Native Instruments Komplete & Upgrades 50% off

[Guy Rowland]

...and we're off. Not yet on the NI website, but resellers such as Time and Space already selling the boxed versions. Sale til Jun 30.

Regular
https://www.timespace.com/products/nati ... omplete-12

Ultimate
https://www.timespace.com/products/nati ... 2-ultimate

Collectors Edition
https://www.timespace.com/products/nati ... rs-edition

For me upgrading from Ultimate 10 is £160, or £230 for Collectors Edition, which includes the full orchestral series and a load more expansions. Can anyone think of anything extra in Collectors that's worth getting at all for someone relatively well-stocked?

[wst3]

I'm still using Komplete 9 Basic - and I've added pretty much all the NI libraries that interest me, so I'm still not convinced. The upgrade to 12 basic is $86, which is pretty fair, but I don't think there is anything there I don't already own - I could sell off my single licenses, but that seems like a lot of work.

12 Ultimate is a bit more ($260), and there are a couple things that might be interesting. I guess I will have to assemble my questions!

[bbunker]

It is just the expansions and the orchestral series that's the CE vs Ultimate, right? For the life of me I can't tell what the expansions are worth...does anyone actually use them in library/production settings? I'd ask for a Guy Rowland signature video but I haven't said thank you for the MSB one yet. (P.S. Thanks for that one, Guy!!!)

[Guy Rowland]

It is just the expansions and the orchestral series that's the CE vs Ultimate, right? For the life of me I can't tell what the expansions are worth...does anyone actually use them in library/production settings? I'd ask for a Guy Rowland signature video but I haven't said thank you for the MSB one yet. (P.S. Thanks for that one, Guy!!!)

That reminds me... I still haven't done a 2nd video for MSB that looks more at the settings and setup. Whoops...

I'm thinking I probably will get the collectors version, mostly for the Woodwinds which will cost me £80 effectively if I get no use of anything else, which is a pretty silly price. I have less wind libraries than all the other sections, and I am missing some really quite core articulations which this could fill. I re-read the thread here and know Jay was very happy with the library. Won't be my goto, but I'd expect it'll get some occasional use.

[Guy Rowland]

PS - after listening to more of the woodwinds videos I changed my mind and just went for good ol' Ultimate. £160 is amazing really. I think I would have got very occasional use out of the woodwinds, but I'd rather put my cash towards something more substantial on that score. Might just go for the Plus versions of VSL in their next sale on that score.

[Lawrence]

$259 for me to go from Komplete 8 Standard to K12 Ultimate. I’m thinking I might finally go for an upgrade.

I’ve lusted after Thrill, thought Rise and Hit and Action Strikes might be useful. I’ve heard an upgrade from Battery 3 to 4 is major, dunno about Drumlab or the other percussive doohickeys.I’d have Kontakt 6 when forced to go there, and Massive X when ready. Reaktor 6? Blocks? Rounds? The Symphonic Essentials? Well, maybe. Expansions? A few new (to me) synths? Sunburst guitar? I’m thinking that wading through all of that would take a while but might end up to be worthwhile, especially for the price.

It’s been a while since installing Komplete 8. Do I remember these things correctly?

1. You can install the products you want and wait on others.

2. You can sell your individual licenses.

?

[Guy Rowland]

1 - yes indeed
2 - yes think so to, but I'm no expert. I don't know how far the chain goes - if you crossgraded from NI Whatever Kontakt Player Library to Kontakt 3 to Komplete 8 to Komplete Ultimate 10 to Komplete Ultimate Collectors 12, I don't know if you can sell NI Whatever Kontakt Player Library. However if you bought A.N.Other Kontakt Player Library when you had K8 and now have K10U which includes the library, pretty sure you can sell your original A.N.Other license though.

[Lawrence]

(Edited my post to say that was thinking of moving from Standard to Ultimate.)

I’ve skipped a number of years in my journey from Komplete 2 to Komplete 8 but I feel I’ve gotten tremendous value from the package over the years. If I go for Ultimate at this stage, this will be the most I’ve paid to upgrade. One of the reasons I might do it is that I believe my version is the oldest to qualify for an upgrade. Given my CLS (Confirmed Luddite Status) that makes sense

[GR Baumann]

Komplete 6 here, and still not too bothered at all, they lost me when they burried the KORE concept, which I considered the best so far from NI.

[gtrwll]

I have the same situation as Guy, upgrading from K10U. The difference between K12U and K12U CE in euros is 90€ (179€ vs 269€). Even though I'll probably end up using them only every now and then in layering, it would feel hard to pass on this...I mean, it can't be that bad, can it?

[Guy Rowland]

I have the same situation as Guy, upgrading from K10U. The difference between K12U and K12U CE in euros is 90€ (179€ vs 269€). Even though I'll probably end up using them only every now and then in layering, it would feel hard to pass on this...I mean, it can't be that bad, can it?

The exact loop I was in. And no, I don't think they're THAT bad at all, in fact from what I can tell they represent a very good start for someone new if it arrived in a good deal, imo far better sounding than Garritan or Kirk Hunter. Many of the demos show what good stuff can be done. The problem is for me is that there isn't really a single definitive thing about them that is any better than the many great alternatives that I already own. I'd pretty much narrowed it down to the Woodwinds, but the straw that broke my own camel's back was the trills, which I recently discovered to my horror that I currently seem to lack. Utterly bizarrely, these Symphony ones are the slowest trills in recorded history. I can bodge a serviceable trill with VSL's basic legato, it works really well even at that speed, so I know I'd just do that in practice.

Then as I began to contemplate all the hard drive space it would take, setting up time in the template, I realised I simply couldn't be bothered with any of it. The expansions could actually have been a draw, but they've bodged that up too as they don't properly integrate with the factory library in Battery (I was happy to treat the lot as a massive core library expansion til I realised that).

So while £80 is absurdly cheap for what it is, and will represent a brilliant deal for some who have less than I do, it just didn't make any sense for me. However there are definitely some good products in Ultimate.

[wst3]

I’ve skipped a number of years in my journey from Komplete 2 to Komplete 8 but I feel I’ve gotten tremendous value from the package over the years. If I go for Ultimate at this stage, this will be the most I’ve paid to upgrade. One of the reasons I might do it is that I believe my version is the oldest to qualify for an upgrade. Given my CLS (Confirmed Luddite Status) that makes sense

I guess that makes me a slightly less CLS??? I went from 3 to 9 standard, not sure if 12 or 12 ultimate really offers that much bang for the buck, but I am looking.

[playz123]

For anyone considering going for the CE version just because of the Symphony series, please do check them out further before deciding. In brief, I have the Essentials as part of Komplete 11U, but am sad to say I am not fond of them, especially when I compare them to other libraries such as Spitfire, OT, CineSamples etc. So, basically I don't use them for anything. Just my personal opinion of course. Therefore it looks as if Komplete 12 "Ultimate" is the edition I will purchase.

[X-bassist]

For those , like me, who remain outside the Komplete universe (there is little left in the NI world I want and I’ve already gotten the few I do on sale) Kontakt 6 upgrade is also half price ($49).

Any reason not to go to K6 full atm (what version is current and are there any hiccups?) If I replace and remove K5 will my templetes work or do they need to be redone (I don’t remember). The sale goes until June 30th so I’m trying to schedule time if I need it. Thanks.

[Guy Rowland]

X - if you're replacing 5 with 6, templates will need to be redone sadly. I guess the quickest official method would be to save the multi in 5 then reload in 6. I think there might be a bodge you could google, but I'm generally anti-bodges.

All that said, I'm not sure 6 offers a single benefit for existing libraries, so not sure it would be worth the bother. My own open question to the floor - are there any non-Player libraries that are Kontakt 6 only yet? Adoption of K6 seems to have been very slow, it was a bit of a damp squib release. No doubt more and more will cross over in time, but there has been a lot less rush to 6 than any of the previous new versions I can remember.

[gtrwll]

Well this is a bummer. Thought of updating via Native Instruments' own store (and yes, I'm leaning towards the basic Ultimate as well), but it so happens that my account there is a private account, which I was back when I made the account. But now I have a company and would like to add my VAT exemption number to my account, which is not possible because I don't have a business account there. And it's not possible to change the account type, at least by yourself.

The support documents advise to create a new business account and then request them to merge the accounts. Why the extra work for everyone? Might as well order from Best Service, recalling the stories about NI's support...

[Blake Ewing]

Upgraded from 9 Ultimate this morning for $199. Nice value for 65+ new products!

[playz123]

are there any non-Player libraries that are Kontakt 6 only yet?

Yes, Ethera Gold for one!

[Stixman]

Heavyocity Novo Essentials is K6

[Guy Rowland]

The goodies came through today - I was upgrading from K10U to K12U. Just installed a few at the moment, I think I'll hold fire on a lot of the bulk.

But I like what I have installed. Thrill is simply sensational. Anything remotely in this vein it'll be the first port of call. A huge library, endlessly variable and giddy fun. Una Corda is also very impressive, and incredibly diverse range of emotive piano sounds. The human shuffling and creaking (fully controllable) is a really effective trick, actually. And speaking of emotive, Emotive Strings is a rather pleasant surprise. Perhaps a third of the library is essentially not a lot of use, going too far down the phrase route. But that leaves a huge chunk of more useful stuff - an awful lot that are patterns around a single note, and other motifs which are very simple and generic, and these do work very well indeed. As we've come to expect from NI the scripting is great. Sonically its ok, not best in class but far from terrible, remains to be seen how this will blend with other libraries as the ensemble feels on the small side, as I can forsee some serious massaging / layering being needed on occasions.

Then there's two more (for me) in NI's amazingly impressive Discovery Series. Both India and Middle East just sound the nuts. Again, the scripting really helps here, its both quick and musical to get around, and they both sound divine. Shame there's no legato on the relevant instruments, but there's loads of appropriate ornaments which really help sell it (at least in the fairly cliched way I'm likely to end up using them, anyway... India! Pyramids! You know the thing... hey I work in kids TV a lot, ok?)

Reaktor is even more mind-blowing as ever, the vast arrange of ensembles and now blocks could keep a serious synth head absorbed for the rest of their lives. Form seems great fun, though there's a few basics I need to get my head around there, modulating didn't seem too obvious (either that or its very limited).

Still haven't checked out all the new effects, nor any of the guitars that I'm not sure I need really. Add in Kontakt 6 proper, and all round its more than easily worth the upgrade price imo.

[Lawrence]

Did you get the boxed or the dl, Guy?

[Guy Rowland]

Did you get the boxed or the dl, Guy?

Boxed. I took out the card with the serial number, entered it (three attempts... my old eyes...) and put it away on the shelf. Pretty farcical really.

[Lawrence]

I’m tempted to go box as well.

[wst3]

I still working on tempted to upgrade<G>...

[Guy Rowland]

Installed a few more this morning. Session Acoustic Guitars 1 and 2 have that same distinctive quality modern NI scripting that makes a library just work. Essentially a bunch of strumming patterns, they are nevertheless very nicely done and it is remarkably easy to play chords of almost any kind and sound mostly convincing. For me number 2 is the better of the pair, the tone is more pleasing to my ear and perfect for those full bodied warm and lush occasions (in truth a nicer tone for this kind of thing than my own real one I have hanging on the wall beside me). It also has a 12 string variation. There's a large range of patterns, swing control and set vanilla long and short chords etc to make a whole part work seamlessly. Excellent execution.

Session Strings Pro 2 didn't impress me on the demos or in its version 1. However having loaded it I think I was a bit unkind, or rather I can now see good uses for it. Essentially I'm not going to think of it for orchestral at all, however It would seem very well suited to pop, disco etc which to be fair is only what it really claims to be doing. You can pick the section size and a choice of traditional seating or a modern evenly distributed arrangement It has a load of good articulations that aren't found in orchestral libraries - scoops up and down (fast and slow), slides up and down (fast and slow again), on top of legato and portamento, trills, trems and arcs of various kinds.

The ensemble patches have a few more tricks up their sleeve, with smart voice providing an instant arrangement across the instruments, and smart chord doing it by setting a scale and playing single notes (various under the hood options here for wide / narrow voicings etc). There are memory slots to change between minor / dorian and other variations but haven't been able to figure out how to change these via a keyswitch which seems a failing. You can choose more unusual chord variations by modifiers on the black keys, rather than their musical name they are called things like "crunch" or "tension". It's all clever and tricksy, and it might well do your head in. Hiding under the Mode menu are phrase and rhythm animators - arps of rhythms or entire songs it seems.

This is definitely going in the template - often orchestral strings just aren't right and with a little setting up (its good and customisable) it'll be a useful addition.

Out of curiosity I did install Symphony Essentials Percussion - at a svelte 3.86gb it at least takes up little space. Overall there's little here to get too excited about if you have other good percussion libraries. Overall the single mix was a shade wet for my tastes. The one instrument I really did like though was the xylophone, an instrument that when sampled is sometimes too percussive (if that makes any sense at all). This is a sweet sound that might get some use here and there.

I've also been through some of the new effects, including the mod and crush packs. These are nicely done for sure and have good concise interfaces but in my case nothing leapt out as definitively better than what I already have, though Freak has a few unique tricks such as representing old radio tuning and interference. Replika XT is new to me, and seems versatile and quick to use. The ducking control is a new one to me built into a delay, and could be very handy at cleaning up delay effects that can get too swimmy - I only tried on drums, but will be looking forward to seeing how it works on vocals etc.