| Native Instruments | |
|---|---|
| Type | Privately Held Corporation |
| 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 is a music software production company whose products are mainly aimed at electronic musicians. The term privately held company refers to ownership of a business company in two different ways first referring to ownership by non-governmental organizations and second Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production The company was founded in 1996 in Berlin, Germany by Stephan Schmitt and Volker Hinz. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. 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). The modular synthesizer is a type of Synthesizer consisting of separate specialized modules connected by wires (patch cords to create a so-called patch. Reaktor is a graphical Modular software music studio of proprietary license developed by Native Instruments. Since then, Native Instruments has released several other widely recognised pieces of software such as Kontakt, Guitar Rig and Traktor. Kontakt is a software sampler made by Native Instruments. It runs on Macintosh and Microsoft Windows platforms available in standalone Guitar Rig is a popular Guitar multi-effects processor Software developed by Native Instruments. Traktor is a Swedish production team consisting of five directors and two producers
Native Instruments also maintains an alliance with the online dance music store Beatport. Overview Beatport is a US -based Online music store located in Denver Colorado that specializes in Electronic music, Dance
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Company history
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). Buchla & Associates Inc is a manufacturer of electronic musical instruments notably Synthesizers and unique MIDI controllers Doepfer Musikelektronik GmbH is a manufacturer of audio hardware based in Gräfelfing, Germany, founded by Dieter Döpfer 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. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production
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. Csound is a Computer programming language for dealing with sound also known as a Sound compiler or an Audio programming language. SuperCollider is an environment and Programming language originally released in 1996 by James McCartney for Real time Audio synthesis and Algorithmic 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.
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. Reaktor is a graphical Modular software music studio of proprietary license developed by Native Instruments. By the summer of 1999, the company grew to have 15 employees. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
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 three software re-creations of "old-school" gear, in the form of B4 Organ (tone-wheel organ emulation), Pro-52 (an emulator of a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 synthesizer) and FM-7 (an emulator of a Yamaha DX-7). The Prophet-5 was an analog Synthesizer manufactured by Sequential Circuits in San Jose California between 1978 and 1984. The Yamaha DX7 was a Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986, based on FM synthesis developed by 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 DJ Studio (DJ Software), and a percussion sampler Battery 3, the latter of which received many favorable reviews from famous electronic musicians. A sampler is an electronic musical instrument closely related to a Synthesizer. Traktor DJ Studio (now known simply as Traktor) is a software DJ solution developed by independent software developers and later licensed to Native Instruments [1] Native Instruments established Native Instruments, Inc. in 2002, with offices in Los Angeles, California, which has improved the appeal of their products for North American consumers. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West
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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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, BT, Trent Reznor and Hans Zimmer [2]
Current products
Synthesizers
Sampling
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Guitar line
Effects
DJ line
Other products
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References
- [1], NI-versary Party Report
External links
- Native Instruments, Official site
- Native Instruments, Official German site
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