Native Instruments Vokator Review

Native Instruments VOKATOR Review
Software Effects and Instrument for Mac and Windows

"Indispensible, must have, cream of the crop"
Reaktor Vokator gets a 10 out of 10 Beat Mode rating.

Native Insruments Vokator Review by Mike Liebner

Native Instruments Vokator is a real sleeper! It kind of flew in under the radar as Native Instruments new Reaktor 4 got most of the new product buzz. But whoa, this Vokator thang is one powerful piece of audio mangling and synthesizing software that belongs in any sound mutilator's toy box! As we'll explain, Vokator is much more than just a vocoder. So what is it you ask???

Native Instruments Vokator is a real-time software tool for spectral audio processing and expands on traditional vocoders with spectral analysis and synthesis features. It has a myriad of sound shaping features and includes a synthesizer, sampler with granular synthesis features and an audio file player.

Vokator is not simply an effect, but also a versatile full featured musical instrument. Vokator is capable of producing an astonishing range of sounds far beyond what is expected with a typical vocoder. A healthy dose of included presets and audio files makes Vokator a monster right out of the box. Of course you can use your own audio files or live input as well.

Click the image to open full sized Vokator standalone screenshot in a new window

Vokator works both as a stand-alone program on both Macs and PC's, as well as an instrument or effect plugin in a compatable host program such as Cubase, Logic and Sonar. Currently RTAS, DXi and VST 2.0 is supported.

Using Vokator as a plugin offers many more possibilities than in stand-alone mode. Plugin benefits include:
- Midi Sequencing of Vokator and audio mixdown of midi tracks in the host sequencing program
- Automation of Vokator parameters
- Further processing of Vokator using additional plugin effects
- Sample accurate timing with midi controllers
- Plugin settings saved with song files of host program

Used as a plugin in Cubase, Sonar or a similar host sequencer, Vokator can serve as an Instrument OR an Effect. If used as an instrument audio input is not available. Used as an effect audio tracks and live inputs can be routed to Vokator. Therefor using Vokator as an effect is far more flexible.

Vokator's processing capabilities result in a whole new way to mangle sound. Vokator analyzes the two input channel signals and generates an entirely new signal at the output. For example you can speak or sing into a microphone, or play an audio file and play a chord on a midi keyboard into the Vokator synthesizer and the input is superimposed onto the synthesizer signal resulting in an entirely new sound. Tweaking the parameters can yield an amazing number of variations.

Vokator is a versatile instrument that allows for creative sound design. A number of panels allow various sound shaping options, including FX from the incredible Native Instruments Spektal Delay. VOKATOR’s built-in spectral effects offer unique possibilities for further sonic alteration by modulating the actual frequency bands of the inputs. These effects use FFT reorganization algorithms similar to those found in NI-SPEKTRAL DELAY, like inverse reordering, random band remapping, spectrum freezing, shift/wrap and more. These unique effects add another fascinating dimension to sound design with VOKATOR. In addition the synthesizer has Morph and Arpeggiator settings as well as a step sequencer.

VOKATOR’s 2-channel design offers a wide range of possibilities for sound sources, fusion, mixing, and shaping. Input A can be assigned to a live input or a tapedeck for playing back WAVE or AIFF files. Input B can be used as a second live input, as an oscillator synth, or as a granular synth. The potential combinations are:

Live x Live (e.g. vocode a voice with a trumpet)
Live x Synth/Sampler (e.g. sing with the sound of the synth/sampler)
Tapedeck x Live (e.g. use a long atmospheric sound to play guitar through)
Tapedeck x Synth/Sampler (e.g. vocode a drum loop with a synth sound)

How does Vokator sound you are asking???? WOW! Vokator sounds freakin' awesome! The potential seems unlimited. Just playing with the included presets and audio files is a mesmerizing experience. Vokator comes with over 200 "total-recall presets" in 10 different categories and a whopping 300 MB of samples from Zero-G. The samples include instruments, vocals, effects, drum loops and atmospheres and can be either played back from the integrated tape deck or loaded into the granular sampler. You can use the samples as material to be fused with a live input or the synth/sampler, or play them back independently.

Vokator installed flawlessly easy like all NI products and worked perfectly. The test machine was a custom built Pentium 4 1.7 GHZ machine with 512 MB of Ram running recently upgraded Windows XP. Vokator is suprisingly easy to figure out right out of the box. I first started in stand alone mode and got lost for hours. My immediate impression was instant love for Vokator. It sounded so fresh and it was so fun to just burn through the presets. Vokator can really be a time hog as you'll no doubt get lost in it as I did.

As the love at first sight feelings dimished, I explored Vokator a bit more and tried using it as a VST instrument and as a VST Effect in Cubase VST 5. All worked well and there were absolutely no problems whatsoever (other than not having enough time to play with it! Ya see Reaktor 4 had just arrived along with Vokator and that of course demanded my attention as well!).

The only gripe I have about Vokator is the operation manual/documentation. It seems pretty hefty at first glance but in reality just 88 pages in English bound together in one manual along with Deutsch, Francais and Espanol. It is more of a feature guide than a getting started or tutorial guide. Yes, it does have detailed descriptions of all the features, but it would be very helpful to have some step by step guides to assist delving deeper into Vokator. Still it is pretty easy to figure out Vokator, so no biggie there.

All in all, Native Instruments Vokator is a slam dunk! A must have program for anyone looking to add modern sounds and classic vocoding effects to their music. It is also a supreme sound mangling tool and will surely breathe new life into samples and loop libraries. It is a powerful synthesizer in it's own right and will no doubt have you tinkering around for hours. Be careful now, and be sure to also spend some time with the others that you love!