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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© Native Instruments GmbH, 2011. All rights reserved.
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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

4 How to Use SKANNER
The following sections will give you a brief overview over some basic operations: you will learn
how to open SKANNER, how to explore the factory-set Snapshots and how to load and play
SKANNER snapshots from the Main bar and the Sidepane.
For latest information on REAKTOR PLAYER files please refer to the REAKTOR 5.6.2 Get
ting Started Guide.
4.1 How to Open SKANNER
This is how to open SKANNER in REAKTOR or REAKTOR PLAYER:
1. Start REAKTOR or REAKTOR PLAYER respectively.
2. In the Browser on the left side of the REAKTOR / REAKTOR PLAYER window, click the
Player button to show the REAKTOR PLAYER files (you can open the browser with the
[F5] key from your keyboard).
How to Use SKANNER
How to Open SKANNER
SKANNER - Manual - 11

3. Click the Skanner folder. The folder's content will be displayed in the lower section of the
browser.
4. Double click the Skanner.ens file, or drag it into the main screen.
How to Use SKANNER
How to Open SKANNER
SKANNER - Manual - 12

5. SKANNER will be loaded in REAKTOR / REAKTOR PLAYER:
4.2 Exploring Factory-set Snapshots
Play some notes on your MIDI keyboard to get an idea of how the ensemble sounds. Then, let’s
change the sound completely by loading a different Snapshot.
A Snapshot is REAKTOR’s notion for a sound, preset, or patch. SKANNER can hold banks of
Snapshots, and loading any of these Snapshots will set each control of that Instrument to a
specific value, and re-create a particular sound.
The Snapshots of SKANNER are accessible from the central control in REAKTOR PLAYER’s
Main Bar or from the Sidepane.
How to Use SKANNER
Exploring Factory-set Snapshots
SKANNER - Manual - 13

SKANNER interface with Snapshot list in the Sidepane.
[1] Sidepane Button
[2] Snapshot drop-down menu
[3] Snapshot Banks
[4] Snapshots
How to Use SKANNER
Exploring Factory-set Snapshots
SKANNER - Manual - 14

4.2.1 Loading a Snapshot from the Sidepane
If not already visible after startup, you need to open the Sidepane. The Sidepane holds a full
overview of REAKTOR's Snapshot Banks and Snapshots from the currently selected Snapshot
Bank.
1. Click the Sidepane button [1] in the Main Bar to open the Sidepane.
2. Select a Snapshot Bank [3].
3. Select the name of a Snapshot entry [4].
The name of the selected Snapshot will be highlighted in the Sidepane, and the Snapshot
loaded and ready in SKANNER.
4.2.2 Loading a Snapshot from the Main Bar
Loading a Snapshot from the REAKTOR PLAYER drop-down menu in the Main Bar is the sim
plest way to interact with Snapshots.
1. Click the Snapshot drop-down menu control [2]. The menu holds all Snapshots and Banks
of the instrument.
2. Click an entry to select it.
4.3 Saving a Snapshot
Snapshots can only be saved when using the full version of REAKTOR, however, all your set
tings will be recalled perfectly in a host if you are using REAKTOR PLAYER, so you can tweak
a sound perfectly for your song. All parameter settings made in SKANNER will be saved as part
of your DAW project. Please read the REAKTOR documentation for more information on plug-in
mode.
For the latest information on REAKTOR PLAYER please refer to the REAKTOR 5.6 Getting
Started Guide.
How to Use SKANNER
Exploring Factory-set Snapshots
SKANNER - Manual - 15

4.4 Selecting SKANNER A and B Panel Views
REAKTOR allows for each Instrument to have two separate Panel layouts, A and B. You can
switch between the A and B Panel Views by clicking on the A View and B View buttons in the
Instrument Header or by right-clicking on the Instrument Panel and clicking on the View B or
View A menu entry. The A View and B View buttons in the Instrument Header are labeled with
an A and B, respectively.
The Instrument Panel View buttons
View A
SKANNER View A
How to Use SKANNER
Selecting SKANNER A and B Panel Views
SKANNER - Manual - 16

View B
SKANNER View B
How to Use SKANNER
Selecting SKANNER A and B Panel Views
SKANNER - Manual - 17

5 Overview of SKANNER Ensemble
SKANNER is based on “Sample Lookup”, a minimalistic sample playback module from the
early days of REAKTOR, and utilizes the audio signal at the input of this module to control the
playhead position in the selected sample from where the value is read and passed to the out
put. The audio signal produced at the (stereo) outputs depends heavily on the input signal and
the content of the sample file.
The content of the output signal can be manipulated further by using an oscillator connected
to the input. This creates an output signal in sync with the frequency of the oscillator. In this
case, the sample works similar to a wave-table that is read by the oscillator. This can also be
compared to a wave-shaper since the shape of the sample is applied as distortion to the input
waveform. If the oscillator runs at a very slow rate the result can be compared with the scratch
ing of a DJ. With increasing rates the signal being read gets into the audio range and domi
nates the perceived pitch.
If only a part of the sample is read by the oscillator, the position and width of this part deter
mines the waveform of the output signal. Raising the oscillator amplitude will compress more
of the sample waveform into one period and will lead to a more complex and bright signal.
In the part of the sample that is being read, the center of this oscillation can be shifted by an
adjustable offset or a slow moving signal. Moving the center of the oscillation will create
changing waveforms at the output.
While a classical wavetable would be read by a linear ramp (sawtooth) oscillator, the end of the
waveform has to match the beginning. An oscillator waveform without steps like a sine wave
can read a continuous, glitch-free signal from the sample, without having to take care about
loop points.
The sample reading signal is created as a sum of:
▪two Sliders for coarse and fine positioning, processed by smoothing filters
▪Oscillators A and B (each producing a sine, triangle or sawtooth waveform)
▪the Polyphonic LFO
▪the Envelope
▪the Feedback signal
Overview of SKANNER Ensemble
SKANNER - Manual - 18

5.1 Overview of Signal Flow
Signal flow in SKANNER
The signal flow diagram shows how the position signal for the Sample Lookup module is gener
ated and how the output of the sample reader is processed. For a detailed description of all
parameters please refer to ↑5.3, Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View B.
Overview of SKANNER Ensemble
Overview of Signal Flow
SKANNER - Manual - 19

5.2 Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View A
Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View A
[1] Sample Display: this shows the selected sample and the position of the playhead as a light
green line. Use the parameters here to set modulation which determines how the sample is
scanned. See section ↑5.2.1, Sample Display for more information.
[2] MASTER Slider: This is the Master level (dB) at the output of the chain of effects. The re
sulting signal is processed by the Soft Clipper before it is passed to the output of REAKTOR.
See section ↑5.2.2, MASTER Slider.
[3] GLOBAL LFO: Set the low frequency oscillator that can be routed to the MACRO CONTROLS
and the PRESET MORPHER. See section ↑5.2.3, Global LFO Section for more information.
[4] PRESET MORPHER: Perform a linear transition from the parameter settings in one snapshot
to another. See section ↑5.2.4, Preset Morpher Section for more information.
[5] MACRO CONTROLS: Set real-time musical control and modulation of parameters. See section
↑5.2.5, Macro Controls Section for more information.
5.2.1 Sample Display
The sample display area of SKANNER shows the selected sample and the position of the play
head as a light green line. When the playhead is modulated the position of playhead moves to
different areas as it reads the sample.
Overview of SKANNER Ensemble
Overview of SKANNER User Interface - View A
SKANNER - Manual - 20