NAMM 2025: Introducing the NKS Hardware Partner Program
Comments
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I own Steinberg's Dorico 5 Pro, to own it on the iPad I have to buy it again, really wish it wasn't the case but in reality that how it nearly always is (there's always a few exceptions)
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Yeah, not great.
Hopefully the incentives are stronger if your own mix hardware can run NKS. It just makes sense for third party plugins over Custom Midi CC (which should be a last resort, and still supported on the hardware).
I'd say, start to push for NKS on Softube socials. LFG.
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I think the comparison being made here is between Akai's plugin releases (i.e. synths, stems, FX etc) which are mostly made available to run both on the desktop software AND on standalone MPCs, for one price - and Native Instruments plugin releases, which have only ever been for desktop.
Now it's announced that NI are releasing standalone versions of their releases - but as a separate purchase.
It raises the question of whether possible forthcoming NI releases will be charged separately for desktop and standalone.
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And if a game does go multiformat you normally don't get people screaming about being 'forced' to buy it again.
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I'm sorry but reselling Groove samples for another platform is not really the same IMO you can always use conversion software to access the sounds, or download them separately. Comparison doesn't really work.
If I have a Groove sample expansion license purchased previously for Maschine the upgrade to support MPC should be free IMO. It is a value add to show how good the NI Expansion offering is and a competitive advantage. Trying to sell the same samples again is not ok.
Hoping to see Ableton Push 3 and Cubase Drum Racks supported with NI Expansions next - and for free if I already own the Maschine version.
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@Chris_NI posted earlier about the big updates coming to Maschine+. There are also updates coming to Kontrol S as well.
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All of this is interesting, yes
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There are no licensing fees with NKS, nor is it open sourced.
Participation requires mutual agreement (we work together to ensure quality and support) starts here:
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This is a good observation - I just mentioned this elsewhere in fact!
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Here's a link to the post by Chris_NI
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There're still other reasons to partner with NI, such as being promoted during sales/promotion periods, as well as getting their NKS offerings on the main page of KK, Maschine etc. rather than the 'User' space. Also, there's the issue of getting libraries to work within the free Kontakt Player, although that might be a separate thing?
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Yeah, 'Preset Magician' was what I was referring to. But that seemed to have been canned while still being developed, and before things got under way for a Mac version. I don't know if that project was squashed by NI, or ended for other reasons. However, I'd definitely be curious to see how far you get with your proposals
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There are no licensing fees with NKS
Unless of course that you want you libraries licensed : Kontakt Player: licensing - How to license your product
But are you saying that all the new products that partners makes as announced at the NAMM 2025 does not cost the partners any license fee in anyway and that it is all free to build-in and use ? And that it is all pure (NKS & Direct Connection based) "Product evangelism" with the 'only' benefit for N.I. being to open up new market territory and to expand user/customer base ?
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I appreciate the acknowledgment that updates are coming to Maschine+ and Kontrol S, but I feel the need to voice a recurring concern. NI often promises 'major updates,' but the follow-through sometimes leaves long-time users frustrated. It reminds me of the long wait for Maschine 3.0—by the time it arrived, the excitement had almost been overshadowed by the delay.
Maschine+ has been out for four years, and while I understand updates take time, it’s frustrating that so many of the bugs weren’t addressed before the hardware’s release. This kind of approach makes users feel like beta testers for a product they’ve already paid for, which isn’t fair to those of us who trust NI to deliver polished, functional gear.
If this upcoming update is truly groundbreaking, that’s great, but I hope it doesn’t just address issues that should’ve been resolved pre-launch. Instead, I hope it delivers enhancements that show NI is committed to both fixing the past and building a better future for its hardware lineup. Loyal users want to see NI succeed, but it’s hard to stay optimistic when we keep hearing the same promises without seeing meaningful change.
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It's important to separate into categories here:
NKS has no licensing fees whatsoever, whether that be a Kontakt instrument, or a plug-in.
Developing for Kontakt may sometimes involve a licensing fee, but that's a separate matter.
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