Intro to Skanner for Reaktor

Rethinking how a sample can be used in synthesis and sound design is at the very core of Skanner for Reaktor. The basic idea behind its approach is to chop up a sample into different presets and then use those presets to navigate the sample in new ways. Literally making new sounds from the sample, on-the-fly, by moving to and from different starting points in the sample and changing various parameters along the way. It may sound complicated, and your first attempts at using Skanner may sound just as confused as you feel. But it really is a very powerful tool and a new way to interact with your sounds. And as we all know, this often times leads to good things!

Skanner for Reaktor is broken into four main parts in its user interface. First, the sample waveform display, which shows you the actual part of the sample being played back in real time. Next is the Global LFO, which allows you to manage the Rate, Shape (waveform) and Phase. The Preset Morpher is the main control and how you interface with the sample directly. It lets you set Position and Speed for each snapshot, as well as apply LFO amount and switch between groups of snapshots. Lastly, the Macro Controls give you control over Source, Variation, Filter and Space parameters.

Again, this is a very different approach to working with samples and synthesis. Skanner for Reaktor is something that can literally change your mind about the limits of sounds and how you use them. And it’s not just for making sonic oddities either. Just imagine what you can do with the right ambient samples and filters, or spoken words and vocals morphed seamlessly. The ideas that this sweet little tool will help you generate may astonish you.

If you have a tutorial request or would like to share one of your own tutorials with the world, just shoot us a message before you leave the site today and we’ll be happy to help you. Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,
OhmLab