Reaktor Tutorials
Reaktor User Library - GrainX
Continuing our coverage of the Reaktor User Library, in this video, I cover GrainX, a granular synthesizer by Glynn Darby ideal for evocative soundscapes and effects, with a fantasic GUI to boot.
Unfortunately, GrainX does not contain any documentation, and as such, it can be a little confusing at first. In addition, there are some unconventional programming choices (particularly around the pitch, which is notoriously difficult to control in this ensemble) that can compound this issue.
However, you shouldn’t let that stop you – a little bit of playing around (and looking at the structure!) and everything becomes much more clear. For example, the rng (Range) controls are a little strange to work with at first, but in fact add a substantial amount of depth to the controls once you understand how they work.
One thing I like in particular is that the sound engine is actually quite simple, based around a Grain Resynth module feeding into some factory supplied effects such as Microspace (reverb) and the Kleinstein phaser. This is one of my favorite things about Reaktor – that such compelling projects can be made out of a few simple components.
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