Best Of

I didn't even know this update had happened, which tells you a lot about this new forum setup.

Simon - it looks like you've answered all the questions you're going to answer, so I'd like to give some wider feedback. @Kaiwan_NI - including you to pass this on if Simon's schedule is too busy to view this, because feedback is really important.

The Blog
A blog should see recent updates above the fold, not hidden at the bottom of the page in "recent content" that a user needs to click three times to find said content. It should be searchable by tags to find information easily for different types of readers.

NI's blog is none of the above. I would seriously consider a new CMS if the blog isn't able to be showcased with recent content.

Quarterly Updates
I think you should celebrate what you've achieved, but these updates have gone from a 'what's coming next' to 'look what we did!'

I get that PR & Marketing plans are there to create maximum impact for sales, but developers talk about what's coming up in many different industries. NI should be no different.

For example, I was recently the publisher of a game on Steam, handling marketing, PR influencers, etc. I limited our campaign to around six events/announcements in total from reveal to release. Sales surpassed expectations (seven figures in the first week) and I didn't have to hold everything back.

Modern marketing can be done differently if it's either disruptive, compelling or genre defining. Protectionism when promoting has been shown recently to be less effective across numerous digital product types. And, while paid media might deliver eyeballs, conversion rates are lower than ever. In my opinion, invest that pre-release drive into core audiences and evergreen customers. You have more than enough of them.

Without that upcoming information, these quarerly updates (which don't seem to be quarterly) are effectively a waste of your time, because people are asking you questions about the future. The point of your posts has become, 'look what we did,' which is immediately going to annoy users of 'X' product, because it isn't getting attention, or 'Y' product, because there's little communication from product teams.

They're also a waste of time for those asking questions, if you only answer the questions you're prepared to answer. Good media training and product plans allow Q&As to be fluid, responsive and respectful. I don't mean to be disrespectful when I say this, but having delivered media training to everyone from CEOs of multi-billion dollar companies to non-english language developers in LATAM and DACH (we're talking over a hundred at this point), I do have plenty of experience here - selective responses enrage rather than engage.

If you're trying to engage community, don't shy away from the difficult questions; just be prepared, honest, and light the direction of travel.

Q&A Medium
I get that a lot of questons are around products you don't mention, or a lot of 'whatabout my product?', but in the last two months, we've had a Discord Q&A, Instagram Live Q&A, rather than traditional forum Q&A.

Maybe that's because there's a lot of complaining in forum Q&As, but asking honestly, is your core audience on Instagram? I don't think so. Just looking at follower counts, engagement metrics of both NI and other software/hardware vendors out there, it doesn't look like it is on Instagram. Even if we just consider Traktor.

If you want to speak to your core audience (because the casual, lapsed, or hit-buyer audiences are not on this forum for the most part), choose one place and stick to it. Make it discord, and don't keep switching.

Inconsistent messaging is one thing, but inconsistent platforms are worse.

Is there any chance that Maschine software might eventually evolve into a full-featured DAW, with proper PDC and other advanced workflow features?

This is an age-old debate!

The short answer is no. Maschine is great at what is does - it's a creation and performance-focussed production environment. It is not and was never designed to be classic linear DAW. Taking it in that direction would be a lot of work, taking focus away from improvements to the use case that Maschine serves, and trying to compete with other software that's already great at those things.

So trying to make Maschine a fully-featured DAW is not our focus.

What you've seen from us in Maschine v3.0, v3.1, v3.2, v3.3 and now v3.4 is adding features that are most-requested by the Maschine community, and focussed on the unique workflow that Maschine has.

Hey everyone, several of you were vocal about not having Instagram accounts or not being able to join today's Instagram Live at that specific time and asked to keep the Q&A here on the forum. For that reason, we're shifting the session back here.

Simon is looking forward to answering your questions right here in the comment section as normal and you'll see his responses starting later today.

Hey folks, it’s been a while since my last update – but that’s because we’ve been hard at work on new things for our customers and our community. As ever, here’s a summary of what we’ve recently launched and a sneak peek at what’s to come.

iZotope

Launched back in August, FXEQ is the latest plugin in our Catalyst series that includes Velvet, Aurora, Plasma, and Cascadia. FXEQ lets you “paint” five effects (Saturate, Reverb, Delay, Modulate, Lo-Fi) directly onto the frequency spectrum, without complex buses or stacks, using up to six nodes with filter shapes and per-module modes. It finishes with a global limiter for quick, musical results.

Then in September, Ozone 12 was one of the year’s headline releases, redefining how AI assists the mastering process while keeping creative control firmly in the producer’s hands. 

• The new Master Assistant now analyses your mix and suggests full mastering chains with adjustable intensity and LUFS targets, helping you reach release-ready loudness faster without losing musicality. 
• A completely new Stem EQ lets you rebalance individual mix elements such as vocals, drums, and bass directly from a stereo file, while Bass Control shapes the low end for more consistent translation across playback systems. 
• The IRC V limiter introduces finer transient detail and smoother loudness, complemented by an Unlimiter for transparent gain recovery. 

Combined with UI refinements, smarter module routing, and a streamlined workflow across Standard and Advanced editions, Ozone 12 represents the most intuitive and powerful mastering environment iZotope has ever released, bridging professional precision with accessible, AI-assisted creativity.

Traktor

We’ve been working hard on a number of updates to Traktor, and the team was out in force at ADE to share them:

Traktor MX2 is our next-generation 2-channel DJ controller, designed for creative expression and flexibility in both home and club settings. The MX2 includes the full version of Traktor Pro 4 out of the box and a two-month trial of Beatport Streaming. Key features include a high-quality built-in 24-bit/96 kHz audio interface, touch-sensitive jog wheels (switchable between Turntable and Jog modes), 16 performance pads (hot cues, Flux Loops, Pattern Player, Stems mode), a central Mixer FX section, and dual Deck FX units with 40+ studio-grade effects. The MX2 also uses customizable pad colours and under-lighting to give visual feedback on loops and track end.

And while Traktor Pro 4 is our fully-featured flagship DJ software, it can be a little overwhelming for new DJs. Traktor Play is a streamlined, two-deck version of Traktor designed for beginners and hobbyists, yet built on the same core engine as Traktor Pro. It offers full control over two decks (waveform scrubbing, key detection, sync), hot cues, looping, Mixer FX, the Pattern Player (with 808 kit) and a simplified version of stem separation so you can mute drums in real time. It also opens up hardware compatibility beyond NI gear – plug-and-play support for selected controllers from third parties such as AlphaTheta and Reloop. 

We’re also delighted to be partnering with AlphaTheta and Algoriddim as part of the OneLibrary initiative. This is about making it easier for DJs to take their library with them across platforms and devices, unlocking more choice and freedom. OneLibrary support is coming to Traktor software in early 2026.

One last thing from ADE, check out our interview with Richie Hawtin. 

Synths

As I’ve mentioned before, we’re investing a lot right now in synths. Synths are a core part of NI’s DNA and history, and an important tool for producers, composers, and sound designers everywhere. We’ve launched a bunch of updates with more exciting things coming soon.

Back in August, we launched Massive X Player, a streamlined, free way to play and shape Massive X sounds through an intuitive musical interface. It ships with 60 presets, Animator motion, macro control, and the Morpher X/Y pad for instant sound blending. It’s included in Komplete Start and is a completely free update for anyone with the full version of Massive X – all you need to do to get the new features is click “update” in Native Access.

Alongside Massive X Player, we released multiple Expansions (e.g., 140 Bass, Ambient Atmospheres, Cinematic Soundscapes, Hyperpop Leads, Industrial Bass), so you can extend the factory palette straight away. With many more on the way.

Instruments & Sounds

Beyond synths, we’re continuing to build new sonic tools that inspire and enable songwriters, producers,

• Erosia turns micro-recorded friction sources (bowed piano strings, Cristal Baschet shimmers, metal scrapes, and more) into evolving, playable textures. It includes 200+ snapshots, up to four layered sources, and a deep engine (granular, wavetable, sampler) for sculpting movement. Works in Kontakt Player.
• Marking a decade of Session Guitarist, Electric Ruby Deluxe brings warm hollow-body tones with pattern and melody instruments –plus a family-wide refresh that adds MIDI drag-and-drop, updated riff/phrase modes, and next-gen NKS  support across the line.
• Vocal releases: We paired Halo Vox (Play Series) with Leap: Soul Choir, covering everything from classic gospel-inspired stacks to modern, airy vocal pads –ready to drop into projects or remix with Leap’s performance workflow.

Maschine

In 2025, we’ve been investing a lot in Maschine software – in direct response to, and guided by, feedback from our community. It’s been great to see the response and all the YouTube videos of people making beats and tracks with the new features.

Maschine 3 arrives on Maschine+

Maschine+ now runs the Maschine 3 engine, unifying desktop and standalone. Highlights include bounce-in-place, upgraded Bass Synth (second oscillator, detune and mix), custom chords in standalone, per-scene tempo, expanded import/export (MP3/MP4/FLAC/OGG), and Ableton Link over USB. It also adds Kontrol S-Series MK3 and next-gen NKS  support for deeper, on-hardware control.

We also delivered two substantial updates to Maschine 3 software, both of which enhance your production workflow whether you’re working in the studio or performing live:

• Maschine 3.3 delivered a range of refinements that make the desktop software faster and more expressive to use. It introduced an upgraded Bass Synth with a second oscillator, detune control, and oscillator-mix settings, giving producers a richer low-end design palette. 
• Maschine 3.4 followed with a complete overhaul of the modulation and automation editor, adding curved and linear points, precise multi-point selection, a new pencil tool, and visual refinements that make detailed editing faster and more expressive. High-DPI graphics, new zoom shortcuts, and tooltip-based feedback make the experience feel sharper and more fluid. On Maschine+, the update also introduced expanded Play Series compatibility and the Kontakt 8 sound engine, unifying sample playback and synthesis across the ecosystem. 

Kontrol MK3

As well as improving the Maschine software, we’ve been hard at work making the Kontrol MK3 an even better controller keyboard than it already was. We released Firmware 2.0 which brings:

• Deep DAW integration – Full transport, track, and plugin control directly from the keyboard’s screens in Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, and more, removing the need to reach for a mouse.
• Automatic plugin mapping – Even non-NKS instruments and effects now appear with intelligently generated parameter layouts, massively broadening hands-on control across your software library.
• Accessibility Mode – Adds spoken feedback, navigable menus, and an optional training walkthrough to make the hardware fully usable for visually impaired creators.
• UI and performance improvements – Faster browsing, smoother screen animations, and refined menu structures for a more responsive, polished experience.

Together, these updates make the MK3 feel like a true studio centerpiece—offering faster navigation, tighter DAW control, and a more inclusive design for all musicians.

Kontakt

We kept Kontakt on a frequent release cadence – relentlessly adding new features which improve the workflow of the world’s most-used virtual instrument platform and make it faster and more reliable.

• Kontakt 8.6 – introduced Tools chaining (a much-requested feature since the launch of Kontakt 8 back in 2024) and new Factory Tools (Arpeggiator, Humanizer, Velocity Curve, Scale Lock, Chord Builder) to accelerate idea-to-arrangement workflows.
• Kontakt 8.7 – a usability-focused update included a simplified header/menu, iconized views, side-panel list browsing, and the long-requested drag-and-drop reordering of libraries in Default View.

Brainworx & Plugin Alliance

bx_pulsar delivers five delay modes (Air, Magnetic, Circuit, Aether, Reverse), an 8-step sequencer, ducking, Freeze, stereo routing options (Ping-Pong/Criss-Cross), and tone-shaping filters –aimed at everything from gritty pedal vibes to infinite ambient washes.

The new SPL Vitalizer Mk3-T plugin models the iconic hardware and adds plugin-only extras like Bass Split Mode, Stereo Expander, Mk2-T compatibility mode, and M/S operation –designed for clarity, punch, and perceived loudness. 

HEARS Perfection builds a personal EQ profile via a quick hearing test and applies real-time compensation for a flatter, more reliable monitoring reference (headphones or speakers).

A long-requested quality-of-life update: the Installation Manager now shows available updates and supports bulk updating –making it far easier to keep big plugin libraries current. 

Native Access

Native Access continued to evolve as the central hub for installing, updating, and exploring our instruments and effects. 

The 3.20 update introduced a new Discover tab, allowing users to browse the full Native Instruments catalog directly within the app, play audio previews, and instantly install or update products. It also added clearer update notifications and improved bulk install and repair tools, making it faster to manage large collections of plugins and expansions. Under the hood, download reliability and progress tracking were refined for greater stability. 

Together, these updates make Native Access more than just a utility – it’s becoming a one-stop experience for discovering, maintaining, and staying inspired by your NI software.

As ever, I can’t share many details about what we’re working on next however…

We’ve been working hard at a new version of a much-loved synth product. We’d planned to ship this in November, but we’re taking the time to make it extra-awesome. Not only does it bring the original bang up to date, but it includes a completely new paradigm for browsing presets and sounds that’s frankly mesmerising.

Stay tuned!

–

I really appreciate the questions and engagement on my previous community updates back in July, and March last year. I hope you can see from this post and several other recent posts from our product team that we are investing more time and energy in listening to and engaging with you: our passionate and loyal community. 

Post your questions below. I’ll answer them on IG Live this Thursday November 13th, 2025 at 6 pm CET / 12 pm EST / 9 am PST.   

Simon Cross
Chief Product & Technology Officer
Native Instruments - including iZotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance