Native Instruments Reaktor Prism User manual

Manual

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not repre
sent a commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by
this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or record
ed, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, herein
after referred to as Native Instruments. All product and company names are ™ or ® trade
marks of their respective owners.
Document authored by: David Gover
Product Version: 1.1 (11/2010)
Document version: 1.2 (12/2010)
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs,
but in making this a better product.
Disclaimer

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© Native Instruments GmbH, 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact

Table of Contents
1 Welcome to REAKTOR PRISM .....................................................................................6
2 What Is REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX? .....................................................8
3 Installation and Activation .........................................................................................9
3.1 Installing REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX ................................................................... 9
3.2 Activating REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX .................................................................. 9
4 How to Use REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX .................................................11
4.1 How to Open REAKTOR PRISM ..................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Exploring Snapshots ................................................................................................................... 11
4.2.1 Loading a Snapshot from the Sidepane ..................................................................... 12
4.2.2 Loading a Snapshot from the Main Bar ..................................................................... 13
4.3 Saving a Snapshot ..................................................................................................................... 13
5 Overview of REAKTOR PRISM Ensemble ......................................................................14
5.1 Overview of Signal Flow .............................................................................................................. 16
5.2 Overview of REAKTOR PRISM User Interface ............................................................................... 18
5.3 Macro Controller Section ............................................................................................................. 19
5.3.1 PRISM – Modulation Targets for Each Controller ....................................................... 20
5.3.2 PRISM FX – Modulation Tagets for Each Controller .................................................... 21
5.3.3 Macro Controller Parameters ..................................................................................... 22
5.4 Global Control Section ................................................................................................................ 23
5.4.1 Global Control Parameters ......................................................................................... 23
5.4.2 Modulation Targets for Note On Vel Target ................................................................ 24
5.5 Exciter Envelope Section ............................................................................................................. 25
5.6 Modulation Envelope Section ...................................................................................................... 27
5.7 Exciter Section ............................................................................................................................ 28
5.8 LFO Section ................................................................................................................................. 30
5.8.1 LFO Parameters ......................................................................................................... 31
Table of Contents
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 4

5.8.2 LFO Targets ............................................................................................................... 32
5.9 Envelope Amounts Section .......................................................................................................... 33
5.9.1 Envelope Amounts Parameters .................................................................................. 33
5.9.2 Env Amounts Modulation Targets .............................................................................. 34
5.10 MODAL Bank Section .................................................................................................................. 35
5.11 Voice Processing Section ............................................................................................................ 38
5.12 Effects Section ........................................................................................................................... 40
5.12.1 Cabinet ...................................................................................................................... 40
5.12.2 8-Pole Filter ............................................................................................................... 41
5.12.3 Flanger ...................................................................................................................... 42
5.12.4 Echo .......................................................................................................................... 43
5.12.5 Reverb ....................................................................................................................... 44
5.13 Output Meter .............................................................................................................................. 45
5.14 Diagram on View B ..................................................................................................................... 45
6 Overview of the REAKTOR PRISM FX Interface ............................................................. 47
6.1 Overview of the REAKTOR PRISM FX Interface ............................................................................. 47
6.2 Overview of REAKTOR PRISM FX Signal Flow ............................................................................... 52
6.3 REAKTOR PRISM FX Diagram on View B ...................................................................................... 54
6.4 Sending MIDI to REAKTOR PRISM FX ........................................................................................... 55
6.4.1 Ableton Live ............................................................................................................... 56
6.4.2 Logic .......................................................................................................................... 56
6.4.3 Cubase SX / Nuendo ................................................................................................. 56
6.4.4 FL Studio ................................................................................................................... 57
6.4.5 ProTools 8 .................................................................................................................. 57
7 Credits ......................................................................................................................58
Table of Contents
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 5

1 Welcome to REAKTOR PRISM
Thank you very much for purchasing REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX. On be
half of the entire NATIVE INSTRUMENTS team, we hope these products will truly inspire
you.
On the voyage of sound exploration REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX utilize the
latest REAKTOR technology and open the door to new sonic possibilities, presenting a very
playable, responsive polyphonic synthesizer, and a unique effects processor. As you famili
arize yourself with the fresh interface and Modal resonators, you will find aural pleasure as
you unlock their potential. REAKTOR PRISM builds on the achievements of its sonic sib
ling REAKTOR SPARK and expands the initial concept to its full potential. The scope for
new sounds and interesting effects is vast, so lock yourself away and experiment. Play RE
AKTOR PRISM!
Manual Conventions
This manual uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of poten
tial issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information
is to be expected:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note care
fully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This lightbulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This information
may often help you to solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to the setup
or operating system you are using; however, it's always worth a look.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
▪Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to lo
cations on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪Text appearing elsewhere on the screen (labels of buttons, controls, text next to check
boxes etc.) is printed in light blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will
find the same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
▪Important names and concepts are printed in bold faced letters.
Welcome to REAKTOR PRISM
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 6

▪References to keys on your computer's keyboard you'll find put in square brackets
(e.g., "Press [Shift] + [Return]").
► Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.
→ Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.
Welcome to REAKTOR PRISM
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 7

2 What Is REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX?
REAKTOR PRISM is a powerful polyphonic synthesizer to be used with REAKTOR PLAYER
and REAKTOR 5.5. REAKTOR PRISM takes advantage of the potential of Modal synthesis,
a method typically used for physical modeling, and adds a special twist of its own with its
intuitive generation of complex sets of partials.
The modal sound engine is combined with dedicated voice processing, several powerful ef
fects, and unique feedback loops. Together these form a playable synthesizer capable of
generating a wide range of sounds, from acoustic and organic to synthetic and alien. RE
AKTOR PRISM delivers complex and innovative synthesis in a clean and easy-to-learn user
interface.
The instrument comes with more than 200 professionally designed presets. Its factory li
brary contains a large variety of plucked and percussive sounds as well as atmospheric
pads and soundscapes. Modifying these sounds will be an easy and intuitive way to create
your own signature sounds.
REAKTOR PRISM FX is a six-note polyphonic effect version of the powerful REAKTOR
PRISM synthesizer to be used with REAKTOR PLAYER and REAKTOR 5.5. REAKTOR
PRISM FX takes advantage of the Modal synthesis engine from REAKTOR PRISM to apply
complex sets of partials and overtones to incoming audio signals. REAKTOR
PRISM FX comes with 50 professionally designed presets that are best used on non-me
lodic sounds such as percussion and drum loops.
What Is REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX?
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 8

3 Installation and Activation
3.1 Installing REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX
The following section explains how to install and activate REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR
PRISM FX. Although this process is straightforward, please take a minute to read these in
structions, as doing so might prevent some common problems.
▪To install REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX, double-click the installer appli
cation and follow the instructions on the screen. The installer application automatically
places the new Ensemble files into a REAKTOR PLAYER directory. Alternatively, during
the installation process, choose the directory where you would like to have REAKTOR
PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX installed.
REAKTOR 5.5 or REAKTOR PLAYER is required to play REAKTOR Instruments and Effects.
You can download the free REAKTOR PLAYER from the Native Instruments website.
3.2 Activating REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX
When installation is finished, start the Service Center application, which was installed with
REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX. It will connect your computer to the Internet
and activate your REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX installation. In order to acti
vate your copy of REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX, you have to perform the fol
lowing steps within the Service Center:
1. Log in: Enter your Native Instruments user account name and password on the initial
page. This is the same account information you used in the Native Instruments Online
Shop, where you bought your instrument REAKTOR Instrument, and for other Native
Instruments product activations.
2. Select products: The Service Center detects all products that have not yet been activat
ed and lists them. You can activate multiple products at once—for example, several
REAKTOR Instruments.
3. Activate: After proceeding to the next page, the Service Center connects to the Native
Instruments server and activates your products.
Installation and Activation
Installing REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 9

4. Download updates: When the server has confirmed the activation, the Service Center au
tomatically displays the Update Manager with a list of all available updates for your in
stalled products. Please make sure that you always use the latest version of your Native
Instruments products to ensure they function correctly.
Downloading updates is optional. After activation is complete, you can always quit the Service
Center.
Installation and Activation
Activating REAKTOR PRISM and REAKTOR PRISM FX
REAKTOR PRISM - Manual - 10