Comments on: Free Turntablism: Open Source Reaktor Ensemble Could Change Scratching

By: jabberwonky

jabberwonky — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:34:45 +0000

What version of Reaktor is Ammobox built for? It didn’t work with my version 5.
Very exciting this… cant wait to try.

By: Skizz

Skizz — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:24:32 +0000

if i could trigger samples in Ableton Live or if i finally could turn record movements to midi-knobs or pull any midi command from a record this would be one of the greatest things ever! Revolutionary! Im waiting for this since the invention of timecode-sytems! I would like to trigger ableton live completly from a record. Maybe pitch to notescales(0% pitch = c4, every percent up or down equaling one note step up or down) would be another great thing.

By: Create Digital Music » Digital Vinyl, Free and Open Source, in Max/MSP, Pd, Linux

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:52:47 +0000

[...] Ammobox, an open-sourced, free Reaktor ensemble from Nathan Ramella, breaks the rules of how timecode decoding is supposed to work in a wonderful way, enabling something he calls "polyphonic scratching." Since it sends MIDI, you can control other stuff with it, and since it’s built in Reaktor, you can customize the workings of the ensemble or integrate it into your own creations. [...]

By: nambaste

nambaste — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:35:58 +0000

HI there!!!
I am looking for something like this!!!!!!
is this thing for real???
please tell that this thing really works!!!
keep it cool….
make it worm!

By: Cody Ranaldo

Cody Ranaldo — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:55:49 +0000

This is such a great thing– completely opening possibilities for those of us already familiar with using vinyl for tactile control

also — unbelievable things happen when you put on a regular (non time coded) record and leave it to control hangtheDJ. I have it set up right now with a long Ukulele sample and I threw on “Moments in Love” by The Art of Noise on the turntable and its causing the program to interpret the song as a very complex forward and back movements.

even tapping on the headshell of the needle when it is not touching a record causes slight movements, usually very very slow ones that can last for a couple minutes.

the experimental possibilities are great– thank you much for this

By: Zachary Langdon

Zachary Langdon — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:24:57 +0000

I think this is a neat idea if I understand it. So, basically you could trigger samples with a sampler, and then scratch them? If this is right, then thats uber cool!

By: Nathan Ramella

Nathan Ramella — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:05:57 +0000

D.Eastwood, I look forward to seeing what you’ve been working on! Send me an email when you have something for download!

By: Nathan Ramella

Nathan Ramella — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:36:47 +0000

I’ll race you to the finish line Dave Dri! :D :D :D

By: Dave Dri

Dave Dri — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 06:27:14 +0000

This is a fun direction to head in. We could get to a point of interactive contextual program scratching, so “WHERE (fresh.wav) sample AND (funkydrummer.wav) loop THEN delay fx”. What i mean is imagine some software analysing your performances over time and noting patterns be it certain fx over certain loops or certain tempos on certain backspin and cuts, and in an active mode interacts with you. You could swap “profiles” with friends or download officially released profiles so you can be surprised by jamming with someone elses habitual battles :P

For now, stacked manipulation is the logical step. Its funny in an age of Wii, iPhone and the like that we are still sitting with vinyl in one hand and a fader in the other and debating purism. The ergonomics of scratching is really ingrained and really responsive so the really cool stuff is going to build on this.

There are so many fun and valid ideas for this train of thought. Lets say we make some timecode vinyl or an interface that recognizes finger position… you could scratch one sample via placement on an outer end of the radius and another on the inner. Or even where you place your fingers affects a variable like EQ. The area of effect could be customised by the tunrtablist to match their style and effective range… matching tricks to areas of the interface or calling EFFECTS up when certain areas are touched. EG we crab with a different surface area and pressure to a flare or chirp.
And so on.

Nice work Nathan. So it goes on!

By: D.Eastwood

D.Eastwood — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:57:27 +0000

nathan, i have been working on somthing similar, however i am building in max/msp. the ms pinky system has given me a great platform to work with, now i have seen how much attention this program has got, im tempted to release a runtime version of my ’scratch patch’. all this innovation, daito manabe would be proud!