REAKTOR BASICS

Core Cells are not allowed inside primary level event loops.
Place Core Cells in folders inside USER/CORE CELLS folder in DISK menu.
Core panels are built on the primary level.
To start: Core Cell > New Audio
Internal Core Structure is in three columns INPUT - NORMAL - OUTPUT
The Cell Input/Output position internally is reflected externally.
COMPACT BOARD reduces Cell size if its over-expanded during building.

Saving CPU, go to Properties Manager (PM) and switch from Audio (Black) to Event (Red)
In a well-designed Core Cell, an audio rate input can be switched to Event without problem.
An event input can be switched to audio only if it doesnt have a trigger.
Disconnect unused outputs will also de-activate unused Core elements and save CPU.
Disconnecting modules is simple, mouse click on Input and drag to empty background
or highlight (turns blue) and hit delete.

EVENT Core Cells only operate with input and output EVENT data
AUDIO Core Cells can receive EVENT and AUDIO input but only output AUDIO.
STANDARD MACROS operate with audio, control, event and logic.
PROPERTIES MANAGER keep FP PRECISION to default and keep SOLID ticked.

HIERARCHY
ENS > ISM
ISM > ISM, PRI MACROS, PRI MODULES, CORE CELLS
PRI MACROS > PRI MACROS, PRI MODULES, CORE CELLS
CORE CELLS > CORE MACROS, CORE MODULES
CORE MACROS > CORE MACROS, CORE MODULES

LAYOUT
SPYGLASS
PLAYER Reaktor Player stand-alone
FACTORY Core Cells, Core Macros, Ensembles, Instruments, Macros
USER As FACTORY but also Audio files, Imported Files, Pictures, Snapshots, Tables
DISK System Navigation
CAMERA Snapshot Banks
JIGSAW Panelsets
TICK
FUNCTION Status (Solo Mute), Voices, Tune, Unison, Voice Allocation, Snapshot, Event Loops
INFO Info!
VIEW Visible (On Show Header), RGB, Structure Icon, Picture Borders
CONNECT Midi In, Midi Out, OSC, Automation

INSTRUMENTS
Instruments have their own internal structure, midi processing, control panel and snapshots.
Identified by blue label/keyboard icon. To develop a new instrument, load an empty one _NEW.
Connections must always be monophonic. If there is a polyphonic output you must use an
Audio Voice Combiner to convert to mono.

PRIMARY MACROS
Primary Macros are like instruments but have no midi management, separate panel or snapshots.
Identified by grey panel/3 wired-up rectangles. To develop a new macro, load an empty one _NEW.
There is no fixed arrangement for input/output ports for macros i.e. the type and number is user-defined
with IN* OUT* terminals. A terminal in the macros structure appears as a port when you view the macro
in the parent structure.

PRIMARY STRUCTURE - Good practice

ENS should only contain ISM.
ISM should only contain macros, modules and core cells only (not other ISMs)
MACROS should contain other macros, modules and core cells (not ISMs)

Only ISMs not MACROS or MODULES can reside in an ensemble structure window.
Group as many functional blocks together in the form of macros.
MODULES
A module is the smallest unit in Reaktor, displayed as a graphical object and found in BUILT-IN MODULE.
Input on left, output on right . If no input is connected, its input value is set to 0.
AUDIO can be an audio signal or a control voltage. Audio input must always be mono.
If there are two or more audio signals use an ADD or AMP/MIXER module.
EVENT signals are control messages for changing a value. Typical sources are midi-inputs and panel faders. Ports
for event signals are labelled red. If there are two or more event signals use an MERGE module. Each port has a
context menu.
CREATE CONTROL automatically creates a suitable panel controller for the port
CREATE CONSTANT automatically creates a constant module with suitable value for the port.
MUTE PORT does exactly that, marked with a red cross

SOURCE MODULES
Output a control signal, there are 3 types:
CONTROL SOURCE knobs, faders, buttons
MIDI SOURCE converts midi data to control signal
CONSTANT SOURCE have a fixed value

SWITCHES
Several modules or macros can be connected to switch input.

TERMINALS
are modules. IN/OUT, SEND/RECEIVE etc. Several modules or macros can be connected to a Terminal.

WIRING
An output can connect to 40 inputs.
Event Input ports cant process audio unless use an A/E module.
Event output ports can be connected to audio input ports.
Hold mouse on a wire to display signal value.

FUNCTION KEYS
F1 Top level ENS
F2 Primary Structure
F3 Top level/Primary Structure
F4 Primary Structure/ Primary Structure
F5 Remove parameter boxes
F6 Snapshots
F7 Panelsets
F8 Properties Manager

PANEL CONTROLS
Faders, knobs, buttons, switches (menu, spin) text, XY and lists.
Change appearance in PM VIEW
Range is set by MIN MAX
Number of increments is set by STEPSIZE
Resolution is set by MOUSE RESO

SNAPSHOTS
ISM and ENS can store up to 2048

TABLE MODULES
can be used to design oscillators, LFOs and wave-shapers with the mouse
CLASSIC MODULAR MACRO COLLECTION
Two main properties:
1. Standardised signal rage from -1 to +1 for all inputs/outputs, easy modular assembly.
2. Manual control of each important parameter with one or two mod amount controls.

MIXER/AMPS
An ADSR envelope has exponential phases (DR) so can connect to LIN AMPS in oscillators and samplers.
To amplify modulation signals use LIN amps.
AMP LIN range 0 to 1
AMP EXP range in dB
INVERTER inverts polarity of incoming signal.
UNI (uni-polar) mirrored round 0.5.
BI (bi-polar) signal is multiplied by -1, best for inverting LFOs and othe BI sources.
MIXER SIMPLE simple 4 channel audio mixer
MIXER STUDIO 8 channel audio mixer with pre-post sends/panning/mute
MODULATION MIXER 3 channel modulation mixer with invert switches
MOD MATRIX MIXER 8x8 modulation mixer, columns are inputs, rows are outputs
MOD MATRIX SWITCH 8x8 switch for audio signals, rows are inputs, columns are outputs

OSCILLATORS
GEIGER generates random pulses
NOISE generates white/pink/coloured noise
808 noise source for TR-808, consists of 6 detuned PULSE oscillators
SYMMETRY symmetry/PWM for all waveforms - bipolar ramp/pulse/tri/saw/parabolic
Mod input 1 is LIN (good for LFOs)
Mod input 2 is EXP (good for ENV)
SYNC Hard and soft sync, phase mod, FM saw,pulse, tri, sine, impulse
Hard sync oscillator restarts at set phase, Soft sync reverses direction
RANDOM generates S/H. If RMP is on, connecting ramps generate data between triggers.

SAMPLERS
Two modes Classic and Beat-loop
Beat-loop for rhythmic material, this mode synchronises any sample regardless of tempo
to clock source (CLK) input.
Classic plays back in key-pitch scaled format
Resynth for granular synthesis, overlaps are controlled by Smooth

SEQUENCERS
3 types Clock Generators, Clock Modifiers and actual clock-driven Sequencers.
Global Clock generates position events along with clock gate.
1xNotes 4xMod 8xTrg 1 note sequencer, 4-track mod sequencer and 8-track trigger sequencer
Classic Step 16 step, fader controlled
Modulation 4x plays back 4 parallel modulation signals, the signals can modulate oscillators, filters etc.
Note standard piano-roll editor
Simple Modulation as Mod 4x but only one channel
Trigger 8x plays 8 parallel trigger channels for env, sampler, drum synth etc. This sequencer
doesnt have an edit buffer.

ENVELOPE
Envelope - One Ramp generates ramp between start and end
Envelope Follower follows input signal

LFO
3 different modes speed set in upper left corner of macro
P mode speed controls the LFO pitch in semitones
BPM mode relative to global clock bpm
POS mode relative to events at POS input, use this for LFO SYNC independent of global clock
DIV divides clock input
S/H events at TE, clock at C
Triggered Random generates random numbers
FILTER
3 band EQ highpass, bandpass, lowpass and notch, each band can be muted
Bandsplit high, mid, low
Comb sharp peaks and valleys
Ladder Lowpass 1-4 pole (6-24dB/octave) Moog filter
Multimode - Accurate 1,2+4 pole. GainC controls output attenuation at high resonance
Multimode Res Lim 2+4 pole version

DELAY
Delay units in ms or bpm
Pos sync to clock
MQ sets quantisation step for mod signal
Ex external feedback path

AUDIO MODIFIER
Saturates, incoming signal set to 0dB
Clipper controllable clipping
Quantizer signal level is step quantised, good for drums (8-bit res of old samplers)
Ringmodulator controlled by mod depth
Saturator tube or tape saturation
Slew Limiter smooths mod signals
Waveshaper 2 adjustable breakpoints
Wrapper wraps signal round a limit, good for oscillators

EVENT PROCESSING
0-1 to 0-127 Converter multiplies incoming 0-1 signal by 127
use to convert mod signal to pitch info
transform mod signal into position info for step-sequencer
Randomiser random number is added to incoming event

2012 Ian Tregoning inky@inkyblackness.co.uk