NI Massive still worth buying ?

[chk071]

Get Komplete, then you have both, Massive 1 and Massive X.

They surely don't exclude each other. Massive X doesn't have all the wavetables Massive 1 has, for example. IMO, they also sound pretty different. Although I must say that i find Massive X sounds MUCH better. YMMV.

[Mushy Mushy]

Get Komplete, then you have both, Massive 1 and Massive X.

They surely don't exclude each other. Massive X doesn't have all the wavetables Massive 1 has, for example. IMO, they also sound pretty different. Although I must say that i find Massive X sounds MUCH better. YMMV.

Already mentioned Komplete is out of his budget.

[chk071]

Alright. Maybe worth saving up for it then, or, getting a NI controller with Komplete Select, and upgrade for cheap when they have a 50% sale on upgrades.

Really, there's so much nice stuff in Komplete that it's really worth it IMO.

Otherwise, you can get Massive 1 very cheap in the Sell & Buy forum here sometimes.

[Hanz Meyzer]

Hm, but then you are locked-in into NI world. They do not even support VST3 yet, and you will have to use their proprietary NI controller wrapper VST. Personally I cannot see how this has a future at all.

[RandyEspoda]

lol Mushy posted the same thing while I was editing mine to add "why not second hand?"

Great minds

Actually great ideas, and I'll be thinking about it. Thanks for suggesting the WTB inquiry.

[chk071]

Hm, but then you are locked-in into NI world. They do not even support VST3 yet, and you will have to use their proprietary NI controller wrapper VST. Personally I cannot see how this has a future at all.

TBH, i think, if something has a future, then it's NKS. Unlike the implementations of other manufacturers, like VIP or Automap.

Regarding VST3, i think it's just a matter of time until NI will also release VST3's. They really should.

[Hanz Meyzer]

Hm ok. But in the end, I would assume that only a open-source approach for midi controller integration will make it. NI currently struggles, also they overslept a lot of technical standard. And honestly, their container vst feels very sluggish, with outdated UI and UX (I found automap way better). But I get people also love it. Personally I never like any kind of forced lock-in, since you will be totally dependent on this single vendor then.

[chk071]

IMO, MIDI should just support control messages to switch MIDI CC mappings. I don't know how something like that could work, but, it would make all those manufacturer implemetations, and DAW MIDI learn systems redundant.

I think the main issue is that people need everything as simple as possible, so, both hardware and software manufacturers want to implement their vision of automated easy to use systems, which all have their flaws.

[RandyEspoda]

The downside to Massive and its update Masssive X is that I have never been very impressed with its FM capabilities. Although I am after a certain texture of FM normally and neither works very well to my ears. This may be down to not enough effort, for perspective I mean 2 hours worth of playing around and not making a single worthy FM lead sound. You can get some FM like textures from the filter and LFO (Massive original) but it never holds up to other synths. I have yet to make a single usable FM sound with Massive X with either modes so far so I use my tried an trusted ones.

That's because (especially for the more 'older' synths) the 'FM' is in fact 'PM' with a twist that mimics true FM but leaves metallic-like resonances that are hard to ignore and can be difficult to work with. Can't say for sure whether this is the case for Massive too, because I haven't demoed it yet, but true FM is not musical enough and thus in most synths back then not utilized, and so PM was/is used in most synths to mimics FM, though the newer expensive ones use a technique that combines the best of both worlds. Icarus from Tone2 is one of them for instance.

[Hanz Meyzer]

IMO, MIDI should just support control messages to switch MIDI CC mappings. I don't know how something like that could work, but, it would make all those manufacturer implemetations, and DAW MIDI learn systems redundant.

I think the main issue is that people need everything as simple as possible, so, both hardware and software manufacturers want to implement their vision of automated easy to use systems, which all have their flaws.

It also is about 2-way communication, which MIDI simply does not support. For instance, getting the VSTi parameter labels transferred to the hardware device and so on. So every vendor is again baking its own cake, each providing an individual container vst, which is a lot of annoyance for the users in the end. So there should be a new standard, just like they finally managed to do with midi MPE. Also there already is an open source standard for this called OSC, AFAIK.

[EnGee]

I still love the original Massive. If you don't have 4k monitor, then buy it. It has many presets with a nice browser. It has midi learn and it is not heavy on cpu. It is also a pleasure to program

If you get Komplete in the future, just sell Massive. I did that with other NI synths not only Massive. Lost little money but absolutely worth it.

[chk071]

If you get Komplete in the future, just sell Massive. I did that with other NI synths not only Massive.

I did that successively with my NI stuff as well. That's the great thing. You own Monark and Massive, get Komplete Select, and then you can still sell Monark and Massive.

[Mushy Mushy]

If you get Komplete in the future, just sell Massive. I did that with other NI synths not only Massive.

I did that successively with my NI stuff as well. That's the great thing. You own Monark and Massive, get Komplete Select, and then you can still sell Monark and Massive.

OP: This is precisely why there should be a second hand license available for cheap

[EnGee]

Yes, in the 2nd market is cheaper. I sold mine I think for $50 or $60 (not sure, the same with Absynth 5 and FM8).

[crimsonwarlock]

Hm, but then you are locked-in into NI world. They do not even support VST3 yet, and you will have to use their proprietary NI controller wrapper VST.

This is not completely accurate. You can use a NI Komplete Kontrol keyboard the exact same way as you use any other MIDI controller keyboard, including mapping its controls. And the bundled plugins install as regular VST plugins that can be used like any other regular VST plugin.

I almost never use the wrapper inside my DAW. During recording my Komplete Kontrol is linked like a basic MIDI-keyboard. I only use the standalone version of the Kontrol software for sound design as that is when I'm using all the controller functions on the keyboard. The other thing I use is DAW-control but someone coded native KK-support for Reaper so no NI lock-in there as well.

And Massive was bundled with my keyboard (as was Monark and some more nice stuff).