The Native Instruments Komplete 11 Buyer’s Guide

Should I Buy Komplete 11?

The answer is definitely…maybe. Komplete is a truly sprawling collection of sounds, synths, and plugins. The Komplete 11 Ultimate Edition requires 363 GB for a full installation! When deciding to purchase, a few pointers are worth noting:

1. Do I already own Komplete 10? If so, we enthusiastically recommend upgrading.
2. Do I already own a bunch of synths and plugins? If so, it’s probably better to buy 1 or 2 plugins piecemeal that really strike a chord with you.
3. Am I just starting out in music production? If so, Komplete 11 is a great all-in-one choice, but remember that the absolutely insane # of plugins could also be overwhelming at first.

Bundles of plugins are worth being wary of, given that often the included plugins aren’t the best in any category. You may also find that using plugins from only one manufacturer means your productions all “sound” like them; think about how easy it is to recognize a Nexus or Sylenth in a mix.

That said, Native Instruments plugins have a long history of high-quality, and the sheer number of available plugins in Komplete mean you have enough options to keep your sound fresh. Especially with plugins like Form which are specifically-designed to get you to create your own sounds.

Komplete 11 Purchase Info

Native Instruments gives new users three options for purchasing Komplete 11: Select, Standard, and Ultimate. If possible, we recommend against Select, as it doesn’t contain Form or Una Corda, or the new Indian instruments. You can, however, start there then upgrade to Standard for $399.

You can find the entire comparison chart here.

For new producers, we recommend buying the $599 Standard package and upgrading to Ultimate if you really enjoy using the Native Instruments ecosystem. This will give you the best bang-for-your-buck, and avoid some of the less necessary plugs like Flesh.

Finally, if you want any of the major orchestral plugins, you’ll need to spring for the $1199 Ultimate package. It’s worth noting that this is East/West price territory, so if orchestral is your only need you might look elsewhere. Even so it’s hard to beat the sheer diversity available in the Komplete 11 Ultimate bundle.

Pre-order Komplete 11 here.

Are you going to buy Komplete 11? Do you already own it? Will you upgrade? Let us know in the comments!