Reason + Reaktor + Blocks = mindblower

[Heater]

I upgraded Reaktor to 6 due to the recent NI sale and I've been trying it in Reason and it's a mind blowing event.

It's like someone has installed a never ending Eurorack stuffed with expensive modules into Reason.
There has been a few times where my mind dribbled out of my ears with the sheer incredibleness of music software. When Reason first launched. When NI launched Reaktor (then Generator), my first sequencer to name a few.

This ranks with those. It's awesome.

I don't think I'll be needing anymore software for quite a while.

[jjpscott01]

I was just thinking this myself. Reason and Reaktor by NI are two of my favorite pieces of software and together its all pretty powerful stuff.

[groggy1]

Yup, Reaktor 6 is incredible. What a great combination with Reason.

[kungubu]

You who work with Reaktor in Reason

A few questions (have just updated and havn't had that much time to try it out yet)

Is there any way to get CV out of Reaktor other than taking it out as audio and converting it to CV? (pitch seems to track if you put the level on -0.4)

Is there any way to get Cv from Reason to the terminal ins in Reaktor (otherwise than converting it to audio)? I mean so you can wire the CV the way you want it in Blocks? I hate the kind of automation that turn knobs.

Maybe the AU-CV/CV-AU workarond is the best - otherwise I guess you'll just get CCCV...

[eimhin]

Yeah, tell me about it! This was a huge draw for me. Obviously because of all the CV you can use to modulate Reaktor (like any other VST), but also all the modulation options piped out of Reaktor into Reason.

With 16 audio outs from Reaktor VST using an RE like this:
https://shop.propellerheads.se/product/audio-to-cv

Obviously you'll want to use low frequency audio, but the conversion for me has been good so far. I've only used it for gates and envelopes. Pitch will probably take some tweaking.

[CephaloPod]

You who work with Reaktor in Reason

A few questions (have just updated and havn't had that much time to try it out yet)

Is there any way to get CV out of Reaktor other than taking it out as audio and converting it to CV? (pitch seems to track if you put the level on -0.4)

Is there any way to get Cv from Reason to the terminal ins in Reaktor (otherwise than converting it to audio)? I mean so you can wire the CV the way you want it in Blocks? I hate the kind of automation that turn knobs.

Maybe the AU-CV/CV-AU workarond is the best - otherwise I guess you'll just get CCCV...

I don't think there is currently a solution for this, but maybe someone could build a block that converts Reaktor signal to Reason CV. I mean, it's not like we're talking real CV here.

[EsotericSound]

I've had nothing but a positive experience with Reaktor 6 overall. I think it's going to be my new go-to synth now that it can integrate in the rack.

[CephaloPod]

I've had nothing but a positive experience with Reaktor 6 overall. I think it's going to be my new go-to synth now that it can integrate in the rack.

The blocks have actually thinking about "building" my own synth. Never really had the urge to do that before.

[tobypearce]

I'm interested in this thread.

When I saw Reaktor 6 (I have 5) I thought it looked good, but felt that the *entire* Reason architecture is modular in the same way.

What would you say the benefits were to using Reaktor as opposed to thinking about Reason itself as one big modular design with flexible routing, CV etc?

[EsotericSound]

I'm interested in this thread.

When I saw Reaktor 6 (I have 5) I thought it looked good, but felt that the *entire* Reason architecture is modular in the same way.

What would you say the benefits were to using Reaktor as opposed to thinking about Reason itself as one big modular design with flexible routing, CV etc?

At a basic level, there really isn't any difference except the instruments. However, when you think about the modularity of Reason and Reaktor, I actually prefer using Reason when I'm making complex patches. Essentially, you are doing the same thing in Reaktor as you are in Reason when you build a patch. For me, editing/creating a patch in Reaktor is like looking at a wiring diagram. I much prefer the representation of a physical device.

I guess the editing/creating of patches in Reaktor is similar to Max for Live. If you are comfortable in that environment, then Reaktor will feel like home.

[kungubu]

I'm interested in this thread.

When I saw Reaktor 6 (I have 5) I thought it looked good, but felt that the *entire* Reason architecture is modular in the same way.

What would you say the benefits were to using Reaktor as opposed to thinking about Reason itself as one big modular design with flexible routing, CV etc?

Reaktor Blocks is like a real modular – you can build anything from a simple synth to really complex stuff. The difference compared to Reason are the possibilities. With the user library of blocks, f.ex. Hetricks Euro Reakt series of modules, you can expand your patches well beyond the scope of the native blocks. It can of course be time consuming. The Reason Rack is of course much faster. But also more limited. Especially when it comes to more experimental stuff. Reaktor contains f.ex. west cost style modules, like complex oscillators, low pass gates, etc. which you can't find in Reason.

When it comes to combining Reaktor Blocks with Reason I haven't found any other way than using audio cabling. But since you get a lot of audio ins and outs it's pretty straight forward. You just need one or two Thors to convert CV to AU and AU to CV. In Reaktor there is no difference between CV and AU so it's just to plug in the CV in the Audio out to get the CV in to Reason. Beware that Pitch CV don't track unless you set the level out in Reaktor to -0.4. Also that you have to save your ensembles in Reaktor, otherwise they are gone.

[kungubu]

You who work with Reaktor in Reason

A few questions (have just updated and havn't had that much time to try it out yet)

Is there any way to get CV out of Reaktor other than taking it out as audio and converting it to CV? (pitch seems to track if you put the level on -0.4)

Is there any way to get Cv from Reason to the terminal ins in Reaktor (otherwise than converting it to audio)? I mean so you can wire the CV the way you want it in Blocks? I hate the kind of automation that turn knobs.

Maybe the AU-CV/CV-AU workarond is the best - otherwise I guess you'll just get CCCV...

I don't think there is currently a solution for this, but maybe someone could build a block that converts Reaktor signal to Reason CV. I mean, it's not like we're talking real CV here.

Thor can handle audio to cv and cv to audio, as well as scaling. I guess the audio routing is the better way since any other way will reduce the the virtual CV off Reason and Reaktor to midi CC.

[selig]

I'm interested in this thread.

When I saw Reaktor 6 (I have 5) I thought it looked good, but felt that the *entire* Reason architecture is modular in the same way.

What would you say the benefits were to using Reaktor as opposed to thinking about Reason itself as one big modular design with flexible routing, CV etc?

Reason isn't so much a big modular as a big studio full of gear. The addition of CV may make it seem more like a modular, but until REs there were really no "modules" as you would expect with a modular.

Reaktor is more like a modular synth, with the added ability to go INSIDE each module and modify if. This is totally impossible in Reason! For example, if you liked an LFO but it didn't go low/slow enough, you simply type in a different minimum value for the rate control and there you go!

So I see Reason as a modular studio, and Reaktor as a modular synth/FX with the ability to modify existing modules/instruments OR build your own from scratch with few limits.



Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk

[MannequinRaces]

All I've been doing since upgrading to 9.5 is playing with Reaktor and using CV from Reason to modulate a bunch of stuff. Tons of fun... haven't started using blocks but I will in due time. Reason and Reaktor go really well together!

[dpcoffin]

…
When it comes to combining Reaktor Blocks with Reason I haven't found any other way than using audio cabling. But since you get a lot of audio ins and outs it's pretty straight forward. You just need one or two Thors to convert CV to AU and AU to CV. In Reaktor there is no difference between CV and AU so it's just to plug in the CV in the Audio out to get the CV in to Reason. Beware that Pitch CV don't track unless you set the level out in Reaktor to -0.4. Also that you have to save your ensembles in Reaktor, otherwise they are gone.

Could you elaborate a bit on this, please? I'm new to Reason and don't quite follow, particularly: "…it's just to plug in the CV in the Audio out to get the CV in to Reason." A screen shot would be really helpful (I hope:).

Thanks!
dpc

[kungubu]

…
When it comes to combining Reaktor Blocks with Reason I haven't found any other way than using audio cabling. But since you get a lot of audio ins and outs it's pretty straight forward. You just need one or two Thors to convert CV to AU and AU to CV. In Reaktor there is no difference between CV and AU so it's just to plug in the CV in the Audio out to get the CV in to Reason. Beware that Pitch CV don't track unless you set the level out in Reaktor to -0.4. Also that you have to save your ensembles in Reaktor, otherwise they are gone.

Could you elaborate a bit on this, please? I'm new to Reason and don't quite follow, particularly: "…it's just to plug in the CV in the Audio out to get the CV in to Reason." A screen shot would be really helpful (I hope:).

Thanks!
dpc

You can take CV from Reaktor Blocks into Reason as audio and convert it with Thor to Reason CV. Blocks don't differentiate between CV and audio (like in eurorack). And since you have 16 audio outs on Reasons VST programmer, you can take out a lot of modulation sources from Reaktor and into Reason tis way. This way you can use the sequencing power of Blocks in Reason. Just plug the audio out into Thor and direct it in the MBRS:
Audio In 1 –> CV Out 1, etc.
If you're taking out note CV, the only way I found it possible to track, is to set the level out in Reaktor to –0.5 dB. There's maybe an other way, but I haven't found it.

1 (1).jpg (58.92 KiB) Viewed 6515 times

2.jpg (44.62 KiB) Viewed 6515 times

[dpcoffin]

Cool, thanks a lot!

[Oquasec]

Now this is what kills me. how do people come up with this?
"Set a plugin to -.5db for it to work"

What did you learn to know that lmao

[dpcoffin]

OK, trying this myself, and stumbling all over it:(

Each of the optional audio outs from the Reaktor VST shell's back panel can still only access the two default outs inside Reaktor, right? There's no way to hook up individual optional outs to new out ports you can create inside Reaktor, right?

So, eg., to drive a Reason synth with a Reaktor Blocks sequencer, you're…doing what exactly? Loading just the seq and running its pitch and gate CV into the ensemble's audio outs and converting, keeping track of which is which and then running these out of Thor into the Gate and CV of some other Reason synth? Or…?
Lost…

Many thanks for any clues!!

[kungubu]

OK, trying this myself, and stumbling all over it:(

Each of the optional audio outs from the Reaktor VST shell's back panel can still only access the two default outs inside Reaktor, right? There's no way to hook up individual optional outs to new out ports you can create inside Reaktor, right?

So, eg., to drive a Reason synth with a Reaktor Blocks sequencer, you're…doing what exactly? Loading just the seq and running its pitch and gate CV into the ensemble's audio outs and converting, keeping track of which is which and then running these out of Thor into the Gate and CV of some other Reason synth? Or…?
Lost…

Many thanks for any clues!!

You have to create new terminal outs in Reaktor (Ctrl-Click: Built in modules > Terminal > Out or just copy the 2 outs). They seem to hook up to the VST shell outs by themselves. I havent tried all 16 at the same time -- but I have tried hooking up 8 of them without a problem.

[kungubu]

Now this is what kills me. how do people come up with this?
"Set a plugin to -.5db for it to work"

What did you learn to know that lmao

As always trial and error. With the poor documentation we're usaually left with you just have to try different solutions. This one is maybe not the best but it has worked for me this far. If you use f.ex. CVA-7 cv-analyser it's pretty easy to se what happens with the cv-signals.

[dpcoffin]

You have to create new terminal outs in Reaktor (Ctrl-Click: Built in modules > Terminal > Out or just copy the 2 outs). They seem to hook up to the VST shell outs by themselves. I havent tried all 16 at the same time -- but I have tried hooking up 8 of them without a problem.

That's pretty sweet—good to know:)

Still just too many new-to-me options on the Reason side to get anywhere with all this yet I guess, since that's the new part; long-time Reaktor user, but it's looking quite new and strange in this new context! Such as, having no idea how to even tell if new outs were hooking up or not, or if I was messing up some other detail along the way!

Do you mostly assemble just what you need from instrument blocks into a new ensemble for this, or start with an existing ensemble and just drag out new connections from the blocks you want, to these new out ports? Would love to see an inside-Reaktor shot of some simple set up if you ever have a chance; very much appreciate your help!

[kungubu]

You have to create new terminal outs in Reaktor (Ctrl-Click: Built in modules > Terminal > Out or just copy the 2 outs). They seem to hook up to the VST shell outs by themselves. I havent tried all 16 at the same time -- but I have tried hooking up 8 of them without a problem.

That's pretty sweet—good to know:)

Still just too many new-to-me options on the Reason side to get anywhere with all this yet I guess, since that's the new part; long-time Reaktor user, but it's looking quite new and strange in this new context! Such as, having no idea how to even tell if new outs were hooking up or not, or if I was messing up some other detail along the way!

Do you mostly assemble just what you need from instrument blocks into a new ensemble for this, or start with an existing ensemble and just drag out new connections from the blocks you want, to these new out ports? Would love to see an inside-Reaktor shot of some simple set up if you ever have a chance; very much appreciate your help!

I always build from scratch since I like to wire things – and that's why I'm still using Reason. Usually you maybe just want take some modulation from a Blocks project into Reason and most of the time I use sequencers in Reason (PSQ, StepNote and Thor). But since the sequencers in Reaktor provide such flexibility it's really a shame not to use them. Though I'm still in the mode of figuring out how to get Reaktor to work in Reason. You should download the free CVA-7 CV-tool so you can see what happens with the signals you extract from Reaktor. This is a shot of a really simple ensemble I just made for mapping out different CV-signals.

Screenshot.jpg (58.74 KiB) Viewed 6423 times

Though I haven't found a way to get more than 2 audio ins to work... And I haven't found a way to get CV in to Blocks without having the knobs spinning (it's really frustrating) – you can of course take it via the Macroknobs and place them so you don't have to see them, but it's still irritating.

[dpcoffin]

Oh yeah!! That's fantastic, really helpful, thanks a bunch—off to fiddle, with my eyes finally not completely shut:)

[selig]

OK, trying this myself, and stumbling all over it:(

Each of the optional audio outs from the Reaktor VST shell's back panel can still only access the two default outs inside Reaktor, right? There's no way to hook up individual optional outs to new out ports you can create inside Reaktor, right?

So, eg., to drive a Reason synth with a Reaktor Blocks sequencer, you're…doing what exactly? Loading just the seq and running its pitch and gate CV into the ensemble's audio outs and converting, keeping track of which is which and then running these out of Thor into the Gate and CV of some other Reason synth? Or…?
Lost…

Many thanks for any clues!!

You have to create new terminal outs in Reaktor (Ctrl-Click: Built in modules > Terminal > Out or just copy the 2 outs). They seem to hook up to the VST shell outs by themselves. I havent tried all 16 at the same time -- but I have tried hooking up 8 of them without a problem.

Great tip, btw - can't wait to try this tomorrow!



Sent from some crappy device using Tapatalk