> Step by step

1. Your first Reaktor synth (continued)

Create a Router (Flow) module. This will send the incoming signal to its top Output if its BoolCtl receives a True value, otherwise it will route the input to the lower Output. Connect the Cell’s In port to Router’s lower Input, and Compare’s BoolCtl Output to Router’s BoolCtl Input. Create a Merge (Flow) module and connect’s Router’s upper Output to its upper Input.

If you were to play the synth now the notes would carry on forever, so we need an amp envelope. Select and copy PitchEnv, all of its Knobs, the Compare module and its constant. Return to the Ensemble, create a new Macro named AmpEnv, open the Macro and then paste the structure. Create and connect a “G” In Port and audio Out Port.

Add a Multi 2-Pole Filter to the Macro and connect the Macro’s In Port to the Filter’s In terminal. Create a Knob for driving the filter’s P input, using a Min value of 16 and a Max of 140. Also create a Knob for driving the Res input, using the settings suggested in the port’s Hint text.

We need to store incoming “A” values that are greater than 0 to use them when the note is released. Create a Write (Memory) module and connect Router’s upper Output to its upper Input. Create a Read (Memory) module and connect its lower OBC (Object Bus Connection) Input to Write’s OBC Output. This OBC connection ensures both modules access the same memory address.

Back in the Ensemble, combine the SimpleMultiOsc Output with

AmpEnv’s Output using a Multiply module, and feed the output of the Multiply to the Audio Voice Combiners. Play your synth and notice that envelope release stages are working, but that this synth needs a filter. Create a new Macro and name it “MultiModeFilter”, and place it near SimpleMultiOsc in the structure.

The Filter module outputs High Pass, Band Pass and Low Pass filtered signals from a single module, so we need to control which is active. Create a Switch module, give it three input ports and name the ports “HP”, “BP” and “LP”. Connect the Filter’s outputs to the Switch, and the Switch’s Output to the Macro’s Out Port.

Read will send the stored value when a signal arrives at its upper Input, so connect this to Router’s lower Output – this means when A equals 0, Read will send its stored value. Connect Read’s Output to Merge’s lower Input, then connect Merge’s Output to the Cell’s Out port. Return to SimpleMultiOsc and insert GateCntrl between the A In Port and the oscillator’s A inputs.

Delete the connection between SimpleMultiOsc and the Multiply module. Hold down [Cmd] (Mac) or [Cntrl] (Windows), then drag from SimpleMultiOsc’s output to the left edge of MultiModeFilter – this is an easy way to create new ports in Macros. Repeat to link the Macro to the Multiply module’s Input. Open MultiModeFilter and move the autogenerated ports into convenient positions.

Drop back to the Ensemble and save your synth. Have a play of your synth to see what sorts of sounds you can coax from it, and think about what more you could add. A filter envelope is definitely needed, and you should explore adding some LFO too. If you’ve been paying attention then you know what to do!