In 1996, Native Instruments released Generator version 0.96 - a modular synthesizer for PC, requiring a proprietary audio card for low-latency operation.

By 1998, Native Instruments redesigned the program to include a new hierarchy, and integrated third-party drivers for use with any standard Windows sound card.

Plug-in support for VST, VSTi, Direct Connect, MOTU, and DirectX formats is integrated by 2000 (software version 2.3).

[citation needed] In 2003 Native Instruments hired Vadim Zavalishin, developer of the Sync Modular software package.

[citation needed] Reaktor 5.1, released on 22 December 2005, features new Core Cell modules, and a new series of FX and ensembles.

From the end-user standpoint, Reaktor can behave as a sound creation/manipulation tool with a modular interface, provided there is enough CPU to manage its sample decryption processes.

Native Instruments promote this functionality with online side-by-side comparison of Core implementation of simple DSP algorithm against C++ pseudocode.

[9][10] Provided adequate CPU is available, Reaktor enables a user to implement variables (static or dynamic) which are used as defining properties of the patch.

Starting with version 4, Reaktor supports user-generated graphical content, enabling users to customize their instruments.

The libraries provide a mixture of conventional implementation of software synthesizers, samplers, and effects, along with a few ensembles of experimental nature, with emphasis on parametric algorithmic composition and extensive sound processing.