What's so special about "Reaktor"

[ewistrand]

Disadvantages:

#1: CPU hog!

Not really if you compare it to a lot of the newer plugins. The Reaktor shell uses <1% on my machine.

While there's some ensembles that take a lot of CPU to run, for the most part it's fairly reasonable

#2: yes, Reaktor has a sound. Every IDM musician uses a Reaktor Beat Mangler on the master channel and a preset bell synthesizer.

That's the sound of those people using it, and not Reaktor per se...

#3: did I mention CPU hog? Having an amphibious car would be cool, and useful at times.... but you probably can't afford to drive one to work every day.

See my answer to #1...

#4. NI has an ugly interface.

Considering that any ensemble's GUI in Reaktor is what the builder made it to be, I don't find that point valid either.

If you find yourself wishing "gosh I wish someone had made an instrument that does X, or effects that do Y, or I think itd be more fun to make this tool than, say, write music" then definitely check out Reaktor. Or if you want to make IDM.

Reaktor isn't for everyone; true.

ew

[dj superflat]

i really don't get this. have you all not checked out what's available in the user library and the electronic instruments collections? they're insane. seriously, where else are there 100s of sample manglers, beat boxes, drum machines, synths, fx, of this variety, anywhere? pluggo maybe comes close, but doesn't have near the variety or number.

sure, lots of it's overkill, some of it doesn't sound great, etc. but to say reaktor is only useful if you want to make your own ensembles is silly. there's tons of ensembles available for free, for all sorts of music, even if much of it leans experimental.

please note: i understand why lots of people don't think they need further fx/samples/beatboxes/etc. but some of the reaktor ensembles are far and away the coolest X i've ever seen/used (whether fx, beat box, sample mangler, synth, whatever).

dissing reaktor is a lot like dissing free vsts. yes, there's lots of crap. but some of the free vsts are fantastic.

[audiovoid]

Yes I'll admit that Reaktor DOES excel in the areas of abstract and more experimental sound design. But to say that's all it is good for is just plain untrue.
And you absolutely do not have know how to build your own instruments just to get descent results. Infact unless you really know what your doing you probably would only get sub-par results at best so one would generally be better off sticking to the giant plethora of available creations.

[laird]

For a little clarity's sake, I don't think recognizing disadvantages to be the same thing as dissing Reaktor.

Reaktor is a CPU hog on some computers. If you have a new fast machine obviously this isn't s an issue. But some people use old laptops, not brand new Mac desktops, so its worth trying out first. The interface is ugly... thats my opinion. I hate NI's dark interfaces, their folder trees being on the opposite side of the load/save buttons, etc.. This is obviously my opinion, not an invalid fact. Reaktor has a sound... again, an opinion expressed by several folks here. Lots of folks say Ableton Live has a "sound". Is that inherent to the program? Well, if you dont know how warping all your soundfiles can change them timbrally... then, yes, this is a disadvantage of Ableton Live you should be aware of. But it shouldn't keep you from using it.... or even rejecting it based on other people's poor use of it.

I personally wouldn't spend the $$$ on Reaktor just to download other people's presets. There are easier, cheaper and faster ways to do that. Reaktor is a powerful tool and has SO much more potential.

[dj superflat]

as i'm sure you're aware, you're not downloading others' presets, you downloading others fx/synths/sampleplayers/beatboxes, etc. there's a world of difference.

serious, non-rhetorical question:

you say there are cheaper, easier ways to do that. what are they? i'm completely serious, because if i'm overlooking other free stuff on the level of reaktor, i want to know (i know about ksr, use dblue, camel, mobius, automat, synth1, etc.). you make it sound like there's some analog to reaktor i'm overlooking. are you talking purmagnetic, covert ops type stuff? do tell.

[laird]

non-rhetorical answer: for simple stuff like reverbs... use a reverb plugin like Ambience.

For the more complex stuff, for instance, anything using audio input as more than just simple audio-to-be-processed, then I have made an overstatement. (as well as used "preset" in a derisive manner, moreso than an accurate manner). Live's Racks get us a little closer than VST chains, and I suspect the Ableton's collaboration with Cycling74 will being us way closer still.

I have seen/heard a lot of people using Reaktor to generate random beat manipulations that are no more powerfu/complexl than dBue Glitch. In fact, I might say the majority. And it makes me sad, because I've also heard some fanstatic stuff. But that takes talent and practice.

Its something that a potential customer should try out for themselves and seriously ask themselves: does this offer something I would take the time to use/study? If you just need a tempo-synced gate/delay then get a tempo-synced gate/delay.

[dj superflat]

not to be difficult, but you've pretty much just conceded reaktor is sui generis. i love live, what you can do with racks, but you can't come close to some of the task-specific sample manglers, fx, synths, and beat boxes in reaktor. maybe you haven't played with the stuff on the electronic instruments collections. regardless, you haven't really identified anything that would come close to what i get out of reaktor. obviously, YMMV.

[laird]

I'm glad you are recognizing its potential. Seriosly. I've performed live electronic music for over a decade now, and I've seen/heard a lot of people who use Reaktor.

I don't think you represent the typical Reaktor user.

I've heard some really amazing stuff, but not everyone will get that out of the box. Or perhaps ever.

Again, I dont mean to say anything like "Reaktor sucks, dont get it".

I sucked at Reaktor, and I've heard a lot of other people who do, too.

I think you can do a lot of great stuff with 5 stomp boxes, and there's no reason to buy Reaktor for that type of thing.

The points I bring up are things I think a person should consider for themsevles before spending a lot of money, or before loading up a bunch of "presets" at the next show I go to.

[jlgrimes]

The disadvantage might be that a lot of ensembles (Reaktor's 'VST') take quite a bit of CPU resources. But there are some really great creations in the user library, highly recommended!

Most of the built in ensembles are pretty light.

Main disadvantage with Reaktor is complexity, time consuming to create synths.

Also, although you get hundreds of synths, will you really master one of them?


But you can get sounds out of it that many people will have a hard time emulating, but then again this is for straight experimental stuff.

If you want a Virtual Analog, something like Pro 53 is more enjoyable. (or any other VA)

If you want FM, FM8 is a monster.


A lot of people also use Reaktor though for Step Sequencing, Drum machines, and Effects and Sample playback (mainly granular type stuff).

[stjohn]

i never got the whole 'Reaktor Music' thing regarding IDM. The thing is as far as granular sampling/looping, it is very easy to get fantastic results with low level modular programs like Reaktor and Max MSP. last year i had a stab at doing one in Max MSP, and to my surprise, when i had a finsihed product, when i loaded a loop in... i got 'REaktor Music'

so my conclusion was that 'reaktor music' was indeed a term made up by weary complainers, for the whole IDM phenomenon. That being said.. loading a Reaktor Patch liek 'Ginsu Delay' or maybe even grainstates, does make it quite easy to get great sounding granular stuff by flicking through presets, but this is the same for any synth/fx module.

My 2c is that reaktor is capable of all shades of electronic music, from jazz style warm bell/percussion tones to glitched up craziness. its depends what you use and how you use it.. and reaktor has no shortage things to use. My favourites are:

Grooves & Rhythm: Aerobic, Dirty Groovy, Vectory, Limelite, Sinebeats, Vierring, Fourtechre
Synths: Photone, Carbon 2, Kaleidon, Metaphysical Function
Fx: Analogue filter box, Grainstates FX, Lurker

random bits that are probably public enemy #1 for the IDM classic sound:
Ginsu Delay
White Grains
Krypt

but the oabove are still very cool and very capable of pushing that sound further. Reaktor is a must have for me and as I said before, messing with loops is a wetdream with it

[audiovoid]

Sweet, thanks for that. I'll have to peep the "White Grains" and "Ginsu Delay" ensembles. I've never heard of those two before.
And i'm with you on Limelite. Thats one wicked beast of a drum machine. Ecspecially if you tweak around with reaktor's preset morphing feature you can get some ultra twacked-out beats.
Never really managed to get many usable sounds out of crypt though.