quartz composer + NI Massive from ape5 on Vimeo.

Note: We’re aware we have let this site go without updates, but that’s because Peter Kirn runs Create Digital Music and Create Digital Motion and Pete Dines continues to post at Modulations@noisepages. That said, we’ll certainly announce if we plan a new batch of feature content!

In the meantime, I find I’m coming across new materials nearly every day via Twitter (oddly enough, the new ground for such stuff), so I’ll begin selecting the best Native Instruments-themed inspirational clips and tips to share here. I have quite a backlog of material to share, so stay tuned here and on CDM.

First up – I’ve long been fascinated by the possibilities to use the computer screen for something other than just fake knobs. A simple oscilloscope can offer profound insight into sound, and that’s essentially analog technology. Imagine what’s possible in the real of digital visualization.

The first step is to simply get things up and running so you can begin experimenting. The wonderful electronic artist and audiovisualist ape5 has been posting some early experiments doing just that. Think of these as “Hello, World” work rather than finished projects – but I always enjoy watching that very process, and this looks promising.

The ingredients:

1. Quartz Composer, the graphical patching tool for visuals bundled with the Mac developer tools (if you’ve got a recent Mac OS, you already own it, in other words). See Create Digital Motion for more QC resources.

2. Native Instruments Massive, in this case transmitting audio to produce the lovely patterns at top. (To analyze the audio stream, ape5 uses Quartz Composer’s Audio Spectrum object.)

3. Native Instrument Reaktor. With Reaktor, you have some choices – you could use audio, or you could use OpenSoundControl (OSC) to transmit control data.

ape5 also works with MIDI using the Mac’s IAC MIDI bus.

If you’re on Windows and interested in working in similar directions, check out vvvv (Windows-only) or the open-source Processing. On Windows, you don’t have built-in methods for routing audio and MIDI between apps, but check out tools like LoopBe for MIDI and ReaRoute for audio (a special ASIO driver you can install with the excellent production tool Reaper).

The power of Reaktor is essentially the power to build any instrument or effect you can imagine. But what does that mean for hardware control – how can hardware be as open-ended as software? One solution is multi-touch interfaces.

Antonio Blanca writes to share the work he’s done (in collaboration with JazzMutant’s Bryant Davis Place) on “Lemurizing” popular Reaktor ensembles. These make the Lemur touchscreen a dynamic, interactive hardware controller for these Reaktor ensembles. In the collection from Antonio and other creators, and all downloadable via JazzMutant:

• Vectory sequenced sample destroyer
• The legendary Skrewell instrument
• Native Instruments’ Massive drum computer ensemble (the one in Reaktor)
• Lurker hybrid delay effect from Reaktor
• GoBox groove box in Reaktor – complete with multiball morphing
• Aerobic beat machine
• Native Instruments Massive Synth (the standalone synth, not the one in Reaktor)
• A two-deck Traktor Pro configuration, plus DJ Kabuki’s own Traktor setup
• FM8 synth tweaking layout

From sequencing to modulation, there’s quite a lot you can control in these ensembles with your fingers. That demonstrates not only the potential for Lemur, but many other alternative interfaces, as well. With the exception of the standalone Massive, you can see some of the power of OpenSoundControl support in Reaktor, as well.

Antonio is extending this idea with Reaktor and exploring more sequencing ideas. He writes:

Now I am working on new “Lemur Projects” — a new version of Lemurized Metaphysical Functions and a pseudo-random sequencer built on the Lemur itself using the multiline script (amazing feature, by the way). Here’s some info from my outdated blog:

http://abreaklemurities.blogspot.com/

I am working to release a series of videos using the lemur and [given an overview of] some of my interfaces.

It’s really nice to see Reaktor coupled with the Lemur in this way; I hope to bring you more.

Reaktor users, what are you using to control your ensembles? Any touch-based solutions (Lemur or otherwise)?