Native Instruments Skanner User manual

Manual

The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by this docu
ment 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 recorded, for any purpose,
without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, hereinafter referred to as Native
Instruments.
“Native Instruments”, “NI” and associated logos are (registered) trademarks of Native Instru
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All other trade marks are the property of their respective owners and use of them does not im
ply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Document authored by: David Gover and Stephan Schmitt
Software version: 1.0 (12/2011)
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
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Germany
www.native-instruments.de
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Native Instruments North America, Inc.
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© Native Instruments GmbH, 2011. All rights reserved.
Contact

Table of Contents
1 Welcome to SKANNER ...............................................................................................6
1.1 Foreword by Stephan Schmitt ..................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Basic Information ....................................................................................................................... 6
2 What is SKANNER? ....................................................................................................8
3 Installation and Activation .........................................................................................9
3.1 Installing SKANNER .................................................................................................................... 9
3.2 Activating SKANNER ................................................................................................................... 9
4 How to Use SKANNER ................................................................................................11
4.1 How to Open SKANNER ................................................................................................................ 11
4.2 Exploring Factory-set Snapshots ................................................................................................ 13
4.2.1 Loading a Snapshot from the Sidepane ..................................................................... 15
4.2.2 Loading a Snapshot from the Main Bar ..................................................................... 15
4.3 Saving a Snapshot ..................................................................................................................... 15
4.4 Selecting SKANNER A and B Panel Views ................................................................................... 16
5 Overview of SKANNER Ensemble ................................................................................18
5.1 Overview of Signal Flow .............................................................................................................. 19
5.2 Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View A ............................................................................ 20
5.2.1 Sample Display .......................................................................................................... 20
5.2.2 MASTER Slider ........................................................................................................... 21
5.2.3 Global LFO Section ..................................................................................................... 21
5.2.4 Preset Morpher Section .............................................................................................. 23
5.2.5 Macro Controls Section .............................................................................................. 25
5.3 Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View B ............................................................................ 27
5.4 Synth Engine Section .................................................................................................................. 28
5.5 Polyphonic Processing Section .................................................................................................... 31
5.5.1 AM (Amplitude Modulation) ....................................................................................... 32
Table of Contents
SKANNER - Manual - 4

5.5.2 DELAY ........................................................................................................................ 32
5.5.3 Filter Section ............................................................................................................. 34
5.5.4 Mix Section ................................................................................................................ 35
5.5.5 Amp ENV Section ....................................................................................................... 35
5.6 Effects Section ........................................................................................................................... 36
5.6.1 8-Pole Filter Section .................................................................................................. 37
5.6.2 Echo Section .............................................................................................................. 38
5.6.3 Reverb Section ........................................................................................................... 39
5.6.4 Miscellaneous Controls .............................................................................................. 40
5.7 Modulators Section ..................................................................................................................... 40
5.7.1 Oscillators A and B Sections ...................................................................................... 42
5.7.2 ENV Section ............................................................................................................... 44
5.7.3 FDBK Section ............................................................................................................. 45
5.7.4 LFO Section ................................................................................................................ 46
5.8 Macro Controls Section ............................................................................................................... 48
5.8.1 Macro Controller Parameters ..................................................................................... 48
5.8.2 Source Section ........................................................................................................... 49
5.8.3 Variation Section ....................................................................................................... 50
5.8.4 Filter Section ............................................................................................................. 52
5.8.5 Space Section ............................................................................................................ 53
6 Credits ......................................................................................................................55
Table of Contents
SKANNER - Manual - 5

1 Welcome to SKANNER
1.1 Foreword by Stephan Schmitt
I hope SKANNER will invite you to explore the potential of its special approach to synthesis.
Scan through the sample on a bigger scale or use the oscillators to read its waveforms like un
der a microscope. I am sure it can be a valuable tool to create fresh sounds. Always keep in
mind that you can capture the results of your spontaneous experiments with the built-in Re
corder of REAKTOR.
By the way, don't miss the chance to find out what happens if you drop in your own samples.
Stephan Schmitt
1.2 Basic Information
Thank you very much for downloading this free REAKTOR ensemble from Native Instruments.
Created by Stephan Schmitt, this raucous and exciting new synth can be used either with the
free REAKTOR PLAYER, or the full version of REAKTOR 5.6.2. On behalf of the entire NA
TIVE INSTRUMENTS team, we hope this product will inspire you. To get the best from this
instrument please read the manual in its entirety.
Manual Conventions
This manual uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential
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 light bulb 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 set
up or operating system you are using; however, it's always worth a look.
Welcome to SKANNER
Foreword by Stephan Schmitt
SKANNER - Manual - 6

Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
▪Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to loca
tions on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes 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.
► Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.
→ Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.
Welcome to SKANNER
Basic Information
SKANNER - Manual - 7

2 What is SKANNER?
Stephan Schmitt, the father of REAKTOR, always brings something new to the table. This time
it’s SKANNER — a powerful REAKTOR synth built on unique synthesis architecture. SKAN
NER ingeniously mixes sampler and synthesizer. The two oscillators ‘scan’ a sample; at low
frequencies you get the ‘scratch’ sound of the sample being read back and forth, while at high
er frequencies the dominant force is the oscillators being shaped by the sample waveform. The
resulting sounds are raw, dirty and highly unpredictable — from simple sine waves to walls of
noise.
Despite the complex synthesis going on under the hood, SKANNER couldn’t be easier to use.
Two views offer different levels of interaction: The ‘A’ view features four macro controls that
are mapped to multiple parameters — even subtle tweaks can create dramatic changes. At the
heart of the interface is the Morph control — morph between eight different snapshots for
evolving sounds that are unworldly and extreme — perfect for forward-thinking sound designers
and producers of cutting-edge electronic music.
If you want to dig deeper into the architecture of SKANNER, the ’B’ view provides access to
more detailed parameters. Use SKANNER with REAKTOR 5.6.2 and you can replace the in
cluded samples with your own —discover their sonic potential when they get skanned.
What is SKANNER?
SKANNER - Manual - 8

3 Installation and Activation
3.1 Installing SKANNER
The following section explains how to install and activate SKANNER. Although this process is
straightforward, please take a minute to read these instructions, as doing so might prevent
some common problems.
► To install SKANNER, double-click the installer application and follow the instructions on
the screen. The installer application automatically places the new Ensemble file into a REAK
TOR PLAYER directory. Alternatively, during the installation process, choose the directory
where you would like to have SKANNER installed.
REAKTOR 5.6.2 or REAKTOR PLAYER is required to play REAKTOR Instruments and Ef
fects. You can download the free REAKTOR PLAYER from the Native Instruments website.
3.2 Activating SKANNER
When installation is finished, start the Service Center application, which was installed with
SKANNER. It will connect your computer to the Internet and activate your SKANNER installa
tion. In order to activate your copy of SKANNER, you have to perform the following steps with
in the Service Center:
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.
Select products: The Service Center detects all products that have not yet been activated and
lists them. You can activate multiple products at once — for example, several REAKTOR In
struments.
Activate: After proceeding to the next page, the Service Center connects to the Native Instru
ments server and activates your products.
Installation and Activation
Installing SKANNER
SKANNER - Manual - 9

Download updates: When the server has confirmed the activation, the Service Center automati
cally displays the Update Manager with a list of all available updates for your installed prod
ucts. Please make sure that you always use the latest version of your Native Instruments prod
ucts to ensure they function correctly.
Downloading updates is optional. After activation is complete, you can always quit the Serv
ice Center.
Installation and Activation
Activating SKANNER
SKANNER - Manual - 10