existing blocks like 'granular' ones from ToyBoxAudio (B.F. sale still going on !) (they also have Youtube videos). You will find more blocks for the Granular (or Grain?) if you search the inside of the Read More page about e.g. Nano Pack 3 (Ref. : Grain Cloud, Granular Pitch Shifter, Granular Sample Player, Pitch Delay, Pitch Delay 3) , but Sampling Pack also have a Granular Sampler and Player. There may be more blocks and other blocks for use in the same connection , the above is just meant as an example ! Of course I don't know if what you are looking for is to build it all using 'standard modules' (?). And also then maybe your questions are more about the making of the UI..

  • colB
    colB Member Posts: 831 Guru
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     I keep bumping up against things that the manual is not resolving

    That's what the 'Building with Reaktor' sub-forum is for. Just post a thread about any problem you are having. Give plenty details and examples of what you tried... You should get good answers here.

    It does seem odd that you can't find answers in the manuals though - to me they seem very thorough. There are quite a few subtleties that are no covered, but you don't need that kind of knowledge to get started building even intermediate or advanced projects.

    It's a massive shame that the old forum is gone - there were years worth of expert knowledge on there.

    -----------------------------

    So, what are you stuck with? (one thing at a time please ;))

  • P-box
    P-box Member Posts: 60 Member
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    Thank you all so much for the many responses! This is a great site, and so many of you are incredibly helpful!

    @ColB: Yes, I agree, building a complex sample/granular instrument with a (non-stock) GUI is not a beginner project. I was wanting to express my goal, not necessarily express my hopes to do it by next week (although that would be great).

    So you also said to start with one thing:

    I have a ensemble I am using a a building tool, and was adding different elements such as a saturator, and overdrive, a granular delay. All going well, although it's possible that having them is parallel may not be as impactful as if I put them in series. But, they work, and I'm trying to become familiar with the different sound augmenting tools.

    But then I added a OSC Block, and it works great, but I want it within the GUI of the ensemble, so I looked up Scope, and added it. But it does not resemble the internal structure of the Scope block at all (partly great as it is simpler). But whereas the Block only requires an input (which I pulled off the master volume at the end of the FX chain, the Macro Scope appears to require multiple input sources, and nothing that is on the main panel page corresponds to something I can logically feed it.

    I can see what it wants (theoretically) but don't know how rto supply it. The manual has nothing helpful, as it is only labels. No example of the Scope Macro n action (within a ensemble), and of all the devices I have downloaded from the Reaktor user site, none of them (so far) are using the Scope Macro for me to see how they are connecting it.

    What I hope to learn, more than anything, is where a new builder like myself, could find a resource to answer the question.

    Thanks for your time.

    Paul (P-box)

    PS I have read all the manuals (but did I absorb it all?), and continue to watch every Reaktor video I can find. But videos are complicated, beacuse they are an amazing resource do not have a word search, and often I remember seeing something at some point but cant remeber which video it was in..

    As I said, I am learning, but really hoping to be strategic in shortening the learning curve.

  • P-box
    P-box Member Posts: 60 Member
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    Oops --- Typos

    I meant SCOPE Block above, and attempting to use the Scope Macro in its place

  • reffahcs
    reffahcs Member Posts: 848 Guru
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    The only scope I know of is the one that is shown in the 2nd video from Simon that PoorFellow linked to. Is this the one you're having trouble with?


  • P-box
    P-box Member Posts: 60 Member
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    @reffahcs :

    No, I have been able to connect the Scope Block just fine, and it displays just fine.

    I wanted to be able to embed the Scope object (see below) into the Ensemble I am building. I intended for it to do the same thing as Scope Block, but within the GUI of the Ensemble.

    However, it requires a number of other inputs to generate the graphic waveform of a oscilloscope. What I cannot figure out with the manual is how to supply it with the necessary input data.

    If the "In" is referencing the Audio Input, then fine. But what object do I need to use prior to the Scope object in order to split the audio data into the required inputs Scope needs to create a waveform in the display field that Scope places on the Ens Panel view? And I misnamed this object a Scope Macro in my previous post. It is not a Macro (my mistake).


  • reffahcs
    reffahcs Member Posts: 848 Guru
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    I can't figure out how to search for a block in Reaktor, I only just started watching the intro videos.

    So I guess I have two questions, one, where is that block you posted available at? ie Core, Primary etc...

    And two, is there a particular reason why the util scope isn't working for you?

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 3,271 mod
    edited December 2023
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    To get Scope : in Reaktor choose New Ensemble , then right click in lower part of work area window , then select : Built-in module : Panel : Scope

    How to search from workspace (page 17 here) , in lower part of ensemble workspace left click free area then hit enter , Ref. :

    6.3. Using the Search Box : The search box provides a fast and convenient way of finding Blocks and adding them to your Rack: 1. Click anywhere in the Rack's Panel view and press [Enter] on your keyboard.


    For in-manual picture of module then please refer to REAKTOR 5.5 - Module Reference - page 107 (1.15 Scope) here : https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/Reaktor_5_Modules_and_Macros_Reference_English.pdf

    (I had same problem as you and it took me quite a while to find out - until I got an idea) (I must confess that I find browsing and organizing in Reaktor a pure mess for a beginner and nothing less , though I am sure that most here would disagree)

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 3,271 mod
    edited December 2023
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    The organization of information appear to be somewhat backwards , at least I had a major problem locating the information that you wanted , but now 3-4 hours later I finally found it , only you apparently have to look in the version 5 documentation (at least I could not locate it in version 6) . Or maybe you simply have to know that some information is located in the V.5 documentation ??? (ALL the Reaktor 6 and 5 documentation is found here !)

    So , to find the information that you want then please refer to the : Reaktor 5 Modules and Macros Reference English :

    1.15 Scope : 1.15.2 Ports : page 108 (AND ONWARDS - includes use example !) : Quote : Application :

    The Scope Module is used to create a flexible oscilloscope for displaying time-varying signals. Typically you would connect an A to E Trig Module (↑14.8, A to E (Trig)) to the "Trg" (trigger) input port for triggering the Scope Module from a periodic Audio signal with zero-crossings.

    The oscilloscope is the bread and butter analysis tool for analog circuit engineers and it is no different when designing DSP circuits. If you want to learn to creatively program your own DSP Structures, knowing how to monitor the signal at different points with an oscilloscope is a key skill on the way there.

    1.15.2 Ports : Input Ports :

    ▪ (Trg) "Trg" (trigger) Monophonic Event input port for the trigger signal that starts the signal trace on the display. A trigger signal is considered as a positive valued Event.

    ▪ (TP) "TP" (time position) Monophonic Event input port for controlling the offset in time (Time Position) of the trace in milliseconds. The trace starts at the left edge of the display "TP" milliseconds after the trigger signal (at the "Trg" (trigger) input port). The range of values at this input port should be [0 … <buffer time set in the Properties>]. When this input port is disconnected, the default value that is used is "0".

    ▪ (TS) "TS" (time scale) Monophonic Event input port for controlling the time scale of the displayed trace. From the left to the right edge the display shows "TS" milliseconds of the signal. The range of values at this input port should be [0 … <buffer time set in the Properties>]. When this input port is disconnected, the default value that is used is "0".

    ▪ (YP) "YP" (Y position) Monophonic Event input port for controlling the amplitude offset of the trace. With this input port disconnected, the default value, "0", is used. This means that the signal trace is drawn with the zero-point reference taken as the dotted line through the middle of the display. When YP = -1, the bottom edge of the display is taken as this reference point and for YP = +1 the top edge is taken as the zero-point in the amplitude scale.

    ▪ (YS) "YS" (Y scale) is the Monophonic Event input port for controlling the amplitude scaling of the signal trace. The difference between the signal values at the top and at the bottom of the display is 2*YS. When YP = 0, the display shows values between +YS and –YS. The range of values at this input port should be [-1 … 1]. When this input port is disconnected, the default value that is used is "0".

    ▪ (In) "In" Monophonic Audio input port for the signal to be displayed.


    Other stuff , (that I happened to stumble over) in case of interest ! :

    NI Reaktor Quick Tips - Build a Simple Oscilloscope : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PLS2X4ZdBw&ab_channel=ADSRMusicProductionTutorials

    Other method stuff: Adding an Oscilloscope to a Reaktor Instrument : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ODTlk3PqI&ab_channel=bigbrainaudio

    NI Reaktor - How to build a Scrolling Oscilloscope - How To Tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttYQq-OvTqw&ab_channel=ADSRMusicProductionTutorials

  • P-box
    P-box Member Posts: 60 Member
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    @PoorFellow

    Thank you! This information is so very helpful!

    There is just so much I don't know! So in 5 min. I was able to construct most of the Macro for a Scope.

    But a problem:

    Here's a view of my attempt with the Macro view, and then the Panel view of a sine wave synth to test it:


    The sine wave oscillation plays just fine. But no visualization in the scope.

    and here is the Reaktor 5 manual version:

    On my Scope Macro, I cannot identify what the green input "1" is. This seems to be my error.


    Thanks again! I will study the resources you sent. Already looked at Salamanders video, but for follow through, I would like to understand how to complete this Macro, as his is constructed with different elements (the XY module) - although the ability of his approach to provide stereo is very appealing.

    **Also, his version resulted in a static (presumably repeating) waveform displaying one cycle. The SCOPE Block displays a waveform over a fixed period of time (adjustable). I am believing this would require a good deal more components to be able to define a time/length parameter?

  • Sunborn
    Sunborn NKS User Library Mod Posts: 2,409 mod
    edited December 2023
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    @P-box

    In your first image, you see the red wires. They indicate a wrong connection.

    The reason is that Scopes are always Mono and your "A to E Trig" and "Exp" are Poly.

    Right-click on each one and change them to Mono :-)

    The value "1" on "A" is correct. On most cases, 1 is the correct value for A

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 3,271 mod
    edited December 2023
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    Sorry I do not have the time and energy to find all the information over a prolonged period of time.

    My advise is that I think that you need to study by studying in context , that is use the manual better. This means that e.g. in connection (no pun intended) with the Scope then on page 110 , page bottom , 1.15.5 Example: Simple Scope there is a link to ↑14.8, A to E (Trig) (page 740) and there (page 740 and ONWARD) I think that they show the use of the A to E (Trig) with example in connection with the Scope !

    Also in connection with videos , I am sorry I can not watch it all. I do not mind chipping in and helping as best I can with anything concrete when and if I can. But I am sure that e.g. Sunborn knows a lot more than I do about Reaktor as do other (more) experienced users. I personally will have to get acquainted with the stuff first all the time , which you can see in the above that I am rather good at, but since I am new to Reaktor then it takes a lot of time for me and I can only delegate so much time to it ! 🙂

    I hope to be able to assist from time to time but more experienced users can help a lot more and better !

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 3,271 mod
    edited December 2023
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    P.S.

    I got annoyed with the scope and put something together mixing the example in the book with something I took from here: Reaktor Part 3.

    the X in picture is the Built-in module : Math : Multiply , and the thing with the } is the Built-in module : Auxiliary : Audio Voice Combiner ! The Pitch and Amplifier you add by right clicking on respectively P and A on Sine and then Create Control !

    Sorry , that is the best I could do for today , I didn't have the patience to try to get the other parts to work today !


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