The Music Technology Pages Return to MusicWords Home

Reaktor Ensemble

In response to several requests, or possibly just because I feel like showing off, here's an ensemble for Native Instruments Reaktor 5 with which one can play in various types of just intonation. Note that if you don't already have Reaktor, this file will be unusable. Sorry.

The Hot Tunable Synth (938KB) has numerous features, including FM, dual filters with waveshaping, dual multitap delays, and linear (as opposed to logarithmic) tuning offsets and trills, with which one can create unusual scales, harmonies, and timbral effects. Each of the 12 notes in the scale can be entered as a Just Intonation ratio using Numerator and Denominator knobs. The ensemble has been edited for Reaktor 5 to take advantage of the Stacked Macro feature, which cleans up the panel considerably. As a result, it won't open in R4. The tuning is limited to 12-note-per-octave scales ... except that you can add a linear frequency offset to any oscillator, thus causing the size of the 12-note intervals to change from octave to octave.

The most interesting feature of this synth, in my opinion, is the algorithm that causes pitchbend data to be interpreted as scale steps rather than as equal-tempered half-steps. Also, bending can be switched on or off individually for any step in the 12-note scale, which allows you to do pedal-steel-style bends from one interval to another.