"Native-Instruments Computer Compatibility"

 

COMPATIBILITY WITH WINDOWS 7

This page provides current information about Native Instruments products and Windows 7. This page was last updated on October 5th 2009.

Native Instruments is currently conducting systematic compatibility tests of its current product line under Windows 7. While initial tests are encouraging, Native Instruments cannot yet guarantee any specific level of compatibility until the full testing process has been completed. In the meantime, users of NI products should be cautious about upgrading to Windows 7.

This page will be updated with new information as it becomes available.


This page provides information about the compatibility of Native Instruments products with various versions of Mac OS X.

This page has last been updated on October 22nd 2009.


NI products are basically compatible with Snow Leopard. Information about any known issues to this can be found in the Knowledge Base.

All current Native Instruments products work without any specific issues under Mac OS X 10.5*. However, users should make sure to download the latest updates from the NI website for maximum compatibility.

Some older product installers require a special installer patch for Leopard, otherwise the installer will hang during installation. Read more about the Leopard installer patch here.


Mac OS X 10.4 is now considered a legacy operating system, and will not be supported by any NI products released after October 1st 2009.

Products and updates released after that date might not install and/or launch under this operating system. Users are advised to upgrade to OS X 10.5 to retain compatibility. Tech support for users of Mac OS X 10.4 continues to be available until further notice.

Special note on PowerPC-based Macintosh computers

As of October 1st, Macintosh computers with PowerPC-based processor architecture (G4/G5) are no longer supported by new software releases and service updates from Native Instruments. Macintosh system requirements now include an Intel processor.

AKOUSTIK PIANO and ELEKTRIK PIANO: The free KONTAKT PLAYER should be used to play the content of these instruments under Pro Tools and Mac OS X 10.5.

 

Compatibility with Windows Vista

This article provides current information about Native Instruments products and Windows Vista.

All current NI products are fully compatible with Windows Vista 32-bit.

Windows Vista 64-bit is currently not recommended by Native Instruments for professional music production due to remaining compatibility issues with many existing music software and hardware products. NI software will run under Windows Vista 64-bit with certain limitations, which are detailed below. Native Instruments does not guarantee the operation of its products under Windows Vista 64-bit at this time.

Which NI products are currently compatible with Windows Vista 32-bit?

All current NI software and hardware products are compatible with Vista 32-bit. Please make sure to install all relevant software and driver updates that might be available on the NI website.

Can I run Native Instruments software as standalone applications with the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista?

NI software is generally operational in standalone mode under Windows Vista 64-bit. However, your audio interface needs to provide a 64-bit ASIO driver that supports 32-bit compatibility mode. Please consult the manufacturer of your audio interface for further information.

Can I run Native Instruments software as plug-ins with the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista?

Host sequencers from various manufacturers might have different ways of dealing with 32-bit and 64-bit aspects. NI software will generally run as plug-ins under Vista 64-bit within host applications that accept 32-bit plug-ins. Compatibility tests have not been completed due to most major host applications not being available as 64-bit versions yet. For details, please check with the manufacturer of your host software.

What are the benefits of installing the 64-bit version of Windows Vista?

NI products typically use a combination of 32-bit floating point and 64-bit algorithms for audio processing. Both bit depths can be handled by native 32-bit operating systems.

Native 64-bit operating systems do not currently promise a general leap in quality or in performance from the perspective of Native Instruments. The main advantage of native 64-bit applications for music production is that they can utilize more memory than 32-bit applications, which makes this technology potentially useful for software samplers. Native Instruments is taking this aspect of 64-bit technology into account for future developments.

What about Windows Vista 64-bit drivers for Native Instruments hardware?

Native Instruments is providing 64-bit Vista audio drivers for all of its hardware products. Both ASIO drivers and native Windows drivers are available. You can download the drivers here: Free updates

Does Native Instruments software perform better under Windows Vista compared to Windows XP?

You will not experience a significant difference in performance, since audio processing mostly depends on raw processor performance (floating point efficiency, cache size and speed, SSE extension) as well as hard disk access speed. As in previous Windows versions, deactivating certain visual features of the operating system can increase performance of music production software. This especially applies to the new "Aero" interface in Windows Vista.

Which Windows Vista 32-bit version is best suited for Native Instruments products?

The differences between the available Windows Vista versions do not affect the operation of Native Instruments products in any way.

Windows Vista™ is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

 

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