REAKTOR ~ How did You learn it?

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RobC
Posts: 1832
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

10 Apr 2019

Here's what I'm doing:

So, I understood the manuals for the basic navigation, setups and stuff in an okay way.
Then came building in primary. I hope I'm not lying if I was with it 50% of the time. I just hate having ADD/ADHD. (The modules were a pretty enjoyable topic at the end - read those carefully.)
Currently reading the Core one... What the hell are all these fibers and stuff?!! D8 I don't understand shit there, though I guess it's also cause I read that part before sleep.

Oh well, my way will be first reading through manuals. Then I read again and test/tutorial with REAKTOR. Finally, I'll probably have to read everything a 3rd time again, and properly study/memorize everything. Then I'll be prepared.

Floating point, integer, scalar.... yeah this is the fly shit stage, where something sticks to the reader. xD
OSC is...
...
Ah! Open Sound Control! Don't you even dare to say the other thing that it can be confused with. How many times did I try to memorize Open Sound Control, until I stopped misreading!... Cause OSC is for Open Sound Control!

So yeah, more than nothing as a start!

Any learning tips/tricks?

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selig
RE Developer
Posts: 11685
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
Location: The NorthWoods, CT, USA

10 Apr 2019

When I started, there was no "core". So start with primary modules, build something. When you get stuck (you will), find videos and posts on the NI Reaktor forum. Both are great resources.

For videos, I find ADSR to be very useful.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 82DaC3kkQ9

But again, start by building something, anything. Maybe try a simple multi-FX device so you don't have too much routing involved. Then build a simple synth - this may be humbling as you realized just how much routing is involved in even the most simple instruments. If you've ever work with modular analog synths, it won't be too much of a stretch.

Also, find all the common utility modules you'll need, like converting the 0-1 signal to pitch or frequency or decibels - very handy.
Use Macros to build things you commonly use, and save them (building your personal library). I built simple things like uni-2-bi and bi-2-uni convertors, stereo gain modules (basically multipliers with 0-1 to decibel convertors), etc.
Learn the basics of a "one - to - many" and "many - to - one" switches and selectors.
Get comfortable with the way you set the range and resolution of knobs/faders - you'll use this a lot!

Ask questions here, there are a number of Reaktor users who are willing to share!
Selig Audio, LLC

RobC
Posts: 1832
Joined: 10 Mar 2018

12 Apr 2019

selig wrote:
10 Apr 2019
When I started, there was no "core". So start with primary modules, build something. When you get stuck (you will), find videos and posts on the NI Reaktor forum. Both are great resources.

For videos, I find ADSR to be very useful.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 82DaC3kkQ9

But again, start by building something, anything. Maybe try a simple multi-FX device so you don't have too much routing involved. Then build a simple synth - this may be humbling as you realized just how much routing is involved in even the most simple instruments. If you've ever work with modular analog synths, it won't be too much of a stretch.

Also, find all the common utility modules you'll need, like converting the 0-1 signal to pitch or frequency or decibels - very handy.
Use Macros to build things you commonly use, and save them (building your personal library). I built simple things like uni-2-bi and bi-2-uni convertors, stereo gain modules (basically multipliers with 0-1 to decibel convertors), etc.
Learn the basics of a "one - to - many" and "many - to - one" switches and selectors.
Get comfortable with the way you set the range and resolution of knobs/faders - you'll use this a lot!

Ask questions here, there are a number of Reaktor users who are willing to share!
I'll definitely use whatever I can. Pretty sure the stock modules are far more optimized and stable than what I could possibly do in core, especially at this super early stage. However, reading the manual isn't so bad, cause I recognize things in core when just looking around - and what they are good for. It has its own library, too though ~ and tools where the primary might fall short. The manual made it clear to me, that this is exactly what I'm looking for. It also gives a flavor of what it is capable of, and what I can find and where.

Once I've got this absolute minimum knowledge, then I go further to the tutorials, videos and forums out there.
You know, it doesn't seem that scary ~ except the more complicated math (or at least all the calculations that can happen). But when I saw what a core, pure Sine Wave Oscillator looks like... So many lower and lower levels, that my "What?!" got louder and my eyes opened wider each time. xD

Nevertheless, it is very fascinating and definitely worth learning!

One time, I started testing creating a fader and connecting that to an oscillator's pitch event input. Needless to say it didn't work the way I wanted it. This is something I want for modulators, especially in case of FM: to be able to tune pitch with a fader.
Thanks to the manuals I think it might be possible to have 1 fader that travels 1 octave a time (in cents), and once it reaches the top and we still push it with a (MIDI) encoder knob or the mouse, it would jump back to the bottom, and start the next octave. Or so it seemed to me in the step sequencer tutorial that there are tools that would count octave step-ups/downs, and in another one that there's a tool that can turn knobs and move faders.

Thank you for the tips! I'll especially need to reread those parts with the selectors/switches in the manual, not to mention one of the scariest part that I probably 'slept through with open eyes', which is 'iteration'... Maybe there's something buried deeply in my mind about it, but as is, I have no clue what was going on there. xD

It's very inspiring, though ~ I get more and more ideas how I'd create that dream sound designer synth of mine. But first the 3D FX processor I planned and never finished in Reason, will be "easier".

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