Native Instruments has announced Komplete 15, a new update for its plugin and sound bundle with the new Kontakt 8 sampler, Guitar Rig 7 Pro, and more.
Komplete 15 is out now. More in-depth details on the new releases will come in individual articles:
Article From September 2, 2024
Software companies like to bundle their titles, making them more attractive to buy than individually. The most popular bundles are the V Collection from Arturia, Soundtoys, or Native Instruments Komplete. The latter is updated every two years; the last was in 2022.
What was already leaked at European retailers over the weekend is now official. Komplete 15 has been announced with new products. A release is planned for the end of September.
Native Instruments Komplete 15
Komplete 15 is again available in three versions: Standard, Ultimate, and Collector’s Edition. Each bundle includes many new products and sound content, many of which have already been on the market for months.
Standard features 95+ instruments/effets & 50+ expansions (50.000 sounds) , Ultimate 150+ instruments/effects & 80+ expansions (100.000 sounds) and Collector’s Edition gives you 150+ instruments/effects & 125+ expansions (150.000).
Kontakt 8
The highlight of the new Komplete 15 bundle is the renewed Kontakt 8 sampler, which is somewhat surprising since Kontakt 7 was only introduced in Komplete 14. I didn’t expect a jump to 8 so quickly.
According to Native Instruments, it’s a “massive” step-up from the previous versions and offers tons of new features. First, there is a new tools layer that new assistive features to it that works seamlessly with any Kontakt instrument, old and new. That’s good.
In this toolbox, you can find new creative options, chords, and phrases that spark creativity with curated MIDI content and randomization options. Plus, partners can offer their own Tools, expanding the possibilities even further.
Next to this is Leap, a new ultra-fast framework for manipulating loops and one-shot samples. It features easy FX manipulation on the black keys. Kontakt 8 comes with twelve new curated packs of loops for specific genres and styles, and you can load your own loops and samples, or tap into the wealth of sounds from Maschine Expansions.
Kontakt 8 also offers an expanded wavetable core engine, which opens the path for new instruments, including the coveted PPG wavetables. To celebrate this, it comes with Conflux, a new experimental sound design instrument that adds dynamic movement to otherwise stat samples, using real-time wavetable synthesis.
To celebrate the Kontakt 8 release, they also added to the Komplete 15 Collector’s Edtion a new flagship instrument called Kithara. It features high-quality guitars and plucked string instruments, transformed with creative performance techniques and cinematic sound design.
Guitar Rig 7 Pro & New iZotope
Then, you get Guitar Rig 7 Pro, the FX processor that was released at the same time last year. It comes with a new loop machine pro, four new virtual amps, more effects pedals, and more, including new effects based on two iZotope Trash components: tape wobble, noise machine, and vintage vibrato.
In addition, there are three iZotope products for all three versions: Trash, Ozone 11 Standard, and VocalSynth 2. The most recent is the iZotope Trash plugin, a revised version of the popular Trash 2 distortion FX.
Among the new features is an X/Y pad for each module, allowing you to morph/blend between four distortion algorithms and four impulse responses. There is also modulation on the third generation Trash engine via a new envelope follower. Plus, you get a scream filter and more.
Native Instruments has not yet officially released all the content of the new Komplete packages. However, numerous European shops have been leaking the content since the weekend. Since I am not a fan of buying a pig in a poke, here is a list of what new is included in the respective bundles
Standard – Ultimate – Collector’s Edition – What’s New in Native Instruments Komplete 15
All three versions (Standard, Ultimate, Collector’s Edition) feature these new plugins, and Kontakt instruments
- Kontakt 8
- Guitar Rig 7 Pro
- iZotope Ozone 11 Standard
- iZotope Trash
- iZ. VocalSynth 2
- Conflux
- Scene: Saffron
- Bazzazian Tapes
- Bouquet
- Feel It
- Glaze 2
- Nacht
- Sway
- Utopia
- Karriem Riggins Drums
- Rudiments
- Session Percussionist
- Electric Keys – Diamond
- Electric Keys – Phoenix
- 50 Expansion sounds (Standard)
- + everything from Komplete 14
Ultimate adds on these the following products:
- Action Woodwinds
- Valves
- Schema: Dark
- Schema: Light
- Vocal Colors
- Alicia’s Electric Keys
- Session Bassist – Icon Bass
- Session Bassist – Upright Bass
- Session Guitarist – Acoustic Sunburst Deluxe
- Session Ukulele
- 30 expansion sounds (80 in total)
- + everything from Komplete 14 Ultimate
And finally, Collector’s Edition adds on the Ultimate 14 bundle news these things:
- Valves Pro
- Fables
- Kithara
- 75+ expansion sounds (125+ in total)
- + everything from Komplete 14 Collector’s Edition
First Impression
The upcoming Native Instruments Komplete 15 bundle offers a lot of new stuff to explore. The number of all-new plugins is manageable, and you can see that the focus is strongly on Kontakt, no longer on synths. It’s a shame there are no updates for products like Massive X, FM8, or Reaktor 6.
Especially when you consider that NI has the rights and the code to the excellent PPG Apps plugins in the drawer. They just have to update them to Apple Silicon, a little NI facelift, etc. and they would have four innovative wavetable synths in the bundle. It’s an odd decision, to be honest.
It’s different in the Kontakt universe. Kontakt is growing and growing. It’s nice to see that Kontakt 8 now has new creative tools and that the Wavetable engine also got a makeover, as I understood. And, of course, there are GBs and GBs of new libraries.
A solid and impressive update at first glance, but not one that is triggering all GAS alarms instantly. We’ll have to see what the new instruments and the new Kontakt 8 update can do in tests.
Native Instruments Komplete 15 will be available on September 23, 2024. If you pre-order it now (full/upgrade/updates), you get the iZotope Neutron 4 mixing/mastering plugin for free as an early bird gift. The prices are the following:
- Komplete 15 Standard: 599€ – Update 199€ – K Select Upgrade 499€
- K15 Ultimate: 1199€ – Update 399€ – Upgrades (K Select 1099€, Standard 599€)
- K15 Collector’s Edition: 1799€ – Update 499€ – Upgdaets (Ultimate 599€ – Standard 1199€)
More information here: Native Instruments
“since Kontakt 7 was only introduced in Komplete 14. I didn’t expect a jump to 8 so quickly.”
You didn’t expect Native Instruments to want an excuse to get even more money out of people? Well, you can expect it with Kontakt 9 now.
“First, there is a new tools layer that new assistive features to it that works seamlessly with any Kontakt instrument, old and new. That’s good.”
If you’re not a musician, sure, it’s great.
I’m still on Kontakt 5, the whole thing is a mess, and Native Instruments is only going to get more and more enshittified with each update.
“
Completely agree – in that who is Komplete xx really for these days? Less is more. Why not go back to simple things eg price elasticity of demand? Drop the price of everything and then let buyers decide what their own Komplete is.
I see no mention of a scaleable UI,the one thing NI products are crying out for and the main reason I’m largely abandoning them.
When are they going to update Battery? It’s still one of the best drum samplers but desperately needs some updates.
Based on my reading of the Native Instruments compare chart, Valves and Action Woodwinds are first available at the Ultimate level, not Standard.
thanks!
I’m not sure what NI and its financial masters think they’re doing but my chances of ever upgrading Kontakt again (I’m on 7 now) just dropped precipitously. What a joke.
The days of native instruments has passed the left to much out in there to closed eco system…..
Just my two cents …..