Native Instruments Komplete 26 released

[XorXisT]

I'd say that it will be business as usual:

Step 1: Lay Offs

Step 2: Sunsetting of non profit products (bye Reaktor, I guess).

Step 3: Repeat step 1 & 2 until profit.

That's the gist of it, IMHO.

[ksandvik]

That also happens in companies that are not purchased....

[IvyBirds]

Speculating as usual, but I can see that maybe the NI hardware may and up being integrated and/or manufactured by one of their other hardware orientated brands such as Akai or Denon.

If it helps to keep production costs down and maximising profit the would seem very much like a move an umbrella corp would make, but it actually may be for the better in the long run

NI didn't make their own branded controllers. They were made by outsourced factories in Shenzhen, China. They did however maintain an office in Shenzhen to oversee that

InMusic also doesn't have its own factories and also outsources all of its manufacturing to various facilities in China

The brand name on NI or various inMusic brands doesn't really mean anything as far as who makes it

So I could definitely see Akai branded controllers that work with Komplete Kontrol as well as having Komplete Control functionality built into the MPC line, and I could also see the Komplete Kontrol branding dropped for something Akai branded

[XorXisT]

That also happens in companies that are not purchased....

LOL

That's what "business as usual" means...

I can't believe I have to explain this...

[simon.a.billington]

Speculating as usual, but I can see that maybe the NI hardware may and up being integrated and/or manufactured by one of their other hardware orientated brands such as Akai or Denon.

If it helps to keep production costs down and maximising profit the would seem very much like a move an umbrella corp would make, but it actually may be for the better in the long run

NI didn't make their own branded controllers. They were made by outsourced factories in Shenzhen, China. They did however maintain an office in Shenzhen to oversee that

InMusic also doesn't have its own factories and also outsources all of its manufacturing to various facilities in China

The brand name on NI or various inMusic brands doesn't really mean anything as far as who makes it

So I could definitely see Akai branded controllers that work with Komplete Kontrol as well as having Komplete Control functionality built into the MPC line, and I could also see the Komplete Kontrol branding dropped for something Akai branded

Yeah that makes sense. And by having folks at Akai do it means that NI could effectively dump their whole hardware department. With a few key individuals crossing over to work at Akai.

It's all very possible

[Loudness_Contour]

I was going to upgrade, then I realized Ozone and other iZotope products were downgraded from Standard to Elelements and I changed my mind. They should at least offer Standard in Collector and Ultimate.

[Milkman]

When a company doing regular product releases using ascending alpha/numeric model numbers or collections, etc, suddenly jumps the tracks and reboots that well-known numbering scheme to try to be EVEN MORE relevant, it usually means the company is dying. And since we already know they are dying, this suggests they are continuing to die.

[glokraw]

The premise of Komplete should be to add some products that are new, but beyond the initial release sales response. Removing or downgrading products that were in previous versions makes no sense.

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw:

inMusic has apparently laid off 100 Native Instruments employees from nearly all departments

https://synthanatomy.com/2026/07/native ... -moog.html

[digitalboytn]

Fwiw:

inMusic has apparently laid off 100 Native Instruments employees from nearly all departments

https://synthanatomy.com/2026/07/native ... -moog.html

This was almost guaranteed as part of the merger and acquisition of NI by inMusic...

Unfortunately, there's always collateral damage...

That's the cost of doing business

[Tiles]

Who needs customer service ...

*sad cat noise*

[simon.a.billington]

Who needs customer service ...

*sad cat noise*

I understand InMusic might have their own customer service infrastructure, but do ANY of them know if the ins and outs of NI hardware and software?!?? Cutting this department so soon, without having the time to train up anyone is a huge mistake.

[DrGonzo]

Who needs customer service ...

*sad cat noise*

I understand InMusic might have their own customer service infrastructure, but do ANY of them know if the ins and outs of NI hardware and software?!?? Cutting this department so soon, without having the time to train up anyone is a huge mistake.

Can also be that they fire a bunch of people and then they can apply to new positions in the new company. That happened to me once. I got taken onboard to the new company and had a long career there.

[RirtualViot2013]

I had thought they were completely out of business, no?

There's an update to this:

inMusic has acquired NI (I think this is well known with in the community by now)
After the acquisition, inMusic has also sold iZotope to BorisFX and Plugin Alliance to RCKFRC
(a company of Dirk Ulrich, original founder of Plugin Alliance)

Regarding Komplete 26 - I must admit, I'm not a great fan of the fact NI slapped 26 on Komplete just before being acquired and hastily added their newest releases to it.
I mean - yes, I know, they always do that when a new Komplete version is released, but the release cycle was much shorter than it was the last few times around.
Idk it just doesn't feel right to me.