In the Reaktor News July 2025, we have X-Flow, a playful FM Synthesizer, and six free lovely ensembles you shouldn’t miss.
Reaktor is a modular audio environment and plugin that allows you to create custom instruments, including synthesizers, effects, MIDI processors, and more. What makes it particularly exciting is that you can share these so-called ensembles with other Reaktor users in the community.
Native Instruments offers the Reaktor User Library on their website for this purpose. In recent weeks, numerous exciting new releases have emerged, which we’ll explore together in this July 2025 issue of Reaktor News.
Reaktor News July 2025
Reaktor Ensembles can be offered for free or for purchase. In this edition, I’ve included one payware ensemble and five free ensembles. It’s important to note that all of them require a full Reaktor 6 license.
For Reaktor 6 Player, developers have to purchase licenses from NI, which makes things significantly more difficult. This licensing also applies to Kontakt Player instruments. You can read more about it in this article.
Synthesizer Studio Berlin X-Flow
Already at Superbooth 2025, the Synthesizer Studio Berlin presented the XFlow Synthesizer for Reaktor 6. Stephan Bobinger, the developer, has designed a 4-operator FM Synthesizer with a special approach
Instead of FM algorithms and a matrix, it uses four XY fields with which you can intuitively shape your sound. Each of the four operators has its own waveform (sine, tri, saw, pulse, or square) and AHDSR envelope with velocity and retrigger option.
Plus, the mod sources of each OP are visually displayed, making it more accessible and creative. Then, you can find 2 LFOs per voice (polyphonic, monophonic, key sync, and one-shot) for the pitch, amp, and filter, and eight XY LFOs per voice to animate the FM matrix.
A dedicated filter section enables you to shape your sound further, and an overdrive effect adds grit and character.
In addition to its ease of use, another strength of the XFlow is its expressiveness. You can play the engine and control the parameters with mono or polyphonic aftertouch or MPE. Plus, it is fully compatible with Native Instruments NKS on Komplete Kontrol keyboards and Maschine.
Colin Brown Velour Reverb
The first free ensemble in this Reaktor News July 2025 issue is the Velour Reverb by Colin Brown.
Velour Reverb is based on the concept of a velvet noise reverb based on the paper Late-Reverberation Synthesis using Interleaved Velvet-Noise Sequences by Vesa Valimaki and Karolina Prawda.
Colin Brown says the implementation is far from perfect and is less than ideal. He also claims that it is capable of doing duties that other well-known digital reverb algorithms can’t accomplish. Other things are less successful, so a mix.
Velour Reverb features various parameters, including pre-delay, length, mix, attack, independent level control, decay controls, and more.
I played around with it briefly, and it’s already a lot of fun. Thumbs up, and of course, there’s always room for improvement.
SampleBasement Agent Orange
The next release made me smile. Is the developer trying to point to a specific person through this Synthesizer? I don’t know, and maybe that’s better.
SampleBasement Agent Orange is a virtual analog Synthesizer with feature-rich engines. It includes two oscillators, each with multiple waveforms and wave folding, PWM, ring mod, FM, and more.
Additionally, you have a flexible noise generator with various timbres (vinyl) and mangling options, such as pitch and built-in filters.
Talking about filters. From here, it proceeds to a dedicated multimode filter section, which boosts various flavors. Three routable envelopes (oscillator, filter, and modulation) and two routable multi-wave LFOs give you plenty of modulation options.
A comprehensive multi-FX section featuring Lo-Fi, distortion, overdrive, modulation effects, delay, and reverb allows you to refine your sounds down to the last detail.
A beautiful virtual analog Synthesizer ensemble with plenty of options. I hope the community will fill the plugin with more presets. Currently, there are still a few.
Monomoon D8k
Another release in this Reaktor News July 2025 issue is the D8k by developer Monomoon. It’s an 8-tap stereo delay effect loosely based on the architecture of a well-known Japanese delay/echo unit.
Control the delay time, modulation, sync, pan… over each delay tap. You can also do cross-delay effects. Additionally, there is a feedback loop option with a built-in diffusion network, giving you extra sound design fun.
More controls can be found on the B page of the UI, as well as the MIDI CC map information. It also ships with 40 presets for exploring the engine right away. It’s a lovely, lush delay effect you shouldn’t miss.
Bolle Tape Mate
An oldie has also been given a new look, bringing it back into the focus of Reaktor users. Bolle has created a new modern UI for Stephen Reid’s lovely Tape Mate ensemble from 2016.
Unlike classic tape emulation that goes the high-quality route, Tape Mate emulates the warm and warn-out tones of crappy old cassettes and VHS tapes.
It features various classic controls, including flutter rate and depth, wow rate and depth, high- and low-cut filters, wear, noise, dirt, and more. Everything to give sounds or tracks a wonky, warm character.
Thanks to Bolle, who gave the ensemble a new, beautiful life.
Bryan Lake Standard Issue Plate
The final release for this Reaktor News July 2025 issue is the new Standard Issue Plate ensemble by developer Byran Lake.
It’s an emulation/reiteration of the classic “Dattorro Plate” reverb algorithm discussed in Jon Dattorro’s 1997 paper “Effect Design Part 1: Reverberator and Other Filters”.
Alongside the classic reverb controls, the developer added new features. On one side, dual input diffusers that act on a stereo input, and on the other, additional modulation that is routed to the rear allpass filters in the tank.
According to Bryan, the delay times have been scaled to a more modern 48,000 Hz sampling rate. However, you can always lower the sampling rate, but then the delay times will be somewhat longer.
Plus, he promises that CPU consumption is low due to the Core-based engine.
Availability
That was just a selection of the many releases that have taken place in recent weeks and months. But one thing is sure: the Reaktor platform is alive and well.
X-Flow FM Synth by Synthesizer Studio Berlin is now available for 69€, down from 99€. The other six Reaktor ensembles are available as a free download from the Reaktor User Library. Every listed ensemble in this article requires the full version of Reaktor 6.
More information here: Reaktor User Library / Synthesizer Studio Berlin
I’ve been seeing more YouTube channels and blogs promoting Reaktor and giving it the love that it deserves. if this is an actual movement to keep Reaktor alive and well, the count me in!