Can i use native instruments with reason

If it requires several workaround and workflow interruptions, then I may just end up selling the Komplete Kontrol and move on with my life. Opinions would be greatly appreciated.

The sampled instruments are libraries for Kontakt and expansions are just patches or samples for various of those VSTs. Using those with Reason works very well, but as Reason does not support multi-channel midi to VSTs you cannot use a single instance of Kontakt for all your sampled instruments, but you will have to open multiple instances with a different library opened in each. Also I'm not sure how well the integration of the S61 keyboard works with Reason.

If you're in Aachen, come and visit us at the Voidspace. Pool's closed due to corona. Post Mon Nov 05, pm Thanks jam-s. Very helpful reply. I guess this is the thing that is most of a bummer Komplete Kontrol is not something you Rewire. Otherwise using Komplete plugins or any other vst is not all that much different than using rack devices. Post Tue Nov 06, am I've been using Komplete with Reason almost daily for about a year, and just discovered today, by reading this thread, that you could load several instruments in Kontrol, which I've never even looked at.

I've always used each instrument as a single instance, and never had any problems with that setup. Even knowing that now, I'll still probably won't use Kontrol because I find that drag and dropping single instruments and handling them just like Rack Extensions is sooo much easier than having to build a multi-instrument setup. Not that I'm advocating that particular way of working, it's just that the small difference in DSP use wouldn't justify changing it in my case.

Forum Rules and Guidelines. Post Wed Nov 07, pm Great thread here. So, using the Kontrol S for Komplete Thanks again. But, re: using the Kontrol keyboard in Reason Members Quick Links. NI Community Forum. Bringing more to our online community - our forum is moving soon! We're excited to share more about our plans and information about the future of our online community Check our latest update in this thread. You can find our latest compatibility status in our knowledge base area If you have any questions or feedback about this update, please use the thread - here.

Messages: 3. Hi guys, first time posting here, looks like a great community. I've see this question raised a few times, but I'm hoping to get a fresh perspective now its and theres so much swanky NI hardware available. Basically, whats better for a total production package: NI or Reason? NI is a crazy expensive route. Pros and cons from my point of view: Reason is amazing to work in, as I have a studio background and the ability to work with patch cables and rack gear clicks well in my monkey brain.

The built-in SSL console sounds incredible. Once you get used to the sequencer and blocks, its really fast and creative admittedly it took me AGES to get the Reason workflow in my head, I was so used to using a traditional DAW. However - no VST support! For instance, the reverb is not really the best reverb I heard and there are better alternatives out there. Also, some of these effects lack control but ok, I am talking about a synth that has been around for 11 years now release date was around But once you start looking around on what the complete bundle has to offer, then well That is what I am trying to say right about now.

But I do believe that the new Massive X will most likely compensate for the lack of options and control. While looking at the insert effects parallel effect processing if you will , these will reshape the sound in different angles.

While comparing this with Thor in Reason you could compare this with a shaper setting. Thus you determine the amount in two different ways. So for what it is worth comparing this with Reason again. This would be a total replacement to Thor the wavetable oscillator but with a big surplus on it because of the number of options. It sometimes feels like it goes on par with Europa, yet sometimes it does not. But again, I am comparing a Synth that has been released in with a synth that has been released since So there is most likely some differences there.

But when it comes to the overall sonic options that Massive has to offer, it can just do a lot. And like I have mentioned elsewhere, I am barely touching the surface in this article since I just to want to have a global first impression what I have seen so far and give my honest opinion about the way I feel while doing so.

FM8 is an all in Frequency modulation solution that can do similar things as the famous DX7 from Yamaha. While originally the DX7 is all about using Sine waves as the operators, the FM8 from Native Instruments comes with different waveforms while doing so. This makes almost every FM synth from the digital market obsolete. Because of every almost every 2 operators, 4 operators and 6 operator FM synth can be created with a single instance of FM8.

And this says a lot. While the DX7 is all fixed based 32 different routes, the FM8 can route anything in any possible using the matrix for the FM8. You can see the matrix as a mixer where you tell how operator A is connected to operator B and setting an amount because FM is all about having one operator changing another operator using a level setting. In this picture, you can see that Operator A is modulating the Operator B with an amount of 33 where is the maximum amount.

The operator B becomes the output. While looking at the operator screen you are able to modify different parameters of what defines the operator. The operators can vary in ratio, offset, waveform, inverted, key sync mode and pitch envelope mode.

The operators A till F are waveform operators while X and Z are noise and filters. While looking at modulation, it comes with another matrix type of look and feels. Meaning you can modulate a lot of different parameters from the pitch, to attack to breath to an LFO. In other words, a lot. The spectral view inside the FM8 is a nice addition since it tells exactly what type of sound you are creating. While at the right top corner you may find a small version of what the spectral view is. There is a nice button that displays it in more detail.

The master section of the FM 8 from native instruments displays most of the overall control you can set when it comes to output levels, input levels, polyphony 64 poly at maximum! Additionally, you can map an build in arpeggiator with the FM 8.

While having it running in standalone mode without any DAW running it can be handy when just playing it as a synth. When using this synthesizer inside your DAW it will be mapped with the transport.

As far as frequency modulation goes and looking at the penitential what FM 8 can do, it just can do a lot. While exploring the different patches out there inside this synthesizer there are some really cool sounds that come with it.

While at first, the FM8 from Native Instruments might look like a daunting synthesizer even I had some issues to figure out how to enable an operator in this one.

When you start realizing what makes this synth tick, you will realize it has a lot of potentials even going way beyond the PX7 from Propellerhead.

Before I am going to touch the rest of the synthesizers that sit inside the Komplete bundle itself, I am mainly going to look at Reaktor for now. Later during this article, it might make sense why I am choosing this path I hope. Reaktor is a modular concept that works similarly as rack designs Propellerhead Reason or euro rack designs but in a digital form.

Reaktor comes in two different forms, the panel overview, and the generator overview. While the panel overview is more about playing the synth or beatbox machine.

The generator overview is the under the hood panel on how everything is being generated. From this angle you can truly design your own synthesizer as modular you see fit. Because you define how gates are treated, how effects are used, and how everything gets modulated.

Kind of like how Propellerhead Reason started but then with a lot of different features. While regular synthesizer defines gate inputs from the Midi Inputs. Reaktor can also be used while having a different input to control an oscillator. The most obvious route would be to start with the Note In block.

Because this is similar to using Midi controllers to control the synthesizer itself. The gate and note outputs will then go an oscillator and the oscillator can go through an output. From this angle, you are just defining a "press a key, play an oscillator" without even using envelopes or velocity states. However, if you want to make your own synthesizer you can define different envelopes to do whatever you want. Once you start understanding synthesizer and how they work Amplitude envelope, Filters, Filter envelopes and such you are able to have your own modular build pretty fast.

Here is a very basic sawtooth synth build. Using note pitch to control the saw wave pitch. The output of the sawtooth goes directly into the audio output. Understanding the modular concepts about building your own synths take time. While the patches that come with Reaktor will give enough insights on how this modular synthesizer works. It just depends on how complicated you want to make it yourself I guess the same thing goes with anything in real life. But as far as how far Reaktor can take it Because a lot of their hardcore synthesizers that Native Instruments have sold as separate products are simply built inside Reaktor 6 itself.

This is one of those things that display how analog gear can be recreated inside a digital environment such as Reaktor 6. Monark is a monophonic synthesizer with an analog character. While some of it resembles the core of what for instance the VK-2 from Blamsoft is doing. While Monark was made using the Reaktor framework, some of these components can be found in the blocks sections of Reaktor 6 itself. Meaning, you can replicate the exact same device, yet take your own direction with the blocks if you need to.

This synthesizer uses the basic analog waveforms such as a triangle, square different pulse width and a saw wave. While most of these oscillators can be used to play the synth. The filters range from bandpass to low pass and its own unique MM filter which has a nice analog touch to it. The load in the volume kind of reminds me of some form of saturation that takes place. Which does not come as a surprise since I have a feeling something like "Driver" a block from Reaktor 6 creates these type of effects.

While I have a lot of these type of devices laying around, I do see its applicable usage because of the filter itself is quite distinctive compared to what others are doing. Some parts remind me of the Legend Synapse while others sound similar to the character you can get, from the earlier mentioned, VK Molekular from Native instruments is an awesome device to mess around with.

Even better yet, if I have to pick an effect which sounds freaking awesome to play with, then this is it! I had a real big smile on my face while throwing a Rex loop against a few of the presets that came with it. Because it creates something, I could not even dream about.

In short, Molekular is an effect processing device that can be used to play as a synth as well where I find the first option a very impressive one. The way it works may look very intimidating at first. Because you have a digital display in the middle that goes all over the place. While at some point you could see it as a device like Quad from Rob Papen. Where Quad uses a vector to connect to different oscillators.

Molekular uses this method to modulate different type of effects four in total. So in a way you can mix all those effects in different directions. The way that this moves can be altered in different ways. The amount of modulation that takes place can be changed.

Ow boy Form is a granular type of sample editor that takes performance to a whole different level. The engine is set up with 5 different type of presets. Where each preset can have its own way of going through the waveform itself.

While the waveform itself is just a sample could even be a voice recording , the way you can manipulate the sample in different ways is just awesome. The only small downside I did figure out very fast is that the limitation of the sample length is set to 30 seconds. But if I think in terms of usability, flexibility and having short samples for recordings, I do not really see that the 30 seconds should be that much of a limitation I mean, who wants to throw a 4-minute song file to sound like a granular mess anyway?

Form comes with a sample player and motion and performance switches. Under the hood, you can alter the sound output in different ways and set up a wide range of different effects. From a UI perspective, I have some dilemmas with this setup in particular.

This is a minor nit-pick I am doing right about now since it was the first thing I noticed. Does it really have to be that large? But ok, I got over this really fast because the controls for this synthesizer are pretty easy to find.

The sample section is part of the heart of this synthesizer. Since it defines which sample you are using, and you can set the start and end point of the sample itself. Below this, you can alter the speed of the motion.

At first, I found the term "sample length" a bit confusing because I would see it like a length of playback. But what it really does is set the movement speed and modulators on where it connected towards. The sample length label seems to be bit odd Naming this "sample modulation" would have made more sense from my point of view.

While I may sound skeptic about the way it is presented it is nothing really big anyway , there are a lot of good things about it. Because it touches the realm of granular synthesis make note, this device is released in it does a really good job at it. The motion can be altered in many different ways using a different type of presets. The presets can than be modified in different ways as you see fit. But since you have 5 different play styles in this synthesizer, you can if you are up to it set up 5 different motions and have those tied up with the keys C1 till E1.

So you can alter with a flip of a key the way it sounds like. The sound section where you can define 5 different states comes with an oscillator waveform , you can alter the FM amount which is awesome! Most of these parts I am really missing in something like Grain of Propellerhead for instance. Is this comparison fair?

I think so But this is a personal preference ;. I guess once you start looking at the name "twisted tools" it makes sense. At some point you can look at it from this angle: what if you have a drum machine with samples and you roll a dice and it throws 4 different layers of sounds in a different angle.

Result: PolyPlex ; That is the shorthand description because you have a lot of manual control, but just saying to can automatically map it with a lot of different parameters. You can see it as a random preset generator while looking at it. And sometimes these things can be cool in a way once you are looking for a series of sounds yet, have no idea.

So you basically hit the 'random' button and polyplex will randomly select from a wide range of samples a new sound from it. At some angle where it does get cool is using the Ambient section just because I am totally into this anyway. You have a wide range of different ambient sounds called one shot and by taking the "samples" section you can alter the samples in any wave possible.

The subtype section will define which sample bank you are using ranging from effects to tonal synthesizers to impact sounds. While PolyPlex also comes with a wide range of percussion sounds, you can turn a normal sounding kick drum into a large layered kick with ease.

While PolyPlex is from what I have heard is a monophonic synth, it still does an amazing job to throw samples in different angles.