Why I'm Rejecting Native Instruments Products

Yahor

Before getting involved with music production products, think carefully.

1. Lack of proper technical support. To submit a support ticket, you have to navigate through a convoluted quest that doesn't match your query. Most problems remain unresolved.
2. No development in the Maschine software. Over the past few years, the only change they've made is to the icon. The software constantly hangs and crashes.
3. No advancement in the Maschine hardware. I've been waiting for years for a new version with a powerful processor that can allow me to create music without glitches and freezes, especially when I'm working on large projects for live performances and am forced to disable all plugins.
4. I can't use the company's tools to create my own music loops samples for sale. This is the most revolting point. Following their rules, I can't even create my own beats, having 10,000+ wonderful One Shots. Well, isn't this a mockery?

Considering all these issues, I am discontinuing my cooperation with Native Instruments. Despite having invested over $5000 in the company's equipment and virtual instruments, it turns out I'm restricted in my music creation and cannot produce my own samples packs for sale using their tools. What kind of nonsense is this?

I understand that one can't just take source materials and resell them. However, prohibiting the creation of original melodies using their synthesizer and selling your own products is audacious.

Moreover, once you activate a product, you can't return it.

This is all an oppressive policy. I've had enough.

JesterMgee

I can't use the company's tools to create my own music loops samples for sale. This is the most revolting point.

Well, you can if you don't simply take the raw content and create sample packs (not that anyone these days is in the market for yet more sound packs). Same rules apply here as do to ANY other developer.

If you just play a drum loop and re-package that, no you cannot.

However, if you use an instrument like a Piano/bass/lead etc, make a simple melody loop, yes you can because it is an original composition. Same as using a drum kit and making an original arrangement. However you cannot just sample every note and re-distribute as a new instrument or make something super basic that is designed to be sampled. It really just takes common sense as to what you can do and end of the day it comes down to a company even wanting to launch legal action against someone selling a few sample packs a year.

I can agree on the Maschine development being all but dead but I have a feeling something will happen soon, whether it is something people will actually like is a topic for debate given the decisions around Komplete Kontrol. I don't use Maschine myself these days since I never felt it was more than just a groove box and I rarely have time to just groove.

Support is always tricky because depends on the question and how it is asked. I can say, while I agree the process to access simple support in a timely manner (given not all users are bedroom producers and some NEED efficient help from time to time) it has improved a bit on the forums at least and since you have no posts to your name I am guessing you failed to ask your questions here, which would be a better way to start. Support likely gets hundreds/thousands of questions a day/week so why not ask the thousands of already knowledgeable users here for advice first?

TBH, if you have invested $5k already, your stance wont make any difference and to snap things back to reality, everything you state is basically the same for most companies tho some have pretty good support which is direct, like Spectrasonics, one of the few companies that makes VERY good products and takes every customer inquiry directly and seems to really care about your experience. They would be my closest 10 score on how to deal with customers.

Yahor

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/117839#Comment_117839

Thank you very much for your detailed response. Again, the theory is that we can take a synthesizer, create our own unique melody on it, and sell it as a loop. The rules prohibit this, and, if they wish, Native Instruments can make a claim at any time. And that's a risk. They don't have a clear understanding of what exactly I can do. This is a kind of dark pattern, which once again proves the inadequacy of the company. I was just tired of making music and decided to create my own samples and ran into a problem. In fact, this is a stupid company policy that I do not agree with. Or the rules should be clearly written with specific examples.