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My Favorite Instruments in Komplete 13

mercredi 11 mai 2022, 22:00 , par Sweetwater inSync
I refused to use virtual instruments and software synths for years “on principle,” but I finally took the plunge in late 2021. Since I had never used any VIs before, my fellow teammates at Sweetwater recommended that I splurge for Komplete 13 Ultimate. I took their advice and downloaded the 800+GB of instruments, samples, effects, and expansions (Komplete 13 Ultimate has 118 virtual instruments and effects on offer with 39 total expansions). Ever since I downloaded the instrument library, I’ve been busy in my home studio exploring every nook and cranny of every instrument. Here’s my list of favorite virtual instruments in Komplete 13 Ultimate.

The Maverick

The Maverick is a stunning re-creation of a 1905 concert grand piano made for the Prince of Prussia. For my money, The Maverick is the pound-for-pound king of Komplete’s acoustic piano sounds. The sound is simultaneously simple and sophisticated and can produce anything from bombastic chords to delicate melodies in the upper range. It has a plethora of controls that allow me to fine-tune my sound down to how much damper comes through in the balance. The Maverick’s flexibility helps it slip into any indie-pop mix I craft. Plus, it sounds darn good on its own for stripped-back arrangements. However, there are rare occasions where The Maverick isn’t the best fit. When that happens, I always turn to Alicia’s Keys — the instrument sampled from Alicia’s personal Yamaha C3 Neo grand piano.

Session Guitarist — Strummed Acoustic

While I do own a pair of excellent acoustic guitars and have a decent recording setup, it’s not always practical for me to record acoustic guitar in my apartment. If I’m doing a late-night recording session or if the neighborhood kids are playing outside, then I fire up Session Guitarist — Strummed Acoustic. The standard Strummed Acoustic instrument comes with a classic dreadnought. However, Komplete 13 Ultimate also includes Strummed Acoustic 2, which offers a 1934 Martin 0-17 and a Guild F-412 12-string jumbo. Both instruments have a massive library of strumming patterns in any key with real-time control over the parameters. What’s more, you can browse patterns based on styles or accents, making it easy to fit the instrument to your song. And you don’t have to be an expert keyboard player to use it either. Session Guitarist — Strummed Acoustic is plenty easy to use, allowing me to focus on making music, not menu diving.

Massive X

Flexible, dynamic, innovative — what more can you say about Massive X? Available as part of Komplete 13 Ultimate or as a standalone, Massive X is a radical wavetable synth that far outperforms my intro-level sound-design skills. It comes with a sizable preset library that covers every sound from brain-rattling bass to lush pads. I use Massive X’s preset library to give me a solid sonic foundation that I tweak to fit my needs. If building a patch from the ground up is more your speed, then you’ll thoroughly enjoy Massive X. It flaunts easy drag-and-drop routing for quick workers. Meanwhile, two wavetable oscillators and 170+ wavetables provide a world of possibilities to explore. Granular control is certainly possible, thanks to the built-in filters, effects inserts, and Voice page. Massive X has sounds for all occasions, and they’re all just a tweak away.

Absynth 5

Those familiar with Komplete will know that Absynth 5 has been around for a while. But that doesn’t stop this semi-modular virtual synthesizer from helping me craft new and exciting sounds. Absynth 5 creates sounds that change and evolve as you play, creating unique sounds every time you use it. It has three oscillator channels and can use any combination of subtractive synthesis, FM synthesis, wavetable synthesis, granular sampling, and wave morphing. Once you add the filters, modulators, effects, envelope control, and Sound Mutator, Absynth 5 becomes a no-holds-barred creative force. Plus, Absynth 5 has thousands of presets, so you’ll always find the right sound. Whenever I’m looking for synth sounds that stand out from the crowd, Absynth 5 is my first stop.

Lo-Fi Glow

Who doesn’t love a dose of lo-fi goodness? Lo-Fi Glow is a sweet-sounding instrument with some potent tools behind the scenes. It offers keys, synths, guitars, and basses all pre-recorded with lo-fi processing. Right from the start, Lo-Fi Glow’s streamlined GUI presents simple controls for quick and straightforward sound tweaks. Preset junkies like myself will love that Lo-Fi Glow serves up 150 presets in multiple styles for hip-hop, house, lo-fi beats, and much, much more. Under the hood, Lo-Fi Glow’s Sound Editor page lets you control every aspect of the sound. You can tweak the envelopes for either source or adjust the tuning, panning, and modulation with equal ease. There’s also an Effects Editor to give your sound that subtle studio polish.

Butch Vig Drums

Butch Vig’s extensive list of credits includes Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Green Day, and, of course, Nirvana. Vig famously engineered and produced the iconic drum sounds from Nirvana’s iconic album Nevermind. Komplete’s Butch Vig Drums includes 21 kits recorded in United Recording’s Studio A. After recording, Butch applied his signature processing techniques at his home studio.

As an instrument, Butch Vig Drums is fantastically easy to use. It comes with a user-friendly 16-pad matrix that you can control via MIDI or any pad controller. Each kit has 16 groove patterns that you can edit in your DAW. Plus, every sound comes with fine-tuning controls and customizable effects strips. I use Butch Vig Drums whenever I need massive drum sounds. My personal favorite preset is “The Nasty Room.”

Scarbee Mark I

A meticulous re-creation of a legendary stage piano’s first version, Scarbee Mark I is an awe-inspiring electric piano. The sound of the original analog units is fully realized in this Kontakt instrument. When I use Scarbee Mark I, the instrument’s dynamic and emotive quality injects that unmistakable mellow tone into the song. Like all Native Instruments products, Mark I is exceptionally easy to use, which is a major plus in my book. Scarbee Mark I even includes 12 velocities and release samples for each, a small touch that adds an extra level of realism. You’ll also enjoy the range of onboard effects and adjustable original noise features. Komplete 13 Ultimate also includes Scarbee A-200, another classic electric piano, to expand your sonic capabilities. Scarbee Mark I puts the legendary electric-piano sound at your fingertips.

Rise & Hit

When I’m building up to a big crescendo, I add in Rise & Hit. While Native Instruments bills this instrument as a cinematic tool, it’s just as good in a song. It includes tons of sounds that add tension to a track —700 single-layer sounds and 250+ multilayer sounds, to be exact. Experiment with a full orchestra, orchestra sections, percussion, choral effects, bells, hybrid sounds, and swooshes. What’s more, there are multiple bread-and-butter effects such as Doppler effects, sub-bass, reversed cymbals, and reversed reverbs. You can combine up to four layers to maximum texture. And, like most of the instruments on this list, Rise & Hit comes with built-in effects to help you shape your sound further. Whether you’re making music or working in sound design, Rise & Hit is a must-have for edge-of-your-seat suspense.

Monark

Love classic East Coast synth sounds? Then Monark is your best friend. This instrument is an outstanding virtual re-creation of an iconic mono synthesizer. Monark is at home doing synth bass lines and searing leads with a rich and powerful sound that few other synths can hope to match. It comes with ultra-modern DSP to model the sound of the original all-analog units. Monark comes equipped with three oscillators, an extensive filter and amp section, and fine-tuning, modulation, and glide controls. The simple and intuitive user interface obliterates the learning curve, allowing you to get up to speed in a flash. Monark also includes plenty of presets based on classic songs. If you’re a fan of classic synths, then you’ll adore Monark.

Honorable Mention: Komplete 13 Ultimate’s Effects

Komplete 13 Ultimate includes a selection of effects in addition to its fantastic selection of sounds and instruments. Chief among these effects is Guitar Rig 6 Pro. It contains 21 classic guitar and bass amplifiers alongside 68 stompboxes and rack modules that you can use with any source. There are standard studio tools like EQ, bus compression, opto compression, and FET compression from Softube. You even get access to Lexicon reverbs! Komplete is much more than its instruments; its library of effects processors makes it the ultimate production tool kit.

Komplete Has Something for Everyone!

After downloading the massive and versatile beast that is Komplete 13 Ultimate, I must admit that I’m hooked. Nowadays, the majority of my musical projects feature plug-ins from Komplete. If you’re ready to take the virtual-instrument plunge like I did, then call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. Whether you end up with Komplete 13 or with another awesome virtual instrument, you’ll love the extra creative possibilities.

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