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Native Instruments’ holiday giveaway is a $49 Play Series instrument packed with free vocal samples for pop, hip-hop and R&B.

“It’s the most… wonderful… time… of the year,” they say, and they say it because it has become the season of free music software. Yes, over the last few years it has become a tradition for some of the biggest software companies to give us all a present at Christmas, and this one is no exception. Thank you for the Glaze.

Hot on the heels of Cherry Audio’s Christmas giveaway – the Synthesizer Expander Module (based on an Oberheim synth) – Native Instruments is upping the freebie stakes with its $49-value Glaze Christmas gift.

Glaze is a Kontakt instrument in the company’s Play series, and was originally designed specifically for pop, hip-hop and R&B vocals. It was developed in collaboration with engineers Curtis ‘Sauce’ Wilson and Rochad Holiday, who have worked with Ne-Yo, Ariana Grande, Will Smith, and Dr Dre.

The instrument uses vocals recorded by a diverse selection of singers, and can provide everything from upfront vocals for pop to processed vocals for trap. It comes with 148 presets across a range of folders to demonstrate just how diverse it can be.

Among these you get wide stacked chords, pads, leads, bass timbres, and more that can be used to provide backing for the vocals. You can even create vocal runs with combinations of samples mapped to a scale using Glaze’s Riff & Run presets.

Hands-on controls include Warmth and Saturation effects, and there are several edit pages that enable you to adjust layers and dig deeper into the vocal tract of the instrument.

All in all, that’s a pretty good offering for your Christmas stocking of a hard drive this year. Glaze is under a couple of gigs in size and you can grab it for free, for a limited time (so be quick).

To get Glaze, simply head to the Native Instruments Glaze download page and follow the instructions.

Today, Native Instruments announced new Kontrol S-Series MK3 MIDI controller keyboards, including the S49, S61, and S88.

The entire line has been updated to feature Fatar keyboards with polyphonic aftertouch. This lets you take performances further, letting you control cutoff, pitch, vibrato, and more for each individual note, without reaching for an encoder or dial.

NI says that they the new S-Series keyboard controllers are best in class, with new features and control capabilities; an intuitive connection to instruments, effects, and DAWs; all with deep navigation on a high-res screen. They are available in three size options: 49 semi-weighted keys, 61 semi-weighted keys, or 88 fully weighted hammer-action keys.

All three models feature a large glass screen, touch-sensitive anodized aluminum encoders and mod wheels, and redesigned tactile buttons.

Features:

• Full-color glass display
• Fatar keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch as standard
• Metal-touch pitch and modulation wheels with central illumination
• Hardware/software integration with direct connection to Kontakt helps you find, adjust, and play sounds quickly and easily
• Integration with all major DAWs lets you control transport and mixing commands directly from the keyboard: record, stop, rewind, mix, edit, and see project channels on the display
• Precision tweaking for all your sounds, pre-mapped to key instrument and effect parameters
• Redesigned Light Guide pinpoints notes with a light above each key
• USB, MIDI, and bus-powered USB-C connectivity plus inputs for four pedals: one sustain, one expression, and two assignable pedals

The Kontrol S-Series controllers come with a wide range of software, including:

• Komplete 14 Select is the essential production suite, including powerful synths, drums, percussion, studio-grade effects, and a wide range of customizable sounds.
• Komplete Kontrol software unites and organizes instruments, effects, loops, and samples, mapping everything to the keyboard controller.
• Plus: Stradivari Cello, Hypha, Guitar Rig LE, iZotope Elements Suite, and Ableton Live Lite

The Kontrol S-Series MK3 is available now to pre-order and shipping in October, with the following pricing:

• Kontrol S49 MK3 pricing:

€ 749,00 / $ 749,00 / JPY 107.400,00 / £ 649,00 / AUD 1.099,00 / CAD 969,00 / CHF 749,00 / CNY ¥ 5.899,00

• Kontrol S61 MK3 pricing:

€ 849,00 / $ 849,00 / JPY 121.700,00 / £ 749,00 / AUD 1.299,00 / CAD 1.099,00 / CHF 849,00 / CNY ¥ 6.699,00

• Kontrol S88 MK3 pricing:

€ 1.299,00 / $ 1.299,00 / JPY 186.200,00 / £ 1129,00 / AUD 1.949,00 / CAD 1.679,00 / CHF 1299,00 / CNY ¥ 9.999,00

Native Instruments releases Ozone 11, Nectar 4 and Guitar Rig 7, and brings them together in Music Production Suite 6

Native Instruments today announced Music Production Suite 6, a collection that includes more than 30 plugins across NI, iZotope, and Brainworx product lines, including new versions of Ozone, Nectar, and Guitar Rig.

Ozone 11 Advanced mastering package now comes with a Clarity Module to “maximise spectral power”, and its new Stem Focus feature promises to salvage problematic mixes by working its magic on isolated stems within them.

Nectar 4 Advanced vocal processing bundle gets an Auto-Level module that can be used as an alternative to a compressor, a Voices module for layering and creating “harmonic motion”, and an AI-powered Backer module that delivers virtual backing vocals.

Guitar Rig Pro 7, a guitar effects toolbox includes 100 new rack presets, four new lo-fi components, and new amps and pedals powered by machine learning.

Music Production Suite 6 also contains Neutron 4, RX 10 Standard, Neoverb, Tonal Balance Control 2, Insight 2, VocalSynth 2, Audiolens, two Exponential Audio reverbs, the Brainworx Creative Mixing Set, and several Native Instruments effects.

What NI say about it:

“Music Production Suite 6 leverages AI-powered processing to provide a customized starting point for every step of the creative journey, from balancing levels and effects to the final mastering polish. For example, quickly analyze and tone-match the sound of your favorite vocalist using Nectar 4’s Vocal Assistant. Or capture the sound of your favorite track with Ozone 11’s Mastering Assistant and receive suggested settings for width, dynamics, loudness, and more.

Inter-plugin communication streamlines workflows throughout the mixing process, allowing iZotope plugins to listen to each other to detect masking between tracks and vocals, suggest level balance settings, mix tracks visually, reference audio from any source, and much more.”

Features:

• Ozone 11 Advanced offers powerful new enhancements to provide a comprehensive mastering toolkit for artists and audio professionals alike.
• Nectar 4 makes it easier than ever to achieve professional-quality vocals with a suite of plugins that provide complete control over vocal sound.
• Guitar Rig 7 Pro is a creative effects playground packed with sought-after guitar
• and bass amps, studio effects, and pedals.
• Additional plugins include:
  • Neutron 4: A complete suite for crafting professional mixes
  • RX 10 Standard: The industry standard in audio repair
  • Neoverb: The smartest reverb plugin for music producers
  • Tonal Balance Control 2: A powerful meter for balancing a mix
  • Insight 2 An intelligent metering suite for mixing, mastering, and post production
  • VocalSynth 2 Innovative effects for creative vocals
  • Audiolens: Easy track referencing from any music streaming platform
  • Exponential Audio Immersive Reverbs: Symphony 3D and Stratus 3D
  • Brainworx Creative Mixing Set: Bx_delay 2500, Bx_boom!, Bx_subsynth, Bx cleansweep pro, Bx_refinement, Bx_saturator V2
  • Native Instruments effects: Raum, Crushpack, Modpack, Supercharger GT, Replika XT, Solid Mix Series, Transient Master, Driver

Music Production Suite 6 and the new flagship applications are available now, with intro pricing through October 11, 2023:

• Music Production Suite 6: $449 introductory, regular $599
• Ozone 11 Advanced: $299 introductory, regular $399
• Ozone 11 Standard: $149 introductory, regular $199
• Ozone 11 Elements: $39 introductory, regular $49
• Nectar 4 Advanced: $224 introductory, regular $299
• Nectar 4 Standard: $149 introductory, regular $199
• Nectar 4 Elements: $39 introductory, regular $49
• Guitar Rig 7 Pro: $199

You can find out more on the iZotope and Native Instruments websites.