Sad state of Native Instruments

[audiouser720]

I foresee them still investing *some* dev time in their kash kow, Kontakt, and since they have an existing capital investment in Core, plus the dev who created it... well, depends on how much work it takes to integrate.

I didn't know that developer was still around, that does make it more plausible. Maybe it's still told old and large to convert wholesale, but that is interesting Ficciones.

In general, the more I think about Kontakt X, the more sense it makes for NI. They get to jettison all that creaky code once and for all, and rationalise their two main platforms into one. IMO Kontakt 7 and Reaktor 6.5 will be the end of the line for the old model, and Kontakt X will be the shiny new start for everything going forward.

Some say a new Kontakt is probs due in a few weeks. Is it gonna be Kontak X or Konrakt 8?

[noiseboyuk]

Some say a new Kontakt is probs due in a few weeks. Is it gonna be Kontak X or Konrakt 8?

Where did that come from? Not seen any talk of this.

My own guess is Kontakt X will be announced in the Komplete 15 launch in September, but it won't actually be ready in time and it will ship next year.

One other little piece of the puzzle - it is interesting that Massive X has had such little development put into it of late. The last feature update was March last year, and that was a minor browser tweak. Since then it's just been a MacOS compatibility update and a couple of bug fixes. I can't see how Massive X could also be rolled into Kontakt X, but in terms of manpower I suspect the Massive X team has been added to the war effort.

(standard disclaimer - all wild guesswork on my part)

[audiouser720]

Some say a new Kontakt is probs due in a few weeks. Is it gonna be Kontak X or Konrakt 8?

Where did that come from? Not seen any talk of this.

My own guess is Kontakt X will be announced in the Komplete 15 launch in September, but it won't actually be ready in time and it will ship next year.

One other little piece of the puzzle - it is interesting that Massive X has had such little development put into it of late. The last feature update was March last year, and that was a minor browser tweak. Since then it's just been a MacOS compatibility update and a couple of bug fixes. I can't see how Massive X could also be rolled into Kontakt X, but in terms of manpower I suspect the Massive X team has been added to the war effort.

(standard disclaimer - all wild guesswork on my part)

Nothing legit, just some speculations on gearslutz

[uselessmind]

porting the core layer of Reaktor to Kontakt seems unlikely based on what NI are up to these days. Making a product more complex and deeper to appeal to a handful of people seems a long shot.. unless they are banking on some reaktor user library type development for kontakt synths. seems a much bigger project than updating reaktor and adding features.

Core is the best part of Reaktor that isn't already covered by programming facilities in Kontakt, which is itself a behemoth of complexity for instrument developers. But in neither case does the end user have to wade into that complexity. The developers do so, at their choosing.

And Core in Kontakt would begin with a huge head start, as there's already a large library of filters, oscillators, effects, envelopes, resonators etc. created by NI in Core. If developers want to work on that level, great, and if not, also great, they can use the factory library.

Core plus KSP plus Kontakt's built in sampling would be a hell of a playground for instrument developers.

I agree it would be cool and useful but I don’t see NI doing it. Why would they? They don’t want to spend money on teams of people to do things.

I don't see it either. Sounds too awesome and like it would need huge amount of dev resources.
Whatever good stuff they produced on the software side lately rather seems like its done by a small number of devs who still care and work their butts of(and somehow sneak those features in past the marketing leadership).
But there has not been a lot of that either.... so i wonder why it should be different now ?

[ericj23]

porting the core layer of Reaktor to Kontakt seems unlikely based on what NI are up to these days. Making a product more complex and deeper to appeal to a handful of people seems a long shot.. unless they are banking on some reaktor user library type development for kontakt synths. seems a much bigger project than updating reaktor and adding features.

Core is the best part of Reaktor that isn't already covered by programming facilities in Kontakt, which is itself a behemoth of complexity for instrument developers. But in neither case does the end user have to wade into that complexity. The developers do so, at their choosing.

And Core in Kontakt would begin with a huge head start, as there's already a large library of filters, oscillators, effects, envelopes, resonators etc. created by NI in Core. If developers want to work on that level, great, and if not, also great, they can use the factory library.

Core plus KSP plus Kontakt's built in sampling would be a hell of a playground for instrument developers.

I agree it would be cool and useful but I don’t see NI doing it. Why would they? They don’t want to spend money on teams of people to do things.

I don't see it either. Sounds too awesome and like it would need huge amount of dev resources.
Whatever good stuff they produced on the software side lately rather seems like its done by a small number of devs who still care and work their butts of(and somehow sneak those features in past the marketing leadership).
But there has not been a lot of that either.... so i wonder why it should be different now ?

Because they want to sell the next version of Komplete/Kontakt! They need new stuff - constant capitalist expansion. They have never tried a Komplete update without some change in flagship software and battery 5 ain't going to cut it.

I suspect that NI also have noticed that all Kontakt's rivals (Halion, Falcon etc) all have synthesis as part of their structure. If NI want to keep their 80 million turnover they need to compete. The road map from Mar this year talked about exciting things for sound designers.

That could be more effects or something equally lame, but it is more likely it is some synth features. Core would be great, i think it is more likely to be oscillators from other products (an FM bank, An additive, bank a VA) which may be based on core but are not user editable.

Not earth shattering but useful for creating more interesting instruments

[noiseboyuk]

i wonder why it should be different now ?

If my wildly speculative Kontakt X theory is correct, then the reason why bugger all has happened development-wise over the past 2-3 years is that pretty much everyone has been working on this unified platform. The fact that all the new products have been Kontakt libraries also fits - I'd imagine any recent releases would be compatible with Kontakt X, it'll be older stuff that won't be.

Mario has said for years that NI's biggest hurdle is the technical debt. All their main products were decades old, they were running to stand still.

[uselessmind]

i wonder why it should be different now ?

If my wildly speculative Kontakt X theory is correct, then the reason why bugger all has happened development-wise over the past 2-3 years is that pretty much everyone has been working on this unified platform. The fact that all the new products have been Kontakt libraries also fits - I'd imagine any recent releases would be compatible with Kontakt X, it'll be older stuff that won't be.

Mario has said for years that NI's biggest hurdle is the technical debt. All their main products were decades old, they were running to stand still.

Man, don't get my hopes up.

That does indeed make a bit of sense. But i still don't buy it.

Also, Native Access... that and Version 2 shouldn't fall in the technical dept from old products category. Yet it has progressed from not good to impressively awful for me.

[uselessmind]

-doublepost

[spacepluk]

All this hope and excitement is completely off-topic

[audiouser720]

It’s funny that instead of all these sales and stupid libraries and buffoon celebrities all NI should have done was to communicate with their customers. So many companies follow Apple’s philosophy in terms of keeping this myth around them, but they are not all on Apple’s level to be fair. If NI did what UA does on forums, maybe this thread wouldn’t even exist.

[LFO8]

I suspect that NI also have noticed that all Kontakt's rivals (Halion, Falcon etc) all have synthesis as part of their structure. If NI want to keep their 80 million turnover they need to Kompete. The road map from Mar this year talked about exciting things for sound designers.

I just HAD to fix your glaring missed opportunity to make a pun..

[Ficciones]

all NI should have done was to communicate with their customers.

People have been complaining about this, on the NI forums and off, since Reaktor 4 days. Maybe even before that but that's when I bought in. It's a very top down, insular culture.

[dayjob]

when was the last time NI added something new, other than sample libraries/kontakt instruments to komplete? there's been the occasional effect plug in or compressor or whatever but other than updates to various things and rolling older things into the package what new thing have they done? i can't remember? and i'm not saying the kontakt instruments aren't interesting sometimes.. but NI aren't interested in making anything new.. just adding to what exists with presets and samples etc... why would i update to a new version of Komplete? just for another 20gb of samples??? no thank you.

[Harry_HH]

when was the last time NI added something new, other than sample libraries/kontakt instruments to komplete? there's been the occasional effect plug in or compressor or whatever but other than updates to various things and rolling older things into the package what new thing have they done? i can't remember? and i'm not saying the kontakt instruments aren't interesting sometimes.. but NI aren't interested in making anything new.. just adding to what exists with presets and samples etc... why would i update to a new version of Komplete? just for another 20gb of samples??? no thank you.

Good point.
I just went through the Komplete 14 ultimate collectors edition, I have the ver 13.
Most likely will not use the Summer sale to update - $ 250 a bunch of sound expansions of which 95 % content I don’t like, I don’t think so.

The piano Colors and the Nylon picked guitar may be the latest worth to mention. Many of the NI products aren’t good enough, I can find other developers software more useful, in many cases. I leave 60 % of the NI stuff uninstalled - wasted!

NI: rather fever but better products!

Reaktor apps was and still are great. Noire is great. Strummed acoustic is ok. NI orchester products - wasted, EW, CH and Spitfire do the stuff 500 % better. Why to use mediocre/bad stuff?

P.s. Have to mention Scarbee Rick - its still one of the best.

[noiseboyuk]

The last two posts - this is all consistent with Kontakt X being developed. Komplete 15 might be considerably more interesting.