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As Blocks are based on a system that relies on voltage signals for control it features exactly the same limitations – primarily a lack of polyphony – but also plenty of advantages, including audio rate modulation of parameters. Bento Box for example offers a core set of tools, while the Modern set offers contemporary tools like a comb filter. The 30 modules are divided into eight distinct “brands”, including Bento Box, Digilog, Boutique and Monark, and just as Eurorack enthusiasts have Doepfer, Make Noise and countless others, each of these Blocks has a distinct look and feel. Despite this, the Blocks system has all the character that’s helped make Eurorack systems so popular. Compared to something like Arturia’s Modular V, where virtual wires obscure what’s happening underneath, there’s no contest. Cable connections are displayed in a structural view, leaving the graphical interface clear to let you see what each knob is doing instead. There’s also a free video tutorial series from Kadenze to get you started, which is worth watching whatever your ability level.īlocks isn’t the first time developers have tried to recreate a modular system in software, but it’s probably the most successful, and it’s mainly thanks to Reaktor’s dual view, whose clarity makes Blocks easy to use. #Native instruments reaktor manualYou’ll still need a very basic knowledge of how modular synthesis works (the Reaktor manual points you to a few guides), but the connections on each block are clearly marked making it difficult to go wrong. If you’re a total novice it might be a little confusing, but one you get your head around the separation between audio and modulation signals it quickly becomes second nature. #Native instruments reaktor generatorFrom there, you might link an oscillator to a filter and volume control, with an envelope generator modulating the volume level. NI offers a very basic “Blocks New” template to get you started, which offers a clock, a module for accepting MIDI data and an audio out – the basics you might need to input and output a signal. ![]() You’re given the option to load one of nine preset systems, but you’ll have more fun connecting the 30 individual modules. Not only does Blocks offer a compelling reason for existing Reaktor users to upgrade, it’s likely to be the feature that makes Reaktor a lot friendlier for newcomers and for those who have only ever used the ready-made instruments. It lets you do what usually goes on under the hood of Reaktor on a macro level, with each module graphically represented clearly for ease of use. Instead of whole instruments though, you’re given individual components – oscillators, filters, envelope generators, sequencers – and invited to connect them together. Given the increasing popularity of modular systems it’s unsurprising NI has gone down this route, but it’s really not that different from what Reaktor has always offered. #Native instruments reaktor fullIn essence, Blocks lets you create a modular synth inside your computer for a fraction of the price of a full Eurorack system. This is why Reaktor 6’s new Blocks feature is such a step forward. #Native instruments reaktor softwareWhile Reaktor 6’s graphical interface is cleaner and easier to navigate than it was in the last version, the guts of the software still rely on linking abstract boxes with virtual wires. It’s for this reason that Reaktor has earned its reputation as a complex tool, and it’s not completely unfounded – if you’re going to get the most out of it you need prior experience of designing software instruments, or be willing to read the manual thoroughly and spend several hours learning to use it. There’s already so much built into Reaktor it’s easy to forget that the software allows you to get under the hood, reverse engineer its component parts and even create entirely new devices from scratch. Load it up and you can make beats that sound like Autechre without much effort, but taming its 8-bit style graphical interface to sequence those beats properly feels a little like solving an algebra equation. Reaktor’s ready-made synthesizers, grooveboxes, sound generators and effect units are still some of the most powerful and exhilarating tools you’ll find in software, but each unit could take as long to master as a single device like Massive. #Native instruments reaktor updateReaktor 6 is the first full update to Native Instruments’ modular instrument and effects studio in 10 years, and the blank screen that presents itself when you boot the software up is as daunting as ever. ![]()
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