QVprod wrote: ↑22 May 2021
Agreed on purpose of having an updated NNXT, being libraries that could be created for it. However, it’s unlikely we’d get Kontakt quality instruments for it. The beauty of Kontakt for most is the paid libraries for it both by Native Instruments and 3rd party. If you’ve mainly browsed around for the free Kontakt libraries, you’ve missed out. Most of them are pretty crap. Otherwise, stuff like the piano book libraries you mention could very much be mapped in the NNXT. If memory serves right I believe he (Christian) was using EXS24 in the videos I saw which is not any better in functionality than NNXT. I do think the stock sampled instruments in Reason could use a serious update, but a newer NNXT would just be a convenience. It isn’t really required for most things. So I have to disagree on the Reason feeling incomplete part. Most DAW users are using Kontakt, UVI/Falcon...etc... or a dedicated plugin for sampled instruments.
It doesn’t look like it will, but it would be great if the new sampler could handle multi samples to at least some degree though. It does seem however from the blog that it’s expected to be mostly be fodder for Combinator 2.0 as far as the built in library is concerned
I am surprised that people aren't more cranky about the absolute dominance of Kontakt. If it were a nicer device, perhaps, but it's really feeling old and clunky to use for anything more than opening big libraries. I'm slowly learning the scripting language and UI design, but it's not a lot of fun. And it's not cheap. This is why I prefer to use either NN-XT, or to do coding in SFZ (free, and underrated).
For DAWs there are at least 5-6 big companies to choose from, but for sample players, really only one. Halion and Falcon is trying to compete a bit, but they too are cumbersome to use, and they are both bloated, trying to also do every synthesis and FX in the world under one umbrella.
This is where Reason could find some new professional musician clients. A new instrument sampler, together with all the other things that the rack offers even in its most basic form, using the UI of the new combinator, really would have a shot at giving Kontakt some competition. It would take a while to build up a big library, but it could be done more quickly than it did with Kontakt, since they user interface is infinitely much more approachable. It wouldn't do some of the things you can do with Kontakt scripting, but generally you could come close.
For Logic Pro, a proper sampler is included - it used to be ESX24, but now it's been significantly updated and is called just Sampler. It comes with a significant high quality library, and a fair amount of additional content is available for it. It does offer more functionality than NN-XT - articulation groups, dual multimode filters, a comprehensive matrix, an integrated sample editor. No Kontakt needed here!
I use Logic, so why don't I just use Sampler? For one, I simply don't like the interface - they made some pretty bizarre choices for usability. This is where the Reason programmers generally do so much better. The clever choices made way back when they made NN-XT can speed up the tedious bits, and encourage creativity. I can only imagine what inventive approaches they could make for a new NN-XT, similar to how they reinvented FM with Algoritm, without dumbing it down.
The second reason I don't use the Logic Sampler is that it's not cross-platform. In addition to Logic, I also use Studio One and Reason, so if I were to make my go-to sampler the Logic Sampler, I couldn't use my library in any other DAW. Studio One also has an included sampler, Presence XT. It's really quite good as well (but needs some more work to be complete), but again, I can't use that outside of Studio One. Reason is better in this respect, since we have the rack plugin.
Anyway, enough ranting about something that likely won't happen.
I'm sure Reason Studios thought it through, and decided that a quick to use mangle box is what the people want.