Native Instruments’ KOMPLETE 13 brings together instruments and effects for orchestral, band, electronic, and many other styles of production. In this article, originally published in December 2020, seven Sleepfreaks instructors share their favorite additions, including GUITAR RIG 6 with AI-based amp modeling, the contemporary sounds of Play Series CLOUD SUPPLY, and the sampled STRADIVARI VIOLIN. The KOMPLETE 13 range offered four editions to suit different budgets and needs, with tools for beginners and experienced producers alike.
A Go-To Bundle for a Wide Range of Genres
At the time of this article’s original publication in 2020, Native Instruments had recently released the KOMPLETE 13 series.
Film scoring, orchestral and band instruments, world instruments, synthesizers, rhythm tools, sound effects, and audio effects are all covered.
The range spans many kinds of music production and is widely used as a staple collection of third-party instruments by amateurs and professionals alike.
The KOMPLETE 13 range offered four editions, allowing you to choose according to your budget and the products you needed.
The products included in each edition are shown below.
Although the collection is enormous, another attraction of KOMPLETE 13 is the quality of the individual instruments and effects.
Here, seven Sleepfreaks instructors introduce their favorite instruments and effects from the products added to KOMPLETE 13.
Video: Seven Sleepfreaks Instructors’ KOMPLETE 13 Picks
GUITAR RIG 6 — Tatsuki Kanaya
AI-based amp modeling brings a new level of realism to the amp sounds in GUITAR RIG 6.
Beyond the sound quality, I particularly enjoyed the immediate response and feel when playing guitar.
The amp cabinet section has also been improved, which helps the guitar sit well with other tracks.
A range of high-quality modulation and distortion effects has been added, and they pair very well with the amps.
Try different combinations to create guitar tones with a character of their own.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
For a detailed guide to the previous version, GUITAR RIG 5, see the article below.
Play Series CLOUD SUPPLY — Tomoki Miyakawa
Two strengths of the Play Series are its sound quality and straightforward layout.
These ready-to-use libraries are tailored to contemporary music and make it easy to give a track a distinctive atmosphere.
The simple design layers two sound sources into one instrument. I also like how easily you can build hybrid sounds combining synthesized and acoustic material.
CLOUD SUPPLY includes many gritty, atmospheric sounds, making it a good choice for chill, trap, and lo-fi styles.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
MALLET FLUX — Nobuhiko Otsuru
This instrument focuses on mallet percussion. Each sound is beautiful, and the range of playing techniques and editing options makes it useful across many genres even before exploring its other features.
Its ensemble sequencing mode also provides plenty of ready-to-use presets. These can spark ideas for a song or slot directly into an arrangement, with detailed editing available when you want to go further.
If you are struggling to choose or arrange mallet sounds, this is well worth trying.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
Picked Acoustic — Kazuma Itoh
Following the Session Guitarist Strummed Acoustic series, which makes strummed guitar parts and performance patterns easy to use, Session Guitarist Picked Acoustic adds melodies, solos, and your own arpeggios to the possibilities.
It is also great to have both plectrum and fingerpicked playing styles available.
Ease of use is another consistent strength of this series.
Guitar articulations are straightforward to program too.
With so many presets and patterns, it is worth trying even if you already play guitar.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
STRAYLIGHT & SUPER 8 — Yukimasa Mizutani
STRAYLIGHT
Designed for sound designers and composers working in film, television, and games, STRAYLIGHT includes presets for a wide variety of scenes.
Its granular sound engine combines a grain layer with a sample layer. You can also drag and drop your own samples instead of relying only on the supplied material, opening up plenty of scope for original sounds.
Although it is ideal for scoring to picture, its sounds also suit trap beats, so I recommend trying it there too.
SUPER 8
An eight-voice polyphonic synthesizer with the warmth of vintage synths.
Its extensive presets make it easy to call up familiar classic synth tones.
The interface is simple, so adapting a preset to fit your track is straightforward.
With wavetable synths so prominent at the time, this kind of vintage thickness felt refreshingly different.
I recommend it for basses, leads, and pads alike.
Included in the KOMPLETE 13 range:
SUPER 8: KOMPLETE 13 and higher editions.
STRAYLIGHT: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE and higher editions.
PHARLIGHT — Kohei Machida
PHARLIGHT is an instrument built around vocal samples.
It provides a wide range of vocal-derived sounds, from melodic instruments to textures, for styles ranging from film scores to pop.
One of its attractions is the ability to edit more than 300 presets to suit your track.
You can also import your own samples, greatly expanding the sound-design possibilities.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
STRADIVARI VIOLIN — Hidetoshi Takumi
This high-quality violin instrument captures the rare sound of the “Vesuvius,” built by Antonio Stradivari in 1727.
There are plenty of keyswitches for changing playing techniques and articulations, but I particularly appreciate the simplified Virtuoso mode, which makes expressive performances easier to achieve.
With multiple microphone options to control the sense of space, it should adapt well to a variety of musical settings.
Included in: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE and higher KOMPLETE 13 editions.
Amati Viola / Guarneri Violin / Stradivari Cello: KOMPLETE 13 ULTIMATE Collector’s Edition.
Ready-to-Use Expansion Packs
Each edition also includes Expansion packs built mainly around drum kits and synthesizer presets.
Expansions originally served as add-on kits for Native Instruments MASCHINE.
By the time of this article, they also offered integration with BATTERY 4 and KOMPLETE KONTROL.
The sounds are organized by genre and category, making high-quality material, including individual one-shots, easy to access.
Be sure to explore this part of the bundle too.
What did you think of these picks?
We hope they give you a sense of KOMPLETE 13’s appeal and the breadth of genres it can cover.
Trying instruments from KOMPLETE 13 in place of sounds already used in a track may also help you discover ways to improve the production.
We cover other instruments and effects in our articles and videos, so make use of those guides too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What genres can KOMPLETE 13 cover?
Its instruments and effects support film scoring, orchestral and band arrangements, world instruments, synthesis, rhythm, and sound effects. It is useful across styles from pop and film music to trap and lo-fi.
Q2. What editions did KOMPLETE 13 offer?
KOMPLETE 13 was offered in four editions, with different selections of instruments and effects to suit different budgets and production needs. The bundle-inclusion notes in this article refer to the KOMPLETE 13 range at the time.
Q3. Can beginners use KOMPLETE 13?
Yes. Many products, including the Play Series, offer simple layouts and plenty of presets, so beginners can start with ready-made sounds. Some instruments also provide simplified performance controls, such as STRADIVARI VIOLIN’s Virtuoso mode.
Q4. What was new in GUITAR RIG 6?
GUITAR RIG 6 introduced AI-based amp modeling for more realistic amp tones, an improved cabinet section, and additional high-quality effects. These are the version 6 features discussed in this 2020 article.
Q5. Is there an instrument for creating sounds from vocal samples?
PHARLIGHT is a vocal-sample-based instrument with more than 300 presets for melodic parts and textures, plus support for importing your own samples. It is a sound-design instrument rather than a general-purpose vocal mixing effect.
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