Komplete 8: The Must Have Plug-in Bundle

So far I’ve talked about setting up your home studio, different types of engineers, and different recording software, but today I will be talking about one of the greatest virtual instrument bundles available for use in the industry, Native Instruments Komplete 8. A big part of producing great music is having great VST instruments/plug-ins at your disposal, so today I will discuss the Komplete 8 bundle and where you can buy it. I strongly suggest that you purchase a MIDI controller or keyboard before you buy this as using this software without a keyboard will prove futile.

Komplete 8 is the latest ‘Komplete’ release from Native Instruments. It is a 110GB Collection of 27 Virtual Instruments and Processors - RTAS, AU, VST (Mac/PC).  RTAS (Real-Time Audio Suite), AU (Audio Units), and VST (Virtual Studio Technology) are all abbreviations for plug-ins and work with different software, so make sure you know what type of plug-in is compatible with your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) before you buy anything. RTAS works strictly with Pro Tools and AU with logic, whilst VST works with a variety of programs so be watchful of what platforms these software bundles are compatible with, because some may be compatible with a newer operating system than you have.

As mentioned above, Komplete houses 27 virtual instruments and includes 11,000 sounds and over 110GB. These are some of the instruments that come with the Komplete bundle. Their flagship products are Kontact 5, a sampler instrument, Reaktor 5.6, a modular synth, and Guitar Rig 5 Pro, a guitar effect processor. Some of the synthesizers that are included are Absynth 5, FM8 and Massive. Some other instruments that are included are Abbey Road 60s DRUMS, Battery 3, Berlin Concert Grand, New York Concert Grand and many others. As a user of Komplete 5 I would strongly recommend v.8, as the upgrades and improvements to this version are so much better. Native Instruments’ groove production control surface, Maschine, integrates and works seamlessly with the Komplete bundle.

Here is a link to a video by Native Instruments on Komplete 8, so please take a look if you are seriously considering purchasing it.