Please reconsider Reaktor as something you could re-launch as a fully featured DAW when used in Standalone mode whose full capabilities/potential would be unlocked if the following features were added:-
- VST hosting: In rack/panel mode, VSTs appear as they do with their UI but they can be collapsed to a small rectangle with (say) 8 knobs assigned (collapsed is the default view in edit mode). Audio/modulation ports in and out either side to allow modulation from other Reaktor instruments or ensembles or VSTs. Mixing bus nodes and ensemble groups.
- Colours for connection lines in edit mode.
- Factory Wavetable OSCs (and synths) and filtering
- A new high-level "layer" collection of nodes: a series of macros easily connected to help newcomers ease their way into creating their own instruments and FX.
- Multi-channel midi for hosting multi-channel midi generator VSTs (like Harmony Bloom) and multi-out ensembles within Reaktor (like ScapeShift). Multi-channel audio ins easily selected from connected audio interfaces. Multiple outs for use in a daw or to large mixing desk. Input nodes for bringing into realtime data from electronics prototypes and videogame hardware like gamepads, VR headsets and controllers/gloves.
- To make this performant also provide multi-threading to all parts of Reaktor (probably requiring modifying all nodes to be multi-threaded.)
- GPU mode - expand the multi-threaded aspect to take advantage of GPU processing.
- EXPORTING of optimised Reaktor ensembles as compiled VSTs for loading back into Reaktor as an optimised uneditable VST increasing the amount of complexity possible. Patches containing hosted VST plugins will not export of course!
- Create an online marketplace where people can upload for free or even sell the VSTs they make, with a rating and automatic refund system (which deletes it straight out of the program). If developers wish, they can even provide the original ensembles to foster learning or customisation. NI takes a cut from each sale. Wrapping Reaktor in a new commercial ecosystem would reinvigorate the creative part of the Reaktor community and bring a lot of new blood! Terms and conditions plus an approvals process should prevent people from trying to sell cheap clone plugins.
- Uploaded VSTs can be tagged usable outside of Reaktor but can only be purchased from the NI store.
- (Getting greedy now) Enable C++ development of custom low-level nodes by third-party developers. Also sellable on the Reaktor Store.
With these changes, Reaktor could become the most customisable DAW in the world for which people could design their own interfaces or forms of interaction. For full version release: include multiple new sequencers, traditional piano-rolls, audio loop playback and pre-made mixing, channel strips and mastering tools. Plus provide some new ensembles and the ability buy and download VSTs from third-party partners and use them straight away instead of having to download, extract and install. Rebrand it as (say) “Reaktor X” so you could even reboot it as a new product, but you MUST make it compatible with all existing Reaktor ensembles in the library. (These could also be instantly downloaded into your project rather than having to download, locate and reopen).