Holy crap! NI's Reaktor is awesome!

Now I wish I could really learn how to use it to unleash more of it's potential.

Is it one of those things where only the programmers really know how to use it?

Just wait 'til you start downloading and messing with the THOUSANDS of FREE user-made Reaktor ensembles, many of which are just as good as expensive third-party softsynths.

Pighood is gracious enough to pick out the best ones and post his findings here.

That is awesome, thank you so much!

No it's not!

Make sure you check out the Oberheim emulation by Sonic Projects, OP-X, too. It's a commercial Reaktor ensemble..

http://www.sonicprojects.ch/obx/reaktorens.html

It's the king of softsynths, imo. Kinda difficult to program in, though.

I will second that. As a user since 1999 Reaktor is definitely by far the most powerful flexable VSTI out there. It is not an all-in-one, but certainly covers more synth/effects/sequencing ground than any other software application.

Keep in mind that for myself I do not build ensembles...I just use the snapshots and alter them.

I am not writing or producing electronic/techno music. Reaktor has a long time stigma that it is only for those who produce dance/techno. It can be used in many other music applications as well.

Where is Pighoods favorite list? Of the over 2,000 ensembles (soft synths/effects/sequencers) at the users forum it might be nice for others to list their favorites? Of course of the 2,000 you might end up using just a few dozen or few hundred, but I'm amazed at the time and effort some synth/sound designers put into constructing some incredibly mind-blowing synthesizers.

icepad (you want cold shivery resonate ring mod sounds?)

wilderbeast (its just bloody good)

3x (he could have sold this for money I think)

weedwacker (what a unique and powerful sounding synth)

juno106 (just 1 of dozens of retro emulations. Check out the Oberheims)

solina V Strings gary wright-dreamweaver (better than the commercial software IMO)

fatpad (yeah specializes in FAT pads)

Michats shiny (the Steve Miller Fly Like An Eagle snapshot is very good)

fatoverdrive (nice distortion)

polaris (yumm)

thats just a sampling of my favorites from the user forum.

I've only had Komplete for a few weeks now but how do I register on the NI website so I can download? I don't see anything about signing up.

Normally after you register they should email details of your website login to the email address you provided. With that you can download extras, updates, and get access to the Reaktor user library.

OK...here's my current list (broken up into several categories):

Synths:

2-Osc remix.ens

3X-v1.6.ens

Acoustring.ens

Army of Robots.ens

Beotys 2.ens

Beotys 3.ens

Beotys-OKI.ens

Beotys.ens

Bio.ens

Breath.ens

Carbon.ens

Carbon2.ens

CBM Synth.ens

Chaosc.ens

Charybdis.ens

Clix 5.ens

Concept X.ens

Dada Glitcher.ens

Dark Adder.ens

Derelayer.ens

Dire Tales.ens

Electric Jonas.ens

Electric Mia.ens

Electric William2.ens

Equinoxe Super Deluxe.ens

Fadomago.ens

Frunobulax_v3.ens

Gaugear mod.ens

Haemotherapy.ens

Hume2.ens

Init Dinger2.ens

Kaleidon.ens

KAROvect.ens

Kuru.ens

LIFE As Art^DD.ens

LIFE TV ^DD.ens

Los tres granuladores.ens

LostPlanetSynth2.ens

Mad Box Deluxe.ens

Matrix Modular 4.ens

MegaKlone.ens

Microelectronic bikini.ens

Morphes.ens

Morphlot.ens

Motion Fields.ens

Muraya.ens

MX-6000.ens

Nanowave.ens

Nobulax2.ens

Numalik III.ens

Numalik.ens

Oki Computer 2.1.ens

Oki Computer.ens

Orange.ens

Oscillo Fellatio.ens

Paradip.ens

PenName-1.0.ens

Philo 4d3.ens

Photone 1.2.ens

Planescape.ens

Proton.ens

QuSynth_v1.ens

Riff2.ens

Rubiter Ate.ens

sCozo [v2] ^dd.ens

Sheipapad.ens

SNIPER.ens

Sputnik.ens

Strontium.ens

SubHarmonic.ens

Super AD.ens

Swamp Brothers Synth E.ens

Sympathizer.ens

T 34.ens

The Modder Vs.1.0.ens

The Shadow.ens

The Starship Enterprise v1.0.ens

The Thing.ens

The Wall.ens

Tritium.ens

Twiddle.ens

Uranus.ens

V-Waves 50.ens

Vectrix.ens

VFripp.ens

Victor.ens

Vintage suitcase Reaktor v2.01.ens

Virtualizer.3.ens

Wave Weaver.ens

WAVESEQUENCER 3.ens

Weed Wacker.ens

Weser.ens

Wilderbeast 2006.ens

Wilderbeast Signature.ens

Sound generators:

Asonisborna.ens

Chimaerandom.ens

FMdrone2.ens

Infernal Machine.ens

It!.ens

Jungle Juice^DD.ens

Klankbank_r5.ens

Locutus II.ens

Metaphysical Function.ens

Noiseworks.ens

Noize V.ens

organism_nine v2.ens

PadDrone.ens

Piecemaker.ens

Sinator.ens

Sinus Diabolicus.ens

Skrewell Ezerbee.ens

Skrewell.ens

Space Machine 2 .ens

Spider.ens

Stockhausen.ens

Waffeleisen.ens

Who's Here.ens

WindChimes RMX.ens

WoolEye.ens

Yaam1.ens

Sequenced synths:

A m B i E n T u S.ens

Aero 2.ens

Aero 4.ens

Akkord.ens

Anares.ens

Anna & Otto.ens

BlueMatrix.ens

Clix 2002.ens

Doda.ens

Dubby_Red_Planet.ens

EffemmFX.ens

G-Layer.ens

Gamelaner.ens

Hegel

K-Luster.ens

Kalamak.ens

Knoerre.ens

Lesco.ens

Marx31.ens

Ouzo.ens

PcOnTrApTiOn2.ens

Pole-onaise.ens

Polyrhy FM4.ens

Resovative III.ens

ROSCO 2^dd.ens

Scylla.ens

Sinator2.ens

Sine Rave.ens

Skurrilia.ens

Squares.ens

THE ORIGINAL OUTCAST + RONTGEN.ens

Tweak The Glitch^DD.ens

Tweeker.ens

Zen of FM.ens

Grooveboxes:

Aerobic.ens

Beat Falter.ens

Delivery 2.ens

Delivery.ens

Eardrum.ens

Fast FX.ens

Gizmo.ens

Glexonic.ens

GoBox.ens

Gods Beat Box.ens

Krypt.ens

Limelite.ens

Loop Spooner.ens

Massive 1.1.ens

Newscool.ens

Noisemakers Workbench.ens

Pocket Beats.ens

Random Beat.ens

Relentless.ens

Scenario.ens

SineBeats 2.0.1.ens

Squnc.ens

TerminalGlitch.ens

Tweeky Drums 01.ens

Vierring.ens

FM synths:

ADAM V0.01.ens

BTS Dream.ens

FM 6 op.ens

FM Matrix.ens

FM4 remix.ens

FM8.ens

Night FM 4.2.ens

Sinepad.ens

SY-FM.ens

SY100.ens

Tao te FM ii.ens

Classic impressions:

Cazio.ens

Emu.ens

Memorymoog.ens

MKS-70.ens

MS-20.ens

OB-Y.ens

Octave Cat.ens

Qute.ens

Solina-V String Ensemble v1.ens

Synthex.ens

Synthi AKS.ens

Wave Xt.ens

So there are several.

No it's not!

This is exactly why I had second thoughts about getting Reaktor, at least for now. It's too distracting, just too huge of a collection. So my plan so far is to at least wait till Winter NAMM '08 and see if it will get an upgrade. In either case I'm getting it. It's just too good to pass up.

It's not huge, unless you lack self-control .

There's no reason to go hog-wild. Just load up 2 synths or so in a folder and use that; it's still not as convenient as just dragging a plugin on a track (because you also have to drag the Ensemble in Reaktor, but hey.

Just use the stand-alone version to check out separate ensembles. This keeps you focused on making music in your sequencer and you aren't left out of the loop.

I have V2.3 which I got free (legally) many moons back.

Programmed a few things, but it does take a lot of time.

Couple that with the near infinite options in yer average DAW and your playtime just disappears...

BR

JN

...Ya think?

Any chance you could list your top five or ten for us ?

Awesome list anyway, we should sticky it.

^dd.ens Sheipapad.ens SNIPER.ens Sputnik.ens Strontium.ens SubHarmonic.ens Super AD.ens Swamp Brothers Synth E.ens Sympathizer.ens T 34.ens The Modder Vs.1.0.ens The Shadow.ens The Starship Enterprise v1.0.ens The Thing.ens The Wall.ens Tritium.ens Twiddle.ens Uranus.ens V-Waves 50.ens Vectrix.ens VFripp.ens Victor.ens Vintage suitcase Reaktor v2.01.ens Virtualizer.3.ens Wave Weaver.ens WAVESEQUENCER 3.ens Weed Wacker.ens Weser.ens Wilderbeast 2006.ens Wilderbeast Signature.ens Sound generators: Asonisborna.ens Chimaerandom.ens FMdrone2.ens Infernal Machine.ens It!.ens Jungle Juice^DD.ens Klankbank_r5.ens Locutus II.ens Metaphysical Function.ens Noiseworks.ens Noize V.ens organism_nine v2.ens PadDrone.ens Piecemaker.ens Sinator.ens Sinus Diabolicus.ens Skrewell Ezerbee.ens Skrewell.ens Space Machine 2 .ens Spider.ens Stockhausen.ens Waffeleisen.ens Who's Here.ens WindChimes RMX.ens WoolEye.ens Yaam1.ens Sequenced synths: A m B i E n T u S.ens Aero 2.ens Aero 4.ens Akkord.ens Anares.ens Anna & Otto.ens BlueMatrix.ens Clix 2002.ens Doda.ens Dubby_Red_Planet.ens EffemmFX.ens G-Layer.ens Gamelaner.ens Hegel K-Luster.ens Kalamak.ens Knoerre.ens Lesco.ens Marx31.ens Ouzo.ens PcOnTrApTiOn2.ens Pole-onaise.ens Polyrhy FM4.ens Resovative III.ens ROSCO 2^dd.ens Scylla.ens Sinator2.ens Sine Rave.ens Skurrilia.ens Squares.ens THE ORIGINAL OUTCAST + RONTGEN.ens Tweak The Glitch^DD.ens Tweeker.ens Zen of FM.ens Grooveboxes: Aerobic.ens Beat Falter.ens Delivery 2.ens Delivery.ens Eardrum.ens Fast FX.ens Gizmo.ens Glexonic.ens GoBox.ens Gods Beat Box.ens Krypt.ens Limelite.ens Loop Spooner.ens Massive 1.1.ens Newscool.ens Noisemakers Workbench.ens Pocket Beats.ens Random Beat.ens Relentless.ens Scenario.ens SineBeats 2.0.1.ens Squnc.ens TerminalGlitch.ens Tweeky Drums 01.ens Vierring.ens FM synths: ADAM V0.01.ens BTS Dream.ens FM 6 op.ens FM Matrix.ens FM4 remix.ens FM8.ens Night FM 4.2.ens Sinepad.ens SY-FM.ens SY100.ens Tao te FM ii.ens Classic impressions: Cazio.ens Emu.ens Memorymoog.ens MKS-70.ens MS-20.ens OB-Y.ens Octave Cat.ens Qute.ens Solina-V String Ensemble v1.ens Synthex.ens Synthi AKS.ens Wave Xt.ens So there are several.

piggy's got way too much time on his trotters.

Reaktor can be a great playground for the sound designer and programmer. I play with Vaz Modular more than Reaktor, though. For some reason it grabs me more. Both of those have so many possibilities it boggles the mind and leaves me almost paralyzed.