[Poll] Best all-around product? You be the judge.

Kaiwan_NI

Join a new series where we tackle burning questions and let the community deliver the verdict - one topic at a time.

The case

@nightjar posted this very well-written article the other day about how an ideal product is often perceived to "simultaneously serve the needs of our existing users and also attract potential new users".

But the reality is that navigating the middle ground where you're not meeting the needs of anyone will end up disappointing both target groups.

It's a dilemma that in his opinion affects a certain product in NI portfolio. Read what he has to say in the original post here 👇

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/15661/the-push-pull-of-building-products

The verdict

I don't know if I agree with the article though that it's impossible to cater to every customer - that a product positioning in the middle ground is necessarily a bad thing.

So, let's hear what you have to say.

Which NI product do you think represents the best of both worlds, striking a sweet balance between innovation and simplicity?

nightjar

I voted for Kontakt based on what has and is happening to this product with the transition to version 7.

It is clear to me that it has received some fresh attention to the deeper "legacy code" and design decisions that has hampered its development.

Getting these foundational things moved to a more nimble change process had to happen before we can all enjoy a new era of more rapidly evolving creative tools.

Kontakt is the most important product for NI and I look forward to it's foundational changes enabling the changes needed for Komplete Kontrol software.

Percivale

Maschine of course.

AdelV

To be honest - I'm still with you because Maschine is my main musical software. Besides other DAWs and Instruments - it's enough fast do laid down some thight grooves. That's why I love it 👌♥️♥️♥️

nightjar

Addressing the question that @Kaiwan_NI put before us: "Which NI product do you think represents the best of both worlds, striking a sweet balance between innovation and simplicity?"

I think the Play Series represents an excellent case for the simplicity aspect, and libraries like Vocal Colors show the innovative side!

Kontakt is delivering in both areas.

And actually they are not mutually exclusive.. Simplicity can also be Innovative.

This might be a key thing moving forward: Making deeply complex and creative musical ideas simple to bring into existence.

[Deleted User]

Guitar Rig. It is a versatile processing machine for all kinds of stuff. It's an unique pearl for me.

nightjar

So back to the dilemma part of the conversation...

Developing an existing product to simultaneously attract NEW users and satisfy EXISTING users.

Who will be the majority of buyers of an updated version of a "high-end" (currently known as the S-Series Mk2) Kompete Kontrol Keyboards?

Will most of these buyers be existing users of an NI keyboard?

Will most of these buyers be brand news users of an NI keyboard?

What product change will generate the most buyers of a new high-end NI keyboard?

IQMusic

MASCHINE! ❤️

abnegative

I voted for Guitar Rig because it's the most "finished product"... although it still needs undo/redo buttons on the GUI (not in a menu).

nightjar

The New Factory Library in Kontakt 7 is another strong point for simplicity that appeals to new users.

Clean graphics and parameter offerings.

Kymeia

Komplete Kontrol in the sense that it ties everything else together. Maschine can't really be an 'all round' product because it still can't properly play/record NI's synths (or third party) - it's much more specialised. Second choice would be Reaktor because you can make almost anything with it.

The only really 'all round' product NI made though was Kore 2

nightjar

I think the poll question is not quite on target.. 3 different angles of thought:

1) The headline reads: Best all-around product?

2) The closing sentence in the prompt asks: Which NI product do you think represents the best of both worlds, striking a sweet balance between innovation and simplicity?

3) And the point of the prompting article was: Push/Pull of updating a product to appeal to new vs existing customers.

These are all different things....

So hard to get a meaningful direction in a discussion.

Kubrak

That article is sort of nonsence, IMHO. Pleasing/attracting new customers is not mostly contadictory to pleasing current customers.... I have never experienced that while developing SW for more than 30 years.

1) There are usually more competing products. Most of users, the both old and perpective new, want as much features of all products for as low price as possible. It is not about pleasing one group of users or another, it is about pleasing users.

2) The problem new/old may be changes in interface and certain subtle things. It may be solved by user selectable options. Things may work in old way or in new way, as user desires. There may be simpler interface and expert interface and so on.

3) Inovation is not contradictory to simplicity. Right inovation brings more simplicity, not less.

nightjar

1) There are usually more competing products. Most of users, the both old and perpective new, want as much features of all products for as low price as possible. It is not about pleasing one group of users or another, it is about pleasing users.

Right there you have stated the crux of the problem:

"want as much feature..."

"want as low price as possible.."

Design decisions have to be made. Features cost money, and will be valued differently by different users.

So what features vs cost will generate the most buyers?

Should the next high-end NI keyboard have MPE?

Should it have pads?

Should it have faders?

I'm an existing user.. and adding pads and faders would be a big negative to me.

But are these omissions keeping new users away?

Murat Kayi

I did not vote, because I recently started to regret I ever took part in the big Maschine survey.

So forgive my slightly hijacking this thread, but before I invest time in any polls or surveys I want to know what conclusions you drew from the last time you had us all pressing knobs. You know? I'm of course interested in what you gleaned from your well-designed survey. Something along the lines of "we learned that most of you Blabla". That does not cost you anything and you don't have to make statements which sound like a roadmap.

Hijack over.

nightjar

The article presented the concept of a "North Star" being a product that equally satisfies both new users and existing users.

The article said this North Star is the target for developers to keep in mind as they introduce updates to a product. It is difficult to achieve a perfect balance between satisfying new and existing users, so a developer should have the ability to adjust the balance over time by offering changes to the product that satisfy the "user side" (new or existing) that was let down by the previous change. This is the Push & Pull presented in the article.

Another way to say this is a developer should not over-serve one segment of their customer base while neglecting another.

I think NI was guilty of this in a big way with Komplete over the period 2015-2021. There was a constant barrage of expansions that served only a portion of the user base. It was like going to an ice cream store that only offered new flavors that were a variation of strawberry.

I think NI has done a better job in this respect starting in 2022... but more can be done to balance this long period of over-serving one customer and neglecting others.