NI Reaktor 5 for $99

I guess they have to offer deals on single products. Not everyone will spring for komplete. I have whatever version shipped with K9, still haven't used it, but I will one day.

That got my attention. I know it is very complex but aren't there basic "ensembles" you can add/buy and user ensembles which people share?
 
I have the Player version and I dig it. I've avoided buying software for a while but Reaktor for $99, that's a tough one to pass.

This is a no-brainer. Once you have the full version, you have access to the Reaktor user library which has literally thousands of free ensembles and instruments for download. Not all of them are good of course, but some of them are awesome and there are also many weird and wacky instruments which you just won't find anywhere else. 

One thing about Reaktor is that if you want to learn to be a device creator and not just a device user you need a couple of things.  First is access to the Groove 3 video tutorials.  Reaktor is so deep they don't do much more than scratch the surface, but without them, I can't imagine how you'd break through to a level of even rudimentary understanding.
 
The other thing I'm convinced you need is a tablet device for putting the PDF documentation on.  If you print this stuff in full, it wouldn't all fit into a large lawyer's briefcase.  A 10" tablet with a PDF reader app makes it way, way more accessible.

yorolpal
It is indeed "awesome" and there are indeed many interesting user instruments and ensembles and such and if you are used to working with and programming such things then it is an incredible resource.  BUT...if you just want a monkey proof set of tools and sounds to work with....Reaktor aint it.  All I'm saying is if you're a dimbulb like me (and I learned on synths that had to be programmed back in the ancient times) please be careful before plunking down your money thinking you're gonna get a boatload of "instant gratification".   It's a powerful tool in the right hands.  Or a head scratching puzzle in others.  I'm somewhere in between. YMMV. 

With ya there ol'pal. I downloaded the demo a while back and couldn't really make much sense of it - seemed a bit too much like a lot of time /  hard work for little gain to me.

I hate when these deals come about when i am broke.  $99 is a no brainer for what is arguably the single most powerful synth in existence.

auto_da_fe
i have had reaktor since Komplete 6.
 
I now have komplete 9.  I saw the mouth was on for 35 bucks so i bought that, which forced me dive to into reaktor 5.   Holy krap bat man, what a surprise.
The depth and volume of inkluded krap is over whelming.
Besides all the synths there are quite a few audio manglers as well.  There are even random sound generators.
Will I use this stuff in a song, maybe, is it a ton of fun yes.
 
I especially like this NI stuff as it is all stand alone does not require firing up the DAW if you want to play with it....and no ilok.
 
JR

At $35, I was thinking of getting the Mouth or the Finger :), and not sure which is better/easier to use....any thoughts on either?
 

 
Thanks Glyn.
I don't have a cat, but do have 3 little ones in the house.
 
I'll check out those vids tonight.
 

I snagged the Mouth as well....
 
JR, your comment on playing the guitar through the mouth just confirmed this is what I should get.....(I'm much more comfortable on the guitar than on keys and I like this idea). Thanks!!

tomixornot
1. Is the Tassman 4 (AAS) some how similar to Reaktor ?
2. What are the Reaktor Prism / Spark ? How are they related to Reaktor (since they share the Reaktor name) ?
3. Some other products are listed as related to the Reaktor such as Razor, The Mouth, The Finger.. Are they completely different products or similar to Reaktor Prism / Spark (if these are related to Reaktor).

 
I consider T4 and Reaktor to be similar yes - Tass is a physical modeling synth primarily, but that description limits it. While Reaktor has physical modeling capability it also has a great deal more. Both are modular synths with the capability to create a whole host of synths, effects, sequencers, etc, if you've got the time to commit to them. Both also have a large user library, (Reaktor's is much richer and more diverse) and a developed/developing library of optional, extra cost synths developed in the core environment - For AAS it's chromaphone, String Studio, etc, for Reaktor, it's Spark, Razor, the Mouth, the Finger, etc.
I own both and while there are a lot of similarities as noted above, I think they are unique in their own way. Both are really excellent.
If you own Tass 4 already I don't think you'd buy Reaktor at $99 and wish you hadn't due to the similarities.

AT
I jumped on the $99 bandwagon.  Hope to get it installed soon - too much other stuff going on at the moment.  Work, life etc.  It looks like a hoot.
 
@

AT - 
I think you'll love it. Be sure to check out the user library - some real gems there. It would take a lifetime just to go through that - 3000+ ensembles, instruments, effects. 

Though similar in many ways, Reaktor is much deeper, more complex and layered than Tassman. Note that this has both huge advantages and huge disadvantages, depending on your perspective.
 
It ranges from:
 
Loading pre-built ensembles at the highest level - which you can think of as "programs" that change it from a classic synth to a noise generator to a rhythm device to various types of FX processors to all kinds of other different things. Some of the ensembles that come with it, as  well as other user's ensembles that can be downloaded from NI's site, are quite good and unique. Some, well, not so much. But they are tremendously varied and sometimes interesting regardless of how polished or quirky they are.
 
to
 
Patching pre-built building blocks like oscillator banks and filters to create synths (this level is probably most similar to Tassman).
 
to 
 
Patching individual oscillators, filters, and all kinds of other stuff at a lower level.
 
to
 
Very low level DSP-type mathematical processing including trigonometry, exponents, logarithms, etc. down to the individual sample level.
 
 
IOW, it goes from a high "load a preset (ensemble)" level to a very low level and pretty much everything in between.

I've had Reaktor for over a year now and I'm still fascinated and amused by it on a daily basis. There's lots of ensembles that I only looked at briefly before that I'm now taking the time to examine more closely. One of those is the Newscool groove box. It automatically generates electronic percussion based upon a sequencer that is triggered by cells in a grid that flash on and off according to the rules of John Conway's Game of Life. The rhythms and sounds it creates are surprisingly useful, especially in an EDM context. There's a bunch of other great drum machines too. One thing I have trouble with is trying to trigger things in the ensembles via MIDI, like changing groove box patterns etc. So I've taken to just recording patterns to audio and splicing them together. It works great. 

I just installed my Komplete on a new system last night.
 
As I was going through and launching all my stuff in free standing mode I was reminded that I have no idea how to even begin to make a sound with Reaktor.
 
:-)
 
True confessions.