Reaktor/Tutorials/Use of IC Send module with any sequencer

This simple tutorial shows how you can use IC Send module to control any desired parameter of your favourite instrument with a cool sequencer from another instrument. You just need to understand how to browse through Reaktor structure.

The idea of this tutorial was created on Reaktor User Forum. See the whole story.

In addition you can download a demonstration ensemble from the User Library.

Use IC Send to send gate (rhythm) signal

1. First, you have to find the sequencer in Massive. Normally, you would right-click on the sequencer in panel and choose Show in structure, but Massive uses Mouse Area, which detects mouse-clicks, and therefore the right button doesn't work. But it's not difficult to find the sequencer in the structure: open Massive and go down into the structure:
   • Massive
   • Drums
   • Drum1 (Kick/snare)
   • Proto1
2. Insert IC Send module (Build-In Module, Terminal, IC Send) and wire it to G1 terminal of "Macro" macro:
   
3. Look at the Massive panel. You may need to move the visible IC Send module to a desired position:
   
4. Insert new instrument into the ensemble - a desired drum synthesizer or sampler (sampler doesn't really make sense, because Massive is a sampler!). In this tutorial, we will use HiHat synthesizer from DSQ-32.ens.
5. Connect the sound output of HiHat to Audio Out (your sound card) in the highest level of Reaktor structure.
6. Go inside of HiHat Instrument and find Gate input terminal.
7. Insert IC Receive (Buil-In Module, Termina, IC Receive) and wire it to input HiHat macro:
   
8. From the Massive panel, open the menu of IC Send module and select HiHat > IC Receive:
   
   This way you create a wireless connection between the sequencer in Massive and Gate input of HiHat instrument. Please note, that this connection works between two instruments! That's a very fast and creative feature! Without doing much cables etc, you can quickly connect any sequencer to your favourite instrument.
9. Have fun!

Modulate a knob with Massive modulation track

The idea here is to automate a knob with sequencer from Massive. It means, that the knob will automatically turn or jump, along with a sequence you can co compose. This can be very cool, it will add life to the "flat" sound of your instrument. Using this method you can automate any knob, or many knobs at the same time. Can you turn 10 knobs at the same time? With this method you can! Note that for this use, it’s not necessary to add an additional IC Receive module anywhere in the target instrument, even if you haven’t added one before; the Send module will automatically see all the available parameters on its own; pretty cool!

1. Open Massive structure and go to macro Aux. MOD seq 12-13-14-, Stacked Macro. That's the modulation sequencer of Massive.
2. Insert Out Port (Build-In Module, Terminal, Out Port)
3. Rename the Out Port to G and wire it to G output of MOD SEQ id 12 macro:
   
4. Go one level higher, insert IC Send module (Build-In Module, Terminal, IC Send) and wire it G output of the Stacked Macro:
   .
   The reason why IC Send is not placed inside of Stacked Macro is that it would mess up the way stacked macro is displayed. This way it's just more convenient and flexible in panel design.
5. Go back to Massive panel, unlock it, and move IC Send module to desired position. Then lock the panel again. Open IC Send menu and select ClosedHihat:Cut:
   
   It will send the modulation track values to Cutoff knob in HiHat instrument and move it automatically! Make sure to select MOD 1 sequence in Massive panel, because this is the modulation sequence we use, one of three at your disposal in Massive. Just imagine - if you add 2 more IC Send modules to the other two modulation sequencers, and send the signal to different knobs, you will get a lively modulated drum track, especially if the length of modulation sequences is not the same, they can make nice, varied permutations...
6. Have fun!

Comment

In this example we use IC Send to transmit gate signal, which is usually a range 0..1. IC Send and IC Receive modules can send a range of values, which is defined in their properties. The default range is 0..1 - and it works fine for gate signal. It won't work though with note pitch, which is range 0..127. To send pitch through IC Send and IC Receive you must change the range of both modules in their properties to 0..127. If you don't change it and leave the default min and max values, the receive module will always show 1 (the default max value) since the values incoming to IC Send are usually above 1 (60 for C3).