Reactable for the iPad

Reactable is an innovative approach to making Electronics and sampled music. The Full reactable is a system that projects an image onto a surface below where the musician places blocks or "modules" on a touch enabled surface or "table".
Each module represents a different function in  either a synthesizer, a sequencer effects module or drum machine. Its modular design makes it a powerful system for manipulating waveforms and samples, both altering them and mixing and sequencing them together. The ipad version is a very good representation of the full device.
Control parameters in each module are manipulated by either turning or moving the modules on the control surface or using fingers to move the icons that appear around the modules when placed upon the table.
the system is both easy to understand and powerful , offering great flexibility. Many musicians including the poular singer Bjork are using this system to create music.

Reactable Mobile  offers a new way of making music on your iPad. It's so foreign in design from other recording tools that accomplishing even basic things, like starting and stopping playback, aren't immediately clear. But spend the time to learn what's going on with this iPad app, and you'll find yourself with a unique, powerful tool for composing ambient and electronic music in real-time-and one that's really only possible on a tablet.





  


    Pros

    Organic interface. Evolving electronic sounds. Born for live performance.
    Cons Steep learning curve. Few preset objects, sounds, and loops (which can sometimes be a good thing).
    Bottom Line

    If you can get your head around it, Reactable Mobile is a unique, powerful tool for composing ambient and electronic music on the fly.




Origins, Tables, and Objects
Reactable Mobile is based on the original Reactable, a hands-on table-based synthesizer with a translucent blue surface. With the real thing, which costs somewhere north of $20,000 depending on current exchange rates, you place objects on the surface, and the table inherits the properties of the object to generate sound. Objects can also hook up with each other for more complex relationships. The iPad version mimics this design.