# Komplete Ultimate or Omnisphere?



## jeffsarge (Nov 24, 2021)

Hi,
I have a Komplete Kontrol s49 keyboard that came w/ Komplete Select. I want to do cinematic work for animation. 
should I upgrade to Komplete Ultimate (Black Friday) or just buy Omnisphere or Falcon? This is a hobby so I won’t have time to do deep dives 
into sound design. Thanks. 
Jeff


----------



## KEM (Nov 24, 2021)

I’m a big believer in Omni, Komplete might have more diverse products in it but Omnisphere is higher quality across the board in my opinion


----------



## sostenuto (Nov 24, 2021)

Omni v2.8 has such a huge set of quality 3rd Pty expansions ...... which take it almost anywhere one chooses. Key point here is ........... one terrific software synth to learn, and learn, and learn, and ................
Large set of video tutorials from multiple, talented creators. 
This addressed to OP post ..... yet hasten to add ...... happy K12 user, and likely K14U next July.


----------



## antames (Nov 24, 2021)

Komplete has a lot of libraries you wouldn't normally use, or not as a first choice, but is more well-rounded and complete.

Omnisphere is definitely more comprehensive and should suffice for most of your cinematic sound needs, and doesn't require a lot of tweaking either as most of the presets are excellent out of the box.


----------



## proggermusic (Nov 24, 2021)

I own both (well, Komplete Ultimate 11, not 13... but I've found no reason to upgrade). I vote Omnisphere, all the way. 

I think they're both worth having, ultimately. But I use Omnisphere much more often. Like... incomparably more often. At least ten times as much. If possible, get Keyscape too. The two together are absolute keyboard/synth/soundscape/production heaven.


----------



## jeffsarge (Nov 24, 2021)

Thanks, this is pretty much what I thought the answer would be.


----------



## Studio E (Nov 24, 2021)

I’m going to be the odd man out here, but I own Komplete Ultimate 13 and Omnisphere. In fact, I’ve developed a couple sound libraries for Omnisphere. Omni is amazing at what it does, and it covers a lot of ground for synths, pads, textures, etc, but especially since you said you aren’t going to deep-dive, I would absolutely recommend KU over Omni as your only scoring tool. Then again, I don’t know what the differences are between Select and Ultimate. The thing with Omni is, you aren’t going to get almost any multi-samples of real instruments. If that’s important to you, and Ultimate fills those gaps, you have your answer. Also, Komplete has a lot of capable synths. No doubt, Omni is a dessert island synth of synths, but Komplete Ultimate is capable of a WAY broader variety of generally used sounds, with plenty of sound design capabilities as well.


----------



## dunamisstudio (Nov 24, 2021)

If I had to do it all over again with the current offering of libraries:

Kontakt 6
Omnisphere
Keyscape

Depending on what type of music you want to do, then look up the free stuff for Kontakt on here. Research a orchestral library to use in Kontakt if you're doing that type of music. Falcon would take more time to learn than Omni from what I've seen so far. And my view is from owning Komplete 13 Ultimate Collector, all of Spectrasonics stuff, Falcon and bunch of other stuff. To me Omnisphere is much easier to edit plus there's lot of preset packs being sold out there. Course ton of Kontakt libraries to buy. Some free if you have a full version of Kontakt.


----------



## Trensharo (Nov 24, 2021)

Komplete Ultimate. There is a ton of Synth and Cinematic Stuff in there, and most of it is beyond "very usable." It's a bigger bang-for-your-buck investment, IMHO. Omni is good, but it doesn't have the broad reach of Komplete Ultimate.

I think if you were comparing to Komplete "Standard," Omnisphere would look a lot better. But vs. Ultimate. I don't think so.

Just like Komplete has a lot of stuff you wouldn't normally use, so does Omnisphere. Not sure how this conclusion can be so one-sided when comparing these two products. It applies to both of them.

Between these two specific product [SKUs], I'd pick up Komplete Ultimate first. It's just a hobby, so covering as many areas with one investment is kind of a big deal. Anything that is better than what Komplete Ultimate ships with is likely to cost you a lot more down the line...


----------



## el-bo (Nov 24, 2021)

I love Omnisphere to bits, but I'd go with Komplete Ultimate. It covers much, much more ground and has great multi-sampled instruments. You'll be able to compose a much more diverse range of music with KU


----------



## jeffsarge (Nov 25, 2021)

Interesting…. Last night I thought everyone was in the Omnisphere camp and this morning there is dissension among the ranks.


----------



## Braveheart (Nov 25, 2021)

I have both, and love both. But I have to agree that Komplete Ultimate will cover a wider range than Omnisphere. Regardless, you should be happy with whichever you choose.


----------



## jeffsarge (Nov 25, 2021)

Thanks everyone. Thinking my Black Friday buys will be Komplete Ultimate, because I like the integration with the s49 and it does cover a really wide range of sounds. Will probably also pick up Spitfire AbbeyRoad Orchestra for the symphonic stuff. That should keep me busy for a very long time. Thanks again for all your help.
jeff


----------



## Markrs (Nov 25, 2021)

I own Omnisphere and Komplete 13 Ultimate CE and I would vote for Komplete Ultimate 13. There is just so much in there.


----------



## nolotrippen (Nov 25, 2021)

And don't forget that KUltimate comes with Reaktor.


----------



## dunamisstudio (Nov 25, 2021)

jeffsarge said:


> Interesting…. Last night I thought everyone was in the Omnisphere camp and this morning there is dissension among the ranks.


To be honest, I'm surprised too. My comment was based on seeing lot of people don't like the orchestral stuff in Komplete. But hey if that's not the case, you like the sound of those, then yes, Komplete is a good deal. Just depends on what music you want to write. Have to weigh how much you would use.


----------



## Breaker (Nov 25, 2021)

Komplete is wider, Omnisphere is deeper. Think which one is more important to you right now.
(personally I use Omni pretty much every day but can't remember the last time I actually did something with KU12)


----------



## gives19 (Nov 25, 2021)

jeffsarge said:


> Thanks, this is pretty much what I thought the answer would be.


Omnisphere. I am endorsed by NI, but use some of their libraries selectively. Kontakt mainly, they have some nice things. It depends on what you want for your work. Omnisphere has been used here on a lot of feature work I have done. I would upgrade to Omnisphere now with all the expansions they just came out with and they sound really good. Lot's of time in the quality of the sound.


----------



## proxima (Nov 25, 2021)

People have made good cases for both, but they're really hard to directly compare.

I think it depends on the style of writing for animation that you want to do. You said that you don't have time/energy to do a deep dive into sound design, and for Omnisphere, that's fine - but do plan on searching for preset libraries for purchase that better match the vibe you're going for. There's a ton to discover in the built-in presets, but purchased presets can take it so much further.

For Komplete Ultimate, you won't use most of it. But that's okay, it might still be the right choice for you. Komplete can get a bad rap around here for "wasting" your money, but it's such a phenomenal deal during sales right now that you just need to ensure there's enough there that you do like. 

Either way, you may not be spending time doing a deep dive into sound design, but you will probably be spending a lot of time looking for presets, be it in the various synths and sample libraries of KU or in Omnisphere. 

Since you're trying to choose between such disparate products, it makes me wonder if you've not really looked deeply into either. It's a huge shame to spend $500+ because people tell you something is good and you find it's just okay for what you want to do. So let me complicate your life further and suggest an alternative: find a kontakt player library that you find truly inspiring, buy that, and buy the kontakt 6 crossgrade, which is also 50% off (so $125). If you don't find a kontakt player library you want to spend money on, some people report that certain free kontakt player libraries allow the crossgrade (search this forum), but I'd encourage you to find something that you're really excited about.

With the full version of Kontakt, you'll have a lot to get started with, a whole world of free and inexpensive libraries, and you'll have spent a lot less money than Komplete or Omnisphere. Omnisphere will always be there, right around the same price, so maybe you'd get that next and it'd complement Kontakt well. 

But if you don't go the Kontakt full route, at least figure out what kinds of instruments you want to use. Omnisphere is a fantastic synth (it remains my favorite), but you wouldn't want to use it if your goal is to sound like many real instruments. And Komplete is, as everyone says, broader, but you'd want to at least be really excited about one synth (Massive X? Some Reaktor synths like Razor or Monark?) and the sampled instruments (I think you'd like the Play series, as it's well-suited to preset browsing and mixing and matching without deep dives). 

Finally, one specific thing to consider is percussion. Yes, you can do percussive sounds in Omnisphere (you can do versions of just about anything in Omnisphere, hence the Omni), but it's not its strength. KU would get you Damage and tons of other drumkits. The reason I bring this up is that sometimes i try to see how much I can write with one plugin, and I was surprised how even with the entire Omnisphere library and four Unfinished preset backs, how few percussions sounds I had at my fingertips.

But don't buy anything until you're excited by it.


----------



## jeffsarge (Nov 26, 2021)

@proxima , okay , I need to do more research. I thought full Kontakt was only for rolling your own sample libraries and that the player was for playing back existing libraries. Looks like I can upgrade to standard which includes the full Kontakt for $269 I may do that, learn it all and then make the next jump when the next sale arrives. … I really wish there were demo versions. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.


----------



## proxima (Nov 26, 2021)

jeffsarge said:


> @proxima , okay , I need to do more research. I thought full Kontakt was only for rolling your own sample libraries and that the player was for playing back existing libraries. Looks like I can upgrade to standard which includes the full Kontakt for $269 I may do that, learn it all and then make the next jump when the next sale arrives. … I really wish there were demo versions. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.


Kontakt Player enabled libraries pay NI a fee for every copy. Lots of developers don't want to do that, so you'll see them say you need Kontakt Full. And the free stuff, e.g. on Pianobook, will require it (or another sampler, but Kontakt is king for now). 

As for a demo, your Komplete Select basically is. Komplete Standard and Komplete Ultimate is just way way more where that came from. Komplete Standard is another great deal, and as you said, Ultimate can come later. 

No demo for Omnisphere sure, but there are a billion walkthroughs of it on youtube. You might even start with the Unfinished preset libraries for Omnisphere to see what you think.


----------



## jeffsarge (Nov 26, 2021)

Thanks, this sounds good. Just curious, what Kontakt libraries do you like?


----------



## proxima (Nov 26, 2021)

jeffsarge said:


> Thanks, this sounds good. Just curious, what Kontakt libraries do you like?


That's too broad - what kind of instruments? Searching for those on this site will turn up lots and lots of threads full of opinions more informed than mine. Check out the threads that list free libraries as well.


----------



## Trensharo (Nov 26, 2021)

jeffsarge said:


> @proxima , okay , I need to do more research. I thought full Kontakt was only for rolling your own sample libraries and that the player was for playing back existing libraries. Looks like I can upgrade to standard which includes the full Kontakt for $269 I may do that, learn it all and then make the next jump when the next sale arrives. … I really wish there were demo versions. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.


Komplete Standard is better for Pop, EDM types. The sy the are good, battery is great, some of the expansion packs are very decent. Its chock full of A./E. Pianos, Guitars etc. to bulk up the package.

If you're doing cinematic, all of the better orchestral and cinematic libraries are in Ultimate. You should go straight there.

Otherwise you will end up buying more stuff on top of Komplete and spending more money than if you had gone straight to Ultimate during a sale.

I do think NI has good cinematic libraries. Opinions on their orchestral stuff is very split, esp. with how they were developed by different companies.


----------



## proxima (Nov 26, 2021)

Trensharo said:


> If you're doing cinematic, all of the better orchestral and cinematic libraries are in Ultimate. You should go straight there.


I agree that the better orchestral/cinematic libraries ended up in Ultimate, I disagree that one needs to go straight there.

Komplete Standard is an inexpensive way to get Kontakt Full, Reaktor Full, and a bunch of other synths. There's a lot there. The cinematic stuff in Komplete Ultimate might be awesome for some, but not for others. The Symphony Series is a lite version, and it's pretty rare that people want to build their core orchestral samples around that. Many people (myself included) love some of the other libraries (even pretty old Heavocity stuff is a lot of fun), but they're by no means essential for many.

With the sale right now, Komplete 13 Standard is a $269 upgrade from Komplete Select (what the OP has). Komplete 13 Ultimate is $669. That $400 can buy some top-shelf stuff, including nearly Omnisphere itself. Furthermore, supposing the OP decides they want Komplete Ultimate, it'll probably be a $400 upgrade at the next sale (that's what it costs now to go from Komplete Standard 13 to Komplete Ultimate 13). Wait two years or so and that same $400 will probably buy an upgrade from Komplete Standard 13 to Komplete Ultimate 14.

Unless the OP is truly excited by the additional libraries in Ultimate, that $400 is better saved for some other library right now or down the line.


----------



## Trensharo (Nov 26, 2021)

proxima said:


> I agree that the better orchestral/cinematic libraries ended up in Ultimate, I disagree that one needs to go straight there.
> 
> Komplete Standard is an inexpensive way to get Kontakt Full, Reaktor Full, and a bunch of other synths. There's a lot there. The cinematic stuff in Komplete Ultimate might be awesome for some, but not for others. The Symphony Series is a lite version, and it's pretty rare that people want to build their core orchestral samples around that. Many people (myself included) love some of the other libraries (even pretty old Heavocity stuff is a lot of fun), but they're by no means essential for many.
> 
> ...


Like I said, Komplete standard is choke full of rudimentary near-redundancies to bulk the package up.

If doing cinematic work, I would get Kontakt on its own and skip the rest, if Standard Komplete were the only option. Kontakt is worth it. I don't think the rest is. The value is in the libraries that come with KU, beyond what standard has.

For people starting off in pop, electronic music or beatmaking Komplete Standard is practically meta.

For cinematic stuff, NI has shifted most of the value to Ultimate and Ultimate CE... purposely. Even Kontakt is seeing diminishing value as vendors jump ship to their own players.

How good Symph. Ess. is vs third parties is ignorablw. The OP is comparing Omni with KU, not Symph. Ess. with BBCSO Pro or VSL Libraries.

In the absence of other options, those libraries are still better than anything that costs less than ~$250.

Practically, KU is the better option.

If the sample Libraries that come with Komplete don't matter, then I'd go with Omni.


----------



## proggermusic (Nov 26, 2021)

While I still stand by my original impulse of choosing Omnisphere if forced between the two...

...I'm now strongly considering upgrading from Komplete Ultimate 11 to 13 sometime this year. I didn't realize how many expansion packs they'd added, and honestly, that alone would really help on a lot of stuff I'm working on. Particularly for Battery sounds.

Annoyingly, Sptifire BBCSO Core is exactly the same price as my KU13 upgrade, and I think that's gonna win this time around. NI will have to wait another few months to get more of my money...


----------

