Tag Archives: free

Video Tutorial: Antonio Blanca’s NOD-E

In this video, Brent Kallmer of BluewaterVST takes us through the wonderful NOD-E ensemble by Antonio Blanca, an algorithmic music machine that generates MIDI note data based on the positions of nodes moving on the instrument panel.

Says Brent:

You might think of NOD-E as the sequencer that you get when the nodes in Spiral reach escape velocity and break out of orbit. In NOD-E, 8 nodes travel around an XY-field and trigger notes when they cross certain boundaries (defined by you). Movement along the X-axis triggers notes; movement along the Y-axis determines the triggered note’s velocity (in other words, a note that is triggered at a high Y-value will play more loudly than one that is triggered at a low value. The nodes are propelled throughout the XY field by two polyphonic LFOs (one for each axis).

The cool thing about NOD-E is it can sound like anything – you can route the MIDI data to other plugins, even to hardware synths – or record and edit the sequence in a sequencer. Big ups to Brent for this great video introduction to the ensemble.

Memory Stick 20 – Free Reaktor Groovebox from Boscomac

Boscomac is at it again and has released Memory Stick 20, a sequenced sample based beatbox for Reaktor.

These aren’t just any samples either – the source is a Korg MS-20 and its audio was routed through some mighty fine analog hardware processing on its way to the analog to digital converter. Says the creator:

MEMORY STICK 20 is a beatbox sample-based on MS20 mini analog synth. Sounds from the legendary synthesizer were carved to get a kick, a snare, a clave, etc.. Every sound has been treated through analog peripherals worthy of the name: Preamp Cartec Audio, Eq Chandler Limiter, Compressor Shadow Hills. Then they were arranged in Reaktor to give birth to an old school drum machine, simple to use and really fun in the style of a TR808! According to sources, you can set the Tune, Decay, Tone, Drive or the Reverb and put everything in a Tape Saturation. The drum machine is compatible with the GM standard and can be used in multi-out.

 As usual with Boscomac Reaktor ensembles, it looks as good as it sounds. Get it here.

Maschine & Reaktor Tutorial – 70s Solina Strings Ensemble

In this video, Danny from Music Production Tutorials introduces the free Solina-V String Ensemble (available here in the Reaktor user library) and demonstrates its use in Maschine.

The Solina was a classic 70s synth used by many of the soul/funk/jazz artists of the time. It’s got a lovely spacey, trippy sound when you make use of some of the controls.

Hugo Portillo’s reconstruction of the Solina in Reaktor is jaw droppingly good, and rivals other top-drawer emulations like the DCAM Synth Squad Amber, in my opinion. If you want to trip out 70s style, get downloading and start playing!

Roundup: Automated Faders and Gestural Instruments in Reaktor

Last weekend Andre Goc uploaded Weirdo to the Reaktor user library. It’s a granular sampler with automated faders controlling many of the parameters. Very cool!

The idea of automated faders has a long and interesting history in Reaktor.


One of the first times I saw this implemented was in the venerable Green Matrix ensemble that debuted in Reaktor 4:

This intrigued me but at the time I couldn’t figure out how to chop out the faders intact and use them in my own creations – I was too much the noob.

The next automated fader that came onto my radar completely blew my mind – Metaphysical Function, which was originally sold separately in the Electronic Instruments 2 package, and later incorporated as part of the Reaktor 5 factory library.

I can’t emphasize enough how Metaphysical Function shook me up and turned my mind around about music making methods and even about music itself. Anyhow, again the faders were a bit unwieldy, and though I did manage to extract the macros and get them working in my own ensembles, I eventually abandoned that and built my own from scratch.

My own recordable faders first made their Reaktor Library debut in Dubby Red Planet, which was a remix of a classic Dieter Zobel instrument, and later on their own as The Freshmaker, a tool / macro upload for Reaktor builders.

I later adapted the Freshmaker faders for use in my ParamDrum drum machine. ParamDrum is set up with its recordable faders mapped to Konkreet Performer node parameters, taking it into a whole new dimension of gestural control. While we’re on the topic of iOS, I should also mention one of the more awesome iOS gestural instruments – Figure. Gestural control is one of the most powerful aspects of tablet music making and it’s always baffled me that devs will release sonically revolutionary and intriguing instruments that slavishly stick to a keyboard style control. Props to the Propellerheads for moving beyond that.

The great Kristian Thom, creator of Acoustring, took some inspiration from The Freshmaker and built his own superb toolkit of automated controls which you can download here. And Andre Goc, creator of Weirdo, built his own modified auto-faders based on Mr. Thom’s devices.

So that’s one path through the history of automated faders in the Reaktor user library – doubtless there are things I’ve skipped over – if you know a good upload I’ve overlooked, please mention it in the comments. Perhaps you’d like to download one of the macro sets or fader based instruments and start hacking away at controlling your own synth, effect or sampler parameters. Go for it!

Update: I knew I was overlooking things!

Reichatron by Matt Mower is another spiritual descendant of Metaphysical Function, inspired by the phase-shifting music of Steve Reich. Matt also uploaded his faders separately here.

ConiX by Dmitriy Vasiliev is a package of automated faders aimed at Reaktor builders.

Ghost Shift 1.1 with Konkreet Performer mappings

When I released Ghost Shift I didn’t have live control in mind other than mapping a MIDI fader to the mix control. However, the recent update of Konkreet Performer got me thinking, and I realized there was an easy way to map Performer parameters to the individual delay taps in Ghost Shift. Here’s how that turned out:

Here’s how it works: you set your number of delay taps – I find three works well – in the Ghost Shift instrument properties. The node visualizer instrument is voice-slaved to Ghost Shift so its number of nodes / voices should auto adjust. If it doesn’t, turn Reaktor’s audio engine off and on again.

Make sure Reaktor is set up to receive OSC from Konkreet Performer on your iPad. Here are the setting screens inside Performer, showing which parameters and settings I’ve used:

Notice that every node parameter is active, from angle and length to X and Y. We’re going whole hawg here, using every part but the oink. Also activate the ribbon, which controls the mix of dry and wet signal.

So how does one obtain this marvelous and endlessly entertaining Ghost Shift device? Click here:

Add to Cart

It’s free! Enjoy!