MusicRadar Verdict
At a tenner a title you can't argue with the value that Komplete delivers if you are brave and rich enough to buy in, and there are different levels to do this, each with rich seams of quality instruments and effects.
Pros
- +
Any version of Komplete delivers everything you need and more.
- +
It's a one-off payment, no sub required, and there are some keen upgrade prices.
- +
Constantly updated plugins, and Native Access handles the practicals well.
Cons
- -
Still a huge outlay, however you look at it.
- -
You can have too much music software – yes, really!
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Native Instruments Komplete 15: What is it?
There's every chance that we have reviewed Native Instruments' Komplete bundle of software around 14 times since its launch – there's a Komplete Guide to the last version here. But for those new to it, and where have you been for the last 14 reviews?, Komplete is a huge bundle of Native Instruments plugin instruments and effects – now joined by those from iZotope, Plugin Alliance and more – which can cost well into four figures, but represents a huge saving over buying each title individually.
In fact, fact fans, the first version (2003's Komplete 1) had just nine products for $1,500. The biggest release of the latest Komplete 15 – and we detail all the versions below – has 165 apps for not a great leap up to $1,799. So on the one hand it's superb value, but on the other it's bloody expensive and too big. And the latest Komplete 15 is even bigger…
Suffice to say just listing all the Komplete products will use up all of our requested words for this review. As tempting as that is to do, NI has done it for you with this handy comparison of the top tier Kompletes, leaving us to focus on v15 highlights.
Native Instruments Komplete 15: Performance and verdict
The headline applications in all versions of K15 are now Massive X for your synthesis, the all-new Kontakt 8 for your sampling, plus Guitar Rig 7 Pro for your effects and iZotope Ozone 11 Standard for your mastering, these latter two added since v14. These are basically the cornerstones of your music production, all handled with four of the best titles out there.
Somewhat annoyingly (although expectedly) for us as reviewers, the number of other title additions for Komplete 15 depends on which version you buy into, these being Standard (£539/$599), Ultimate (£1,079/$1,199), or Collector's Edition (£1,619/$1,799).
There are 11 new instruments in total, then, but you only get all of these in the most expensive Collector's Edition, although these cover the entire musical spectrum and you get extra Play series instruments and expansion packs no matter which K15 option you opt for.
Highlights of the updates that ship with every K15 are Session Bassist Upright Bass, a nuanced and characterful double bass instrument with 20+ presets across three mic setups. Session Percussionist is another title with every K15 and includes 2,000 editable 'smart' patterns and five different players.
With K15 Ultimate you can add the fantastic Alicia’s Electric Keys instrument, every bit as good (and pink) as the famous player's acoustic piano. Acoustic Sunburst Deluxe is an excellent guitar library that we've been using as our go-to desktop guitarist for a while now, and Action Woodwinds gives you many Hollywood chase-style soundtrack options. Vocal Colors is a surprisingly varied (and beautiful-looking) vocal instrument, suited to both ethereal and rhythmic music, and finally (for K12 Ultimate and above) you get both the Schema: Dark and Schema:Light.
These 'melodic sequencers' combine various layers of sequences to great effects and it's very easy to change combinations, with a decent number of effects on hand to shake things up.
The top-end K15 Collector's Edition also adds Kithara for cinematic guitars and strings. This atmospheric guitar title is one of our favourite new inclusions, with everything from delicate flutters to dramatic pads and impactful strums, all with a good level of editing and effects that can beautifully degrade as well as they can enhance. With Collector's you also get Fables which is another cinematic title with less of a theme but just as atmospheric a sound, all from 16 different instruments – great if you want some delicate Sigor Rós-style inspiration. Lastly, you get the large Valves Pro brass instrument, although Ultimate does include the cut-down Valves for your brass needs.
With the instruments each costing at least £129/$139, these additions add serious clout to Komplete's already huge value proposition. This is delivered to the max with the fullest Komplete 15 Collector's Edition, which now has an incredible 165 instruments and effects and 150,000 sounds. To put that in perspective, when Komplete was first launched you were paying around £150/$160 per software instrument title as part of the bundle. With K15 Collector's Edition, that has dramatically fallen to around £10/$11 per title.
• Arturia V-Collection X
The focus is on instruments, less so effects, but there are many classic keyboards here, all of fantastic quality.
• IK Multimedia SampleTank 4 Max
28 libraries, 34 synths, an orchestra, and 18,000 instruments make a total of 600GB in a title that covers a lot of ground for the price.
• Softube Volume 6
A great alternative to Komplete although the emphasis is more on effects. You get close to 40 plugins, saving $3,000 over buying them separately.
All four Komplete bundles – three variations of Komplete Select (£89/$99), plus the three others listed above – deliver similar massive savings, but our conclusions really are to reluctantly throw the ball back into your court. You won't need or want everything, so it really is a case of weighing up each bundle as the tyranny of too much choice could become a huge factor, not to mention the sheer data size of these bundles. The Collector's Edition, in particular, is beginning to feel quite unwieldy and will take up terabytes of space (we tried counting, but frankly life is too short, although it's stated as a 1.1TB compressed download). NI's Native Access tool does handle installation and other practical issues well though.
So while these are massively appealing bundles and the voices in our head are saying, 'you'll never need to buy another app again, nor have any monthly fees, and it's only – yes only – the price of a mid level Mac', choose 'karefully', and remember those great songs from the '70s and '80s that were recorded with one synth and a drum machine. OK, go on, we'll take the Collector's Edition.
MusicRadar verdict: At a tenner a title you can't argue with the value that Komplete delivers if you are brave and rich enough to buy in, and there are different levels to do this, each with rich seams of quality instruments and effects.
Native Instruments Komplete 15: The web says
"There are some really innovative features and instruments in Kontakt 8. The new chord and phrase tools allow creating new sounds and melodies out of every Kontakt instrument. Leap and Conflux also bring inspiring sounds and ideas to Native Instruments Komplete 15."
Gearnews.com
Native Instruments Komplete 15: Hands-on demos
Native Instruments
SweetScale TV
Sanjay C
Native Instruments Komplete 15: Specifications
- Komplete 15 Standard to the Collector's Edition: Number of instruments and effects: 95 to 165; expansions: 50 to 120; sounds: 50,000 to 150,000; studio effects: 5 to 11; creative effects: 14 to 17; sound packs: 12; Play Series instruments: 22; Massive X expansions: 16; system requirements: macOS 12, 13, and 14, Windows 10 or 11, Intel Core i5 or Apple Silicon, 4GB RAM (6GB recommended), 60GB hard disk space (1.1TB for complete installation); runs in 64-bit VST, AU, and AAX hosts.
- CONTACT: Native Instruments
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