Really good upgrade deals right now.
I had been strategically buying the few things Ultimate has that I wanted (SkannerXT, Molekular, Razor), and already owned The Mouth from years ago.
Finding good deals on KVR has made it more sensible than the extra $300 for K12 Ultimate for me.
The plan is go to Ultimate for K13 or K14, at which point I’ll be able to sell off those few overlapping licenses for what I paid, when the time comes, which will help pay for that upgrade once K13 or K14 Ultimate are a bit more fully stacked. 
2 Likes
Sounds like a good plan! I don’t have any overlapping licenses for NI stuff, but I’m sure I do for Izotope. I need to investigate how difficult it is to transfer their licenses as I’d like to move some of that stuff along to help pay for some of my own recent purchases.
For some reason, NI’s installer worked properly for exactly one thing and then fails on everything else. It’s just a matter of going in and pointing each installer to the correct folder, but with something as huge as K12 Ultimate, that’s a huge pain. They didn’t even offer me the option of a physical hard drive for the upgrade from K12 to K12 Ultimate. Bummer, but at least I’ve figured out what the problem is so I’m not stuck.
I’m also glad that I learned that those extra content libraries can be used In Komplete Kontrol otherwise I probably would have never used any of that content.
I’ve been enjoying the hell out of watching Kenny Beats make music during the pandemic and seeing his workflow has made me totally rethink my bias against using these kinds of factory content libraries.
2 Likes
Are you not installing through Native Access?
My Catalina machine has issues running NI installers that aren’t downloaded via Native Access, even with System Integrity Protection disabled.
It was such an issue with lots of back and forth with support, that when I asked for a dedicated license for the KK Preview Library (for my M32) so that I could install via Native Access instead of the gdrive links support was sending, they just put a Komplete Select license in my account. 
Now I install everything via Native Access and it goes smoothly because of it.
1 Like
I am. The directory is set properly in Native Access, but installation fails every time (except for the first one which went smoothly). The only way to fix it is to manually go in to each installer in my download folder, and select the folder that is defined in Native Access, install it and then refresh Native Access. PITA.
1 Like
It took me about a day to get KU12 installed, but it’s up and running and I’m quite enjoying it. I’m using the Abbey Road 70’s drummer for a project at the moment.
In my search to figure out the best way to get Kontakt multiout setup properly in Logic (versus my caveman approach), I discovered Guy Michelmore‘s channel. I wasn’t familiar with him, but he composes a lot of film and TV soundtracks (Marvel, Disney, Netflix).
This video is just the nuts and bolts of getting setup, but he has a lot of videos that might be of interest to Komplete users. Amazing that we live in an era where you can just watch a professional composer work and get hints and tips.
FYI, he also picked up the $45 Izotope bundle and has inspired me to dig a bit deeper into Stutter Edit (which is the whole reason I bought that bundle), so I’m not regretting that purchase anymore.
2 Likes
Did you install the entire 600GB??
3 Likes
Yep. All the libraries are on an external drive though, so it didn’t take up that much space on my machine. The real bonus was that I discovered that a few of my other old Kontakt libraries were inadvertently installed on my main machine so I actually cleared up some space by relocating those as well.
I’m starting to love Kontakt. I’m going to have to stop myself from buying third party libraries down the road. 
6 Likes
The danger of upgrading to Komplete Ultimate is that you start thinking of throwing all sorts of crazy instruments into your tunes. First time I’ve ever played psychedelic guitar over a tuba. I’m super happy with how it came out though 
Drums are from Abbey Road. Loving it.
9 Likes
I did a short test track using only Electric Sunburst, Strummed Accoustic 2, Studio Drummer and a bass patch from Prism. The audio quality was fantastic to my ears. I had been thinking about getting a cheap guitar to add something to my half baked tunes but this will do the trick nicely.
It’s also the first time that the lights on my KK49Mk2 really made sense. The pattern switches with the clever chord detection was working amazingly and made it really quick to inspire ideas.
ES and SA2 are pretty much worth the update from KU11 alone. for me.
2 Likes
That sounds amazing, cool lofi hip hop type sound.
1 Like
this sounds fantastic!
I hope not the last, either!
3 Likes
Thanks very much for the kind words. I’ve picked up (or upgraded) so many things during the past few months: KU12, Soundtoys, Arturia V collection, Ozone 9, Valhalla, etc. It’s all in there.
I’m starting to figure out a good workflow. Having a creative outlet is important right now.
From my coworker:
“The whole thing is dark and greasy. It sounds underhanded. Kind of like old New Orleans jazz. Disreputable.”
2 Likes
NI stuff is fantastic, and I’ve kept up buying it since the start.
Only problem is it is so much stuff.
In hindsight, besides also sticking to just one Controller and a daw, I should have never bought anything else ever from other manufacturers and developers and focused only on all Komplete offers, it is vast.
3 Likes
yeah these two guitar libraries are one of the reasons why I consider the upgrade to ultimate.
I do play guitar myself but they sound great and „production ready“
2 Likes
love it
1 Like
I’m glad you mentioned these as they were not high on my list of stuff to check out. I dig ES in particular, and it’s so much easier to understand then Scarbee Funk Guitar, which will probably take a few hours to figure out (so I haven’t yet).
One tip that might help others like me with a smaller controller (Keystep) is that if you have another midi controller (in my case a Beat Step Pro), you can use the second controller for changing articulations while playing chords or melodies on the keys. I got this idea from the composer Guy Michelmore on YouTube. He uses some kind of basic Akai midi controller for triggering articulations in orchestral libraries even though he has a weighted 88-key controller (since the articulations are usually on the far end of the keyboard).
I had been thinking of ditching my BSP, but right now it works pretty well as a companion to the KS for these kinds of articulations and as a bank of assignable knobs. Unless I replace my desk to make more space for a bigger keyboard, this is a pretty flexible and compact solution and the BSP only comes out when needed for even less clutter.
2 Likes
Don’t rule out the newer NI M32. Aside from being a great auto-mapped Komplete Kontrol VST controller, I love the foot print of my M32 on my desk, just above my computer keyboard and mousepad.
Leaves me with plenty of room for a Twister, LPD8, and four Elektrons (two at each wing).
Darn cheap too!
2 Likes
It looks great. I have been thinking that I might like something with more octaves to solve the issue of these articulations being too far away to be able to trigger with just 32 keys. I’ve always dreamed of a weighted keyboard as well.
I recently upgraded my mouse and went to a mechanical keyboard for work and what a difference it makes to be touching something that feels nice all day. The little things in life. 
2 Likes
I have a Kawai MP11 which has their Grand Feel keybed, which is amazing! 88 keys. That said, when I read your tip to use a second controller for keyswitches, I immediately was excited about that. I think that approach beats keyswitching on a single keyboard any time
1 Like
Nice! I’m happy someone else might benefit from that setup as well! There are probably much better options than the BSP, but it’s not bad (use what you got). Something a bit more compact with faders and knobs and assignable buttons/pads would probably be ideal.
My understanding is that the people that compose for movies and games tend to also use an external controller with faders to be able to adjust multiple expressions in orchestral libraries at once, but that’s a bit different from the articulation issue.