TRIPLEPLAY TUTORIALS
MODULE #5: WORKING WITH VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS
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Question:
I like the factory patches, but how can I create new
sounds using a virtual instrument in my library?
Answer:
The process of creating sounds with TriplePlay is as
complex as you want it to be. For some users, just
scrolling through factory presets is enough. Others
want to push the program to the limits of its power.
Much of that editing power resides within the virtual
instrument plug-ins that TriplePlay hosts. We won’t
be able to cover all aspects of these plug-ins (not to
mention other compatible plug-ins you may already
have on your system, or ones you may add in the
future). Kontakt, Reaktor and SampleTank are deep
and powerful. If you’re serious about patch editing
and creation, we recommend reading the documentation that accompanies each of the plug-ins. For
now, we’ll use one of the bundled plug-ins, Native
Instruments’ Reaktor, to illustrate how a single instrument plug-in can provide many sonic options.
What You’ll learn:
• Working with virtual instruments
• Using the Reaktor virtual synth
• Browsing Reaktor patches
• Loading Reaktor instruments
• Adding effects in Kontakt
Start by loading patch #4, Zawinello, a synthesizer
sound created with Reaktor.
figure 29
Close the Patches window and double-click the
“Reaktor5” box at the bottom of the mixer’s Synth 1
channel.
Reaktor isn’t just a synthesizer or a sampler — the
full version of the program is a framework for creating countless synths, samplers, effects processors,
and more. Even the light version of Reaktor that
comes with TriplePlay includes five powerful synthesizers, each completely programmable, and each
stocked with many factory presets.
The Zawinello patch uses Photone, one of many
excellent Reaktor synths. The interface reveals a fullfeatured synthesizer with dozens of user-adjustable
controls. (Go ahead and play with them if you like.
Read Me First!
If you encounter a confusing term or concept, all
TriplePlay controls and parameters are explained in
the online User Guide for your product. This tutorial requires installation of the TriplePlay hardware,
software and partner sounds from IK and NI. Please
consult the user documentation at
http://www.fishman.com/tripleplay for more informa-
tion on these installations, if necessary.
Requirements
• Internet connection
• Installation of Fishman TriplePlay hardware and
software
• Installation of IK Multimedia SampleTank 2.5 XT
• Installation of NI Komplete Elements
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You won’t break anything, and you can always return
to where you started by reloading the Zawinello
patch.)
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Even if you prefer not to fiddle with these synthesizer controls, be aware that hundreds of preprogrammed sounds are just seconds away. This
particular patch is based on a Photone preset called
Sunbluster, and this name appears at the top of the
plug-in window. Click-hold this text to reveal a pulldown menu that lists all the available presets.
figure 30
These patches are arranged into the five banks
shown at the top of the list, and each of the banks
contains many presets — in fact, there are close
to 400 Photone sounds right here! Try auditioning
some of them, like in the following video. (If you find
something great, save it as a user patch. Just close
the plug-in edit window and click the Save icon to
save your discovery to a user memory slot.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDW9G1hAVpc
Now, those are merely the presets available within
one of Reaktor’s instruments. Let’s check out a
couple of other instruments.
With the Reaktor plug-in window still open, select
another instrument from the File Name list indicated
here with a yellow rectangle. Each of these names
represents an entirely different instrument.
figure 32
Audition some sounds by click-holding on the patch
name at the top of the window, revealing the preset
list. You’ll notice that while Photone specializes
in eerie and atmospheric textures, Oki Computer
excels at retro-electronic sounds reminiscent of oldschool video games.
Now try another instrument: In the file name list
at the lower left of the main window, select Steam
Pipe 2. Check out some of the Steam Pipe 2 presets.
These tend to be more organic-sounding than the
relatively lo-fi tones of Oki Computer.
figure 31
(If this portion of the interface doesn’t appear, click
the magnifying glass icon to the right of the Reaktor
logo at the top of the window, revealing this browser
pane.)
Double-click on Oki Computer 2. (When Reaktor
asks whether you want to save your edits to the Pho-
tone synth, just click no.)
figure 33
Here’s a video demonstrating the steps detailed
above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcCtaxLALXo
These Reaktor examples merely scratch the surface
of what’s possible with virtual instruments. If you
like the idea of browsing sounds other than those
included in the TriplePlay factory presets, or making
new sounds from scratch, it’s definitely worth taking
time to read through the Reaktor, Kontakt, and
SampleTank documentation.
Check out Tutorial Module #6 to learn more about
combining multiple sounds within a single TriplePlay
patch.
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