https://support.native-instruments.c...s/360006053397

Just a quick reminder that you don't own their products. You just get to use them for some time until they decide that time is over.

most of these have a newer version so it’s more just like an old version no longer being supported which is fairly common..

odd that they can't even be installed/activated anymore, but everything on that list is absolutely ancient. big deal, no real surprise looking at what's listed.

i'm actually surprised that Kore isn't on there (probably because it's 64-bit and the others aren't).

You can still use them, just not upgrade or change computers.

https://support.native-instruments.c...s/360006053397

I'm honestly more surprised it took this long for some of these products to lose support.

Or have a hard disk crash or reinstall your computer or do anything with it that might break their DRM.

you're right, it's a huge conspiracy. thanks for letting us know.

maybe just move on like everyone else did 10+ years ago? most all of these came out well before 2005. are you still using Windows XP?

Not to be offensive, but I'm a bit surprised people pay the prices they do today for these vst's knowing they will be off-shelved in a decade. I remember when this was an amateur game selling vst's for $10-$20.. (not saying the programmers were amateur -they surely were not - but it got super greedy. So greedy.) If you are going to charge $200 - or even $900 for a collection like Battery 2 in 2007 - you better-well f**kin support it forever!

Don't try to be bada** with your price yet unsure how you can make it last.

You're only here because you had that price and people believed you and purchased it.

Look at you NI -

Imagine if we had airbag recalls for your software (I don't want that- but that is how this kind of stuff happens.... by making silly moves like that)

That is some cold-a** sh*t there.

It'd be a nice thank you to their customers if they offered final versions that are DRM free before dropping support though.

These kinds of gestures make me confident to buy from companies because I don't feel like I might get abandoned on a whim.

on a whim? most all of this stuff has been dead in the water for 10+ years and/or has had several new versions released since. it's not like they're discontinuing support for Komplete 8-12 or anything (which is almost what i expected to see based on the thread title).

who cares? who even still uses any of these?

Absynth 2
Absynth 3
Absynth Sounds Volume 1
AC-Box Combo
Akoustik Piano (before 1.1.0)
B4
B4 II
Bandstand
Battery
Battery 2
Battery Studio Drums
Electronic Instruments 2 XT
Elektrik Piano (before 1.5)
FM7
Guitar Combos
Guitar Rig
Guitar Rig 2
Intakt
Kompakt
Kompakt Sony ACID Pro
Komplete 2
Kontakt 1.0
Kontakt 2
NI Essentials
NI Spectral Delay
Plex Combo
Pro-52
Pro-53
Reaktor 2.3
Reaktor 3
Reaktor 4
Reaktor 5 (before 5.1.5.0)
Reaktor Electronic Instruments
Reaktor Electronic Instruments 2
Reaktor Session
Studio Collection
Traktor DJ Studio 3
Traktor DJ (from 2001)
Traktor DJ Studio
Traktor DJ Studio 2
Traktor DJ Studio 2.x
Traktor FS 1.5
Traktor FS 1.5
Traktor FS 2
Traktor Hercules
Twang Combo
Vokator

Nice of you to make that assumption for everyone.


I still have two of those on my music computer, and my studio mate has a lot more. He has a 32bit win7 laptop specifically for legacy programs he still likes and uses.

On the other hand, I haven't trusted NI support in many years, so not surprising.

Reaktor 5????

I feel more comfortable than ever, that I decided to switch to Hardware-Synths only ...

I still use an "Orange Vocoder VST" from late 90's - still works - not to mention not having to pay $200 to $900 for it.

Side note - anyone that bought these - with the incredibly large samplebank that was included(thinking you would be able to use it forever) there might be a conversion script coming out - so don't trash them.

great, you're both welcome to keep using them. buy a few spares and load them up, you've still got at least a couple months to do so.

like they should continue to support all this stuff for a few people who might still be using them. i don't know why you'd expect them to.

Reaktor 5.1, as if anyone would use that instead of Reaktor 5.6 if they could (huge improvement with that update) ...and besides, anyone who hasn't upgraded to Reaktor 6 is out of their minds.

Providing support is one thing, but actively blocking people from re-installing is another issue entirely. F.e. For my regular commercial DJ gigs I use an older version of Traktor Pro 2.x. Because this works stable and has all the features I need, and more importantly works with the hardware from NI I own (Audio4DJ and X1 mk2). If I would like to reinstall this I’m blocked by NI, and thus also my NI hardware is worthless.

The right thing (as mentioned above) would be to remove support but also remove DRM and just let people use the old stuff as they see fit. Maybe even opensource some of it if possible. But now we’re actively forced to buy new stuff from NI while the current gear is still working perfectly. TBH they are pushing me towards other brands with this strategy.

I'm spying a fundamental misunderstanding in how the world works.

I'm a bit surprised people pay for...

- Toasters, dishwashers, or any other home-appliances that only come with a limited warranty so that when they break down in a few years, you've lost your investment.
- Anything with a limited warranty at all. The manufacturer should support and maintain my purchases forever.
- Cars which can cost many tens of thousands of dollar but you have to actually keep paying for maintenance, which should be done by the manufacturer.
- Computers, phones, synthesizers or any other electronics that start devaluing the moment you buy them
- Graphics cards, which will be obsolete within 7 years.
- Licenses for anything. What do you mean I don't own my software?
- Microsoft Windows. Why pay for something that will no longer work in 20 years?

Do you understand how entitled that is?

As for old NI software, old software can still be installed with the old installers (Maschine 1, for example). But to expect NI will provide downloads for discontinued software into infinity is just bizarre.

Nothing, *Nothing* lasts forever. Everything you buy has an expiration date.

5.1 was released in 2005, anyone that still uses reaktor 5 is on 5.6 version, they are killing support for very old software.

Reaktor 5.1.5 ..
You can still use all reaktor versions above 5.1.5 . ( and there were numerous versions )

Yes I know. But we can expect NI now to do the same things like that in the next year or so to other newer versions of their former - expensive - flagships.

And I also have Absynth 3, Battery, Kontakt 2 which I still use - sometimes.

I simply don't like spending money for something that I don't really "own".

I'm out of software instruments now, thank you. The only thing I will need in future is some kind of DAW / Effects for recording.

As I've understood so far, it will NOT be possible to authorize the old VSTs on a new hardware. Am I wrong?

This move violates their own orignal license agreement. A case for the court.

In cases like this, i fully support piracy...
You paid for it, you have the friggin right to use it.

that's the main reason why i keep away from software synths.

You are so wrong. What would prevent them from shutting down your license after lets' say one year after purchase? So what has changed over the years in terms of the license agreement?

You buy time-unlimited right to use it. They have guaranteed to enable you to use the software. The copy-right protection serves them, not you. So if they abandon registration they should give the customer a version which runs without it, otherwise they violate their contract.

There is plenty of excellent freeware and payware that doesn't need internet connection to be activated.

This is really unfortunate, I have tons of old projects that use some of these.
I'm sure NI will backtrack on this, as it probably violates their own EULA.

Native Instruments haven't done anything in recent years that was mind blowing. They are mostly a company that sells sounds now. Updates for their core products like Kontakt and Maschine have been lackluster. I have the feeling they will loose their marketshare to UVI Falcon and Akai in the next couple of years.

They killed Kore a few years back – just like that. There's still nothing like it on the market right now. Their replacement was Maschine and Komplete Kontrol. Not even close.

If service center is based on Windows 7, and Windows 7 is no longer supported by MS, this could be a legal reason for this move. But only if Win7 was the latest OS for SC.

Yep. I had some app that I purchased ages ago for a pretty sum that used some sort of hard drive licensing token. I formatted the main drive forgetting to remove the token. They had moved on to a new version and basically told me I was SOL. Went dark side.