Massive X 1.4 update!

[pdxindy]

On the bright side, Absynth just got updated after 10 years

What was changed?

[EvilDragon]

Changelog is in Native Access.

[SLiC]

On the bright side, Absynth just got updated after 10 years

What was changed?

Big Sur compatibility and 200 new pre-sets from memory.

[pixel85]

Is it really surprising? For me MX is abandonware. I don't expect any major update besides fixing OS compatibility issues maybe.

Perhaps you have some optimism deficiency?

I think they will sort out the browser for sure, and hopefully allow some more things to be automated - though I am also pretty ok with the macros.

I'm just realistic and my opinion is based on NI's past (they abandoned a few synths, others didn't got significant updates for many years) + their excuses that code of other plugins is so old that it will take ages to update it to vst3 or proper GUI scaling. Their latest "big" update is GR6 after how many? 8 years? And this update is mostly new GUI + 3 modules based on "technology that allows for fast development of new models". Oh well, it looks like it's not that fast after all.
Of course, because of covid it's ultra hard for software developers to work. I know. I also work in software development and from what I see there are two types of companies: those who have great management and they work remotely still being able to to follow deadlines (with some delays of course) and those who struggle AF and now they blame covid for everything.
Also now NI has new boss/upper management (I don't remember). Usually in such situation, history of company products is reviewed and if something didn't brought enough profit and/or didn't receive too many enthusiastic reviews (MX didn't became another flagship synth praised by many), such product is abandoned to not waste more resources.

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Personally, I would pay for MX2 if they would bring granular synthesis and WT import. Browser is not a problem for me because I'm using KK anyway.

[wetdentist]

yeah i am also using KK to browse for presets if i am in Cakewalk, or the Maschine browser if i am in Maschine, as a way to never have to look at the Massive X browser in any meaningful way. once i find a baseline preset via KK, then i will delete KK from the Cakewalk project, and then open up Massive X and load the preset i had found.
when i think about the slow development at NI, i think it's pretty easy to blame Apple for being so difficult to maintain software on that platform. i mean, who do they think they are? LOL

[Vortifex]

Edited

[Arashi]

Sorry, but that is not true...

U-he added NKS support to Zebra which is semi modular and has swappable modules and more automation parameters than Massive X. If u-he can do it, so can NI.

Nothing I said is not true. Load up any Zebra preset in Komplete Kontrol or Maschine. Now add or remove a module. Do the NKS-mapped controls update dynamically? No, they don’t, because NKS mapping is not dynamic. Even if they chose to manually map a different set of controls for each preset, the mapping will break as soon as you swap out modules in the synth.

[EvilDragon]

Disappointing. Fees like they've given up on it already.

They haven't, but Big Sur/Apple Silicon takes priority. For all the effects and synths first, before adding any new features.

[pdxindy]

Sorry, but that is not true...

U-he added NKS support to Zebra which is semi modular and has swappable modules and more automation parameters than Massive X. If u-he can do it, so can NI.

Nothing I said is not true. Load up any Zebra preset in Komplete Kontrol or Maschine. Now add or remove a module. Do the NKS-mapped controls update dynamically? No, they don’t, because NKS mapping is not dynamic. Even if they chose to manually map a different set of controls for each preset, the mapping will break as soon as you swap out modules in the synth.

It is not an either/or. You can have both the Macros and direct parameter automation. Let users use it how they want.

The lack of parameter automation in MX is a terrible choice. Same with not having midi learn. They make the synth harder to use for various use cases (or not possible). For example, it is not possible to map MX to a midi controller.

[skottish]

For those of you following my adventures, NI responded publicly. They'd rather not have people flooding the support channel, so they're paying attention now. I agree that they do need time and a reasonable amount of patience is justified:

https://www.native-instruments.com/foru ... st-2068045

They haven't, but Big Sur/Apple Silicon takes priority. For all the effects and synths first, before adding any new features.

With all due respect, the patch browser isn't a feature request. This is an expectation that Massive X be the release quality instrument that me and a bunch of other people paid for. Giving even more users an incomplete product is not good for anybody. And I'm speaking up because sitting back allowing companies to be apathetic is how these situations arise.

[EvilDragon]

Of course patch browser is not a feature request - MX has one already. A number of other plugins also have sub-par patch browsers in these "modern times", but I never see anyone raising torches at them (i.e. Synapse plugins, Roland Cloud, etc.).

[SLiC]

Yup- Dune one of the greatest synths ever with one of the worst ever patch browsers...but plenty of people post about this on the Synapse forum and threads here...often!

MX launch was a bit of a fiasco, lets be honest, it was very late and in many peoples opinion incomplete. Ultimately a lot of people had very high expectations for what was the first full new standalone synths from NI for a very long time, I think people generally have much lower expectations of NI now-a-days....I think NI have bigger issues than a sub-par browser on their flagship synth and perhaps face a bigger changes in the future...

[Cro-magnon]

Massive X is a synth for people who enjoy sound design.If your goal is just browsing presets get Sylenth or any rompler.Personally I always start from Init preset.
You could try the demo before buying,so this is not much of a surprise.
My first requirement,like many 'so called producers' I suppose,is the sound quality and in this domain MassiveX is wonderful.Second is reliability,and I think NI should undertake some efforts for the envelope bug and the randomly init preset which may appear when re-opening a saved project.

[Hink]

Not really. It's just that ranting all day long which is pretty annoying. Especially when you already read it a thousand times. As if any soft synth out there didn't have any flaws.

I think a big virtue in life is also coping with stuff which isn't 100% perfect. If you can't do that, then everything is shit for sure. But, you won't be happy that way, that's also for sure. I don't think it's the end of the world that a preset browser sucks.

So is it 1 user complaining or 1000 users? LOL

“ Impatient users repeating the same stuff again and again and again. Pretty nuts, but, if that's what you want to do all day long, instead of using the tools for what they are, then, whatever.”
So why you aren’t spending your time making music? So funny
Thanks for the great comedy!!

want some real comedy?

Here's the problem, its no secret that gloves come off in NI threads and MX threads...now I get another warning...been a bit of a history there, it can easily repeat itself.

chk071 and JollyBoih, do you not see both of you are perpetuating the problem complaining about people complaining ...if the subject is not about the current update get ready for posts to go.

[midi_transmission]

KK + MassiveX + Ableton: Can't automate anything

KK + <Any other synth> + Ableton: Fine

So workflow becomes painful: Add KK, use it find preset. Close and delete that track. Add MassiveX and use the (bad) browser to re-find that preset if I can remember what it was called (and re-make any tweaks I've already tried when auditioning).

And why can't I resize the KK window

Automation with MX is the worst of any synth I use. MX also sucks for using Bitwig's modulation system.

MX is really frustrating cause on the one hand, the sound quality is great and on the other hand, in terms of integrating into my overall workflow, it is the worst synth I have come across.

Same feeling. I love the effects, the filter and the overall sound, very strong. But I hate using it in every way, meaning daw integration and user interface.