Difference between Stems and Construction Kits ?

[Numanoid]

What is the difference between Stems that Native Instrument sell and sample Construction Kits that for example Zero-G sell?

NI define stems as: an open, multi-channel audio file that contains a track split into four musical elements –bass, drums, vocals, and melody for example. ...each element available independently...

This is what I am thinking that Construction Kits are more or less also...?

[DSmolken]

Construction kits are split into a lot more than four elements, and will often be in WAV format with MIDI and presets often also included in construction kits. They're aimed at producers.

Stems format is specifically four stems in a compressed format. It's aimed at DJs and is very useful for doing live remixes in real time.

I hope Stems catches on, I've downloaded the creator tool and want to try putting some of my tracks in that format.

[Numanoid]

OK, so the Stem is specifically divided in 4 parts.

[filkertom]

And they're specifically designed to be modified during[/] playback. For example, you can push a button to cut out everything but the guitar, then another button to bring back in the drums, and then another to pan something off to the left. This is all done on the finished file, not during the production mix phase, and is non-destructive, so you're not actually altering the stem.

[DSmolken]

OK, so the Stem is specifically divided in 4 parts.

The Stems format that NI has gotten behind, yes.

But because nothing is ever that clear, the more generic term "stems" can be more than four, and is really pretty close to "construction kit". If you look at the stems that you'd get in a remix contest or when collaborating with somebody who's using a different DAW, then look at a construction kit, they might be pretty similiar in terms of total number of pieces and level of detail.