Members Palaver Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 For those of you with extensive softsynth knowledge- which full blown suite would you choose, and why? I am seriously considering grabbing a Muse Receptor with either the Native Instruments complete setup, or the newly announced Total Workstation package thru IK Multimedia. I am always looking at things, and a receptor is certainly in the cards in the next year or two to come. I would love to have excellent pianos, great strings, great synths... and all very easy to use & little time to navigate/figure out. What are your opinions on both the Komplete 5 package which includes: Kontakt 3Guitar Rig 3 Software EditionMassiveReaktor 5Absynth 4Battery 3Akoustik PianoElektrik PianoB4 IIFM8Pro-54 Versus the IK Multimedia Complete package: SampleTank 2.5Sonik Synth 2Miroslav PhilharmonikSampleMoogSampleTron I notice that both companies have excellent reputations and excellent sounding demos, but those of you with personal experiences with either or both products, which do you find easier to use and more convienient? Which setup would you consider to be more versatile? I really don't know where to look. I really dig the product demos by both companies, but for practicality, and ease of use, which company has the edge, and in what areas? -Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members P321 Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 NI.. In every area as far as I'm concerned. All of those IK products are basically Sampletank with different libraries. NI gives you a dedicated sampler that comes with a large library, has good support in its own native format, and can import just about every other format that matters. Then it gives you an excellent FM synth (FM8), a decent enough VA (Pro 53) that's very CPU friendly. Massive and Absynth are also good quality synths on their own (personally I've never really got into Absynth, but some love it), then you've got a good B3 emulation, a decent enough large piano sample library, pretty good guitar amp modelling software, a drum sampler (personally I just use Kontakt for that though) and the cherry on the cake - Reaktor 5 with its massive user library, most of which is terrible, but some of which is very good, and it can be made to do all sorts of things. I'm puzzled that you even think it's a close race - it isn't. The one thing you could begin to argue is that the pre-made Sampletank libraries give a bit more of a rompler-like experience compared to Kontakt, and maybe the Miroslav samples would appeal to some compared to the orchestral stuff included with Kontakt. Apart from that, go for the NI bundle. I'd be amazed if anyone (other than an IK employee ) told you otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 NI definitely. Just scrape Akoustik Piano and have a Pianoteq right there. Pianoteq is a must! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Palaver Posted June 27, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 I figured this would be an overwhelmingly large 'in-favour' response to NI simply because I've heard of them way more... I've heard of IK Multimedia before, but not to the extent of NI. I've almost pulled the trigger on the Massive/Absynth stuff on the demos alone... Either way (after a lot more research), I will probably be replacing my ROMPLER with a Muse Receptor with the Komplete bundle inside... or the IK multimedia. Who knows? The complete workstation package is also 500 bucks cheeper... and I do plan on grabbing the new Spectrasonics synth due out in the fall... and that will be Receptor compatible at some point (which is when I plan on grabbing a receptor and dropping the rompler). -Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members augerinn Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 then you've got a good B3 emulation Good ?!?!?! B4 is amazing to my ears. I remember playing with a Radium 61 and a laptop and the guys were just floored at the sound. Another vote for NI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members evildragon Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 and maybe the Miroslav samples would appeal to some compared to the orchestral stuff included with Kontakt. And then poo on Miroslav after having Eastwest Gold Bundle AND Symphonic Choirs ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members llamastorm Posted June 27, 2008 Members Share Posted June 27, 2008 Kontakt 3 was very crash prone for me. Kontakt 2 was decent. No experience with anything else other than demos, but they made some neat demos, though the UI's were not things I liked to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lancaster Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 NI all the way. The Komplete package is very good value for the money.Kontakt is my desert island app and I use most of the other ones frequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gribs Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 I had Komplete 4 and upgraded to Komplete 5 when it came out. The bundle is definitely worth the money if you are into soft synths and samplers. There are quite a few sounds to be made in there. I am fond particularly of FM8; I am more of a soft-synth person than a sampler person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pighood Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 "Ni." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Palaver Posted June 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 Thanks for the input, guys! This is what I expected to hear. Have any of you demoed the receptor? I really appreciate everything. So does anyone use IK?!? All I've heard about, or heard of being used by the pros are the Miroslav samples... I'm wondering if their emulations rival that of NI or Arturia... -Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hogberto Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 "Ni." we are the knights who say 'NI' [YOUTUBE]QTQfGd3G6dg[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yoozer Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 You can't compare really, because these: MassiveReaktor 5Absynth 4FM8Pro-54 are actually synths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members P321 Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 So does anyone use IK?!? All I've heard about, or heard of being used by the pros are the Miroslav samples... I'm wondering if their emulations rival that of NI or Arturia...They are not emulations. They are sampled libraries. The only emulation IK do is the Amplitube amp stuff. As for Miroslav Vitous, it was very popular back in the days when AKAI hardware samplers ruled the land. Partly it was because there were only a few orchestral libraries like that and the Peter Siedlaczek stuff around! Although many do like the quality of the samples too. But the "pros" tend to go more for the mega GB libraries now like VSL, EWQL, Kirk Hunter etc. The very top end (Hans Zimmer etc) pay to have their own custom libraries created for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members feralmusic Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 i own sampletank, but i just picked up Komplete 5. Kontact 3 has some great orchestral samples and FM8 is the {censored}! now... can somebody tell me how to get rid of this annoying latency between the controller and output? (i'm working on a mac.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members augerinn Posted June 28, 2008 Members Share Posted June 28, 2008 i own sampletank, but i just picked up Komplete 5. Kontact 3 has some great orchestral samples and FM8 is the {censored}!now... can somebody tell me how to get rid of this annoying latency between the controller and output? (i'm working on a mac.)Make sure you have a good sound card and a good ASIO driver. In the ASIO control panel, reduce the latency until the SW starts to pop & click, & then back off a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members feralmusic Posted June 30, 2008 Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 Make sure you have a good sound card and a good ASIO driver. In the ASIO control panel, reduce the latency until the SW starts to pop & click, & then back off a little. much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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