Reaktor and its "factory" devices are always a nice playground in creativity dead ends..
Have a look at this one, it's free: http://www.antonioblanca.com/dron-e

Or throw some audio through this guy: http://www.pluginboutique.com/articles/197
..and play around with his parameters.. *yes*

 

This should be a REQ on Audioz, more than one will be happy for trying it:

 

@carl, yup, waiting for this also for a long time but finally i will buy 'Loupe 2' since i am very happy and pleased with previous products of Peter: He's a valuable member of the reaktor-scene and often helps with tricks and ideas and kept the community alive when there have been times just a few members posted at the forum or uploaded own creations, so from my point of view, we should support him by buying his creations, and they're not that expensive and Peter also takes care about updates. But if you'd give the idea behind 'Loupe 2' a try, maybe check out his freebie-ensembles, there's a stripped down version afaik, think it's called 'frame' or so?

Yes. Reaktor needs time. Time to understand just the concept itself: instruments are called 'ensembles'. Presets are called 'snapshots', at least they're stored in banks like regular plugins so. And to change anything, even just to load up sample-banks into the so-called 'map' to use 'em in the samplers, you'll need to be in the 'edit'-mode even you won't edit anything. And there are two instances of Reaktor, one as an instrument, another as an FX. So, these are - just to mention a few - the first principles you'll need to know to get anything started. It might take a couple of days or weeks to get used to it. But once you understand how to load 'ensembles', the fun starts by exploring the user library which has a few hundred useful and wonderful gems. But with currently more than about 3.500 (!) user-creations it will maybe take months to try 'em all. And some 'ensembles' need also some time to figure out how they work. Need some basic 707, 808 or 909 or vermona- or wurlitzer- oder Korg-Drums and -Pattern-Step-Sequencers? It's there. Need a good vocoder? It's there. Need extreme self-oscilating-self-feeding dub-delays? It's there. Need a moog modular (!) ? It's there. Need an 303-emulation? It's there. Need some Juno106-sound? It's there. Like the fat, thick oberheim-sound? It's there. And especially if it comes to freaky, weirdy, strange, wicked, funny grain- and granular-stuff? For sure, it's there. And once you understood how the first level of the 'programming'-structure works (it's easy, drag&drop the stuff, connect it, try & error) how can quickly change _any_ instrument the way you'll like, add so called 'macros' and after a couple of years you might like to get to the deepest structure which is some sort of 'DSP'-coding. But, hey, don't get frightened. Reaktor feels a bit unusual first, but once you understoof how it works, you'll LOVE it.

If i had to choose to pick only one single plugin i'm allowed to work with? It's Reaktor.

I spent months on Max/msp, also very nice, but Reaktor offers quicker results, better stability, better performance and without any doubt, the most exciting library of instruments and effects i have ever seen.

After telling so much stuff, just have a look for yourself:
This is my private reaktor-'minimal music machine', the 'mimumachine' i built about four years ago. And i am still working with it and changing it regulary to my needs.
ALL single sounds have been created with reaktor as well.
Basically it's a simple pattern-sample-sequencer with a few sequenced effects.
http://vimeo.com/4154895

;-)
Best!

 

Thanks mamooon for your comment. Don´t worry, I already emailed Peter Dines (congratulating him because his great resources offered) and he sugested me to try a few free-more friendly and simple granular ensembles before purchasing anything because I´m a newbie with Reaktor. Of course, because I´m a newbie I´m excited with all this whole new world, but I want to go to my specific actual needs so I don´t get lost in an ocean of ensembles and come back to writing something. Also I don´t think I need something too fancy or complex. I´m used to make all my glitch particles slice by slice and arranging one by one, and searching for Reaktor plugs I found that there´s a lot of experimental work dedicated to create auto-randomizing-generative stuff for live use and this will take out all the fun in my process, so for now with Frame and Simple Grainer is enough to tweak some twisted wav melodies I recorded/sliced recently and see what happens. If I get inspiring stuff I will be drown into Reaktor without noticing at all, that´s how always happen with plugs that works for me *yes* Of course I want to load some Reaktor knowledge directly in my brain like in Matrix and build my own Granular Sampler tomorrow, but we are still waiting for that wonderful technology BTW, your ensemble is great

 

@Carl, thanks for the nice feedback: Yup, indeed, i was also one of the guys who cut up and sliced more or less manually samples to re-arrange and manipulate the slices in all kind of imaginable ways and methods 'till i found many, many years ago a tool (which does not exist anymore) which simply sliced up shorter wave-files in different ways and without a need to use the .rex-file-format which never gave me the flexibility i needed. the tool then simply exported the slices and that way i still processed the slices manually as i still do today: so i do see some reaktor-ensembles as kind of tools, like the perfect kitchen aid: a good kitchen machine doesn't simply make a perfect dinner, but it helps at the process of preparation and - this is the most valuable thing - it saves time by doin' things more or less automatically you would otherwise have done manually. stuff of "twisted tools" as well as of mr. dines is some sort of this kitchen-aid, you might still need to tweak things manually, but the way some reaktor-ensembles do work, it's also a pretty inspiring process and this let's you focus on what's your main intention: building something interesting. If you like 'Frame', and this is a no-brainer since it's free and extremly handy, also check out that very old, old factory-ensemble 'random stepshifter', get back to the init-mode, load up a wave and then experiment with the settings: this is still one of my favourite factory-reaktor-ensembles to create wonderful kind of 'clicks and cuts' and the fun starts when loading more than just one sample into the map since this ensemble then plays back different samples randomly or as you want, by a sequence: the results then can be bounced as a new wave and well, then you might repeat the process. and i'll guarantee, after repeating this a couple of times you'll have totally fresh and never-heard-before files you still can slice manually if you do enjoy this process ;-)

 

Really Reaktor is as simple or complex as you want it to be. You can either just load up a synth and an effect like the awesome Spacemaster 2 or you could make your own synth. If you're only working with one synth then it works like any other VST. The only thing you have to get used to is wiring things together properly if you want to use more than one and that's about as simple as it gets. It opens up a lot of out of the box thinking and that can be great for creativity. You get to use synths like Monark, Prism, Razor, Skanner XT and so much more.

 

it sounds pretty crap tbh and some stuff in there is overkill... it also looks pretty ugly.

 

I'm telling you Reaktor is a really great environment. Practically any artist worth his salt has used it or is currently using it.

 

Thanks Mamooon. I´m checking now some random stepshifter videos. Sometimes I slice a bunch of moments from the same melodic source and it´s nice that you can call back diferent samples with the select button and put them back together rearranged. That´s part of what I do now manually so this ensemble will work for me for sure. Also I think I can get nice cutting results with the ADSR envelope, that´s an useful option. Thanks again for your suggestions.

Yes Catalyst, I´m interested also in working with extemely basic synths. Sometimes I like to use pure sines for sub glides or sharp pulses so I was watching yesterday some tuts to set up very simple synths in Reaktor and it looks really fun.

Don´t worry HK I also prefer stacking a few different vsts rather than having everything in one place. I find myself today loading Kontakt just for a simple music box instead of having tons of instruments from NI routed inside it... some friends LOVE to have everything in there. Maybe it´s just taste or some workflow habits. Anyway, I´ll also try Granite, I´ve listened really nice sounding noises coming out from that thing *yes*

Greetings

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE!

Nah ok on a serious note, Reaktor was cool before but right now, with the standard of DSP I personally expect from todays tecnology, Reaktor doesn't cut it for me, the way it works could be so much better and the environment design can be really abnoxious. I'm personally not a very big Native Instruments fan because personally I like to use plugins from specialised designers that focus on a specific set of tools. Usually these guys nail the type of designs that they do and when I compare their products to more over-rated massive companies like Native Instruments, they kick ass.

Take Cytomic for eg. these guys made only two plugins so far. A compressor and a filter. And right now, DSP quality wise, they have the best digital compressor and filter right now....SO FREAKING CLEAN. That's why I like individual vsts rather than have some massive overdone program where most of the things I'm not even going to use.

 

Well I also like specific tools, but in this case I wasn´t looking for something too HQ sounding so it worth trying and see what happens.
I know that we are off topic now (and I´ve read lots of related opinions at Audiosex) but I´m interested in your choices about compressors/reverbs.
I´m still away from my 'main preferences', maybe still shaping my taste. Sometimes is hard for me to get the sound I listen in my head when working with real drums or clean electric guitar arpeggios. So, if you have to choose one or two tools to go with (and yes, I know 'every track and situation is different'), which are your choices? I´m using Sonnox lately for compression, it sounds clean for me but I´ll be happier with more detailed displays, and Redline is nice for my reverbs. I´m just curious...

 

I use ToneBoosters Track Compressor, sounds pretty nice. Cytomic The Glue is also amazing as I mentioned *yes*

Reverb wise right now I'm using Uhbik Ambience by u-he...it's pretty clean

Filter I use Uhbik Runciter and if I didn't have a CPU that was made out of pure shit I prolly would use Cytomic The Drop.

Synthesizers I only use Audjoo Helix, it's low on CPU and sounds amazing

Drums I use Battery 4 and for real world stuff I use XLN Audio Addictive Drums

Orchestra I use Garritan and as before, if I didn't have a PC made out of dog shit prolly would use EAST WEST QAUNTUM DERP

There you go now you know everything I use...I almost feel like a Beauty Guru on Youtube but instead for Audio Engineering