Physical Modeling with Reaktor

Hello! I am considering purchasing Reaktor. I have some experience with text-based synthesis languages like CSound and patching applications like PureData and Mulab's MUX. The sound, interface, and performance of the free Blocks Wired demo is impressive. I'm interested in physical models too and noticed that some users have posted such instruments (e.g. Chet Singer's Serenade). Since I don't have Reaktor yet, I can't download and use these instruments or look at the underlying programming. Are such instruments easy to modify or possible to create from scratch without advanced knowledge of acoustics and engineering? Could I, for example, easily change the length of the strings? The size, shape, and material of the resonator? Would it be easy to use a physical model as an audio source for further manipulation using Blocks?

Thank you,
-d. vyd

 

IIRC you actually can open user ensembles in Reaktor Player and it'll let you use them for 30 minutes in demo mode.

There are ways to do physical modeling: delays, filters, the Modal Bank module, etc. that are fairly easy to set up. The trick is in parameterizing these basic elements to correspond to physical quantities. So string length would be tied to delay time, etc, etc.

 

That is great to know, thank you! I was able to play the Serenade ensemble and even see (though not understand) its internal workings in the edit view.

 

I've built a nice one , loosely based on the modal bank tutorial .
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/7735/
there's also the 64 partial edition

 

GentleClockDivider, this looks really interesting! Thank you for the link! Is it possible to mix these types of ensembles with the new Blocks? (Again, I have not purchased Reaktor yet, so please excuse if the answer is an obvious yes or no.)

-d. vyd

 

You could drop a block ensemble ( consiting of blocks ) and use it together with another ensemble yes .( in parallel )
BUt blocks are monophonc and are build according to some rules , for maximim interconnectibility range ( -1 +1 )
Most of the ensembles are polyphonic .
Also , the modal bank is a primary module with a lot of event inputs , iow these won't be able to be modulated at audio rate ..at least not according the blocks rule .
See screenshot , the west coast modules are blocks doing their own thing ( blocks are instruments ) , then you have my modal ensemble which I can play from the midi keyboard .

But blocks pitch input is in the range 0...1 , meaning 0.1 = is an octave
Normal pitch input is event only , and in the range 0 -120 ...

 

Here's a nice YouTube collection of Reaktor and Physical Modeling videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=physical+modeling+reaktor

…, including this very interesting recent one:


Be sure not to miss the old faithful factory ensemble SteamPipe; it's a good as any others, very deep and surprising.
I'm a sucker for any PM synth, and Reaktor's are among my most favorite, almost all capable of very unusual sounds. But it's also very much suited to straight emulation, as you'll find here:
http://www.hvsynthdesign.com/reaktor.php

 

Thought that was a new one but it's an update of an older one - new skin is nice though, is that available anywhere? (only the old one is in the UL)

 

those are based on karplus strong principle , iow a tuned delay line .
Modal synthesis uses a bandpassfilters and an exciter , see modal bank .

LIke I have said before , many ensembles take a pitch input range 0-120 ( event type )
The pitch output of the note block is range 0-1 ..so you'll need to multiply that with 120, but your still stuck with an event type input .

 

It has a bunch of cool snaps, too, many more than the original Geetar from Chet Singer; I was glad to discover that I'd nabbed it when it was available. I wonder if it wasn't maybe a bit controversial, being very much a reskin? A pretty nice one, agreed!

I'm not comfortable reposting it without permission, but from who?