Anyone else hate Native Instruments

[mixyguy2]

IMO Kontakt is a piss poor UI/middle man to have forced on you for certain products, to say nothing of the iLok bit. I've used Massive (soft synth) and it's respectable but nothing amazing. And their stuff tends to be quite pricey. I just don't get the appeal at all. Anyone else?

[Northfield.Lenox]

Nope. While I agree the UI could use work, I purchased Komplete 11 as well as the Komplete Kontrol keyboard and could not be happier. Feel it was extremely good value. Still have not scratched the surface of using the included synths, sampled instruments, effects, drum machine and effects. The installing and update have been flawless. I never came across any use or need for iLok - all licensing is based on serial numbers. This was the review video that really grabbed my attention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDmFTiQDx4M&t=1805s

[jlouvar]

No, but my main instrument is bass guitar.

[chibear]

Have to give that a resounding no since a vast majority of the instruments I use work in the full version of Kontakt.

Pricey? Yes, but the door is open to a universe of free libraries from wanna be developers, some of which are quite good and many which are useful but have a very short lifespan.

Complicated? You bet! NI would do itself a favour by splitting Kontakt into User and Developer modules just to sort things out a bit. BUT once you get the idea of where not to go, a powerful interface in which virtually everthing can be easily automated via MIDI and Host automations in any combination you want.

I am not a fan of NI libraries, agreeing that they are overpriced, and, considering they invented the UI, often more inflexible than 3rd party competing libraries.

Finally, I do find NI near the top of the arrogance list when dealing with them one on one, something I tend avoid because of my BP issues.

[SeanMichaels]

I cannot agree in saying that I hate NI, but I do understand your sentiment when it comes to the price of Komplete and many other products included. Kontakt 5 is very expensive; it's an excellent sampler, however.

Sample library makers have an easy time making their libraries exclusive to Kontakt and it requires minimal development and lower cost. Sure, it's passed on to the consumer, but I think it's a well-worth investment to get it. They also have the Kontakt Free Player, but I haven't tried using it in ages. I think I remember getting frustrated that it would time out after fifteen minutes.

Some plugin developers, like GetGood Drums, for example, obtain a Kontakt Player license from Kontakt allowing end users of the product to use just the free version of Kontakt.

[Ian Craig]

IMO Kontakt is a piss poor UI/middle man to have forced on you for certain products, to say nothing of the iLok bit. I've used Massive (soft synth) and it's respectable but nothing amazing. And their stuff tends to be quite pricey. I just don't get the appeal at all. Anyone else?

Yes, I agree. Overpriced, hard to see, pain in the arse

[Benjamin Drew]

I bought their 61 Key Keyboard for something like 700 bucks. It did come with a lot of software but It wasn't at all my taste. I take advantage of their free stuff, yet, I have yet to actually use it in a track. Hence I took the keyboard back and bought a Roland Juno DS61 which I am more than pleased with.

My main go to's are (Now) VIP suite from Akai (I didn't have any issues with iLok) and Synthmaster everything bundle. Slynth1 I go back and forth with but I'm luke warm with their product.

And of course some Mixcraft stuff and the Roland Juno patches (Which in my opinion are amazing). I hope some day to acquire a Integra 7!
It's probably about taste I suppose.

[freightgod]

I will never be able afford living in the Kontakt Universe.

I do not pirate anymore, arrrr there be no need matey, but Mixcraft was prob the first music software tool I used because the pricing itself actually made it a no-brainer to buy. And it's stayed that way ever since. Upgrading is a nice yawny process too...I love it!

But of course I'd go there if I could.

[daveiv]

I will never be able afford living in the Kontakt Universe.

I do not pirate anymore, arrrr there be no need matey, but Mixcraft was prob the first music software tool I used because the pricing itself actually made it a no-brainer to buy. And it's stayed that way ever since. Upgrading is a nice yawny process too...I love it!

But of course I'd go there if I could.

If you're on a budged, check out AIR Music plugins on Plugin Boutique. They're very powerful, yet they do crazy discounts.

But you don't really need anything else to make, for example, Electronic music, if you have Mixcraft Pro Studio. It comes with great synths and effects.

[Phetal]

Yes Native Instruments are terrible. Awful company to deal with full of assholes and arrogant idiots. To top it off their UI is clunky and outdated with a ton of bugs then when you actually have to attempt to deal with the punks via EMAIL only (for a premium product) because they cut down their team 90% two years ago, it takes Forever and then they end up ignoring you completely.

They are scum bags with crappy tech. They spent all their money on marketing and developing plastic crap.

[mixyguy2]

Someone else gets it, thank you. Really there's almost nothing about this company and their products that doesn't suck IMO. I do like Absynth, and how Kontakt does open the doors to numerous other good plugins (including free ones) but that's it. They remind me of Avid...they became entrenched as a supposed "industry standard" and therefore realize that they don't HAVE to be any good. They can and do literally get away with being incompetent, apathetic, and arrogant. I just hope I live long enough to see them regret it, much like IBM did back in the early PC days.

[Northfield.Lenox]

Really? So instruments like Cremona Quartet, Una Corda, Battery, Massive, Monark, Noire, Straylight, Arkhis… would all end up in the ‘suck” pile as well?

The only stuff from them I find to be a cash grab are the expansions, have not been disappointed with any other purchase, and have had good experiences with support, installation, and stability in Mixcraft.

Maybe I'm late to the game (last 6 years) but were they a different company say 10 years ago?

[Skulltotem13]

Someone else gets it, thank you. Really there's almost nothing about this company and their products that doesn't suck IMO. I do like Absynth, and how Kontakt does open the doors to numerous other good plugins (including free ones) but that's it. They remind me of Avid...they became entrenched as a supposed "industry standard" and therefore realize that they don't HAVE to be any good. They can and do literally get away with being incompetent, apathetic, and arrogant. I just hope I live long enough to see them regret it, much like IBM did back in the early PC days.

I don't know man, Reaktor is incredible. There are ensembles that allow you to get sounds you can't really get anywhere else. And it's cool of them to keep the User Library up for free. If you're patient you can get Reaktor on sale for $100 and it comes with thousands of synths, effects, sequencers, samplers, grooveboxes, anything you can imagine.

It's arguably the most powerful piece of software on the market but it's easily the most frustrating. It's like everyone at NI expects you to be a huge programmer nerd and they scoff at you if you dare ask for help. There are so many simple things they could do to make it more user friendly.

Even the installation is a dumpster fire. Four different directories and if you try to customize and simplify things you get punished. It's their way or go fuck yourself. Blocks could have been implemented much better from the start as well. I could go on all day about problems with Reaktor. I love NI but I hate them too.

[mixyguy2]

Really? So instruments like Cremona Quartet, Una Corda, Battery, Massive, Monark, Noire, Straylight, Arkhis… would all end up in the ‘suck” pile as well?

My bad, I should have said products that I have tried...I have not tried Noire but hearing good things. But I'm happy with pianos I have. They do have some worthwhile products. I was really thinking more along the lines of Kontakt/Komplete and how they are as a company overall. They remind me of Avid: they have a product so entrenched in the market that they don't have to improve and can have a shitty attitude and get away with it. That disgusts me in the extreme and I'd love to slap their smug asses into last week. I love that companies are coming up with their own samples and basically flipping NI off. I hope that continues...

[matic1l]

I really like the native instruments