Super 8 v2

G_Major

I've own Komplete 14 and I cannot find in Native Access the vst3 version of it. Where can I find it?

Thanks.

Jeremy_NI

@Vocalpoint I know this is confusing. We need a little recap! Super 8 was initially a Reaktor synth. It was then introduced as a standalone synth, and more were supposed to come but Super 8 as astandalone synth didn't do that good sales-wise and the project to have more Reaktor based synths in standalone was also dropped. So Super 8 standalone (aka Super 8 R2) was discontinued and replaced by the original Reaktor synth. Super 8 owners have the R1 automatically since then. I hope this makes things clearer.

Kubrak

It has been discontinued and is replaced by Super 8 v1. Maybe it is not v1, but it is based on v1.

If you are on Win or older Intel Mac on older MacOS, you might be able to install S8 v2.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/137985#Comment_137985

Strange - just built a new (Windows) DAW 5 weeks ago now - and Super 8 (v2.1.0 - 105MB) was right there ready to roll.

The v1 version (54MB) was the Reaktor Version - which is also still available for install on my NA panel.

VP

G_Major

Ok, so it's discontinued. Do you know if it was discontinued before Komplete 14 release?

Kubrak

Yes. It is not part of K14. Instead, V1 (Reaktor based one) has returned. IMHO, it was because NI did not want to invest to Apple Silicon conversion. But it is just my guess.

@Vocalpoint

One may use and install the both V1 (Reaktor based ensemble) and V2 (plugin), if one has licence. But only on Win and probably certain MacOS versions (but only x86 version is available). I am not Mac user, so Mac part is just my guess.

Also, if one has V2 licence, but it is not supported by his system anymore, he may ask for V1 licence.

Vocalpoint

Correction here.

R2 (aka V2.1.0) (VST3) IS the newest and is the one everyone should lean on.

V1 is Reaktor and is discontinued

See this thread (iNates last post sums it all up nicely):

Super 8 vs Super 8 R2? — Community (native-instruments.com)

VP

Monochrome

The VST3 version - named Super 8 R2 - was discontinued because it didn't sell well. The focus is back on the Reaktor version (using 1.0.0 versioning). Mind you, this is based on information given by actual NI staff (Jeremy_NI).

You can still use the VST3 version if you own it, of course, but future OS updates (especially looking at macOS here) may render it non-functioning. Which is why it's recommended to switch over to the Reaktor version to be future-proof.

Vocalpoint

@Monochrome

"Which is why it's recommended to switch over to the Reaktor version to be future-proof".

Any idea why - if the Reaktor version is actually considered the "go-to" - why its version is 1.0.0?

Not exactly a reassuring sign of "future-proof" - unless it came out yesterday.

For my usage - if/when I cannot get what I need for the "Super 8 sound" out of something like U-He Diva - I will run with R2 as it appears the entire "Super 8" family is dead here.

VP

Jeremy_NI

@Vocalpoint I know this is confusing. We need a little recap! Super 8 was initially a Reaktor synth. It was then introduced as a standalone synth, and more were supposed to come but Super 8 as astandalone synth didn't do that good sales-wise and the project to have more Reaktor based synths in standalone was also dropped. So Super 8 standalone (aka Super 8 R2) was discontinued and replaced by the original Reaktor synth. Super 8 owners have the R1 automatically since then. I hope this makes things clearer.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/139681#Comment_139681

I am good on all of this. But still use the R2 version over the Reaktor version.

What I do not get is the 1.0.0 versioning on the Reaktor version - makes no sense whatsoever.

Then again - neither does calling Native Access (whose current version = v3.90) - "Native Access 2" either.

You guys are doing the user base no favors on clearing the confusion on that one BTW :)

VP

iNate

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/138142#Comment_138142

It's already dead on macOS as a VST3, since it's not M1 Native and never will be. Only people on Intel Macs should use it, and those will be phased out of the industry naturally over time. Those people should move to the ensemble simply so their projects are portable to whatever new Mac they end up getting later. For everyone else, back to REAKTOR.

The VST3 should be treated as a Windows-only version, at this point.

I don't think this Synth has many users, anyways.

NI probably chose Super 8 to "try this" specifically because it was one of the "lower effort required" options and they could easily get it out the door.

The issue is that Super 8 is one of the worst REAKTOR Synths to do this with, because it's the most redundant synth they have. Most DAWs ship with a perfectly serviceable VA Synth (Cubase, Logic, Bitwig, Live, Studio One, Pro Tools - the list goes on and on), so paying $99 for Super 8 was a complete non-starter to most users. It isn't even as good as some of the stock DAW VA Synths out there.

And why pay that when you could put that money towards U-he Diva, instead? Additionally, competing products are constantly discounting down to Super 8's price point. Pigments, Phase Plant, etc. HALion Sonic 7 gives away the VA Synth Engine, now.

This product, as a standalone offering, was doomed to fail because it was always priced too high for something so redundant to most users.

I think if they had done this with a synth like Razor or Kontour, or even off-shot TRK-01, those may have performed better.

The issue with Super 8 is that even when you got it in a Komplete Bundle, there was never really any reason for most people to care to use it because it was so redundant - and in many cases lacking in flexibility - due to what the DAW package already brought to the table.

And the price was too high to justify investing in, otherwise.

Shunting it back to REAKTOR basically means less people will use it. You'd be surprised the amount of people with a Komplete Bundle who don't even know half of those REAKTOR Ensembles exist, because they don't load anything through Komplete Kontrol (or own NI Controller Hardware) and they don't use REAKTOR as an instrument. Super 8 being in the VST3 browser did tons for its visibility.

It just wasn't worth paying for on its own... It never was.

iNate

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/138152#Comment_138152

Because the REAKTOR version is the old version. The R2 version is the new version.

They rolled it back to the Old Ensemble Version because Apple Silicon would have required them to update the R2 version for M1 Native Support, and they didn't want to invest in doing that.

The old Ensemble allowed them to roll the product back, while continuing to sell it as the same high price while citing "low sales" as a reason for not updating the R2 version.

That's why there are ~360 presets in the Ensemble, but ~550 in the R2 version.

The versioning is 100% accurate. It just got rolled back to v1 because they didn't want to update v2 for M1 Mac Compatibility ;-)

You need to go to the Ensemble to be Future Proof because:

1. When Rosetta 2 goes away, the VST3 won't work AT ALL on Apple Silicon Macs and
2. If the VST3 ever breaks on Windows, they will NOT fix it.

The only thing bad about what they have done, is that they didn't move all of the R2 Presets into the R1 package, so everyone who has to downgrade to R1 loses access to those ~200 Presets. I can't see why most people would be designing sounds in Super 8, since most DAWs ship with perfectly good VA Synths that they don't have to "worry about."