REAKTOR Explained

Native Instruments REAKTOR is noted as being extremely powerful, but extremely complex. REAKTOR guru Brent Kallmer saves the day and shows you the ins and outs with a in-depth series covering the important features and functions of this awesome software suite.

Introducing REAKTOR

• Introduction (02:27) - Learn what makes REAKTOR arguably the most powerful audio software on the market.

• IO Setup (05:23) - Find out how to configure REAKTOR to work with your soundcard and MIDI control surfaces.

• Important Stuff (07:56) - Get acquainted with some of REAKTOR’s basic—and most important—controls and indicators.

How REAKTOR Thinks

• Ensembles (04:33) - Learn about ensembles and how they differ from other plugins you’ve worked with.

• Instruments (02:34) - Discover the fundamental unit of sound creation in REAKTOR—the instrument—and learn how instruments work together to form ensembles.

• Macros & Modules (04:30) - Learn about Macros, REAKTOR’s way of bundling commonly used structures into a single object, and modules, the lower-level building blocks that REAKTOR uses to bring instruments and ensembles to life.

The Most Powerful Interface

• Browser (06:53) - Find out how to locate ensembles, instruments, and all the rest using the Player, Factory, User, and Disks subtabs.

• Snapshots (04:06) - Discover how to access banks of ensemble and instrument snapshots.

• Panelsets (03:33) - Learn how to configure an ensemble's panel display to optimize workflow, and how to toggle between various saved configurations.

• Properties Pt. 1 (12:31) - Get familiar with the Properties tab, which provide easy access to some of the most common operations in REAKTOR.

• Properties Pt. 2 (10:15) - Learn how to use the View subtab to customize the look of your ensembles.

• Properties Pt. 3 (02:33) - Understand the MIDI (and other) connection options available in the Connect subtab.

Understanding Snapshots

• Snapshots Demystified Pt. 1 (11:11) - Learn about REAKTOR’s parent-child hierarchy, and how to manage snapshots in ensembles with multiple instruments.

• Snapshots Demystified Pt. 2 (13:12) - Get clear on the essential snapshot-management functions Append, Store, and Insert.

• Snapshots Demystified Pt. 3 (13:20) - Discover how to compare snapshots, create and manage banks, and use the Morphing and Random functions.

Synthesizers

• Carbon 2 Pt. 1 (09:53) - Take a flyover of REAKTOR’s powerful all-rounder synth, and explore the oscillator section.

• Carbon 2 Pt. 2 (04:56) - Learn how to use Carbon 2’s secret weapon—wavetable modulation.

• Lazerbass Pt. 1 (07:56) - Explore the high-definition world of additive synthesis and check out the sound creation section of low-end devastator Lazerbass.

• Lazerbass Pt. 2 (15:21) - Learn about Lazerbass’s out-there filtering and modulation possibilities, and discover a number of powerful global controls.

• Oki Computer 2.1 Pt. 1 (10:06) - Get your 8-bit on with this introduction to REAKTOR’s off-the-wall wavetable synth, Oki Computer 2.1.

• Oki Computer 2.1 Pt. 2 (09:02) - Discover the full extent of Oki Computer’s modulation madness.

Grooveboxes

• Sinebeats 2 Pt. 1 (07:53) - Discover the sinewave-based beat production world of Sinebeats 2—it’s step sequencing on steroids.

• Sinebeats 2 Pt. 2 (14:32) - Learn how to transform the sound of your hits with Tone, Drive, EQ, and Filter parameters; and understand the Mixer and FX Sends.

• Sinebeats 2 Pt. 3 (05:32) - Find out how to trigger different grooves in real time with Sinebeats Snap via Key feature, and see REAKTOR’s all-important Audio RecorderPlayer in action.

• Limelite Pt. 1 (09:14) - Discover the house-groove magic of Limelite, and find out how to use its turbocharged sequencer.

• Limelite Pt. 2 (14:52) - Check out Limelite’s real-time remixing features, explore the global controls, and get clear on how the individual sampler units work.

• Limelite Pt. 3 (13:36) - Get acquainted with Limelite’s otherworldly effects suite.

Samplers

• Beat Slicer 2 (05:15) - Learn to chop up loops and make them into playable hits, complete with all sorts of controls per slice, with Beat Slicer 2.

• Memory Drum 2 Pt. 1 (13:06) - Explore REAKTOR’s powerful Sample Map Editor via Memory Drum 2, a compact drum sampler that packs a punch.

• Memory Drum 2 Pt. 2 (06:45) - Learn how to create and save your own sample maps in Memory Drum.

• Random Step Shifter (06:36) - Amp up your sample game by learning how to use your own loops with one of REAKTOR’s wicked sample-transformers.

Behind the Curtain

• Connecting Instruments (08:29) - Learn two crucial ways of connecting instruments in REAKTOR.

• Building a Simple Synth Pt. 1 (07:44) - See how to build a simple sawtooth-oscillator-based synthesizer using Macros and Modules.

• Building a Simple Synth Pt. 2 (09:15) - Learn how to edit the instrument panel, and follow along as we build a multimode oscillator to use with our synth.

• Building a Simple Synth Pt. 3 (10:36) - Discover how to add another oscillator and mix the two oscillator signals with a mixer. Also learn how to customize the A and B panels.

• Building a Simple Synth Pt. 4 (06:31) - Find out how to add a filter to shape our synth’s sound and a LFO to add movement.

• Conclusions (02:54) - Learn about two invaluable resources for your continuing explorations in REAKTOR.