The user library for Native Intruments Reaktor has been growing daily for a few years now and for those folks just coming into the Reaktor scene, I thought it might be helpful to take a look at some recent submissions.

In case you are new to Reaktor, it is an open ended modular synthesis system where you can build your own synthesizers, sequencers, loop players, effects, and even custom graphics displays for your audio. It can be run as a stand alone application on Macintosh and PC compatible computers, or run within a host application for instruments, or audio effects. The sheer scope of possibilities expands as computers become more powerful, and sound designers' imaginations blossom to consume those cpu cycles. In Reaktor we have not only a very capable system for building and performing exotic synthetic instruments, but also a user community who consistently pushes the bounds and raises the bar of expectation.

As a class of musical instruments, Reaktor is considered a realtime software synthesizer. Within this class, it is a Native software synthesizer using the computers' own host cpu to process and produce audio.

It is becoming more common to see a new kind of musician use this tool on stage and in the studio. The performing designer is a musician who is not only concerned with notes, tempo, and arrangement; but also someone who can improvise with the signal path itself. A new musician who can interact with the structure of synthetic tools at the lowest level during the performance. Reaktor affords these possibilities through a comprehensive collection of synthesis modules, GUI customization, and midi control.

This is a first in a series of reviews that will make an attempt to give some exposure to ensembles that Reaktor users may have missed, and also for people that have not yet used Reaktor themselves.

Note: All example files are in mp3 format, 128kb/sec. All demo files contain dramatic volume changes. Please begin with a conservative volume setting. I mean F$%cking loud! Watchout...

The Reviews

Review 1 -- Loopscanner2, Chonndo, Boinks, Cabcharge, Hydrolyt 3, LVD 2.1, MonsterLoop, Rabbeat, RLXP2, TablaTorium, ThronobUlax, Victor, The Roswell Tube).

Review 2 -- PlasmaClone 1.1.1, Scan, Sample&Morph, GaterFX, Discotalk, Caterpillar, BioSynth, heishere, OUZO 2, Komplex Delay, ATMA ATMA2, SuperPan.