Native Instruments

Los Angeles, Tokyo

Native Instruments ( NI usually abbreviated ) is a Berlin based 1996 medium-sized company that manufactures products for computer- based music production, especially software instruments. NI uses this focus to the field of electronic music and DJing. Some products from Native Instruments such as the lifelike software modeling of the Hammond organ set standards in the international music production.

History and Significance

The company goes back to the idea of the engineer and musician Stephan Schmitt. Schmitt felt in 1994 on the one hand on the weight and the possibilities of synthesizers limited, on the other hand he saw personal computers are so powerful that they take over the computation of a hardwired synthesizer and it could be much more flexible. Together with his friend, the programmer Volker Hinz, Schmitt developed in his apartment in Kreuzberg, the first modular synthesizer software-based and called him a generator. Generator ran on then usual Pentium computers running the Windows operating system and impressed the audience at the International Musikmesse Frankfurt 1996 to calculate and reproduce because of its ability sounds in real time, without noticeable delay. Inspired by the resonance of the visitors, Native Instruments, was created with a team of four people.

Schmitt later developed from the generator concept reactor, a complex and versatile software tool. Reactor combines functions of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers and effects units and is considered the industry standard for the free development of sounds.

In 2001, the Native Instruments engineer Michael Hammond B3 organ took Shortly before with a rotating Leslie speaker. He analyzed the electro-mechanics of the instrument, put a microphonic and measurement technology and modeled in the computer, the very heavy instrument after. The appeared in 2002 under the name B4 software version does not use any sound samples, but based solely on mathematical algorithms. Short so put a sign for the industry that you can emulate a complex electrical instrument in software without samples and with very slender programming. Too Short ' similar merits the mathematical variants of synthesizers (Yamaha DX7 ) and effect devices include (guitar racks and amplifiers such as Marshall).

At the same time since 2000 employed by NI physicist Friedemann Becker designed a software program that allowed the synchronous transition of two different fast songs. This tractor, another industry standard, namely a software tool for DJs who thus were in a position to mix music directly on the notebook computer live, as they would be working with record decks originated. This technique has now ported to smartphones and tablet computers as an app the company.

Lives in France, U.S. musician Brian Clevinger programmed in the late 1990s a software synthesizer with three oscillators and called him Absynth. Since 2001, Native Instruments marketed this software.

Meanwhile, the company offers a wide range of tools for digital audio production that includes both software and hardware products. This includes synthesizer (eg, FM8, Massive, Pro-53, Absynth ), Sampler ( Contact, Battery ) and effects processors ( Vokator, Spektral Delay ). In addition, since 2001 a professional DJ program (tractor ) is offered, as well as a guitar amp emulation based on software ( Guitar Rig ). With Kore Native Instruments has also developed a host system in which can be software instruments and effects to manage. Since 2006, Native Instruments also an audio interface as the first pure hardware product (Audio Kontrol 1) and, since 2009 a Groove controller (machine). In addition, many modern sample libraries use NI products such as COMPACT, INTACT or contact player to give them direct access to some very complex programming of the sounds for the user.

Native Instruments is headquartered in Berlin with offices in Los Angeles and Tokyo.

Products (Selection )

Software instruments and effects:

  • Absynth 5
  • Battery 4, a drum - sampling tool
  • FM8, an ajar to the Yamaha DX7 classic software synthesizer with frequency modulation
  • Contact 5 These include Alicia Keys ( the software replica of Alicia Keys 's Yamaha grand piano ), various wind and string instruments such as Session Strings, drums like the Abbey Road drums and studio drummer, organs such as the Hammond emulation B4 and David Klavins vertical giant Piano The Giant.
  • Massive, a universal software synthesizer
  • Reactor 5 with contained or -shelf instruments such as the monophonic synthesizer Monark or simulating plucked and wind instruments of Steam Pipe
  • Effects such as those developed by Bristol DJ Tim Exile The Mouth and The Finger
  • Emulations of guitar amps like Guitar Rig 5
  • Tractor, a classic of DJ software for iPad and iPhone

Audio Hardware:

  • In addition to the externally connectable notebook sound cards, there are DJ control systems such as Traktor Kontrol Z1 and machine to create and live playing beats and grooves (also available as an app for iPhone).

Former products:

  • Among other things, Bandstand, built into the vintage organ keyboard instruments such as Elektrik Piano, as well as compact and intact. Among the no longer marketed effects include the Vokator.
Types of business entity Chief Executive Officer Computer hardware Real-time Reaktor Sampler (musical instrument) Music sequencer Computer DJ
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