Komplete 12 - worth it?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I just got my new computer and I see that I can upgrade from Komplete 7 to Komplete 12 for $199 (regular version, not ultimate). I’m sort of interested in messing around with Battery again, as I really liked Battery 3.

My questions are:

(1) do you think it’s worth grabbing this upgrade or is there a lot of filler (I see that a lot of things haven’t been upgraded ina long time and are probably out of date like Guitar Rig).

(2) I don’t want to fill up my internal hard drive immediately. How easy is it to keep all of the libraries on an external drive? Is that sorted now, I seem to remember it being a PITA with early versions of Komplete.

Thanks!

#2

It’s really easy to keep everything on an external drive. NI has an app called Native Access and you can designate where the library material goes (just create a folder on an external drive and point it there). The only thing to consider is that you need space on your HD to download and unpack the libraries one by one as it has to do that before it copies them over to the external drive.

Is it worth it? Going from 11-12 probably not but going from 7-12 I’d bet you get enough good new stuff to make it worth $200US. Stuff like Komplete Kontrol is fun to use and I think you need a newer Komplete to use it.

3 Likes
#3

Agreed with @digitalgeist. 11-12 isn’t worth it but 7-12 would bring loads of good stuff and upgrades.

Having said that, I don’t use an awful lot of Komplete. I have KU11 too. I’ll use Razor a bit and a few of the other synths from time to time but I tend to have a lot more fun out of Omnisphere 2. This is a me thing rather than a genuine opinion on the quality of Komplete!

1 Like
#4

There’s a thing that Peter always asks that feels applicable to this question: what do you feel your music is missing currently?

If there are actual items in K12 that you genuinely think you can use and will improve your music making- then I’d say go for it.

But as you say, you primarily reach for Omnisphere- and with something like Komplete, there’s a lot of things that can immediately fall under your radar

5 Likes
#5

For me I thought it worth it because I like to keep Kontakt updated, the Una chorda library is great, the new trk is really great i find, theres modular reaktor + youll get the new massive. Theres also great expansions. But if none of this mattered id go for a smaller package def, its a huge big chunk.

#6

I have K11U and will only bother updating to K12U when the new Massive drops

1 Like
#7

I work on the premise that every other Komplete release is worth updating for and I’m currently on 10. Waiting to see what the new MassiveX is like before I update but even then I might hang off as I really have plenty to be getting on with in the meantime.

That said, the additional stuff going from 7 to 12 would like be hard to beat for that value. I think there is a google docs spreadsheet which details everything that is included in each so you could more easily see if the new stuff is worth it. Can’t remember where but you could probably google for it.

#8

Let’s say divide 199 by 4 to get 4 products at 50€ like for a good Black Friday

  • Update Kontakt 4 to 6 : worth 50€ ! Yes
  • Update Battery 4 : worth 50€ oh YES… !
  • Update to Reaktor 6 with Blocks : worth 50€ clearly YES what Monark offered for FREE ? yup very nice!
  • Coupon for Massive X when released ! I’m sure it will worth it :wink:

So I get for free FORM, ROUNDS, KONTOUR, SPARK, DRUMLAB, POLYPLEX, TRK1, Mod Pack,

  • those great effects : SOLID EQ, SOLID BUS COMP, SOLID DYNAMICS, SUPERCHARGER, REPLIKA, DRIVER, TRANSIENT MASTER

  • 10 expansions (like Deep Matter, True school etc…)

Honestly …
simple math :slight_smile:

(2) I don’t want to fill up my internal hard drive immediately. How easy is it to keep all of the libraries on an external drive? Is that sorted now, I seem to remember it being a PITA with early versions of Komplete.

Install what you need… it’s more simple now than version 7 (hard drive install and you can setup sounds libraries later - install what you want first)

1 Like
#9

Thanks everyone, this info is really helpful.

I’m most interested in Battery 4, which I know I will use, since I liked Battery 3 a lot. I’m also interested to try Massive X when it comes out. That alone is probably worth the price.

What I wasn’t sure about was what people think of the rest of the stuff in the package.

For instance, I never really bonded with the older version of Kontakt. How is the Kontakt 6 interface, is it any easier to use? Do people generally think highly of the updated library?

The effects also look interesting to me, how are the quality? I’m currently making my first real foray back into the world of DAWs in around 10 years, so I don’t have much in the way of plugins other than what I got with Logic Pro X (which I will be using as my main DAW) and what I got with my interface (UAD Arrow).

I’d really like a good Rhodes emulator, but it sounds like there are a lot better options than the Mark I these days. Is the Scarbee stuff as outdated as it seems?

Guitar Rig also looks like it may be too long in the tooth to be worth messing with (I’ll probably just stick with UAD, since I grabbed their Fender Tweed emulator for ridiculously cheap with a bunch of coupons, or I’ll mic and record my own amp and pedals).

Are there any other really amazing standouts that I haven’t mentioned that other people love? I honestly just have no clue about the rest of the stuff in Komplete.

Last question, do people recommend getting them to send me a physical hard drive or do most of you guys just download? I am pretty sure I will upgrade now that I know it’s easy to keep the libraries on an external drive.

Sorry for the long post.

1 Like
#10

Kontakt 6 is great especially the Analog Dreams instrument that comes with Komplete 12, the effects are good too, some are written by Softube, Massive X should be with us February.

1 Like
#11

A lot of hype and expectation, but I predict Massive X will be the best sounding synth we will have heard

4 Likes
#12

I am on KU11 and the pricing structure for NI upgrades is bizarre. There is no incentive to stay up to date as your cost is the same for being one release behind or three or four behind. EG when I upgrade Cubase 9.5 to 10 the cost was minimal and encourages me to stay up to date.

1 Like
#13

Haha. Yeah, I guess I can’t complain about that since I’m on the winning end this time around. I suppose they want to try to lure back those of us that have moved on at some stage. They lured me back from Komplete 3 or 4 to Komplete 7, and now it looks like I’m going back to 12.

#14

I think “Do people generally think highly of the updated library” probably yes, when I think how people use extensively sample & loops collection, no doubt like for Omnisphere people use it like a Gigantic Synth without programming stuff from scratch but more tweaking things to their taste or int the context of a particular Track…

If you put some effort in Kontakt … it’s probably the best VST Sampler out there since a long time now… (Kontakt scripting is incredible)

The effects are good honestly especially : Supercharger, Replika and Driver to me… Generally DAW stock plugins are written for the DAW and somehow are better regarding CPU/Performance/Quality - I make test on Third Parties Compressors and if you use Compressors as Transient Designer the results are close for everyone… so … I guess it’s change when you use compressors to fix things or when the Compressor Technology is radically different like ProAudioDSP DSM V2 formerly known as Dynamic Spectrum Mapper…

No idea here…

Can’t tell I don’t use it :stuck_out_tongue:

HARD DRIVE is better you have the download option in any case… but if for some reasons you need to install it in internet traffic peak ! download may be a problem so you have the hard drive then

1 Like
#15

Thanks for taking the time to answer. I appreciate it.

1 Like
#16

I ordered the upgrade on the hard drive. Looking forward to giving it a spin again.

2 Likes
#17

I know 199.- isn’t much, but Native Instruments runs a 2-year product cycle for their Komplete products. You can get them in the second year for -50% during sales.

#18

Too late, already ordered. It’s cool though. I kind of want it now since I just got my new computer. It’s good to know about that sale though for future upgrades!

Edit: As I was writing this I got the notice that it shipped and will arrive tomorrow. I’m stoked it will be here for the weekend. Woo hoo.

2 Likes
#19

Guitar rig is great.
I didn’t even try it for years thinking it was for just for guitars.
It’s a multi effect beast.
Load it on a synth track and go nuts

4 Likes
#20

Also the solid series plugins sound good. I own the SSL9000k softube expansion and the EQ and dynamics section are close to each other

1 Like