WHY, WHY, WHY would NI discontinue

an industry standard like the B4 II? Check out the SONAR forums. It is the B3 of choice by a huge margin.

Can someone explain this to me?

 

search the forum, this has been talked about before

 

Welcome =)

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96540

ew

 

Yeah, I found it a little later. Still sad, though. It also led me to another vendor that makes a very good B3.

Poco

 

You should try Genuine Soundware VB3. If it's not already what you've found.

 

While the VB3 has very nice lower key tones, it lacks the punch and clarity on the upper tones, even when compared to its free version Organized Trio, which has much better higher tones.

I would love to find a B4ii, but have not yet found one still on the shelves.

Sadly,

dwdeakle

 

Compared to a REAL B-3, VB-3's high-end is closer to the original. The last half octave on B-4 II is too loud with no way to cut it back. I've done considerable testing comparing these two software products against several Hammonds. Results?... I use VB-3.

 

Me to. VB3 is much better sound-wise than B4-II and this will always be the case. Samples can't replace what B4-II was, and what VB3 already is. And Guido is working on a new version of it!

 

B4ii should never have been discontinued, judging by the comments from people I have talked to and comments on this forum.

The difference between Kompete 5 and Komplete 6 is disappointing to say the least. I like may others bought into Komplete 5 because of the fact it had B4II, Pro 53, Akoustik and Electrik Pianos, all now dropped. Good news though, you can pay even more money to NI and purchase add-on packs like the 57 Drawer Bar organ (nowhere near as good as B4II by the way). Kompete 6 is a complete no go for me, 4 upgraded instruments, 3 exactly the same, and 4 dropped.... pathetic really in my opinion, especially considering the debacle with the Kore 2 integration..Business is business, you need to offer your customers a product that encourages them to stay with you, create brand loyalty, that way you generate more income, what you have done is ostricise a great many customers who are now looking elsewhere.

VB3 is an option, a very good one, it's just a shame that NI are being so short sighted and not listening to their customers. Eventually people will get fed up and pick up on other companies products who at least have the decency to communicate and continue to support their products.......Snow Leopard for instance? A little goodwill goes along way.

 

I tend to agree with you. I got into NI because of the originality of things like Vokator and spectral delay, reaktor of course and was pleased with B4II and others that have now been discontinued. I was hoping for more originality along these lines. I have got Komplete 6 because it was a reasonably priced upgrade for me but I am dissapointed with the ordinariness of Massive for example. No upgrade to Raktor which i think could have happened by now. and Compare Massive to other synths now available for example Zebra 2.5 which is just amazing. I have basically now moved on from NI as you say.

 

Microsoft to patch 17-year-old computer bug

Even Microsoft are still supporting DOS and issuing patches for it. NI, you really have become too arrogant for words...

I know it's only a patch, but it shows that even Microsoft (and I say this as a dyed in the wool Mac user) cares and takes their commitment to its customers seriously.

Keeping customers happy is key to success in business

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8499859.stm

 

Not only that but the sample library management is a mess. I've got too many versions of kontakt and NI samples clogging my drives. Need them to be able to reboot archived projects but it sucks that you pretty much have to install a brand new version of the library each time you upgrade.

 

Shall we talk about eMagic droppiing Windows support after Apple bought them? How my Sound Diver will forever crash on building my VFX-SD library, because it's one of the built in modules and an adaptation won't replace built in modules? Or, all the people who loved Logic on the PC?

Oh- OK- I can fire up Unisyn; I have that as well. Guess what- MOTU in their inherent wisdom never made it run on a NT based system (in other words, anything later than Windows ME). Yeah, it's even had a new version- but it's Mac only.

If the sales had justified it, I'm fairly certain B4 II and Pro-53 would still be in the product line. Evidently, they didn't.

ew

 

Yes lets it's exactly issues like this that i make my purchasing decisions based upon. Issues like this as well as things like general customer service, communication, product suitability etc.

I am an NI customer, I feel I have been let down, and so, i am quite legitimately using the forum they provide to tell them I am disappointed with their decision to drop these products and any form of future support. The feedback I have received from NI has compounded my feeling that, in my opinion, their general business practices and customer service levels fall way short of the mark. In fact, if you take a look around at other boards, there are plenty more people fed up with the companies attitude as a whole and expelling a whole lot more vitriol than I.

Bottom line is the market for these products IS there, if it wasn't, people wouldn't be asking for them, NI wouldn't be releasing the products they've dropped as sample libraries, Arturia wouldn't be making Prophet V, VB3 wouldn't be around, Synthogy's Ivory? Etc etc.

Customer service is paramount. NI, in my opinion, have awful customer service, poor product support and a very arrogant attitude towards their customers in general, and as I said, talking to people and looking around the web, I'm not the only one. As such I choose to spend my money elsewhere, shame really, but they wont listen, I won't buy, simple.

 

I too think it's a shame that NI discontinued the B4II. I use this fake organ all of the time. The idea of replacing it with a sample based organ doesn't do the trick. What's great about the B4 is that you can really dig in and make some original configurations. Seeing that it's no longer supported I'm hesitant to use it because I'm concerned about future compatability.

I understand dropping production if the sales aren't there... Still I wish NI would continue to support and update this excellent instrument. Offering a sampled version as the alternative just doesn't cut it for me and I won't be buying it. I bought the B4 shortly before it was discontinued.

As a customer, removing support for a product really leaves a bad taste in your mouth. This will be on my mind when NI offers their latest for sale.

 

B4II worked because you could play it like an organ, using the stops and all the tricks. Its a shame it was discontinued, along with Intakt, Vokator, Spektral Delay, Akoustic Piano, Elektric piano.

I've started collecting names of software that can replace NI's products and will start doing so, one at a time.

Its a shame really, I like their products, but can't reach support and don't trust the company.