Reaktor/Tutorials/Reaktor as effects processor/Instrument hierarchy

Instrument hierarchy

To save the settings of multiple instruments with a single snap, you need to create a snapshot master. This can be either an instrument that contains the instruments you want it to be the master for, or it can be the ensemble itself... or both.

In the ensemble shown below, neither instrument can be the master for the ensemble, because they're both at the same level; one is not contained within the other, they're both simply contained within the ensemble. The ensemble can be the master, but not as it's configured here, simply because there is currently no ensemble header to provide a snapshot selector.

To create an ensemble header, simply open Properties (F4), go to the Appearance page, and focus it on the ensemble by clicking on the ensemble panel background. Hi-lite the “Visible in Main Panel” button, and the header will pop into view.

To make the ensemble the snapshot master for the instruments in the ensemble, focus the Properties on the header by selecting it, then switch to the Functions page, and hi-lite the “Snapshot Master for Plugin” button. Next, focus the same page on each instrument whose snaps you want to control with the Master, and turn on the “Store by Parent” and “Recall by Parent” buttons for each one.

Now you can see ensemble-level snapshots for our example ensemble, and that they are master snaps, both saving a new snap to each instrument snapshot bank when created, and recalling all those snaps when selected.

Interestingly, you can create nested instrument hierarchies with multiple snapshot masters within a single ensemble, as shown below. Each instrument at the ensemble level here is simply a container, holding two processing instruments within it. Only the Ensemble in this case has been designated as “Snapshot Master for Plugin” in its Properties. All the instruments are simply set up to store and recall “by Parent,” as just described, but selecting a snap in either “sub-master” container instrument will recall the same snap in each “child” instrument inside it. This demo ensemble is included in the tutorial downloads, so you can experiment with this snap-storing process.

Note that master snaps are inserted in “child” instrument banks in the same numbered slot as they have in the parent bank, bumping all existing snaps up a slot each time a new master snap is created.