Reaktor Rolodecks Tutorial - Connecting Your Own Effects

Rolodecks is a real-time, dynamic, semi-modular, multi-effect made up of several effects and allows you to add your own to the mix. It is an incredibly flexible and powerful tool. And the more you learn about it, the more you probably realize that this is something you must have in your Reaktor ensemble arsenal! So what exactly can you do with Rolodecks? Well, you can slice, reverberate, delay, filter, flange, stretch or whatever else you can create with Reaktor as an effect. It all happens in real-time and can be played, sequenced, run freely and can process live audio, sampled audio or even manipulate loops from factory content or your own library. But what really makes this crazy cool ensemble one of the best is that fact that you can add your own effects.

Depending upon whether you use the standard or pro version of the Reaktor Rolodecks ensemble, you can use either one (standard) or up to six (pro) of your own external effects above and beyond the basic effects always available in the main interface. To add your own, simply clicking on the EXT tab and turning on the power button for that effect. If you would like to swap out the default effect housed in this tab (a stretch effect). In the example shown in the video, a dual sync delay effect is added in place of the default EXT effect, and is wired via the Structure view panel.

You can quickly make changes to the layout and arrangement of the controls of the effect you choose to load into the EXT tab by activating the edit mode button. This allows you to freely move any button, knob or slider anywhere on the panel interface. Just make sure you turn off the edit mode button after you have finished moving things around.

Once you have your external effect set up the way you like in the Reaktor Rolodecks ensemble, you can quickly begin automating it through the use of mod settings, or manipulate it either manually or via a MIDI controller. You can easily see the seemingly limitless possibilities that this tool brings to your projects, especially once you begin to take advantage of the external effects option. And there is, of course, all of Reaktor you can still experiment with in those same sessions.

Remember to shoot us a message before you leave if you have a tutorial request, or would like to share one of your own with the community.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,
OhmLab