Now that’s what I call a Thanksgiving present. At long last, Native Instruments is shipping desperately-awaited Universal Binary versions of their remaining software. Available now: Guitar Rig (2.2 update). Coming this week (probably while I’m traveling), Kontakt. Next week: Traktor and Reaktor are due (note that sometimes last-minute delays can hold things up, but NI does say you’ll have your Mac Intel-ready software very, very soon — finally).
Before moving on, I’d like to take a moment. Reaktor running on an Intel Mac. Ah, that sounds like a beautiful thing. (Why am I so excited? Because Reaktor blazes on my now-lowly 1.5GHz Pentium M laptop. Intel’s architecture and Reaktor seem to get along really, really well.)
While we wait on more NI updates, though, the Guitar Rig 2.2 update should benefit Intel Mac and Windows/PowerPC Mac users alike. There are some nice new effects: an Electric Lady flanger, Phaser Nine phaser, improved graphics throughout, and my favorite of the additions, the Harmonic Synthesizer effect. Lots of possibilities here from what I’ve heard so far, for transforming your guitar or bass (or even violin or accordion) into a synthy sound:
Intel Mac users can get the update free (if you purchased after September 12 or if you own Komplete 4), or for US$29 if not. For PowerPC and Windows users, 2.2 is free (presumably since it’s not as important to you compatibility-wise).
On a more sour NI note, I’ve been tipped off that there are quite a few disgruntled Komplete Care owners waiting on Komplete 4.
Updated: Thanks to those who wrote in. Native Instruments has made a formal announcement about the shipping delay for Komplete Care 06 customers. It begins:
to all Komplete Care 2006 owners, I want you to know that we are very concerned about the delayed shipment of the Komplete 4 updates, and we absolutely acknowledge the frustration that this has caused for some of you. It has taken us a few days to prepare what we feel is an appropriate response, and I apologize for not having been able to inform you earlier via this forum.
Obviously, if you’re not a Komplete Care customer, no need to worry about this, but if you are and have been frustrated waiting on a delayed shipment (as was the case with at least a couple of CDM readers), you should have your answer now. Top executives at NI weighed in, so the issue was definitely not ignored. Details at NI Forum.
[tags]native-instruments, software, upgrades, intel, universal, Mac, Intel, guitars, effects[/tags]
I realise that with GR's release yesterday that things may look hopeful, but I've been hearing that the Kontakt / Reaktor release is just "a couple / few days away" for a few weeks now, so I'm not holding my breath. This is not to say I don't wish they would be out that soon… Just that I've learned not to believe anything NI says until the software is in my hands.
Based on my experiences with NI you should write the following sentence in red 80 pt. capital letters:
"note that sometimes last-minute delays can hold things up"
😉
Good news, looking forward to running REaktor on an Intel chip…..
"On a more sour NI note, I’ve been tipped off that there are quite a few disgruntled Komplete Care owners waiting on Komplete 4."
A few? You mean the everyone with Komplete Care in the US?
Canadians have only just started getting theirs.
I'm not a Komplete Care owner, but I know that they were supposed to have been given priority treatment in regard to new releases, but retail buyers have been running Komplete 4 for almost 2 months now. Some Komplete Care owners have been hoping to get their money's worth of updates since Dec. '05 and earlier. It's pretty rediculous really.
[…] According to Peter Kirn from Create Digital Music, Native Instruments will be releasing Kontakt, Traktor and Reaktor Universal Binaries updates in the next few weeks. […]
I've got Komplete Care and haven't received the Komplete 4 upgrade in the US yet. They have a page buried on their website where you can check the status of your upgrade. Mine says it shipped October 25. I suppose since they *already* have the money, they're not going to ship a cheaply as possible. So Komplete Kare customers are an expense against revenue that was realized in the past (hey, what have you done for me lately?). I guess that's why "support plans" like this are generally a bad idea for customers. You pay ahead with no real committment from the vendor to follow through.
I've been following the forums on this for a while, and I wouldn't have expected Kontakt UB in the next week. It was after all, promised for October, and then promised again for "a few days" at the beginning of November.
Do you have insider info on these release dates, other than what's published on the NI page (http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=intelmac_us ), and on the forums? If so, I am so psyched!
'bout freekin time.
"I’ve been following the forums on this for a while, and I wouldn’t have expected Kontakt UB in the next week. It was after all, promised for October, and then promised again for “a few days� at the beginning of November."
Actually, it's been promised since 2nd Quarter 2006, for those of us who have been waiting almost a year for UB Kontakt… 🙁
[…] Okay, Mac-using Native Instruments fans: your ship has finally come in. Two of the most awaited Universal Binary versions are here this week, in the form of Kontakt 2.2 and Reaktor 5.1.2 (as I predicted here on CDM). The update will cost you US$29 at most, and if you purchased after September 12 or own Komplete, the updates are free. (The Universal edition of Guitar Rig was announced last week.) If you’ve been waiting for the software, or waiting for an excuse to buy a new MacBook, this could make your day: […]
BTW: it's now Dec 2 and NI still hasn't delivered Komplete 4 to many of us Komplete Care 2006 customers. I've been told twice that it would be here "by the end of the week" and 2 "end of the weeks" have gone by with no Komplete 4…