Do you use Reaktor? If not why?

[BERFAB]

I'm not a programmer, and have no desire to be. That said, when I first got Reaktor a few years ago, I loved the library--it was like getting a new toy every day.

But the limitations mentioned above--high CPU, difficult interface, odd preset navigation-- make it a real PITA to use very often.

In addition, the advent of Synth Edit and Synthmaker, etc., has kind of taken the uniqueness away from the 'freebie synth' aspect of Reaktor. Tons of bedroom devs are posting all kinds of stuff here on KVR that really satisfy that itch.

A few years back, NI discontinued a product called Reaktor Session which, IIRC, only played existing Reaktor ensemble instruments. Seems to me that NI would really do their customers a service by offering this 'playback shell' to their Reaktor customers at low or no cost. Or, alternately, include a 'light' playback version in Reaktor 6 so you had the option of just loading your little Reaktor apps without the fullblown CPU hit or other programming headaches.

-B

[KBKB]

Life is too short to get into building in Reaktor.

this could be the advertising slogan for the NEXUS



seriously though.... NI stuff is crashy. i used to use kontakt until i just got fed u with 10000s of updates and bug fixes... and not really writing music...

could just be my PC set up, but once bitten...

[ew]

Hey ew (or anybody who has it really, but I know ew is all over these threads)... how good is Krypt? I had been thinking of buying the Koresound pack, as I've been wanting Metaphysical Function ever since it was released as a modifiable ensemble (I still open the NI Christmas surprise from time to time... too cool), but didn't want to swing the cash for all the Electronic Instruments. Now that I have the money, I'm suddenly stuck, as Krypt looks so appealing. Would it be smarter to buy the Koresounds and use something comparable from the UL?

Krypt? I love it personally. I have a customized version that I use in Kore for percussion in the live improv style of recording I usually do these days. What makes it so much fun is that a lot of times I don't know what's going to happen when I hit this button

Me, I'd get EIv2 over the Korepack, just because of the cool things the Korepack doesn't have. Besides Krypt, you have Akkord (which is an incredible synth), Resochord (yeah, you could yank the guts of it out from MF or Photone if you had the Korepack and the full Reaktor version and Kore, but the actual ensemble's got more options) and more besides the three in the Korepack. What's not to like?

But then again, you'll have to do some customizing of MF to get it to do the same things the Korepack version will; the only "normal" MF .ksds were made for Kore 1, and they lack some of the features. However, it's easy enough to customize the way you want; I've used a custom MF for a couple years where everything's assigned to controllers, with page groupings the way I want them.

ew

[Hlis93]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond in this thread. Much of what I have heard is what I was thinking.

[ugo]

1. If you own Reaktor and do not use it why?

Yes, I do have Reaktor (thanks to Komplete) but no I do not use it. The reason is only because I have somewhat limited time to spend on modular creations and I prefer to spend it working in SynthEdit because it allows me to output my work in a format that everyone on Windows can use, rather than making something that can only be useful for the Reaktor community.

But if that situation was different, or if I just had a hell of a lot more time, then I'd probably be putting Reaktor to use.

[justin3am]

Where can one aquire the Electronic Instruments bundles? They seem to be discontinued

[Hlis93]

They are on NI website in the products section look for sound line. What to buy mine I just deleted Reaktor from my computer.

[Gartanius]

I would never bother with Reaktor because the only VSTi I'm looking for is a MP3 Sampler and Reaktor has nothing to do with it. If there isn't a decent priced MP3 Sampler, then the only things I stick with are freeware and I have most of what I need.

[ughnonumus]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond in this thread. Much of what I have heard is what I was thinking.

You mean, it's done? We can go home, now?

[chicken muffin]

this is home

[Hlis93]

I am interested and what I am hearing encourages what I believe I am arguing for in the forum, a better product. Meaning export instruments as plugins (support of all formats that Reaktor works in), also forcing better support for using reaktor as a plugin (so that it is host friendly), improving the browsers and instrument panels, a more custommizable look for the program (UI), 24bit recording, documentation etc etc.

But I feel that I am trying to get water from a rock. I can't explian but I am done with reaktor for now. Its time to move on to other products till NI shows they really can revitalize Reaktor for people like me. No dailogue with customers leads to a non-relavent product. As someone said to me "Reaktor is dead" (or at least on my CPU it is). I am tired it take a good deal of energy to argue with a wall, it never answers back. And so far the manner in which they have respond to the many people that are making a fuss is to be the wall. Yets if I feel the flare next week I have a clearer picture now. I know that I am not off my rocker, I know these are reasonalbe thing to be asking them to discuss with us. SO if you have more to say and want to add I will be reading this thread. I am not done ranting with them as it is not yet a dialogue.

[Hlis93]

Agian my reason for the export is that I can use it in a host much easier. I hate the current set up and yes it would be nice that share it with everyone and not have it be dependant on if they own reaktor or not but it is really about making music with a product that we own and need the extra effort put in to it to get it to do what is relevant for today.

[Cabinfever]

I find the plain Reaktor synths are generally inferior sound-wise to almost every other synth I own. Where Reaktor shines is in its weirdness potential. Some of the sound generators are truly unique. Wonderful stuff. In that realm nothing I've used comes close to its power. Definitely one of the very few vital plugs in my setup.

[klagga]

I haven't read all posts in this topic, but I'll try to answer the first questions.

I was very interested in Reaktor for a long time, when it was new.

I got Kontakt 1-3 instead. Since then, my experience with NI hasn't impressed me that much when it comes to ease of use, workflow and support.

NI products tend to be too complex, non-user friendly and without any good user manuals.

Look at Spectrasonics. They nowadays give you hours and hours of free film tutorials explaining their products in detail in a great way (they don't assume you're a geek).

NI, with much more non-user friendly interfaces, don't have any free films, if they have films at all. They made a film for Kontakt 2, but charged roughly like 80 EURO/110 $ for one hour of almost worthless info.

I'm not trying to make this a NI vs Spectrasonics topic. I'm just comparing the two in, for me, relevant fields, because they are both major players in the VST business, approaching their customers in two very different ways. And I have several years of customer experience with both companies.

Just look at the support. Eric Persing is personally online in several forums, always with good humour and with respect. And his support team is always there when contacting it.

NI support is, by comparison, dreadful. If you ever reach it, you have to approach them humbly begging for help, because they arrogantly seem to think they never do anything wrong, it's always the customer's fault if something isn't working. A shame, especially since the NI products are, by comparison, much less stable than Spectrasonic's products, at least in my system.

Anyway, if you're no computer geek and getting your head around Kontakt is hard, especially considering the lacking support from NI, how hard would it not be to try to learn the thousands of synths in Reaktor?

Also, my philosophy now is to have as few instruments as possible, and really try to learn them and focus on them for results, rather than (like with Reaktor) having thousands of different tools for the same thing.

IMHO.

[S-N-S]

i dont use it as much as i want to,and i dont make my own instruments

i just thinks its faster to use other vsti,and i think in most cases the sounds of the synth and effects,is to experimental for my taste