New name. New products. New owners! Is Komplete 26 the most significant Komplete update yet?
Don’t you love it when a huge announcement tramples on your big announcement? Well, just as we were putting the finishing touches on this review, inMusic announced the acquisition of Native Instruments (NI), including iZotope, Plugin Alliance, and Brainworx.
It’s pretty fitting, because with all the recent NI insolvency chatter, many people forgot that we were due for another version of Komplete. And those who hadn’t feared there might never be another one. All of which makes this the most interesting version for a while.
It’s also interesting to think that many reading this review were not actually born when NI’s Komplete first launched, way back in 2003. And the rest of us were, if nothing else, younger and prettier.
And the last interesting thing about the announcement? Well, the last Komplete was version 15, but now we welcome… Komplete 26.
No, you haven’t been asleep for two decades – NI is naming versions after their release year. Yes, they’re doing an Apple – but iOS 26 dropped in 2025, so at least Komplete’s name matches the calendar.
So what do you get in K26, and is it worth it? Well, with nearly 350 products in the flagship Collector’s Edition, over 60 of them new to version 26, there’s no space here to cover the lot – so I’m sticking to headline additions, big talking points, and everything you need to know before putting your money on the table.
[quote align=right text=”Komplete 26 raises the bar higher than ever”]
Having an effect
I’m starting this review in an unconventional place: the Brainworx and iZotope stuff added to Komplete 26. NI always had some legacy tie-in effects, but it’s no disrespect to the excellent Softube to point out that NI’s acquisition of iZotope and Brainworx made a vast suite of industry-standard signal processors available.
K15 saw the inclusion of mastering powerhouse Ozone 11, the creative effects VocalSynth 2, and the mega-popular Trash, all from iZotope, plus Brainworx’s excellent Neve-emulating Channel Strip, but K26 dials this up to 11.
Collector’s Edition users now get Ozone 12 Elements, Neutron 5 Elements, and Nectar 4 Elements. These three alone put some of the industry’s most premium mastering, mixing, and vocal processing code right inside your DAW.
Added to that is FXEQ for some creative fun, plus some of the most heavyweight processing plugins you can put in a signal path: bx_masterdesk_Pro, bx_console AMEK 200, bx_clipper, bx_enhancer, bx_glue, and bx_XL_3.
Four of those seven Brainworx effects were already in my ‘most used’ list, and I can’t overstate how lovely they are.
Taking a shot
For old school NI fans, the big news of 2025 was Absynth’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes. First developed by Brian Clevinger in 2000 and acquired by NI the following year, Absynth remained a mainstay among sound designers and creative producers for 21 years, with semi-regular updates, until 2022, when NI announced its discontinuation of support. Then, back in September, NI dropped a bombshell… Absynth 6.
Without Absynth, the virtual synth market could look very different. From its semi-modular design to its ground-breaking morphing and evolving envelopes, it pioneered many of the features and design philosophies we take for granted today. 6 builds on this and, thanks to its from-the-ground-up redesign, should be easier to update and enhance moving forward.
Absynth 6 offers a dizzying range of sound-generation options, including FM, wavetable, subtractive, and granular synthesis, unrivalled 68-point envelope, morphing, and modulation capabilities, and, critically, 2000+ presets (including 350 new) to showcase them.
Absynth is often deemed, unfairly, a geek’s synth… but don’t be fooled. Even sticking to presets, it’s an unmissable monster that’s surprisingly well set up for newbies to twiddle knobs to see what happens.
And if you compare Absynth’s launch pricing to the price of moving from K15 to K26, Absynth is almost worth the price alone.
[quote align=right text=”Without Absynth, the virtual synth market could look very different…it pioneered many of the features and design philosophies we take for granted today”]
Top-tier composition and keys
The other three new flagship additions are Claire: Avant, Circular, and Odes. The first of those captures the tones of an Italian grand piano – the same one as NI’s Claire – using unconventional recording and string techniques, such as striking, scraping, and plucking.
It’s primarily targeted at scoring and experimental sound design, but its unusual approach makes it much more versatile than a regular piano, delivering organic and usable goodness, from Spanish-guitar-like arpeggios for playlist-topping hits to darker, discordant drill leads.
Circular is the latest from long-time NI collaborator Frank Elting. His last three were the performance-focused granular instruments Straylight, Pharlight, and Ashlight, which have achieved near legendary status in the scoring space, and though Circular is no less inventive, it’s actually far more widely useful.
Billed as an “expressive polyphonic sequencer”, it actually boasts a whole range of onboard sounds too, each with powerful performance-based tweaking controls, and it’s even designed to let you throw in your own samples.
There’s also a MIDI record feature to capture your jams and load them back into DAW channels.
I won’t pretend Circular is simple, though. Anybody can get some cool and inspirational stuff out of it, but actually getting specific results out of it…that’s a steeper learning curve.
Finally, Odes drips with rhythmic, organic vibes, with a focus on a range of obscure, playable world string and wood instruments performing rhythmic patterns. This is another one that transcends its obvious scoring target market. Perhaps not quite as versatile as Circular – it can nevertheless be put to powerful use in a range of pop and urban styles, with results that range from floaty and ethereal to stadium-fillingly large.
The catch? These three are only available in the Collector’s Edition.
More-chestral instruments
But there’s plenty for the Ultimate users too. London Contemporary Orchestra Strings, Moments: Vocal Chords, Cremona String Quartet, and a host of Scene Series instruments are all included.
The Scene Series comprises all-themed creative instruments and can be used for a range of purposes. But as creative as they are, if you’re making electronic or dance styles, these are probably not going to be your go-to studio staples – they’re where you go for unconventional inspiration or a touch of organic goodness to distort and throw over your drum machines and synths.
Likewise, the others I mentioned are perfect for film, TV, and trailer scoring, but not essential purchases for deep tech or trance maestros.
Meet the band
It’s not all high-end orchestral and sound-design instruments, though – there are some welcome new members of the NI band, including new products in the Session Guitarist series of playable guitars.
If you haven’t tried Session Guitarist Kontakt instruments, they’re just awesome and let non-guitarists and experienced pluckers alike strum themselves to ecstasy.
There are also four fantastic new Definitive Electric Keys Collection instruments, plus Marco Polo Drums, 24K Drums, Songwriter Drums, and a new Session Bassist instrument, Jam Bass.
I love these kinds of NI instruments and have used them just as widely in my house music projects as when scoring fashion shows, trailers, radio beds, and sound libraries.
They’re all in the top two editions, and a number of them come with Standard too.
[quote align=right text=”If you haven’t tried Session Guitarist Kontakt instruments, they’re just awesome and let non-guitarists and experienced pluckers alike strum themselves to ecstasy”]
Leaps of faith
K26 also adds a bucketload of extra products from Play Series, Leap Series, and Expansions. These product lines have their fans, and are always tip-top quality and really applicable, but by their nature they’re largely genre- / style-focused, so if you’re only making music in a narrow genre range, their individual value will be a bit hit and miss.
Speaking purely for myself, they’re a great go-to resource, particularly if I want authentic, out-of-the-box sounds or percussion hits and loops for specific genres.
Not first Kontakt
Much has been made online of the fact that a number of Komplete 26’s headline instruments and effects aren’t actually new to Komplete. (Massive X, Kontakt 8, and Guitar Rig 7, take a bow).
But that doesn’t change the fact that these are exceptionally powerful products, with the latter two introduced only in Komplete 15, so a huge number of Komplete owners haven’t got them yet. And they’re well worth adding to your collection.
For example, Guitar Rig 7 introduced cool audio-looping tools and great new models and effects (incorporating premium iZotope code).
Meanwhile, Kontakt 8 delivers a range of generational new features, including Leap (a powerful loop-triggering module) and innovative MIDI composition tools that help anyone compose great musical parts, regardless of their level of knowledge.
I actually bought both as separate upgrades and felt like I got more than my money’s worth.
[quote align=right text=”Komplete has always been a pretty mouth-watering no-brainer from a dollar value standpoint. Komplete offers insane value, and K26 raises the bar higher than ever”]
Edition additions
When Komplete first launched, it did what it said on the tin: you got it all. But as NI’s product range expanded and diversified, it made sense to introduce editions tailored to different needs and budgets.
Collector’s Edition is the flagship, now with over 340 instruments and effects, and more than 150 expansions. The key exclusives for this tier are seven more cinematic and sound design instruments and seven additional orchestral instruments than the tier below, including high-end strings like Stradivari Cello and Violin. And there are also 45 more Expansions than Ultimate, for a total of over 150.
If you’re a pro music producer or composer working across a range of genres for clients, then CE certainly earns its top-tier price tag. But if not…
Ultimate edition is still an absolute beast. All of the main NI instruments and effects are there, plus a bunch of orchestral, cinematic, and sound design Kontakt Instruments, for a total of over 280. It lacks some of the high-end orchestral tools, but you still get a full orchestra, plus a comprehensive set of playable synths, guitars, and percussion – more than enough for any electronic and pop genre. Over 100 Expansions further expand the sonic palette, making this the most competitively priced bundle for working producers and composers.
And then there’s Standard, a name that actually undersells it. If you’re making any genre of electronic music, this delivers everything you need and more. Absynth 6, Guitar Rig 7, Kontakt 8, Massive X… they’re all here alongside a range of sampled instruments – more than 140 instruments and effects in all. Plus over 70 Expansions.
Check the full comparison lists and update and upgrade pricings here.
[quote align=right text=”If you’re a pro music producer or composer working across a range of genres for clients, then Collector’s Edition certainly earns its top-tier price tag”]
Pricing and upgrades
Speaking of pricing, the new pricing policy for the update raised a few eyebrows online after the announcement. NI previously let you skip a couple of versions and update for the same price as somebody who’d updated every time – so updating from 12 to 15 cost the same as 14 to 15, for example. Now, pricing goes up based on how many versions you’re jumping.
Nobody likes losing something they’ve taken for granted, but given the perilous state of our beloved industry and skyrocketing costs of everything, everywhere, all at once, can we really expect a company to survive and thrive without adapting?
Also, what got lost in the noise is that NI have actually significantly reduced the cost for people who jump directly up from the previous version, so K15 Standard updaters, for example, will pay less to move to K26 than K14 users paid to move to K15.
Our big question
We started by asking a simple question. ‘Is this the most significant Komplete update yet?’
Despite lacking the sheer number of game-changing new products that some previous Komplete versions added, there’s still a lot of great new stuff. And taking everything else into consideration – the reinvention of an icon, a hugely enhanced processing offering, and the small matter of knowing that your investment is now protected against bankruptcy and obsolescence – I think perhaps it is.
Should you buy Komplete 26?
Komplete has always been a pretty mouth-watering no-brainer from a dollar value standpoint – but only if you’re actually gonna make use of a lot of NI products.
If you use loops and synths and drum samples in your music, NI’s Komplete still has arguably the biggest and most comprehensive collection on the market. And their stuff just sounds ready for release, out of the box.
If you want a collection of convincing and easy-to-use acoustic instruments, like string sections, pianos, guitars, basses, and exquisitely captured drum kits, to introduce perfectly recorded and mixed real-world playing into your music, Komplete has you covered with arguably the most comprehensive collection on the market.
But what of processors? If we’re brutally honest, Komplete’s instrument and audio content used to be far stronger than its effects game. These days, though, those extras from iZotope and Brainworx have flipped that script, making Komplete more complete than ever before.
Newbies and hold-outs and loyalists, oh my!
If you haven’t yet dipped your toe in the NI waters, then there’s literally never been a better time. Komplete always offers insane value, and K26 raises the bar higher than ever. Existing users (including this writer) probably take it for granted a bit, but newcomers to either Standard, Ultimate, or CE will all have their minds utterly blown. Fakt.
If you’re an existing Komplete user and haven’t upgraded for a few versions, then there’s plenty to tempt, and you won’t regret it. Komplete 15, for example, introduced some powerful new tools like Kontakt 8 and the overhauled Guitar Rig 7, plus some great iZotope and Brainworx tools, so you’re getting all of those too.
The only minor question mark is for Komplete 15 users. If you’ve already bought the likes of Absynth 6 and LCO Producer Strings since they released then some of the update value is lost. Likewise, if you’ve already invested heavily in iZotope and Brainworx, then this new content won’t add as much value.
But even so… for me… the significantly-reduced cost for moving up a single version offsets this, and it still comes with a lot of new content so there’s more than enough new value here to justify the new lower price.
In the end, I won’t devalue all my praise by claiming that Komplete 26 is an essential update for all Komplete users. It’s not. But it’s a uniquely significant one and definitely justifies the price tag for anybody who turns the key.
Find out more on Native Instruments’ website.
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