Native Instruments’ hotly-anticipated solution for playing soft synths, cataloging sounds, and performing with software in the studio and onstage is here. KORE is now available in stores and shipping, with a street around US$500 (just under US$1500 buys you KORE plus Native’s insanely massive Komplete collection of instruments as part of a special intro).

Native is also launching a US tour with the product, a set of online video demos, and a range of limited-edition intro deals.

Pictured here: what happens if you use KORE in the middle of a global thermonuclear war. That or else what happens if you plug in the wrong kind of AC adapter. (KORE Meltdown? From the KORE Tour Intro video.)

If you are getting KORE, here’s what you’ll want to know about the update and getting started using the package . . .

First off, don’t miss this thread from the CDM Forums:

So I got my Kore 4 days early!

Forum reader Virgil has detailed some installation tips and observations. Thanks, Virgil!

Secondly, you’ll want to make sure you get the 1.01 update right away. Native Instruments’ Erin Hutton tells CDM:

The update includes several important features, such as new premade controller assignments for third-party instruments, detailed below:

  1. a new “Live View” mode, for live performance usage, that shows the essential controls and parameters in a special, zoomed layout
  2. premade “easy access” controller assignments for a wide range of third-party instruments, including those from Spectrasonics, Arturia, GMedia, Korg, Novation, Rob Papen and others
  3. six additional integrated effects, including a filter bank, a lo-fi effect, two compressors, a limiter and a frequency shifter
  4. an optimized audio driver for Windows and Mac with an improved latency adaption mode
  5. additional Multi Sounds

Pretty major stuff for a “point-oh-one” update. As usual, you can download that from the registered section of the NI site. I’ll be unboxing KORE and Komplete this weekend, so stay tuned.

If you do pick up KORE, please let us know about it in the CDM Software forum.