Reaktor Blocks - Controlling & Expanding A Modular Synth Voice

Here's a similar patch to the Blocks ES-3 AJH jam video I put up earlier this week. Native Instruments Reaktor Blocks is controlling the entire voice with pitch information, modulation, rhythms and triggers etc. Everything. The focus is around the Pitch CV Out Block which gives out pitch and gate CV and offers calibration of your oscillator (and other things that oscillator but don't track) to give pitch perfect and reliable tracking.
I also go through adding multiple sequences for transposition. Any questions just ask as always.
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/ divkid

[@argiopeMusic]

I can't believe it's nearly 2021 and this is still complicated in Reaktor. Nearly every hardware synth these days has CV now, and interplay between the hardware and software world is both exciting while still frustrating because these basic interfacing tools are lacking.

[@jamestiller9327]

You may feel this is complicated, but I think it makes perfect sense and I appreciate that Reaktor has these capabilities on such a low level.... lets us custom tailor to EXACTLY what we desire. So often designers miss the mark by over-simplifying cv control outputs (MPC anyone?) and leaving out configurability. Of course, I'm an electrical engineer and have been building modulars for 2+ decades, so this feels more natural to me..... Learn how it works at this lower-level, save your rack setup, and it'll be much faster for you when you need to use it in a track. Thank you DivKid for this video (not to mention the hundred or so others of yours that I appreciate)!

[@sharonsr]

Thank you Ben , for doing this so quick , great video and information.

[@DivKid]

Hey Sharon, cheers!

[@KarolyMarkos]

Great video.It will be great to see a west coast style implementation as well.

[@DivKid]

Unfortunately I don't think I'll have chance to get to a West Coast version of the video. Certainly possibly with a different module set and using different blocks.

[@loheitz4086]

woo. I like it just nice east coastly

[@unkatom]

This works so well for nano systems, like your lunch boxes and so on... Great WERK:)

[@DivKid]

certainly would. Hell of a lot of control for a small system.

[@Larry30102]

Cool Vid. I'm a newbie to eurorack. I never knew things like this could be possible. I've had Reaktor since it came out, but found it a little daunting to program and build stuff. Life is too short :) This however, looks doable, but I'll have to get over my PTSD of my earlier experience with blocks. Maybe this is just a little too labor intensive. But in reality, doesn't seem harder than messing with a eurorack...same logic and work flow.

[@pedroeustache5511]

Once again: BRILLIANT!!!!

[@DivKid]

thanks Pedro.

[@MartinDoudoroffLLC]

Great demo. Very clear.

[@DivKid]

thanks appreciate that

[@joaoceitil]

Hello thank you for this introduction. I was wondering if we want to use lfo to modulate several parameters others than pitch, do we need to calibrate. If yes how we do it? Thank you in advanced

[@blueboxed7732]

So I have been using this set up tonight. I have an ES-3 attached to an ES-5, ESX-8CV, ESX-8GT and ESX-8MD. Try as I might I cannot work out how to route signals to anything other than the 8 ES-3 outputs. This means if I route anything to outputs 7 and 8 it outputs on those two channels and all the other attached modules on all their channels too. Any ideas on how it sort that out?

[@DivKid]

Hey, I can't help with that one I'm afraid as I don't have any of the expanders. Os at Expert Sleepers is great and a good communicator / fast replier so I'd hit him up. First check the Reaktor and / or Muff Wiggler forums for any ideas though. I'm sure a few others will be using Reaktor with those modules.

[@mynmyself]

Hi, Im having trouble trying to use Reaktor as a VST in Ableton and sending signals to my ES-3. If used standalone everything works flawlessly. But when using it inside Ableton, Im unable of sending 8 signals from blocks out to my ES-3, I am assuming it has to do with Ableton only allowing me to send midi tracks to just a stereo pair of outs, instead of to the 8 ADAT outs. Do you know of a way of solving this? Cheers and amazing videos!

[@DivKid]

Sounds like a question for Native Instruments I'm afraid. I don't know anything about that side of the set up. how about running a few instances of Blocks? Or setting up multiple channels with multiple input sources (if that's routable even through Reaktor).

[@mynmyself]

Hey, thanks! Yeah, I ve managed to do 4 midi tracks in Ableton, and send two Reaktor signals per channel (asigning each tracks outs to a pair of outs mirroring my ADAT setup), problem is having 4 tracks running Reaktor is heavy in the CPU and Its not very efficient as I cannot do interconnections between blocks, unless I just duplicate the same ensemble for the 4 tracks, which would be a CPU nightmare and would still not allow for smooth playing of the entire setup. Ill get in contact with NI and OS, thanks though!

[@mynmyself]

Haha maybe I have just arrived to a solution (just in case anyone reading might be interested, or even yourself Ben). I am assuming I could just have one Reaktor midi track with my entire ensemble outputing audio to my first pair of ADAT outs (9/10 in my setup), then just add 3 audio tracks that receive their audio from Reaktors midi track, and output to the remaining 3 pairs of ADAT outs(11/12, 13/14, 15/16 in my setup)... I need to try this later, but it seems like a clean solution

[@DivKid]

That seems like a more elegant solutions and less CPU intensive. Be good to know how you get on.

[@mynmyself]

I know this is not strictly related to eurorack, but to Reaktor... But I have been trying to make a 16step sequencer using blocks for ages. Im just applying what I know from eurorack, so I am trying to use seq switches and trying to sum both 8stepseqs outs into a mixer, but I am not getting any decent or expected results... I am using an ES4 btw

[@DivKid]

So two 8 step sequencers both clocked at the same rate then patch both of their outputs into a sequential switch. Move the switching at a divide by 8 rate compared to the clocks moving the sequences and then it will play 8 steps of one sequence and then move to the other 8 steps and back etc. Presuming it's an 2 way sequential switch.

[@nikfrisbee]

This has got me thinking - I have a Nord Modular Synth&Editor and I would like to be able to incorporate this into my eurorack if possible? Would the ES-3 work in my case would you know? Do you have to configure the USB to adat device within reaktor settings? Not sure if I would be able to configure this within Nord editor? Any help would be very welcome. :-)

[@DivKid]

No idea with the Nord Editor I'm afraid. Can you get the Nord Editor into Reaktor on the computer someone? If you can get the values in you could use Reaktor to then send them out to an ES-3. Not sure that's possible though.

[@TOMKATPEDALS]

Great video. Makes me wanna mess with this now

[@DivKid]

it's good fun

[@in_10z]

I've been using ES-3 and Reaktor for years inside Abelton Live. I can tell you it's ridiculously finicky and NI has a LOT more work to do to make integration with actual hardware CV a reality. Reaktor Blocks are incredible, but using the blocks to control your real modular gear is a royal PIA. PLEASE someone simplify this and Reaktor will enter new dimensions of awesomeness.

[@EliahHoliday]

I'm looking at a similar hybrid set up using the ES-40 and ESX-8CV and Silent Way. How do you find Reaktor Blocks overall for sound and modulation? I tried VCV Racks (via Bridge) in Ableton and it was unusable due to CPU load which is unfortunate because I like the tradition functionality and modules in VCV. The Softube modular is just way too expensive when you start adding paid modules. Seem Reaktor Blocks is the only way to go.

[@DivKid]

Blocks sound great not light on the CPU but I haven't compared to VCV I believe that's higher CPU usage generally but can't be certain. You're right that the Softube model does seem expensive in comparison.

[@EliahHoliday]

Tested both Blocks and VCV in Ableton. Blocks there was no issue but VCV had major CPU issues.

[@DivKid]

ah ok, well Blocks in the answer then

[@TRaddcliff]

how did you get channel 33 to 40? for my aggregate im using MOTU Ultrlite and ES-8. with the aggregate setup, i can only create outs from 1-16 in Reaktor. any help would be great thanks

[@DivKid]

keep adding outputs in Reaktor until the number goes up high enough. I don't know a way to change the output number other than creating more of them keeps that output going up. I had an aggregate device set up with another device 1-32 and then 33 up was the ES-3.

[@TRaddcliff]

DivKidVideo thanks for your reply. I actually tried after i asked the question. Werks in standalone just fine. But i need to leave all the extra outputs in the Ensemble, if i delete, say 1 and 2, the rest renumber. Doesnt seem to want to werk while being used as a software instrument in Logic. I guess its not an option when used in Logic? Thanks for your help

[@DivKid]

Not sure to be honest as I've only used it standalone I'm afraid. Had any luck getting hold of Native Instruments about it?

[@TRaddcliff]

NI actually told me you can't get more than 16 out from Reaktor in Logic. i guess my description was lacking. because they aren't wrong, BUT there IS and answer to my question. someone from MUFF pointed out that when you create the Reaktor software instrument in Logic as a multi timbral instrument, that track then has a little + at the bottom of the track in the mixer. click on that and it will add buses linked to your software instrument where you can assign the OUTS to physical outs of your system not the numerically constrained in the plugin. so yes you are still limited to 16 outs from the plugin version of Reaktor in Logic. but that 1-16 can be routed to your additional out buses that can be assigned to however many additional physical outs you have available to Logic. its actually freakin fantastic. everything in Reaktor is automatable in Logic...so...huge amounts of fun to be had.

[@DivKid]

ah ha! Good to know the multitrack method works. Super powerful system. I need to delve into Blocks more and explore it. I guess I'm not away from the hardware modular enough to feel the urge to get into the software as much.

[@pangea2003]

is there a way to clock reaktor from the eurorack with cv in? the input of reaktor block clock module is only for MIDI Clock right? is there a block for CV Clock input? Cheers

[@DivKid]

I don't know. You can take eurorack CV/gate and turn it into MIDI with the Befaco CV Thing or VCMC though for the MIDI clock input

[@pangea2003]

@@DivKid thanks for the reply. however, it seems this there's no cv clock in module in reaktor blocks.. so i think i will abandon the idea of using reaktor and keep using ableton and expert sleepers es modules, cheers

[@justintonation9726]

What device are you using for converting USB to ADAT to your ES-3?

[@LavLab]

Cool! 👍👽

[@DivKid]

cheers