Native Instruments releases "Mallet Flux" Kontakt Instrument and "Midnight Sunset" Maschine Expansion and launches competition to win A-Series Keyboard

Native Instruments has announced the release of Mallet Flux, a new Kontakt instrument, and Midnight Sunset, a new Maschine expansion, and launched a new competition.

Mallet Flux is a new Kontakt instrument that enables users to instantly produce intricate sequences based on tonal mallet percussion, including glockenspiel, celesta, xylophone, vibraphone, and marimba. Mallet Flux features an innovative sequencer and playing engine that helps generate ideas fast, turning the simplest drafts into evocative arrangements for soundtracks, scores, and more.

Mallet Flux helps composers, producers, and other musicians start creating right away. Users can begin with 270 pre-designed arpeggios, sequences, and single hits in multi-instrument arrangements. These presets can be fully modified to produce completely new patterns. Users can also take advantage of innovative Flux Engine pattern automation to create complex rhythmic phrases and arrangements by playing simple chords.

With intuitive mixing controls, Mallet Flux lets users adjust the balance of instruments and add effects, including enhanced effects introduced with Kontakt 6. Mallet Flux also offers new high-quality room, hall, and plate reverbs that allow users to place instruments in a variety of sonic spaces. Through complex multi-effect chains, users can transform acoustic tuned percussion sounds into cinematic pads, drones, and other unique tones.

Mallet Flux draws from pristine recordings of mallet percussion instruments, captured in a high-quality studio by the sampling experts at Sonuscore. This team has worked on more than 2,000 projects in the videogame, TV, and film industry.

Mallet Flux runs in Kontakt 6 and the free Kontakt 6 Player, and is available now at the NI Online Shop for 199€ / $199 / £159 / 24800¥.

Midnight Sunset is a Maschine Expansion that turns back the clock to the close of the '70s and the dawn of '80s, when new drum machines and synthesizers began appearing in studios. Disco, R&B, and soul had ruled the dancefloors of the last decade. Now musicians were embracing new technology, mixing live instrumentation with drum machines and analog synths to create an irresistible blend of warm textures and cool rhythms.

Midnight Sunset melts down a sound made famous by SOLAR Records, (Dynasty, The Whispers) as well as artists like Prince and Rick James – a sound that influenced music well beyond the decade and later into '90s West Coast hip hop. Midnight Sunset contains original recordings of horns, guitars, bass, and more, coming as one shots and loops for any DAW, and Sample Instruments for Maschine.

The sound of iconic drum machines from the period can be found in kits for Battery and Maschine – perfect for building slapping early-'80s rhythms. Analog-inspired synth presets for Massive, Monark, and Reaktor Prism let producers dial in distinctive, vintage tones suitable for any style of music.

Midnight Sunset is available now exclusively at the NI Online Shop for $49 / 49 € / £44 / ¥ 6,280 / AU$ 79.

Metapop Competition
Download hand-picked loops and samples from the Lazer Dice Expansion pack, add your creativity, and mix it all together for a chance to win a serious selection of NI prizes. The grand prize includes Komplete Kontrol A61, Komplete 12 Ultimate, three Expansions of your choice, and more. Competition closes December 5, 2018.

To be eligible to win, your submissions must be at least one minute long and use sounds from the Lazer Dice sound pack, available as a free download from metapop. Content that uses material to which you don't own rights (including rights granted to collection societies) will be discredited.