The future of Reaktor

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... and that click and load workflow is already available in Komplete Kontrol, actually.

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EvilDragon wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 2:09 pm ... and that click and load workflow is already available in Komplete Kontrol, actually.
Most of the code for a half-decent v7 must already exist if they use this KK code for the browser and Komplete UI.
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If it were that easy it would've probably already happened...

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aMUSEd wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 10:39 am
oobesan wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 5:42 am
EvilDragon wrote: Sun Jan 04, 2026 10:05 am
machinesworking wrote: Sat Jan 03, 2026 11:17 pm
EvilDragon wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 7:55 pm You lot are constantly confusing Komplete Kontrol and Komplete UI. It's the latter that would provide resizable/HiDPI GUIs for ensembles, not the former.
Probably because none of us have insider knowledge and haven't read through API's as possible developers? The first time I heard about the Komplete UI is from you in this thread, your paragraph is where most of us end knowledge wise about what the difference is.

With that in mind all I can surmise is it's a UI framework for hosting plugins in Komplete Kontrol without opening up the plugin GUI? If it's a new framework for KK and Kontakt etc. that could be tacked onto the front end of Reaktor etc. or if I'm completely wrong, let us know.
KUI is a declarative UI language (think like Apple Swift). Has nothing to do with KK or hosting plugins. Currently is used to bring HiDPI interfaces to Kontakt instruments, but it's not limited to only be linked to Kontakt.
What does that have to do with modernizing Realtor’s UI?
Because 'not limited to only be linked to Kontakt.'
Sure, but would argue against the “insurmountable” work it would take to modernize Reaktor’s UI and take more than 5 years. This isn’t making any sense.

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At the risk of stating the obvious (which I haven't done yet because to me it sure does seem obvious): The biggest constraint here has to be backwards compatibility with existing Reaktor patches. (EDIT: Speculation removed. I'll leave that to the people who assume it should be quick and easy.)

All that said, it's not clear to me at all why KUI would or wouldn't be a suitable replacement for the current Reaktor UI. I could spend all day guessing and never land in the right ballpark.
Last edited by Super Piano Hater 64 on Thu Jan 08, 2026 8:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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It wouldn't be a replacement, it would be an adjunct.

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I assume it's not a big deal to disconnect the UI code from the Reaktor engine and components themselves. Should not be a big deal to write another UI layer that is more modern.

As a plus, if the engine and the UI could be exported as standalone plugins, that would be a big bonus, but it's a much larger technical issue to get this to work properly. Then again this is normal with game engines like Unity.

PS: I used to write middleware audio code to UI level abstractions for a startup long time ago, i.e. you just map the most common parameters to suitable knobs et rest and let the setup drive the UI.

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Well, Super 8 once was exported. Back then I thought that is a brilliant move and could be the main development tool for synths of the future. But they rolled it back…

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It was using prototype tech that never left the prototype stage, that's why it was rolled back.

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I think it would be worthwhile to get that prototype going again, or Cycling74 is covering that demand with RNBO. If I could create the UI as well, I wouldn't need Reaktor...
It could help external programmers to benefit from the NI ecosystem...
Well, just dreamin'

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EvilDragon wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 9:56 pm It wouldn't be a replacement, it would be an adjunct.
I understand you have a deep understanding of this issue. But first, you state it would be so much work to revamp Reaktor’s UI that it would take at least 5 years to complete. Then, later on, you state that Komplete UI could be used, implying that it wouldn’t be a big deal to update Reaktor’s UI. So, which is it?

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oobesan wrote: Fri Jan 09, 2026 6:22 am
EvilDragon wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 9:56 pm It wouldn't be a replacement, it would be an adjunct.
I understand you have a deep understanding of this issue. But first, you state it would be so much work to revamp Reaktor’s UI that it would take at least 5 years to complete. Then, later on, you state that Komplete UI could be used, implying that it wouldn’t be a big deal to update Reaktor’s UI. So, which is it?
Adjunct doesn't mean update. I'm guessing here, but it seems that the future of Reaktor could look like this- A resize fix (with possibly some blurriness) for the core GUI for building Ensembles, and the Komplete UI for future ensemble GUIs and some choice older ones. Just a guess but nothing mentioned sounds like it's possible to replace the core GUI of Reaktor, but the end product that most of us use can be updated with the Komplete UI. The GUI we use when not diving into the nuts and bolts of Reaktor etc.

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machinesworking wrote: Fri Jan 09, 2026 6:32 am
oobesan wrote: Fri Jan 09, 2026 6:22 am
EvilDragon wrote: Tue Jan 06, 2026 9:56 pm It wouldn't be a replacement, it would be an adjunct.
I understand you have a deep understanding of this issue. But first, you state it would be so much work to revamp Reaktor’s UI that it would take at least 5 years to complete. Then, later on, you state that Komplete UI could be used, implying that it wouldn’t be a big deal to update Reaktor’s UI. So, which is it?
Adjunct doesn't mean update. I'm guessing here, but it seems that the future of Reaktor could look like this- A resize fix (with possibly some blurriness) for the core GUI for building Ensembles, and the Komplete UI for future ensemble GUIs and some choice older ones. Just a guess but nothing mentioned sounds like it's possible to replace the core GUI of Reaktor, but the end product that most of us use can be updated with the Komplete UI. The GUI we use when not diving into the nuts and bolts of Reaktor etc.
Yes, but why not state that clearly instead of being cagey about it? Also, I think Reaktor users would be extremely happy if KUI update could be used to at least give us a resizing option for ensembles, even if the build environment was still stuck in the past.

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Redoing literally the whole UI of Reaktor would be years. Allowing just the ensemble front panels to connect to a different UI toolkit that allows HiDPI graphics etc (which is exactly what was done in Kontakt already) would be an easier undertaking. So, the actual building part of Reaktor would stay the same, but the user facing edit part would be spruced up.

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EvilDragon wrote: Fri Jan 09, 2026 6:58 am Redoing literally the whole UI of Reaktor would be years. Allowing just the ensemble front panels to connect to a different UI toolkit that allows HiDPI graphics etc (which is exactly what was done in Kontakt already) would be an easier undertaking. So, the actual building part of Reaktor would stay the same, but the user facing edit part would be spruced up.
This is an encouraging thought for end users that have little interest in building ensembles... which I assume is the vast majority of people.

Most end users just want to create music.

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