Gripes and no gribes

Mauri

It's my 20th yr with NI and these boards, not many posts and not many gripes except two.

The setting up of Kontakt outputs has always given me grief, very clunky IMHO, and the discontinued B4 Hammond. The B4 was one of my favourite instruments and I'll never forgive NI for that. Who cares? Well I do, I paid money for a replacement, Universal Audio's 'Waterfall' emulation, not happy with that, the rotary horn on full speed sounds like a bloody 10 ton diesel outside my studio.

NI, please don't chime in with platitudes and reason's for this, I'm aware of those but does that make feel better, NO.

All the best for everyone here, including the 'decision makers'.

Nico_NI

Hey Mauri, sorry to hear about B4 Hammond. Discontinuing products are always tough decisions.

If you need help with Kontakt outputs, check out How to Create Multiple Outputs in KONTAKT and Route Them to a DAW.

Mauri

Thanks for your help with routing the channels, pity about the B4... 😜

I just upgraded to Guitar Rig 6, 'sounding vey good. I've pretty much stopped using 'real' amps, I'm getting everything I need from GR (I'm a looong time user) so a big thank you for that! 😎

Mauri.

Gee_Flat

That vintage collection is pretty good for around 100 US

Mauri

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/54160#Comment_54160

Yeah, I bought that (after NI dropped B4) but I don't like it much, too clunky for me and not particularly good sounding, kind of lack lustre, uninspiring and I don't use it at all, another $100 slap in the face.

I use UA's Waterfall emulation but even that comes poor second to B4, and has an annoying, time wasting licence check 'feature' when it's loaded into Cubase at opening of a project.

Bring back the B4... Ni would probably make a killing if an updated version was made. ;)

Gee_Flat

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/55065#Comment_55065

"Bring back the B4... Ni would probably make a killing if an updated version was made"

Have you looked at this forum?

Judging by the content, NI's target market is DJs, one-finger beat makers and sample loopers. Most of the new instruments are targeted at creators that wouldn't know a B3 from an Ace Tone.

Mauri

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/55095#Comment_55095

Yeah, kind of sad isn't it, a classy company like NI having to mainly cater for the lowest common denominator.

As an old joke I remember said, "business is business but a sixpence is no business, said the prostitute to the kid with a sixpence".

Gee_Flat

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/55375#Comment_55375

I'd go with common, I don't think lowest. 😁 Even I'm offended by that !

I think by today's standards the organ is far too retro sounding compared to all the sounds we have, and so it gets ignored. I still love it. You wanna hear a great use of it, there's a version of 'Let it be' that might be better than the macca version.

Check out the Eb key modulation. Sweet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjZjumldZ0A

Mauri

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/55539#Comment_55539

I have a feeling the Hammond Leslie combination will outlive most of todays 'fashionable' gear.

There's something about it's 'organic'(!!), essential and emotional quality when played well that hits me right in the heart. 'Whiter Shade of Pale', anyone?

Bring back the B4 NOW! 😜😉

Gee_Flat

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/57902#Comment_57902

When the electricity goes out it'll be the Accordian 😁 Or anything that pumps air.

Kubrak

@Nico_NI

 sorry to hear about B4 Hammond. Discontinuing products are always tough decisions.

Discontinuing product and not enabling to use discontinued and paid product are two distinct things. The latter should not happen even if company goes bancrupcy! Even for that case there should be universal unlock key or unlocked version of SW. That NI is not able to authorise some of legacy SW is real bad thing that should not happen.

Mauri

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/57927#Comment_57927

Exactly, NI could also avoid responsibility/liability/support issues by declaring the user has to take responsibility for any damage the obsolete software may cause.

The B4 works very well via a bridge in current Cubase and Windows 11, I've occasionally used it in Demo mode which is 30 mins. I create the B4 track using a different Hammond emulation and duplicate that track then select B4 for the 'Stereo Out', draw the automation and export the resulting audio which can be further processed afterwards.

Now that IS clunky but I don't make a habit of doing that, only when I have to have a real Hammond sound. ;)

This is a licencing/authorisation issue really, why 30 min. Demo mode, why not 2-3 days or more?What have NI got to lose, it's not like it would affect the sales of a 'real' Hammond emulation, they don't have one... except for B4.

Kubrak

Maybe....

Depends how NI measures 30 mins.... Most probably they set system timer and wait for trigger... But maybe they just scan system time here and there. In that case one could keep backwarding system time.

You know, the sad thing is that NI could provide authorisation for all legacy SW. At least off line. But it would cost something... Old server would have to run and someone would have to care for offline authorisation. So they have decided to put it down, instead.

Mauri

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/58175#Comment_58175

Hi,

The 30 mins starts when you select the 'run in demo mode' option on the splash screen as you open B4.

What still peeves me off is that I bought the Kontakt emulation which is inferior to the B4, a waste of a $100 or so, I guess that paid for someone's lunch... ;)