Is KK Software less important than Maschine to NI?

Vagus
Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru
edited April 2022 in Komplete Kontrol

Hey folks,

A question for NI. Seeing the updates to Maschine, versus the update to Komplete Kontrol, I wondered if KK was less important to NI for the future? While I own Maschine Mikro MK3 for easy beat creation, it isn't a focal point of my setup. Seeing six months of development time bring 3-4 new features to Maschine SW, whilst KK simply gets a VST3 target was a little disheartening.

Running a software company myself, I'd consider this a compatibility update, rather than a feature update.

I don't need to know plans, because I know how development can sometimes go, but are there actual plans for the future of KK?

Thanks.

Tagged:
«1345

Comments

  • nightjar
    nightjar Member Posts: 1,322 Guru

    Yep.. I share the same concern. KK seems like the a second hand concern to NI vs Maschine.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,066 Expert

    KK is just a better plugin wrapper. What do you miss there? Except for M1 native support that is planned.

  • Vagus
    Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru

    Personally, I use it because it's a better plugin wrapper, that doesn't have all this other stuff I don't use, because I don't make Drill, or Trap music. I get that a lot of people do, and that I'm in the minority, but for me, I have a lot of instruments, and searching via sounds is much better in KK than Maschine.

    And given the six months development it took to build ... a VST3 target, I'm a tad disappointed it still won't scan or load VST3 instruments, without me using a workaround. it is a glorified, yet well designed plugin wrapper, but it's now limiting what I can do based on the design choices of the product team, not my imagination.

    Given the significant investment I've made in the ecosystem, I'm a bit worried I'm going to have to build my own version of KK in the future, because NI aren't prioritising theirs - hence the question.

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 2,967 Expert

    And there we go, my comment has to be approved for some insane reason....

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,066 Expert

    @Vagus

    OK, you miss VST3 host capability. Well, none of NI SW has it. I bet KK will be one of the first ones. Simply NI is not very fast with VST3, most of their plugins is not VST3, yet. And Apple Silicon has slown down things pretty much.

  • Vagus
    Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru

    @Kubrak Actually, the only update to KK was VST3 - but it won't scan VST3s, which means it's now limited by design. I don't know why that decision's been made, because it works fine with the majority of VST3 products in my testing.

    Of NIs other products, only Absynth, Battery, FM8 and Reaktor are awaiting VST3 targets.

    @JesterMgee I have no idea why your comment has to be appproved, I can only imagine it's usage of a word or phrase NI has flagged for approval. Would appreciate your approved comment, as always.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,066 Expert

    No NI SW is able to host VST3 (except for NI VST3). One day it will come. I do not know, why NI has choosen to make work it only with selected VST3 plugins.

    Maybe Maschine 3 is comming and it will be the time for Maschine and KK to become VST3 aware.

  • Vagus
    Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru

    @Kubrak You're incorrect I'm afraid - VST3 versions of specific plugins are already available, and this is gradual process of transition according to NI. The plugins I listed above the remaining plugins that are only VST2.

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 3,575 mod

    It feels like VST3 was that homework that the student left for the last minute, then VST2 got discontinued and sort of forced them to work on it at the worst timing possible, at the same time as Apple silicon shenanigans came + the time covid hit. The idea that new standard technology is only worked on when the current one is discontinued is a bit scary TBH, it doesn't match the 'future of music' slogan... Maybe the lookahead button should be enabled.

    MAS and KK have separate teams so I don't think it's a matter of the company prioritizing one over the other; I feel like there's a bit more transparency of the immediate future of MAS than KK's, it has been like this for a while, not sure why but probably because MAS users are much louder online even tho a smaller userbase than KK... Then again maybe it's because there's not much to share about what's to come to KK other than compatibility stuff. I don't expect any new functionality or QoL improvements this year... hope I'm wrong tho.

    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/13863#Comment_13863

    I approved it. Not sure why it happened neither, the anti-spam is probably very strict to stop the bots, it has been very effective but I guess false flags are the disadvantage.

  • Vagus
    Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru
    edited April 2022

    Some of your points are incredibly similar to how I feel, @JesterMgee - that's some pretty basic stuff that could be done very quickly.

    Perhaps they should ask those that regularly use it to their focus groups, or better still, if they're not going to evolve the NKS platform, or KK, at least let us know.

    As @JesterMgee and @D-One says, if basic QoL or functionality improvements aren't coming soon, then perhaps the end of the road is in sight.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,066 Expert

    @Vagus

    You speak about NI plugins that are VST3, I speak about ability to host VST3 plugins which is something different. NI allows hosting only of NI's VST3 plugins. I do not know why, but I guess, the have not implemented all things needed to host any VST3. Or they need more testing to be sure it works with wide range of VST3 plugins....

  • Vagus
    Vagus Member Posts: 485 Guru

    @Kubrak Now I understand what you mean. In that case, they could ask those of us that use shells to use the VST3 products we have for the last two years - I could give them detailed feedback immediately on a lot of plugins.

  • Kaldosh
    Kaldosh Member Posts: 414 Advisor

    A great update and not too difficult to implement that KK would benefit from is an KK Fx version to be used as a channel strip and bring the comfort of NKS with a less cpu intensive version than Maschine FX. I’ve been saying this for years . After 6 years of use of the ecosystem and the forum I can see the same pattern repeating over and over and I’ll advice anyone who feel frustrated to change ecosystem as things will never move for them if they feel stuck as it is clearly a big engrenage spinning around. It can be either very good for you or counterproductive. Fortunately there is plenty of choices aroundband NI open the door to hardware / software integration and a lot of brand are following bringing alternative for those in bad luck with NI and not happy with the timing…

  • Tony Jones
    Tony Jones Member Posts: 261 Pro

    It seems to me the core priority for NI is Kontakt, on which they have much of their relevance to the wider industry through various sample libraries, and their own Play instruments and recent drum libraries. Maschine is a good platform to sell Expansions.

    Beyond that the impression is they produce the odd interesting synth that eventually joins the big legacy pile in Komplete one day. I've no idea about Traktor

This discussion has been closed.
Back To Top

Categories