Every NI Play Series Instrument Reviewed (w/ Demo)

[@HighLifeWorkout]

I just got Komplete. This video was helpful.

[@skum73]

Subbed. Hopefully you hit 1k by the end of the year.

[@xantux]

We did it!

[@skum73]

@@xantux Awesome

[@712Jefferson]

This was really helpful, thank you!

[@JamesLloydKeyboardist]

Great video, thank you so much. Only change I would make is moving cloud supply up a bit. I personally use that one often. 🎹♥️

[@xantux]

Thank you! Interesting - what genre do you use cloud supply for?

[@JamesLloydKeyboardist]

@@xantuxI’m a Smooth Jazz producer for myself and many other artists. I often fuse it with r&b, funk, pop, hip hop, and latin. 🎹♥️

[@janhaliski9297]

I could be wrong about this, but I think the capabilities of these play series instruments are intentionally limited in order to make them easier to use when performing live. When playing live if you have some kind of technical malfunction or an incorrect setting it can be disastrous. You are unlikely to run into those problems with play series instruments. NI is fully capable of making complex products for those who want to delve into the intricacies of detailed fine tuning. So I think the play series has it's place. And of course, some are better than others, as you noted.

[@xantux]

Hmm it's a good thought. Personally I just don't enjoy playing these sounds live, as they are a lot less expressive than some of their bigger e.g. piano libraries. I think they might be used by people working with machine or similar triggering chords laying down quick chord progressions

[@jeffagoddard]

Excellent video! Exactly what I was looking for... I’ve had Komplete 13/14 for 3 years and was debating whether to dig in and learn these Play Series instruments. It’s hard to say if these sounds are any more accessible than presets in the 15 synths or the sampled instruments in Komplete standard. It’s a confusing strategy. Are the Play Series designed to be easier for non-synth musicians? Just noticed Utopia is free via KRV. Is it worth getting?

[@xantux]

I usually try to grab offers like this, even if I don't end up installing or using them... Just in case 😅 I played around with Utopia a bit yesterday and had fun, but I don't know if it will make it into any production of mine soon or ever

[@MreenalMams]

I too don't get the Play series.. I've collected a few over the years through free offers.. i think they look amazing and very enticing but when we actually start playing it, it feels a little disappointing..

[@PendelSteven]

The whole idea of the Play Series is that you have two soundsources to mix. So really, to make a sound with virtual synths, you need two different ones. So I don't get your complaint of why there are sampled synths in this. This is why. They work great with the eight knobs on your Komplete Kontrol keyboard! As for why there are Play Series Drums. Yeah. Well. Let's call them Play Drums. I mean, you didn't choose to include them here as well.

[@xantux]

Fair point. I'm not generally opposed to synths being included, just out of Libraries like Soul Session, Lo-Fi Glow, Stacks... I would have hoped to see more samples besides synths.

[@PendelSteven]

@@xantux I've thought about it some more. I do get your point of more non-synths, but in the late 80s / 90s we had quite a few of samplebased instruments. This is an E-Mu Orbit 9090 with controller full of samples- including samples of synths (1996) --> kzbin.info/www/bejne/ql7LlnuKjseGmbM

[@xantux]

@@PendelSteven This does sound very nice indeed!

[@Mobile.recording]

Mine is almost upside down lol

[@xantux]

Damn! 😅 which are your favorites?

[@Like-a-PROinBERLIN]

Thank you- So I am not dumb. Its really almost total garbage... ;-)