You’ve seen the leaks; now here’s the official announcement.
Native Instruments is releasing an update to its Komplete suite of production tools (including Massive, Kontakt, Absynth, Reaktor, and others). And while the software update is largely composed of some (nice) new instruments, the banner news here is hardware.
As NI has done with its DJ line (Traktor Kontrol) and Maschine groove workstation, the company is unveiling integrated hardware that makes for a hybrid hardware/software solution. The Komplete Kontrol instruments come in 25, 49-, and 61-key variations, coupled with touch strips for pitch and mod, 8 encoders paired with interactive displays for parameter control, sound browsing, and arpeggiator and scale-mapping functions.
While you can’t quite take your eyes off the display with the same ease as you can Maschine Studio or Traktor, you do get interactive access to your Komplete library, and Reaktor instruments, too.
I’ve been testing the Komplete Kontrol S25, so I’ll leave impressions for a separate story. (A full review will come closer to the October 1 release date; the software isn’t entirely finished yet.)
Update – it’s ready. Our hands-on with the S25 keyboard.
But as far as the announcement, let’s stick to the facts – after the obligatory, heart-pounding promo video.
Seriously, I wish you were here. Every time I touch a MIDI keyboard, it’s totally this exciting. It’s like watching NASCAR cars explode inside a galaxy going supernova with an Icelandic death metal band – and that band is buck naked.
Komplete 10 / Komplete 10 Ultimate
As previously leaked, you get six new instruments.
There are three new Reaktor-based instruments, regardless of which bundle you choose. They don’t require the new keyboards, but if you do spring for the new gear, they map to the color-coded light guides on the keyboard and encoders.
Rounds. Imagine a sequencer combined with sound design.
Kontour. This is the latest synth from Stephan Schmitt, founder of NI and originator of both Reaktor and, before it, Generator. Stephan’s name alone should get your attention, and this synth is something special from what little I’ve heard out of it. You can span from more organic sounds to distorted stuff, with loads of clever modulation.
Polyplex. This is the sampler/drum sampler Reaktor users have been waiting for. Because you can randomize samples per slots globally or locally, it’s brilliant for mixing up drum kits and percussive patterns. And it’s full of effects.
Each of these tools is really interesting, and worth following up separately – stay tuned later this month.
There are also three new pianos, part of what NI now calls The Definitive Piano Collection:
The Gentleman. A sampled 1908 upright.
The Granduer. A sampled grand – yes, this is the ubiquitous Steinway Model D, even though NI can’t say that.
The Maverick. Probably the most interesting of the bunch – a 1905 grand made for the Prince of Prussia.
The pianos got a lot of flak on the forums, but as at least one CDM reader pointed out, they’re overdue. NI has made some beautiful sampled piano libraries recently, but the ones in Komplete haven’t kept pace with the accelerating quality of sampled pianos on the market. This should help modernize the piano offerings, and given how often they’re used, that’s significant.
Komplete may not be everything NI makes, but it’s big. Komplete 10 is 39 instruments and effects; the Ultimate version is all 75 products in the Komplete lineup at the moment, with over 440 GB of content.
Pricing: $499 / 499, or $999 / 999 € for Ultimate.
Don’t sweat yet if you recently bought Komplete; NI says it’ll have its upgrade/update/crossgrade info and the like shortly.
Kontrol Keyboards
The biggest news with Komplete 10 is what happens when you add the Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboards.
See our separate hands-on, but the basic idea is really applying to Komplete what Maschine and Traktor Kontrol brought to groove production and DJing, respectively.
The keyboards:
- 25-, 49-, and 61- key models.
- Fatar synth keybeds – sorry, no hammer-action model here yet, though that seems likely some time in the future.
- Komplete Browser controls let you look up sounds, similar to those on Maschine. (No display, though – for that, you’ll be looking at your computer screen.)
- Parameters map to eight touch-sensitive encoders, with displays showing parameter name and amount.
- “Light Guide” color LEDs above the keys reveal switches, zones, and other preset information. (Don’t worry, you can also turn this off.)
- Chord mode, with ready-to-play progressions.
- Built-in arpeggiator with interactive controls mapped to the display.
- Scale mapping, which maps to white notes of the keyboard – for specialized scales, fun with arpeggios, or avoiding wrong notes.
- Touch strips for modulation, pitch bend.
- Physics modeling for touch strips, so you can have Lemur-style animations as well as the normal functions.
- MIDI in and out jacks.
- USB operation. (Note: it requires power; not USB powered.)
- Two pedal input jacks.
The intention of the Komplete Kontrol hardware is to work with associated software. That’s the only thing bundled with the keyboard, so you need either Komplete 9 or Komplete 10 to make use of this functionality. (Komplete 9 works, though, so you could conceivably buy the keyboard but skip the software upgrade.)
I’ll explain how the software works separately, in my hands-on.
What you don’t get is any bundled instruments with Komplete Kontrol; you need to own the Komplete software to really make use of it.
You can also use the Kontrol S-Series keyboards as MIDI controllers, with custom MIDI templates, as you can Maschine. Colored lights still let you indicate splits in your MIDI templates, too. But the arpeggiator, scale, and chord modes – for now – work only with the NI software. The transport controls are mapped to Mackie Control for control of your host.
Pricing:
S25: $499 / 499 €.
S49: $599 / 599 €.
S61: $699 / 699 €.
Both Komplete 10 and the new keyboards are due October 1.
www.the-komplete-instrument.com
