IK renews its entire product range- MAX 4 etc.

[Keyvox]

Well I figured out the issue at least.

The file SampleTank 4\Multis\SampleTank 4\Motion\Alienating Myself_.st4m in ST4_MAX_Sound_Library_Update_1_5.zip is (incorrectly?) encoded as "Alienating Myself?.st4m". Since Windows doesn't support "?" in filenames, the entire installation fails.

Extracting the file with 7-Zip converts the "?" to "_", and then it's just a matter of compressing it again using 7-Zip/Deflate. Then replace the zip file with the new one within the IK Product Manager's download directory and retry the installation.

It won't fix the problem anymore... I have just downloaded the ST4_MAX_Sound_Library_Update_1_5.zip via the IK Multimedia Product Manager but I could not find the file 'Alienating Myself...'. Is it possible that IK deleted the file temporarily? However, still it shows the Java error.
I have also checked entire files to find one with the same problem, but currently I do not see such files. Do you have the same issue? Any information will be appreciated.

[Big Mouth Strikes Again]

IK and NI have similar issues to me. I really use Amplitube, Tonex, T-Tracks/Mixbox and the new modeled drums and bass, the rest is fluff. Same with NI, Kontakt and Reaktor basically Massive X isn't bad, but the Play series is awful in terms of just being Rompler stuff. The orchestral stuff isn't bad but there are so many great orchestral libraries out there.

I hate both of their installers with a passion, nothing but garbage. End users often have multiple drives we have their libraries on, and it's pulling teeth to set that up.

I completely forgot about Massive X. It's quite a technical achievement. But I hate the workflow and the sound is so lacking in musicality that it's almost unusable to me. This isn't surprising. With very few exceptions, NI has never been able to develop easy to use, ground breaking instruments that sound warm and inviting. Almost everything NI develops is icy cold and clinical with an overly complicated UI.

And now that NI has been acquired by / merged with Soundwide (which includes Izotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance,) I don't see NI developing any new flagship instruments. It's just going to be more crappy expansion packs and boring Kontakt instruments.

[noiseboyuk]

I completely forgot about Massive X. It's quite a technical achievement. But I hate the workflow and the sound is so lacking in musicality that it's almost unusable to me. This isn't surprising. With very few exceptions, NI has never been able to develop easy to use, ground breaking instruments that sound warm and inviting. Almost everything NI develops is icy cold and clinical with an overly complicated UI.

And now that NI has been acquired by / merged with Soundwide (which includes Izotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance,) I don't see NI developing any new flagship instruments. It's just going to be more crappy expansion packs and boring Kontakt instruments.

I wish I could disagree with you, but I fear you’re right. The best stuff they do these days is cinematic (though not the disappointing orchestral range) and world instruments - their guitar libraries are pretty good too, as far as virtual guitars go. I like Guitar Rig, but there’s been no new models there as promised. Tonex, by comparison, is flying.

IK’s a funny company as well though. They’re leading the way with modelled bass and captured guitar rigs, but up a totally different bloated sampled path with synths that take up trillions of gigabytes and aren’t very versatile. There doesn’t seem much coherent strategy. You get a lot of bang for the buck but while some of it is excellent, an awful lot is pretty mediocre.

[machinesworking]

IK and NI have similar issues to me. I really use Amplitube, Tonex, T-Tracks/Mixbox and the new modeled drums and bass, the rest is fluff. Same with NI, Kontakt and Reaktor basically Massive X isn't bad, but the Play series is awful in terms of just being Rompler stuff. The orchestral stuff isn't bad but there are so many great orchestral libraries out there.

I hate both of their installers with a passion, nothing but garbage. End users often have multiple drives we have their libraries on, and it's pulling teeth to set that up.

I completely forgot about Massive X. It's quite a technical achievement. But I hate the workflow and the sound is so lacking in musicality that it's almost unusable to me. This isn't surprising. With very few exceptions, NI has never been able to develop easy to use, ground breaking instruments that sound warm and inviting. Almost everything NI develops is icy cold and clinical with an overly complicated UI.

And now that NI has been acquired by / merged with Soundwide (which includes Izotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance,) I don't see NI developing any new flagship instruments. It's just going to be more crappy expansion packs and boring Kontakt instruments.

Don't agree at all, both IK and NI have great products, personal choice notwithstanding.
You might not like the direction they go in, but that doesn't change anything really. Kontakt and Reaktor are standards, nothing we say changes that. Same with Amplitube, Tonex and T-racks etc. Mostly my point is both have a lot of fluff products; Syntronic for IK and the Play series for NI, it's I guess for the local TV composers, and DJ crowd to add instant pads etc. but it doesn't do much for me. Plus their installer applications suck.

Or to put it succinctly NI have been around for 20+ years now releasing "cold" products, they're doing something right.

[Big Mouth Strikes Again]

Or to put it succinctly NI have been around for 20+ years now releasing "cold" products, they're doing something right.

Microsoft has been in business for even longer and their products haven't won any awards for design or usability. Remember that dead on arrival Microsoft smartphone UI with the "Live Tiles?" Some genius decided it would be a good idea to add these to the Windows 8 Start Menu. Total abomination.

Reaktor is perhaps the "iciest" product that NI has developed. And that's how they got their start! Cold, sterile instruments are in NI's DNA.

[AdvancedFollower]

Well I figured out the issue at least.

The file SampleTank 4\Multis\SampleTank 4\Motion\Alienating Myself_.st4m in ST4_MAX_Sound_Library_Update_1_5.zip is (incorrectly?) encoded as "Alienating Myself?.st4m". Since Windows doesn't support "?" in filenames, the entire installation fails.

Extracting the file with 7-Zip converts the "?" to "_", and then it's just a matter of compressing it again using 7-Zip/Deflate. Then replace the zip file with the new one within the IK Product Manager's download directory and retry the installation.

It won't fix the problem anymore... I have just downloaded the ST4_MAX_Sound_Library_Update_1_5.zip via the IK Multimedia Product Manager but I could not find the file 'Alienating Myself...'. Is it possible that IK deleted the file temporarily? However, still it shows the Java error.
I have also checked entire files to find one with the same problem, but currently I do not see such files. Do you have the same issue? Any information will be appreciated.

The file is there, but it won't show when you open the zip with the built-in zip utility in Windows. If you open the archive in 7-Zip, the file will show up.

[tdm71]

So the only MAX upgrade is for TS3.5 but not for any other TS versions such as 2?

[keyman_sam]

It would have been nice to get a steeper discount for those who own previous versions of TotalMax, though I don't blame IK for trying to simplify their upgrade policy.

Anyone who's not invested in the IK ecosystem will now get a fabulous deal with the TotalStudio MAX. Their MODO Bass is worth the price of admission alone.

[SLiC]

It would have been nice to get a steeper discount for those who own previous versions of TotalMax, though I don't blame IK for trying to simplify their upgrade policy.

Anyone who's not invested in the IK ecosystem will now get a fabulous deal with the TotalStudio MAX. Their MODO Bass is worth the price of admission alone.

No doubt that TS MAX 4 is a great deal for people without a lot of the IK ecosystem, I just wonder how many people there are now who don't a previous version after all the past sales! Brand New Customers Only Deals

[machinesworking]

Or to put it succinctly NI have been around for 20+ years now releasing "cold" products, they're doing something right.

Microsoft has been in business for even longer and their products haven't won any awards for design or usability. Remember that dead on arrival Microsoft smartphone UI with the "Live Tiles?" Some genius decided it would be a good idea to add these to the Windows 8 Start Menu. Total abomination.

Reaktor is perhaps the "iciest" product that NI has developed. And that's how they got their start! Cold, sterile instruments are in NI's DNA.

Microsoft are a partial monopoly, NI are not. Reaktor might not appeal to you and that's fine, but to pretend that somehow it's comparable to Windows in terms of anything at all makes no sense. You could make an argument that Kontakt is like Windos, but even then, there isn't a comparable open sampling environment that is as complex.

[Big Mouth Strikes Again]

Microsoft are a partial monopoly, NI are not. Reaktor might not appeal to you and that's fine, but to pretend that somehow it's comparable to Windows in terms of anything at all makes no sense. You could make an argument that Kontakt is like Windos, but even then, there isn't a comparable open sampling environment that is as complex.

Geez, is this really so hard to grasp? My point was simply that just because a company has been in business for 20+ years doesn't mean their products are any good. I wasn't comparing Reaktor to Windows. Doh! I was comparing NI's complete (Komplete?) suite of products to Microsoft's range of software. For instance, Kontakt is the Microsoft Word of software samplers. Both Kontakt and Word include every feature under the sun except the two that you actually need. And they both have a UI that only an engineer who is far, far along the Asperger's spectrum could love (or even understand). Do you get the picture now?

[jamcat]

I wish by "IK renews its entire product range" they meant that they updated the T-RackS Tape Machines with an ECO mode.

[keyman_sam]

It would have been nice to get a steeper discount for those who own previous versions of TotalMax, though I don't blame IK for trying to simplify their upgrade policy.

Anyone who's not invested in the IK ecosystem will now get a fabulous deal with the TotalStudio MAX. Their MODO Bass is worth the price of admission alone.

No doubt that TS MAX 4 is a great deal for people without a lot of the IK ecosystem, I just wonder how many people there are now who don't a previous version after all the past sales! Brand New Customers Only Deals

Well us loyal users did get a lot of use with the IK products, so I'd say that early investment was worth it.

I remember their classic T-Racks all-in-one system. It had some fabulous presets that's missing even in today's T-Racks. It was kind of like a magical preset sound-goodizer at that time.

[keyman_sam]

Oh, and T-Racks ONE is my go-to quick mastering solution. Such an underrated gem.

Honestly, when Waves pulled their subscription trick, I was going to fully switch over to IK products without missing much (except for MaxxBass for which there's no equivalent). Glad Waves came back to their senses though.

[glokraw]

It would have been nice to get a steeper discount for those who own previous versions of TotalMax, though I don't blame IK for trying to simplify their upgrade policy.

Anyone who's not invested in the IK ecosystem will now get a fabulous deal with the TotalStudio MAX. Their MODO Bass is worth the price of admission alone.

No doubt that TS MAX 4 is a great deal for people without a lot of the IK ecosystem, I just wonder how many people there are now who don't a previous version after all the past sales! Brand New Customers Only Deals

Well us loyal users did get a lot of use with the IK products, so I'd say that early investment was worth it.

I remember their classic T-Racks all-in-one system. It had some fabulous presets that's missing even in today's T-Racks. It was kind of like a magical preset sound-goodizer at that time.

I've read that the large collection of presets in MixBox (600+) is pretty good, so maybe those presets have equivalents or have been re-named and are now in that territory? I doubt IK would let good presets gather dust amidst constant competition. Unless they have a pointy haired boss.