Native Instruments Komplete 26 adds weird new synths and experimental piano sounds

The latest version of Native Instruments’ Komplete music production bundle is here with 62 new additions, including the wonderfully weird Absynth 6. Komplete 26 comes in several flavors, starting with three $99 Select bundles: Beats, Band, and Electronic. Prices jump pretty steeply from there, with Standard costing $549, Ultimate costing $1,249, and the Collector’s Edition priced at an eye-watering $1,949. You save some money if you’re upgrading from Komplete 15 (and yes, they switched from sequential numbers to years for 2026), but upgrading the Collector’s Edition will still set you back $399.

Komplete 26 Standard should satisfy all but the most demanding producers. Absynth 6 and Massive X cover most of your synth needs. Kontakt 8 is the industry standard for sample-based instruments covering orchestras, drums, choirs, and more. It also has tools for sequencing and building chord progressions if you need a little creative inspiration. There’s also Guitar Rig 7 Pro for effects and amp simulations. Plus, Komplete comes with mixing and mastering plug-ins from iZotope, including Ozone 12, Neutron 5, and Nectar 4.

Upgrading from the Standard Bundle to the Ultimate or Collectors does get you new additions like Claire and Claire: Avant, a pair of sampled Steinway D grand piano instruments that cover both traditional acoustic tones and experimental textures. There’s also a host of additions, like LCO Producer Strings and Moments: Vocal Clouds, that are targeted at score work. Of course, all those additional sampled instruments and expansion packs add to the download size, with the Collector’s Edition weighing in at 1.6 TB.