Native Instruments
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| Native Instruments | |
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| Type of Company | Privately Held Corporation |
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| Founded | Berlin (1996) |
| Headquarters |  Berlin, Germany |
| Key people | Stephan Schmitt, Daniel Haver |
| Industry | Computer Software and Hardware for Music Production/Performance |
| Employees | 140 |
| Website | Native Instruments |
Native Instruments was founded in 1996 in Berlin, Germany by Stephan Schmitt and Volker Hinz with a goal to bring real-time sound synthesis to home computers. Their first product encompassed the modular nature of vintage sound synthesis in software form, originally titled "Generator" (which later evolved into the Reaktor product line).
Since then, Native Instruments has become one of the largest names in the world of professional musical software, offering a plethora of products aimed at electronic musicians.
Native Instruments also maintains an alliance with the online dance music store Beatport.
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[edit] Company History
[edit] The Beginning: 1995-1999
In 1995, Stephan Schmitt began looking for alternative ways of generating sound, a need inspired by his distaste for the massive commercial synths of the time. As a hardware engineer and a developer of mixing desks, an active live musician, and a synthesizer player, Schmitt criticized hardware synthesizers for their price, bulkiness, and limitations. Due to the rapid increase in computational powers of home computers at that time, it was natural for Schmitt to focus his attention on software methods.
His first idea was both a "new kind of instrument" and a software remake of an old 'cabinet-based' pure analog system. The vision, however, was remarkable: Schmitt combined the familiar time-tested interface for sound programming (utilized in classic analog units, such as Buchla and Doepfer) with the possibilities offered by software synthesis (polyphony, programmability, and large amounts of memory storage). Schmitt's idea was well-received by programmer Volker Hinz, with whom he developed the concept of the first modular software synthesizer.
In early 1996, the software had been developed from the original concept into a fully working instrument, and was called Generator. Generator's first public showing was at Musikmesse Frankfurt, and it attracted huge international interest. Around the same time, Schmitt and Hinz registered their small 'company' as The Native Instruments GbR. In summer of 1996, Generator was released as a commercial product, which became an instant success in the thriving techno and electronic music communities.
Although musical software like CSound and SuperCollider were 'old news' around the same time, Native Instruments created something that had multiple levels of complexity, and involving different levels of both computer and musical knowledge. The instant commercial success of Generator has not only contributed to the continuing growth of Native Instruments, but also has inspired the birth and success of many other music software companies in the years that followed.
In 1997, Native Instruments GmbH was founded, consisting of six shareholders, with their first company offices established in Berlin-Mitte. Along with three other newcomers that helped make NI a full-scale economical enterprise was Daniel Haver, a man responsible for professional structures within the company. An internal organizational framework was put in place, and an international distribution network was created. Due to Haver's efforts, Native Instruments' products were distributed in over 20 countries by 1999.
[edit] 1999-Present
On the software front, it was the original Generator code that continually expanded to include additional functionality that began breaking new ground in terms of sonic ability. Sampling, among other things, made many experience the power of a computer first-hand, due to the possibility for large, high resolution audio clips. Native Instruments began developing instruments using the Generator application as a base, which gave birth to other famous packages, like Dynamo, Reaktor, and Transformator, the first two quickly becoming favorites among the media and musicians alike. By the summer of 1999, the company grew to have 15 employees.
During that period, Information Technology was undergoing a "boom" in both development and demand for technology, which increased the sales and enabled NI to establish partnerships, thus increasing their capital. The company moved to occupy a larger (and more expensive) office in Berlin-Kreuzberg, and hired additional personnel for the design and marketing of their products.
Software-wise, the end of millennium brought two software re-creations of "old-school" gear, in the form of B4 Organ (tone-wheel organ emulation), Pro-52 (an emulator of a Prophet 5 synthesizer) and FM-7 (an emulator of a Yamaha DX-7. These emulations could actually use the patches from their sometimes unreliable hardware predecessors. In many ways, the familiarity of interface and predictability of sound of these products have attracted a much wider user base than the original "futuristic" Generator. Drowning in critical acclaim, Native Instruments have finally brought software-based tools to an equal footing with expensive hardware based tools for professional sound generation.
In 2001, Native Instruments continued to expand computer-based sound shaping tools, with Kontakt 2 (a software sampler), Traktor 3 (DJ Software), and a percussion sampler Battery 3, the latter has received a many favorable reviews from famous electronic musicians. Native Instruments has established Native Instruments, Inc. in 2002, with offices in Los Angeles, California, which has improved the appeal of their products for North American consumers.
Currently, Native Instruments has over 120 employees, and remains an innovator in audio software. In 2006, They introduced and began shipping Kore, a "Universal Sound Platform," coupled with a "Host Unit" — a hardware component specifically designed for control of software components, "Bandstand", a GM compatible sound module and they also developed and released "Massive", a comprehensive new synthesizer product. In late 2006, they announced "Komplete 4" and a new audio interface, "Audio Kontrol 1" which further signified their expansion into developing hardware.
In September 2006, Native Instruments celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party on the 23rd that began at midnight at Berlin's famous Watergate Club. Kreuzberg´s signature landmark, the historic Oberbaumbrücke, was completely illuminated with the NI-Versary logo. This party featured performances by many well-known electronic artists featuring Native Instruments products in the performances.
In November 2006, they released final versions of "Massive" and Kore 1.1 along with native "universal binary" versions of all of their products for the "MacIntel" Apple computers. They are scheduled to have their entire product line shipping with native versions by the end of 2006. They also updated their product line with new versions of Battery, the FM8 and Absynth 4.
The company's scope among music artists is diverse and substantial with accolades from users such as Kraftwerk, Trent Reznor and Hans Zimmer
[edit] Current Products
[edit] Synth Line |
[edit] Sampling Line |
[edit] Guitar Line
[edit] Effects Line
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[edit] DJ Line |
[edit] Other products
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[edit] References
- [1], NI-versary Party Report
[edit] External links
- Native Instruments, Official site
- Native Instruments, Official German site
