Software Review
Complete, Completer, Most Komplete?
Now, Native Instruments’ giant bundle of software synths, effects, expansions, and other sonic goodies has reached version 15, and it’s probably the biggest software collection ever seen. Of course, we have to take a closer look at all this glory.
It was at the end of September that the developers behind Native Instruments called a digital press conference. There, they showed off their latest product in the category “Biggest software package ever” to a gathered world press. For early and eager users, they also enticed us with a free package in the form of iZotope’s Neutron 4.
Some of the new stuff…
So what do you find in the new package? Well, over 50 instruments, effects and expansions, and in this package they flag a little extra for those who are interested in creating film music, but of course there is plenty of useful stuff also for those who yearn to succeed in composing a real pop song for the international charts.
The new Kontakt 8 is included in both Komplete 15 Standard, Ultimate, and the Collector’s Edition. In this industry standard among sampling-based instrument platforms, we now find, among other things, two completely new audio tools: Chords and Phrases Tools. Furthermore Leap is a tool for experimenting with creating loops, and Conflux is a new hybrid instrument with extra powerful wave-table functions. There you can, among other things, modulate organic and synth-based sounds in real time.
Kithara, on the other hand, is a collection of various guitars and other picked stringed instruments, which have then been transformed with various creative techniques and a powerful, warm sound design. Here we find classic nylon-string guitars, flamenco instruments, steel-string guitars, balalaika, cuatro and ronroco. All of them are masterfully sampled with extremely detailed accuracy, and just as much effort has been put into the possibilities of changing the sounds with the help of powerful sound design. In Kithara, raw, organic sounds are mixed with modern sound tools and the result can be anything from discreet delicate pickings to large sweeping sound textures.
Four versions
Komplete 15 is now available in four different versions: Select, Standard, Ultimate and Collector’s Edition. The entry variant Select is also available in three different editions: Beats, Band and Electronic.
Beats is of course aimed at producers/music creators who want to create beats for hip-hop and R&B. Band focuses on sampled instruments for songwriting and jamming. Finally, Electronic is a powerful tool for electronic music creation.
Komplete 15 Standard includes the new Kontakt 8 along with more than 95 professional-grade instruments and effects, more than 40 expansions and over 50,000 different sounds. Here we also find Ozone 11 Standard, Massive X and many other powerful audio tools.
In Komplete 15 Ultimate we find over 150 different top-class instruments and effects, everything from ultra-modern synths to symphonic sample libraries, and in addition more than 70 different sound expansions. Alicia’s Electric Keys, Ashlight and Action Woodwinds are some of the new products in Ultimate.
Komplete 15 Collectorʼs Edition is the complete Komplete package with over 165 instruments and 120 top-class expansions. Here, the developer promises that the package offers “unparalleled resources for professional production, film music composing, performance and sound design. Fables, Valves Pro and the brand new Kithara are some of the additions to Native Instruments’ fullest collection to date.
For those who have not tried Komplete before, there is also Komplete Start, a large collection of free plugin synths and effects.
Some more news
We have already mentioned Alicia’s Electric Keys, Ashlight, Action Woodwinds, Fables, Valves Pro and Kithara. In any case, this is how the developers themselves describe their new items:
- Kithara: a cinematic collection of guitars and plucked string instruments transformed with creative performance techniques and powerful sound design.
- Fables: Weave stories together using sound from an immersive cinematic ensemble library for both performance and production.
- Valves Pro: Soft and shifting sounds from trombone, flugelhorn, horn, tuba and euphonium, with an expanded library of articulations.
- Vocal Colors: An expressive “vocal engine” that enhances the feeling of the human voice with inventive modulation features.
- Schedule; Dark & Light: Dark and destructive pulses meet opulent, melodic patterns in this duo of melodic sequencer plugins.
- Action Woodwinds: The true-to-life sound of a full orchestral woodwind ensemble with a wide range of phrasing and articulations.
- Alicia’s Electric Keys: Discover Alicia Keys’ own CP-70 electric grand piano loaded with her own custom effects chains.
- Acoustic Sunburst Deluxe: Percussion/pick drum accompaniment and plucked notes from a premium acoustic jumbo guitar, with over 250 patterns and an additional melody instrument.
- Upright Bass: The deep, organic lower register of a fantastic double bass made in Mittenwald in the 1970s.
- Session Percussionist: An intuitive drum and percussion library with over 2000 customizable patterns and an advanced step sequencer.
- Play Series Instruments: From hip-hop and R&B to house and techno, Play Series instruments deliver outstanding sound quality with an easy-to-use interface.
- Expansion Sound Packs: Created by top artists and sound designers, expansions are genre-focused sound packs loaded with synth presets, drum kits, one-shots, samples and loops.
Well, how does it sound?
How does the word overwhelming fit? Well, that is almost the feeling you get from listening through all the new and excellent-sounding items that Komplete 15 offers in its Collector’s Edition. If, like me, you already have the latest version of Logic Pro with all its instruments, effects and other sound goodies included, Komplete 15 undeniably feels like the perfect complement. With these two powerhouses, you should in principle be able to create any type of music you can imagine, everything from “serious” classical orchestral music via film scoring, pop, and R’n’B, to the very most modern of all synth-based music genres. And everything sounds close to otherworldly good, as you’ve learned it does when it comes from Native Instruments.
The new tools in Kontakt 8, which have also received a major facelift with both an improved browser and a scalable user interface, also include, as mentioned, some new audio tools. In Chords, you can create your own chord sequences or let the program come up with lots of interesting suggestions. The same applies to Phrases, although instead with lots of different melodic phrases of course.
These two tools may feel a bit like an “auto-playing piano” to some degree, but there are probably many musicians who can benefit and get lots of help in their music creation, from Chords and Phrases.
On the other hand, I found the loop tool Leap and the new hybrid instrument Conflux to be extremely powerful and exciting. I’m sure these two could influence many in a most creative way.
A large audio collection of sounds for film scoring
Many of the novelties do perhaps fit best in the area where all film score composers currently reside; low-key, enveloping, esoteric and exciting sounds that set the imagination in real motion. This is, of course, a trend that repeats itself among many developers of sampling and sound packs today, I have noticed. Film music seems to be a new popular music genre; Maybe there is a John Williams, Ludwig Göransson or Hans Zimmer hiding in every home or project studio today?
A lot of music in that genre can be created with all the new expansions for Kontakt 8, and if you also have access to one of the new keyboards in the Komplete Kontrol 3 Series, this has also been progressively upgraded since it was launched, to be able to control more functions directly from the keyboard. 30 new expansions ensure that a tester never gets tired of new exciting sounds.
Guitarist goodies
For all the guitar players we have Guitar Rig 7 Pro, which is completely stuffed with amplifiers, effects pedals and other small and useful things for all us string benders. It has been given another substantial face-lift from previous versions. The improved searchability in the browser has made the search for exciting guitar sounds so much easier.
For the backing guitarist in mind, there is now also a new acoustic rhythm guitar of the very best brand: Session Guitarist – Acoustic Sunburst Deluxe. Strum on!
Summary
An extremely good-sounding and slightly overwhelming music and sound package from Native Instruments has landed. Komplete 15 certainly lives up to its name. I have a hard time seeing how they could top this in Komplete 16 and beyond. With such a large amount of sound expansions and also lots of interesting software synths and sound effects,
Komplete 15 already feels complete. If all of this seems totally overwhelming, or if you feel uncertain about the need for any of the included parts, there is always the option of starting with the free Select version. This is available in three different editions: Beats, Band and Electronic. There you can first get a feel for it, and if you then get curious about what the larger packages had to offer, there is always the option of upgrading later on.
Starting this way could be a very good option.
I also have to give a big shout out to the developers of this pack. There are lots of sound demoes of what you can find in the various Komplete packages on the Native Instruments website. Danke schön!
FACT & FIGURES
INFORMATION Native Instruments, www.native-instruments.com/en
PRICE 599 euros for Komplete 15 Standard, 199 euros for the update; 1,199 euros for Komplete 15 Ultimate, 399 euros for the update; and 1,799 euros for the Collector’s Edition, and 499 for the update, but keep an eye open for extra discounts during Black Friday / Cyber Week
PLUS
- Biggest software package ever
- Unbelievable amount of sounds and effects
- 30 new expansions
- Kithara and Conflux are interesting newcomers
- New Kontakt 8 means a clear improvement
- Guitar Rig 7 Pro & Session Guitarist – Acoustic Sunburst Deluxe
- A goldmine for film score composers
MINUS
- Rock musicians can feel a bit left out
LINKS: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-start/
Here’s a video where they show some of the highlights from Kontakt 8:
Komplete 15:
https://www.native-instruments.com/specials/komplete/komplete-15
