Kore 2

What I'm concerned about is that they may never get around to fixing the v1 firmware so that the unit will directly output midi. Instead they're still trying to corral everyone through the Kore software which is a pain. If they're going to do that, then they should at least give a free upgrade to the v1 buyers.

 

I hope that NI realizes that many people have shelled out a lot of money for a product that does not preform to their expectations.

I'm pretty fed up with a product that does not work reliably, in which I find out I was a beta tester. If Kore 2 does work well I would be willing to pay a nominal price for an upgrade. I've invested a lot of time and money into NI, and to finally get a working product would be terrific!

Kore 2 will be my deciding factor though, if it doesn't work I'm going to sell all my NI products and go buy a nice keyboard instead. Preferably one that works when you power it on, doesn't get confused when you change sounds, doesn't crash all the time, that doesn't have extra buttons that don't do anything, or require hours of software installation.

 

I have spent al lot of money for the ni stuff. Now kore was the last one of ni's software products, i've bought.
I will never buy a ni soft- or hardware.

Good bye...

Steffen

 

i got kore 1 for free when buying komplete 3, so i can't really complain too much since i didn't pay for it. i have had problems running it though, mainly it just being slow browsing and odd crashes. all in all, i think the idea of the product is a good one, but i agree that there should be some more updates to version 1 before they roll out version 2, as it has bugs that need fixing. being a komplete customer, i didn't see anything i wanted that i didn't have to buy with that coupon they gave us, so i would gladly use it towards an upgrade. i think the software upgrade should be free, or very cheap, but i can't see them giving the hardware as a free upgrade, it just puts them in the hole too much. i think if they offered a discount for sending back the version 1 units, that would be a fair deal. they may have dropped the ball on the updates, but you can't expect them to just hand out the new product for free, though i think they would be wise to make some sort of fair offer to kore 1 owners, as we have been unofficial beta testers for a product that while it seems to be one of the flagship products of the company, it certainly hasn't been treated as so when it comes to updates and fixes.

 

The whole NI update process is a real pain. I always seem to be a month out of the free Komplete update range and the Kore fiasco is ridiculous. The thing has sat in a box in my wire closet since I bought it. I only took it out once again to install and try the version 1.1 update which still does not work as advertised.

I only wish I had sold it right after I purchased and recovered some money for something useful. As it stands now, I see Native Instruments as a black hole of frequent, endless updates released in a way to devalue your current product investments.

In the quest for more, we are all trapped, but I really would like to NI treat us like Propellerhead that gives a lot of real value in software updates that actually address the user issues and add new features regulary without it being a whole new package every six months.

I guess in a competitive market a company can get greedy and rape the loyal customers again and again because we let them do it. Aside from new bundling options, the Komplete series for instance has some amazing sound engines that will remain untapped for years regardless of which version you are running.
There are many new sounds still waiting to be found even in the vintage software they have released. I think I might spend a little time looking at my current soft-rack and saving my money only for a must have killer app when it arrives.
At this point I already have more than I can ever explore in depth and will probably spend a lot less time and money supporting this upgrade insanity any longer.

I for one vote for a free upgrade to Kore 2, including a new controller if I want one. I will be happy to pay the shippping charges.

 

I'm not seeing much of a benefit in the Kore2 controller. In fact, it seems like a step backward. Sure, you get two new buttons, but you lose out on the audio interface which for me was one of the key features of the box. But yes, I'd expect free upgrades to the Kore2 app.

 

May as be, but I really DO want to switch my Kore 1 controller for the Kore 2 controller for free or shipping charges if possible. I don't need the audio interface. Perfectly happy with my MOTU 828mkII. I have high hopes that the Kore 2 Controller is more robust.

 

wel well well ... i just bought Kore & Komplete 2 weeks ago. I'm quite happy with it but i sure expect the new version of the software to run without limitations on the v1 controller. In fact they haven't changed the 2 things i dislike about the first controller (the red display and the clumsy black buttons) so as far as i'm concerned i couldn't care less about this 'new' version, the built-in audio of the Kore1 ain't great but usefull at times ...

however, if there are bugfixes, performance improvements or new features in the v2 hardware that can't be exploited through a software/firmware update on the v1 hardware, then i would like to exchange the old against the new, for free of course, and i'd expect the update to v2 to be free for users who bought v1 recently ...

anyways i'm really excited about this new version, it can only be better than v1, and i'm already havin quite a lot of fun with that. but for the moment i don't use it in a live/performance context, only for studio work, and i agree with others in this forum that there are bugs in the current version that need to urgently be adressed for Kore to leverage it's true potential...

 

To me it looks completely different from v1 but that doesn't automatically mean better.

 

i've had a deeper look at the info on the NI site, and so far everything i see i like :

New in KORE 2:

* All KORE 2 compatible file formats / elements (KoreSounds®, MIDI files, performances, plug-ins, integrated effects) can be managed AND tagged.

* Individual Sound Attributes / Tags: in addition to the multitude of pre-existing categories you can now tag your sounds, plug-ins, effects, MIDI files, etc. according to your own criteria.

* KoreSounds® can be saved by drag and drop in the KoreSound® browser.

* Multi-file editing: multiple KoreSounds® can be saved and tagged simultaneously (for example, newly added bass sounds can be tagged as "Bass – Analog – Low – Hip Hop").

* Batch Import: Entire preset programs of 3rd party Audio Unit / VST plug-ins can be imported in one go; after which they are instantly usable as KoreSounds®.

* Faster plug-in pre-listening -simply click on a plug-in in the Sound Matrix and step through its presets.

* Text search and category selection can be used in combination, i.e., searching for MASSIVE in the text search field with additional categories (for example "Bass", "Analog") will show results for MASSIVE analog bass sounds.

* 12 new premium effects – such as cabinet saturator, pattern delay and grain shifter. Additionally, all KORE 1 effects have undergone improvement with some additional features added. In total, 32 integrated effects

all the features of Kore are now available in plugin mode as well, midi routing looks swell and the arpegiator and stepsequencer are very welcome additions. aparently i will be able to automatically acess all my non-NI plugs presets in Kore by batching them (i hope this also applys to Arturia plugs) ...

the interface has been cleaned up and the silly performance/sound metaphor has been dropped. being able to multi stack multis will be awesome, especially with the new morph presets ...

what's not to like ???? to me it looks like a very promising evolution of this Kore concept aand it seems tha NI has been listening to users input on this forum. althou i have only bought v1 2 weeks ago, i don't feel shafted at all, only pleasantly surprised (only if my update will be free of yourse) ...

the buttons on the new controller look even worse than on the v1, now they are completely leveled with the casing, making it probably even harder to just feel which button you're on (if i can't feel the button and have to look at the thing to know what i'm touching, i might as well do it with the mouse on a big screen). what's wrong with the metal buttons, they are really nice, at least the 4 arrow buttons should be like this ....

i'm also quite glad i have the internal audio interface and monitoring options, it's always handy to include it in an aggregate device to make cuemixes ...

the integrated 'sound engines' of almost all NI instruments will surely hugely speed up pre-listening without loading the full plug (although i find it reasonably fast now on my Quad, not so much on the Powerbook).

just my personal first thoughts, my only question now is, when can i have it ???

 

Ok - I see the pedal and foot switch inputs...not easy to tell what they were on the 360 degree view.

That's pretty cool though I would have preferred to see 4 controller inputs that would allow you to use either foot switch or pedal inputs.

Delta

 

Have to fight the urge to start yet another thread - what's the story with that?

I was beginning to get worried whether NI had just given up on Kore, & I'm delighted they're still developing it. The features I'm most happy about are:

I can take or leave the morphing, integrated engines and re-learning the interface, but I am very interested by this, as I am in the middle of converting ALL of the Kore Library presets to incorporate my own templates (try it!) I really hope this update will allow us to automatically apply custom pages across all presets of a plugin.

Whoops, did I say update?

 

hehe, yes i know how painfull this is, been trying to do the same and gave up on it, seems like an endless task in v1 ... really lookin forward to import all my plugin presets in a matter of clicks

 

I wish that everyone would quit griping until we see what the good folks from NI have to say about the upgrade path. Hey, everyone has to make a buck. I'm sure that they will try to be fair and considerate about this. <hint><hint>

Pete.

 

Seconded.

 

pbucta and bob the dog made good points - wait to see what NI has in store before getting too upset.

on the otherhand, i'll tell you what's not to like.

in managing a whole series of synths, my protools HD rig, clients and gear, i really get bummed by spending time learning a new NI bit - for example the whole peformance/sound format, starting to change my workflow to try and include new features ie. attributes (which i seldom use anyway), and then have them change in less than a year.

really.

that's why i love my virus.

that aside, i **really** don't look forward to the prospect of re-installing (for how many hours) the whole series again, then re-registering, then adapting workflow, only to have to yet again troubleshoot, and then re-adapt workflow because it the part i need isn't working til a later revision (IE beat clock in kore 1 !!!).

i feel torn as w/ kore 1 i'm finally *mostly* functioning, and it looks like that software could be done with now, so maybe i get another year out of it & compatibilities (no vista).

and then pay again.

this has been 5 years w/ NI. komplete kare. komplete bundles & upgrades. kore.

already my move to the virus TI has been great. we'll see what the future holds.

t

 

For the record I LOVE komplete 4. Sounds are awesome. Plugins rarely crash (when not loaded into KORE).

I am not in love with kore (hate is too strong a word, I've already divorced it and moved on with my life). It's not production ready. It's not live ready. It's a paper weight. Or a cute toy if you don't mind it spoiling your groove with crashing and lock ups and weird glitches when using it.

Kore 1.1 did NOT fix critical stability bugs, and gave me no significant feature improvements (dongleless many people like, true, but I find loss of portability to be a cost that more than makes up for dongleless, so it wasn't a feature "improvement" but a feature "change").

Selling Kore 2 software to Kore 1 users will be a GIANT slap in the face. I haven't completely turned against NI because I really like their other products. However, unless they roll out a KORE 1 patch that addresses the bugs and missing features we guinea pigs expected the program to offer. Then you can charge us a reasonable fee for an upgrade.

If they don't roll out a REAL working update of Kore 1, AND try to charge me for Kore 2 "upgrade" I will never buy another NI product again. Whatever goodwill they have earned by other products will be used up by most professionals who trusted the hype of NI advertising of Kore 1, only to realize they were advertising Kore 2 but selling us an expensive beta test version in the form of Kore 1.

For a FLAGSHIP product, the lack of WORKING updates is ridiculous. I'm willing forgive them if KORE 2 works, and they let us upgrade for free (or give us an equivelant bug fix update to Kore 1). Otherwise NI is dead to me.

I'm hoping the delay in announcing the plans for KORE 1 is because the developers and owners of NI are fighting with the investors and are currently convincing them that charging for the upgrade will cost them more money than not sticking us with an upgrade cost, since we will NOT put up with that, and we will drop NI because they have become a predatory company that sell inferior products.

Let me try to some up my feelings:

PROFESSIONAL CUSTOMERS WHO DON'T PIRATE SOFTWARE WILL NOT PAY FOR BUG FIXES! AND WILL STOP BUYING YOUR SOFTWARE.

 

Perhaps, but I have a sense the pricing has already been set on any upgrades, just as the half-off promotions of Kore 1 were timed as well. Speaking of, we now know that Kore 2 is free if you buy the half-off version today, and then register after April 1:
http://www.audiomidi.com/KORE-P7903.aspx

If you think about it, the new model provides new features, but also serves as an admission of what was wrong with the original.

pax

 

Wow $279 thats pretty cheap!

Cheers

Andy

 

Hmmm. On second thought, I need to email aM for clarification. I just noticed the wording mentions the "Kore 2 software" that's part of the promotion. It doesn't seem to indicate this includes the new hardware controller as well. How do you read this?

pax