It's Gonna Grain

Instant (early) Steve Reich

(204 Votes)
4.1 (Updated 19 years ago)
724.4kB
January 06, 2005
Reaktor 5 or lower

DESCRIPTION

Early Steve Reich pieces are for me, very interesting. They explore the phase and rhythmic elements between repeated sounds and/or loops. Also the ideas behind these early pieces were not about pitch
and harmony relationships.

This Ensemble is based on/inspired by "It's Gonna Rain". In that piece, two tape recorders have exactly the same loop. They are started at exactly the same time. Soon (because of slight differences in the mechanisms) the loops go out of phase (they don't repeat at the same time). This produces interesting 'accidents' as the timbral characteristics of the repeated vocal sample, interact. With a bit of encouragement (touching the tape gently) the out of phase sounds turn into cross-rhythms.

That basically is how the piece worked..
classic systems/minimalist/conceptual music.

So this Ensemble, takes this into the digital age. Two granular (Resynth) samplers, are loaded with the same vocal sample . Both samplers have the same modulation controls for Pitch, Speed,
Grain size, Loop start and Loop length.

The 5 Faders, control how much 'pre-programmed' modulation is being sent to the 5 modulation controls. This (for me) makes it more interesting in live situations, as you could have some pitch modulation movement going on and at the same time bring in some movement with the Loop Start position.

3 modulation sources are provided, Ingo Zobel's BZ Divider, A Clist LFO and a self-built, Random Trigger.

Instructions are supplied with the .ens



To play this piece in an authentic way, the changes should be slow and subtle. small changes in fader movement are enough to make the samples go out of phase. To explore the piece
as it was originally heard, move the pitch and speed mod faders. To hear it digitally, bring the other faders into play.

The 5 modulation faders have Resets. the start/stop icon also resets the repetition of the sample.

Quick changes can be brought in by using the snap change module. This also re-sets the faders

View A is the programming view.

View B, is the Performance view.

Len Sasso has also explored Steve Reich ideas in Reaktor, but this ensemble uses different concepts of modulating the samples.


Try it with your own samples. they don't have to be vocal.


All comments/ideas/suggestions are very welcome. I have a few for a possible version 2.

muti-picture play button and faders by Stephen Wierenga and Richard Smith.


COMMENTS  (64)

Paul Copeland
10 years ago
Wonderful. Very easy to use and great phasing effects.
Lee Stirling
11 years ago
I think this is great. Thank you!!!
Karel Skakal
12 years ago
A real Gem 10+
Dennis Harms
12 years ago
This is awesome! Really useful ensemble! Thanks for the upload!
Jon Honez
14 years ago
This is awesome. My favorite one from the user library.
Kostja Schibrowski
14 years ago
Love it!
sohrab motabar
15 years ago
Thanks, Great
Magic from Space
15 years ago
amazing
Sergio Miranda
16 years ago
When I try to use my own samples, they wont loop... i have to hit the re trigger button every time... How do I make my samples loop, and adjust the loop start, lenghth, etc???
Sergio Miranda
16 years ago
Hey Phil Love your instrument. It´s great not only for the steve reich concept, cause that was already explored by him, but also for coming up with great samples. Thanx for making my world richer.
Michael Rüsenberg
16 years ago
Phil, after adding my own sample I can listen to it - but don´t see the waveform. In other words: I can´t use all these wonderfull effects.
aymeric varlet
16 years ago
Maybe it was already told, but : 1- I love it. It's a beautiful tribute to Steve Reich 2- Why don't use 4 tracks at the same time (as I was for "it's gonna rain" 3- Finest adjustment of any parameter would be great
Andrew Saunders
16 years ago
great idea. I can't wait to play with this more.
James McIntosh
17 years ago
magnificent.
Phil Durrant
18 years ago
hi clifford you can use the Reaktor recorder box or a host application to record this. how did you try to record this?
Clifford Lindsay
18 years ago
I'm new to Reaktor, and I really like this. I love the synths, but this is the type of thing I hoped I'd discover when I bought Reaktor. The only thing is, how do I record something like this? I tried to record while it was playing, but all I get is silence.
David Kennedy
19 years ago
Interesting idea. I liked the included sample.
Maximilian Schäfer
19 years ago
Wonderful instrument: simple but powerful concept, perfect realisation. A pleasure to hear, to see, to use.
James Clark
19 years ago
I like this. Very easy to use but compelling.
Bodo Kuznik
19 years ago
Funny,funny Bones !!
Matthew Hettich
19 years ago
haha, I just made one of these with 6 decks to do a performance of "My Name Is..."
Der Einmeier
19 years ago
simply, great and so lovely!
drew cady
19 years ago
I like the ens. Works good for flanginging. I wish there was a mix fader between the samples. Then you can control the amount of flange. Thanks for posting it.
Jopy
19 years ago
Allows you to focus on creation right away. Clean and simple display that does exactly what it says it will without unnecessary bells or whistles. Great.
Art Juchno
19 years ago
Thanks Phil. When I first heard Steve Reich on the Univ. of Buffalo campus radio station in 1971 I was hooked on this phasing idea. I subsequently saw Reich perform "Drumming" and U.B. to an audience of about 50. Back then you could even go talk to him after the performance. This will great fun. Thanks again
Cliff Douse
19 years ago
Great ensemble!
Donovan Stringer
19 years ago
Used this on a duduk part during a remix for a buddy.. Excellent results that really spiced the instrument's track without resorting to the usual suspects.. Less can be more. Ensembles like this prove that quite elegantly..
Richard Smith
19 years ago
I wondered when you would post an ensemble with my slider macros in it ! Thanks very much for this one.
Michael Polane
19 years ago
simlpy great and moving.............
Donovan Stringer
19 years ago
I've enjoyed feeding it audio clips from the Exorcist film.. What deliciously sinister & cheap thrills it can produce when given a little assistance from a prepubescent Linda Blair.. :D
msl
19 years ago
excellent idea, thanks
Ernest Meyer
19 years ago
Nice idea, simply implemented--I like the voice sample too!
Robert Croft
19 years ago
another winner - and another Reaktor God emerges ;-)
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
hi David...yes you have dicovered the problems with the multipicture faders (sliders) ;-) i need to look into this. basically i changed the original values that were supplied with the upload ("linear fader") this resulted in problems of storing the values in the snaps....i do want to correct this (i am sure it is a maths problem) but decided not to do this before a release, as i wanted to get a version out before the weekend....i will look into this next week.
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
hi julien, do you mean clicking Reaktor switches? on View A an example would be changing the wave from of the LFO. this is a reaktor issue..BUT i will replace the switches in an update of the .ens
Andres Jankowski
19 years ago
Thanks Phil! graz ensemble
David Morris
19 years ago
Very nice and clean design. I think in C would be a great idea. Actually, it would be interesting to do this with the 53 segments provided by various Reaktor synths, then have an ensemble for mixing it up.
Ned Bouhalassa
19 years ago
Fantastic, very musical, so useful. Thanks Phil!
Stephen Goldstein
19 years ago
beautiful...must be worth an honorary doctorate! Congratulations Dr. Phil.
Chris R Gibson
19 years ago
Whats next? Terry Rileys " In C++". Very cool, thanks Phil.
David Coffin
19 years ago
The reset-on-save issue also affects the PitchMod slider in Sampler 1...can't store values for it, either.
David Coffin
19 years ago
Actually, setting DON'T retrigger when snap changing...but the transitions are lovely!
David Coffin
19 years ago
OK, I made the values visible in both views, duh! (And gave myself a 2nd level slider, so I can mute one sampler...much easier to set up now!) But the snaps-reset thing is still weird...it's not possible here to STORE settings to the 2nd set of sliders; hitting return after creating or overwriting sets all to zero, and the snap is stored that way, regardless of view. The snaps retrigger nicely when changed... Fascinating to discover how rare the sample is that one can tolerate, let along enjoy, over loooong periods of exquisite phase-morphing. But I've got a few....LUV it!
David Morris
19 years ago
Historical correction: Reich used his thumb to slow the reel to reel tape recorders to produce the phasing; he was playing the piece, not just recording whatthe machines did.
jln
19 years ago
i mean clicking any switch set the faders to 0, but moreover, it stops the sound (+ event loop warning). so i have to click the re-trig button.
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
julien, can you explain a bit more.
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
iTunes play button ? ask Stephen Wierenga about that ;-)
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
high david..i programmed so that the faders (sliders)on View A would reset to 0..it should happen with both samplers. the reason i did this was because i didn't want modulation when i changed snaps...try going into the structure..there is a macro that comes out of the snap module...that is the reason the sliders are snapping to zero...Also i just hid the values in view B just to make it less cluttered...can you change it so they can be seen in both views?
David Coffin
19 years ago
...view A, that is.
David Coffin
19 years ago
On my Mac, storing snaps resets all sliders in Sampler 2 to zero. Can't see how to snap isolate these controls, either...properties just reflect the multi-pix parameters. Love to be able to see slider values in view B, too...all minor quibbles; too much fun!
jln
19 years ago
problem with multi picture module? clicking on switch makes all pictures to their "0" state. am i the only one who got that "bug"? that said, i love the title! ;-)
David Coffin
19 years ago
It's about time this function had a new Reaktor champion. Sasso's Phrazer is definitely cool, but THIS thing is...simply lucidity itself. I therefore dub thee Sowari the Lucid One and store your creation in my AutoHypnosis folder at the head of the class... Off to reacquiant myself with control ganging; I wonder if that could be switched on and off? No doubt... Oh, did I say Thank You yet? TY!TY!TY!TY!TY!TY!TY!TY!TY!
paul vogel
19 years ago
They do say study provokes (and some say dements). Great fun this, I'll have to load two Bret Hornby samples into it. Well done.
Paul Jarrett
19 years ago
Is that the iTunes "Play" button? :)
Donovan Stringer
19 years ago
I have something that may assist in facilitating it if you are interested. I'll need your email address or you can private mssge me/Sicklecell666 at KvR & I'll send you the idea that way.. Then again, it may be more instructive for me seeing your own approach to it. :) Either way, great little ensemble!
Rick Scott
19 years ago
great fun! :-) this is just screaming out for automation (can you hear it?)!
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
Donovan, your idea has got me thinking...i think it could be possible to bring small "jitters" in the the equation. i think i know how to do this, but need a bit of time to implement it. thanks everyone.
Norman Skiba
19 years ago
Phil - Dynamite - what week despite the early uploads on this one --- 2 great ideas within a few days - Nice!
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
sorry this is not my day ;-) SAMPLES ARE NOW INCLUDED
N Marsh
19 years ago
oops sorry meant to vote 10
N Marsh
19 years ago
that's better,top marks...optional fader randomisation is a good idea but finesse is definitely the key word. Thanks for sharing, will definitely appear in my music at some point.
Donovan Stringer
19 years ago
Loads fine here, Phil. It asks for the vocal sample which was not in my downloaded archive which I simply replaced. The ensemble: So simple..and so drastic. Thanks for the informative overview, I enjoyed the read. This is a finely crafted ensemble & really demonstrates just how much can be given from the smallest touches.. As far as suggestions go, enabling optional fader random-automation would be intresting to see happen here, but would need to be done with finese to preserve the delicate effects that the slightest increase in values can produce.. An instructive upload that I've enjoyed examining. Thanks, Phil!
Phil Durrant
19 years ago
hi nick (and other people) please download version 3. i have checked on my tibook and it works. version 2 might have been corrupted.
N Marsh
19 years ago
crashes reaktor on opening (pc)was looking forward to that (love those early Reich tape works)
now