Reaktor Blocks 1.3 offers users 5 new modules free

Reaktor Blocks 1.3 offers users 5 new modules free

Reaktor Blocks is Native Instruments’ customised, ready to use modules that work with the Reaktor synthesis creation software.

For years Reaktor was that ominous piece of software that most producers knew had a lot of power, but few truly understood how to use it, or how to create actual instruments.

That level of synthesis was, and still is, to be honest, beyond the scope of your average dance music producer. This is fully understandable. You don’t expect every guitarist to be able to build a guitar do you?

But of course sound creation and shaping is something that gives a top music producer something of an edge. Nobody wants to simply use presets in their soundscapes and whilst there are a zillion ways to change a sound on a synth, both internally and externally, creating one’s own synth patch is somewhat exhilarating.

Reaktor Blocks meets one somewhere in the middle. Using the awesome power of Reaktor, one can buy actual premade instruments and then mess around with these to create your own sounds and/or customised instruments. So it’s not as flexible as the native Reaktor of old, but certainly does offer one a LOT of synthesis creation options.

The danger with Reaktor Blocks is that it can become quite costly to add new modules which is kinda addictive after a while.

The good news is that for existing users the new Reaktor Blocks1.3 comes with 5 new and free modules called Kodiak.

Kodiak

Native Instruments says these new modules are not modelled on any specific hardware but “combine analogue character with digital power”.

Here’s their breakdown on the new Reaktor Blocks module called Kodiak…

• Duality OSC is a powerful wave-shaping dual oscillator offering phase, frequency, amplitude, and timbre modulation. Ideal for growling basses, vibrant leads, and rich percussion.
• Shift Sequencer is step sequencer with independent sequence-length and direction controls for pitch, octave, velocity, hold, and gate, making polyrhythmic sequencing easy.
• Curve Sequencer is unashamedly inspired by MASSIVE’s Performer, Curve Sequencer offers complex stepped modulation – perfect for electronic music styles.
• Morph Filter is an instantly loveable resonant filter bank designed to morph between settings for vowel sounds, chords, or pinged percussion. Perfect for making anything sound like daft funk.
• Flip Gen is a versatile tone generator and noise source that’s great for bleepy sequences, bell-like FM, morse, pitched noise, crackly textures, and more.

Reaktor Blocks 1.3 also includes five new ensembles, and these all showcase the new modules and can serve as a complete synthesizer in its own right.

These come with a total of 195 presets between them.

Blocks 1.3 is part of Reaktor 6, and the update can be downloaded from the Native Instruments website.