Create an NKS compatible Reaktor ensemble

Sunborn · April 8

This procedure is meant to be the final step, after you completely finished with your ensemble creation.

Step 1:

Choose the parameter you want to start with, go to "Connect" tab, enable Automation, map the ID numbers in the order you want and give an appropriate name to the Custom Parameter Name:

Note: Make sure that your selections have some sense, in order to help both you, and the end user. For example, if you use ID 26 for Filter Cutoff, is a good idea to use ID 27 for Resonance.

You have to repeat this procedure on every parameter/knob etc. you want to include, one by one.

After you do the entire ensemble, and you are sure that you have include all the parameters you want, save it.

Step 2:

Now open Komplete Kontrol or Maschine, create a custom mapping and save it:

Step 3:

While still on Komplete Kontrol or Maschine, reload the template you just created, then start to load every preset (from within Reaktor), one by one, and save them, so they all be saved with the new template.

They will be saved in your hard disc, usually at: "C:\Users\your_name\Documents\Native Instruments\User Content\Reaktor" on Windows (or the equal path on Mac) as Reaktor Preset Files (.nrkt).

Step 4:

After you are done, close Komplete Kontrol or Maschine and open Reaktor again. Go to your "Preset Browser" tab (Snapshots), and replace each one with its equal saved preset from your hard drive, the ones we made on Komplete Kontrol or Maschine in the previous step.

Finally, save your ensemble.

After that, the procedure is not exactly the same as with any other plugin. We still need to create NI Resources and .previews, but not presets! The ones who are embedded into the ensemble are enough. And we don't need the saved .nrkt presets anymore (unless for backup purposes). In fact, if we leave them, we will see double presets on our Komplete Kontrol or Maschine.

So, we are done!

Sunborn · June 3

Advanced Step:

How to change the Product Name from "Reaktor" to your own name.

This is a more complicated step, which involves direct edit of the ensemble. I will describe it here:

1: Go to your ensemble location/folder, right-click the ensemble and open it with an advanced text editor (i use the excellent and free Notepad++) or with a HEX editor.

2: Use the internal search and look for "Reaktor".

On almost any case, it is the first result (very close to the top), just before the bank name (default is "New", unless you gave to your bank a name). Check image below.

3: Replace "Reaktor" with your own name (on my example is "Neptune").
DO NOT remove or replace anything else (empty space, strange characters etc.).
Just the letters (Reaktor = 7 letters).

4: Save and close. You are ready.

However please pay extreme attention to the Limitations section, below!

Limitations (please read carefully):

Actually, there is only one limitation but it is crucial!
Maybe it is something standard, or maybe it is because of my incomplete knowledge of HEX editing.
If anyone can advice how to bypass this limitation, please leave a comment!

So, the only thing that you must take care of, is to replace the 7 characters only (Reaktor)!
If you add more, the ensemble becomes unreadable and it does not open in Reaktor.
If you add less, then you must replace the missing ones with something else, whether its a number, a letter, a symbol or just empty space. You removed 7 characters (Reaktor), so you must replace them with 7 characters! That's it. You can either use symbols or letters from a foreign language. This is not a problem either as long as you keep 7 characters.

I hope that this guide can help some of you. Good luck! :-)

laserbeak · June 4

Nice find. I wonder if there's a section in there that defines the size of the name….

Sunborn · June 4

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/157746#Comment_157746

Thanks!

About define the size of the name, i have no clue about it, but i don't think so, at least not as text/hex edited… maybe in the developer's app…

ClickOct · June 4

thanks for the tips !!

Kymeia · June 4

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/157746#Comment_157746

No, the size of the name is only determined by the number of letters in 'Reaktor' which means there is only space allocated to those 7 letters and any other additions outside that space make unwanted changes to the file which corrupt it

If it had a different name then I guess you may have more, or less, letters, depending on the size of that name. This limitation is a result of this being a hack rather than defining the product name the way NI do in the process of creating NKS internally (using the tools available to their developers) - for example Molekular has 9 letters

Kymeia · June 4

Personally I prefer to keep them as Reaktor products but change the Bank and Sub Bank fields so they are organised in a dropdown menu under Reaktor - I just find it tidier to keep them all together eg: