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Kontrol S-Series MK3 hands-on: A high-end MIDI keyboard for the Native Instruments faithful
Native Instruments Kontrol S Series MK3 MIDI keyboards push the hardware to new heights while improving software integration.
Native Instruments pads out its Komplete 14 suite with some welcome new toys
The new Komplete 14 bundle includes an Kontakt 7, plus new tools from Izotope and Plugin Alliance.
Apple Watch Series 7 models drop to $330, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals
The best tech deals this week include $70 off the Apple Watch Series 7, 38 percent off the second-generation AirPods and $70 off Anker's Eufy RoboVac 11S.
Native Instruments’ Maschine devices are up to $200 off
You'll also get some free software expansions if you pick one up by May 5th.
Komplete Now is Native Instruments' subscription plan for producers on a budget
Native Instruments is bringing some of its music creation tools to the masses with monthly and yearly subscription options on a bundle of its most popular plugins.
How Arturia made its music-making software more accessible
Arturia talked to Engadget about how it developed the new Accessibility Mode it's launching in Analog Lab V today.
Native Instruments Maschine+ review: Freedom in a box
Maschine has a long legacy, and the latest member of the family -- the plus -- is a worthy addition. Now you can make beats, demos and tracks without feeling like you're checking your email. This flexibility comes at a price though.
Native Instruments crams its powerful music-making software in a standalone groovebox
Maschine+ brings the Maschine workflow and Komplete instruments to a standalone groovebox.
Pioneer DJ's Rekordbox software now syncs with Dropbox
Pioneer DJ's Rekordbox, one of three main options in the DJ software realm alongside Serato DJ and Native Instruments’ Traktor, has joined the pack today with a new version 6 release and Rekordbox for iOS 3.0.
This week's best deals: Sony headphones, Surface Pro 7 and more
This week brought a great deal on our favorite pair of wireless headphones, plus a number of other good deals. Those who need to shut out the world can grab Sony's WH-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones for $238, and those who need a new 2-in-1 can get a discount on Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 -- Type Cover included. Musicians can also still snag Native Instruments plug-ins for free. Here are the best deals from the week that remain available today. Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones Newegg still has Sony's WH-1000XM3 wireless noise-cancelling headphones for only $238, which is $112 less than their usual price of $350. We gave these headphones a score of 94 and praised them for their excellent noise-cancellation capabilities and equally impressive audio quality. They have only a few downsides, one being finicky touch controls, but those can be easily overlooked when nearly everything else about these headphones is stellar. Buy Sony WH-1000XM3 on Newegg - $238
Native Instruments' $50 retro synth plug-in is currently free
The '80s had no shortage of massive-sounding synthesizers, but many of them have either gone out to pasture or are prohibitively expensive on the secondhand market. Software companies often try to digitally recreate those synths as affordable plug-ins, though, and to keep musicians busy while they're locked inside, Native Instruments has made its Analog Dreams software -- which usually costs $50 -- free to download. That means anyone with a USB keyboard or controller can work on their Duran Duran covers or an isolation-induced synth pop opus.
The best portable (and affordable) USB MIDI controllers
Whether you're a musician always on the go or just tight on space, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a portable MIDI controller. I've been on the hunt for the perfect portable and affordable controller. (You don't want to lose or break something expensive while you're traveling, after all.) But honestly, there is no perfect controller. There are some very good ones out there, but none has ticked every box for me. Similarly, you'll need to figure out which one best addresses your specific needs, with the fewest trade-offs. None of these controllers rises head and shoulders above the rest to make it the clear winner. So I've laid out the strengths and weaknesses of what I think are the five best options currently on the market.
Native Instruments’ Massive X software synth is finally here
When Native Instruments first released the virtual synth Massive in 2007, it quickly took the music production world by storm. Producers loved the three oscillator wavetable synth plugin -- with its wave-scanning algorithms and 1,300 presets -- for its vast options. The soft synth went on to define EDM as we know it today, for better or worse. Now, the company has released the widely anticipated successor to Massive, which it's deeming Massive X.
The best USB audio interface
By Daniel Varghese This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to USB audio interfaces. If you're a musician who's starting to get serious about recording your work yourself, you need a USB audio interface that lets you connect any microphone to a computer or iPad and record multiple tracks at once. We tested nine audio interfaces and found that they all record clear audio, but the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 offers the best combination of features, portability, and ease of use. The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is our favorite USB audio interface for musicians who want to record up to two tracks simultaneously onto a computer. Due to its logically arranged inputs and adjustment knobs, the 2i2 is easy to set up and use to record vocals and acoustic or electric instruments to any digital audio workstation. The interface works with iOS, macOS, and Windows devices and comes with versions of popular recording software. Its compact, lightweight design makes it easy to toss in your backpack or suitcase for mobile recording sessions. The 2i2 lacks a built-in MIDI interface, but unless you have a lot of older MIDI instruments lying around, this shouldn't be a big issue. If the Focusrite 2i2 is unavailable, or if you have a lot of older gear with five-pin MIDI connectors, the PreSonus AudioBox iTwo is a great alternative. It has the same iPad functionality and portability as the 2i2, but its smaller clipping lights and less-intuitive front-panel design make it a little harder to use. The Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 has all of the advantages of the Focusrite 2i2, including clear clipping lights and macOS/Windows/iOS support, but it adds a built-in MIDI interface and two extra balanced line inputs and outputs. Its unique design, which places all of its monitor lights on the top panel, makes it a little easier to set up and use than the other interfaces we tested. These extra features also make it heavier than we'd like, but if you plan to mostly use it in your home studio and could use the extra inputs, it's a great upgrade.
Native Instruments reveals new keyboards for 'Komplete' freaks
First came synths, samplers and drum machines. Then computers caught up, and could do much of the same stuff, for much less money (and in much less space). But, humans like to "play" things, so we then we got MIDI controllers. Now, the circle is closing -- the current trend is software-specific controllers. Example? The new Komplete Kontrol S series of keyboards from industry giant Native Instruments. Komplete is the company's, erm, comprehensive music production software package (drums, sample, sounds, synths... everything). It contains some of the most used virtual instruments on the market (Massive, for example, is behind a good chunk of Dubstep sounds).
Native Instruments outs Kontrol Z1: an iOS DJ mixer with audio interface
It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that Native Instruments was going to release some hardware to cozy up to that shiny new iOS version of Traktor DJ. And here it is -- the Kontrol Z1 -- a two-channel mixer with a built-in audio interface specifically for iPad and iPhone. Plug this into your iDevice, and Traktor DJ gets full pre-cue functionality, plus some proper (club-level, 24-bit) audio output, not to mention dedicated faders and 3-band EQ controls. The hardware (which is similar in size to the Kontrol F1) means you can break out the mixer section, leaving the touchscreen display dedicated to transport and performance. The Z1 will keep your iDevice charged up, too (it needs to be plugged in), so you're good for that epic Balearic chill-out set. Likewise, it also works with Traktor Pro 2, if you're looking to integrate something a little smaller into your laptop setup. It'll need a lightning adapter to work with the latest devices, and costs $199 / €199 from your favorite DJ outlet. The app won't support the hardware until a June 24th update, but in the meantime, roll past the break for the demo video.
Traktor DJ gets remixed for iPhone, brings big features to small pockets (video)
Traktor DJ for iPad showed us what can be done when you resist the urge to simply shrink your existing software or just slide it under a touch interface. Since its iOS debut, the folk at Native Instruments have spent the last couple of months cautiously considering how best to transplant the same waveform-based interface over to the iPhone. Today, you can find out. You get everything you find in the iPad version, like three band EQ, filters, hot cues and effects --along with the same key, tempo and timbre matching utilities, plus library sharing with the full-fat desktop version. The UI isn't the only thing getting downsized, either: this iPhone-friendly version costs just $4.99 (compared to $20 on the iPad). That should leave enough change to drop a few on party rock anthems.%Gallery-187296%
Native Instruments announces Traktor DJ for iPad, brings the mix to iOS (video)
DJ apps for iPad? There's a bunch. But -- if you're at all familiar with the craft -- there's a very notable name absent from the crowd. Until today that is. Native Instruments set the high watermark for DJ software with its desktop-based Traktor application, and now it's available in compact iOS form. Designed by the same team as the full-fat version, aspiring DJs can enjoy two waveform-based decks, with three-band EQ, eight effects (ported over from Trakor Pro) all redesigned from the ground up for the iPad's touch-based input. The interface eschews the conventional virtualization of a turntable set-up, instead creating a workflow more congruent with the hardware's form factor. Notably, a new "Freeze" mode stops the waveform from galloping on, letting you tend to cue points, loops etc or slice it into samples for "playable" parts. There's also interaction between the mobile and desktop versions via dropbox-based media sync, so any tracks loops and so on made on the move can be seamlessly transported to your club performance too. Think an iPad app is nice and all, but want a little more spice? Well, hook it up to one of the firm's popular Audio 6 or Audio 10 interfaces (via the USB connection kit) you just got proper pre-listen and cue functionality too. Traktor DJ is available today for $19.99, and if you're still undecided, there's a demo video after the break that might just swing it for you.
How would you change Native Instruments' Maschine Mikro?
Native Instruments' gear is a must-have for those in the beat making world. We put the cheaper, dinkier Maschine Mikro through its paces and found that while we loved the portability, we weren't so hot on the lack of MIDI ports and absence of knobs for twiddlin'. That said, we weren't able to hate on the compromises that were made to bring it in under $600 and small enough to stow in a backpack, but how about you guys out there? When you've used this gear day in, day out, can you forgive its flaws in exchange for that extra cash in your hand, or do you wish you'd saved up a little more? If you were in NI's position, what would you have done differently?
Native Instruments announces Traktor Kontrol F1 controller with Traktor 2.5 and Remix Decks, we go hands-on
A very colorful light will shine upon Native Instruments' DJ ecosystem on May 30th, and it's called Traktor Kontrol F1. The rainbow-flavored box aims squarely at the growing number of beat junkies who fall somewhere between DJ and producer. New Remix Decks in the accompanying Traktor 2.5 software cater to a more granular perspective on mixing, and the F1 is the tool that brings the new layers to your fingertips. We had an exclusive sit-down with a beta version of the adorable blinky-buttony-slidery controller/instrument-thing that we're itching to spill the beans on, so join us after the break, won't you?
