Before continuing, it’s worth knowing that the synth is in fact not a self-contained plugin, but rather exists only as a Reaktor ensemble. Monark (included in both versions of Komplete) is NI’s brand new and much-publicised Minimoog clone – though they only allude to its true heritage by look, not name. Let’s start by looking at some recent additions to Komplete in its ninth outing. It includes 65 instruments and effects and is deemed so large that it’s delivered on its own NI-branded USB hard drive. As NI’s product range has expanded, the idea of a ‘complete’ bundle has become less practical, so Komplete is split into two option: the standard version features 33 products with a 120 GB footprint and includes NI staples such as Absynth, FM8, Massive, Battery and Kontakt. However, for those who quite simply want it all, there is Komplete 9 Ultimate, weighing in at a monstrous 370 GB.
This brings us neatly to Komplete 9, the latest iteration of NI’s cost-saving über-bundle. Since the release of Generator, of course, NI has developed into one of the powerhouses of music software, expanded into digital DJing and even moved into hardware. Generator was a modular software synthesiser that served as a development system for many of NI’s later stand-alone instrument plugins and eventually mutated into Reaktor, which is the processing backbone of the company’s new Monark monosynth. The company is rapidly joining the ranks of firmly established industry mainstays, with a product portfolio to match.
Native Instruments may be just a baby in comparison to hardware veterans like Moog and Roland, but the company is now approaching its twentieth birthday, having launched with Generator way back in 1996. It seems strange to talk about software developers having long and illustrious histories.
Bruce Aisher gets to grips with the latest version of NI’s flagship software bundle.
Ten years on from its launch, Komplete is bigger and better than ever.
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