I have GPO4, Dimension of course, I have a Yamaha PSR Workstation synth. All these sounds are appealing. Am I correct the ST3 is completely 64bit, it would be a deal breaker if it were not.
The price difference between the NI products and the IK products is what gives me pause. I think, why spend 1k when I could spend 350.00 for something similar, or is it similar?
What do you think? ..and thanks for your opinion. I'd like opinions based on the product, the versatility, ease of use, and sound quality... not so much based on users having to wait so long for ST3 to come.
 
edit: I decided to change the thread title. Kompete looks much more appealing (Thanks Larry), I should have known a ST3 question would bring you back! (I mean that in the best possible way! Insert big virtual smile here ____ !)
 
Thanks again.
 
Julien

I wrote a fairly detailed evaluation here that should answer many of your questions:
 
http://soundbytesmag.net/sampletank3review/

Long story short...if you just want sounds...
ST 3 has lots of them...they are, IMO, "ok" nothing spectacular...

If you want Sounds, Scripting, and extreme usability...

Komplete at $499 gives you  A TON and you get 39 different instruments
for about the price of ST3...

you get the following...

http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-10/included-products/

If you just want a sampler I would go with Kontakt at $399...and if you own one of the crossgrade 
products you can get Kontakt for $199...check the list here...



LIST OF QUALIFYING PRODUCTS
4Scoring - Solo Violino Classico
4Scoring - Solo Violino Virtuoso
8mosphere - The 13 Cosmic Rays
Abaltat - Muse
Akki Plugs - Virtual Bouzouki
Akoustik Piano
Art Vista - Art Vista Back Beat Bass
Art Vista - Tonys Bright and Funky Bass
Art Vista - Tonys Double Neck Bass
Art Vista - Tonys Old School Bass
ArtVista - Virtual Grand Piano
ArtVista - Virtual Grand Piano 2
Audio Bro - LA Scoring Strings
Audio Bro - LA Scoring Strings First Chair
Audio Bro - LA Scoring Strings Lite
Audio Bro - LASS Legato Sordino
Audio Impressions - 70 DVZ Strings
Audio Impressions - Brillanti Philharmonic And Early Brass
Best Service - Accordions
Best Service - Altus
Best Service - Artist Drums
Best Service - Artist Grooves
Best Service - Cantus
Best Service - Chris Hein Bass
Best Service - Chris Hein Bass Download Edition
Best Service - Chris Hein Compact
Best Service - Chris Hein Guitar Download Edition
Best Service - Chris Hein Guitars
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Pro Complete
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Solo
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Solo DE
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Solo Download Edition
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Vol 2
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Vol 2 DE
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Vol 3
Best Service - Chris Hein Horns Vol 4
Best Service - Chris Hein Winds
Best Service - Complete Classical Collection
Best Service - Complete Classical Collection
Best Service - Complete Orchestral Collection
Best Service - Convolution Space
Best Service - Cult Sampler
Best Service - Drums Overkill
Best Service - Ethno World 4
Best Service - Ethno World 4 Download Edition
Best Service - Ethno World 5 Instruments
Best Service - Ethno World 5 Voices and Choirs
Best Service - Ethno World Complete
Best Service - Galaxy 1929 German Baby Grand
Best Service - Galaxy II
Best Service - Galaxy II Download Edition
Best Service - Galaxy Steinway
Best Service - Galaxy Steinway 5.1
Best Service - Galaxy Vienna Grand
Best Service - Galaxy Vintage D
Best Service - Latin World
Best Service - Orient World
Best Service - PS String Essentials
Best Service - Shevannai
Best Service - String Essentials
Best Service - Xsample Chamber Ensemble
Best Service - Xsample Chamber Ensemble Download Edition
BIG Fish - Audio - Rig
BIG FISH - First Call Horns
BIG FISH - Harpsichord and Celeste
BIG FISH - London Solo Strings
BIG FISH - Raging Guitars
Big Fish Audio - Acou6tics
Big Fish Audio - Cinematic Thunder
Big Fish Audio - EPIC
Big Fish Audio - Fractured
Big Fish Audio - Goth
Big Fish Audio - Studio Kit Builder
Big Fish Audio - Swagg
Big Fish Audio - Urban Legacy XXL
Big Fish Audio - Vintage Horns
Big Fish Audio - Vintage VI
Big Fish Audio - Vintage Vibe
Big Fish Audio - Zodiac
Cinematic Strings - Cinematic Strings
Cinematique Instruments - Fabrique
Cinesamples - Cinebrass
Cinesamples - Cinebrass Pro
Cinesamples - CineStrings CORE
Cinesamples - CineSymphony Lite
Cinesamples - Hollywoodwinds
Cinesamples - VOXOS
DAN DEAN - Solo Strings Advance
Drumasonic - drumasonic LUXURY
e-Instruments - Session Keys Grand S
e-Instruments - Session Keys Grand Y
EastWest Boesendorfer 290
EastWest Colossus
EastWest EWQLSO Gold Edition
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Brass
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Gold
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Percussion
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Silver
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Strings
EastWest EWQLSO PRO XP Woodwinds
EastWest EWQLSO Silver Edition
EastWest Hardcore Bass
EastWest Hardcore Bass XP
EastWest Percussive Adventures 2
EastWest PSP Adrenaline
EastWest PSP Drumkit From Hell 2
EastWest PSP Percussive Adventures 2 LE
EastWest PSP Stormbreakz INTAKT
EastWest PSP Vapor Virtual Synthesizer
EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs
EastWest Ra
EastWest Storm Drum
EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Volume 1 Strings
EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Volume 2 Woodwinds
EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Volume 3 Brass
EastWest Symphonic Orchestra Volume 4 Percussion 
Embertone - Blakus Cello
Embertone - Friedlander Violin
Fable Sounds - Broadway Big Band
Fable Sounds - Broadway Lites
Finale GPO
Finale GPO 2.0
FIXED NOISE - Kreate
FIXED NOISE - Otto
FIXED NOISE - Rhythm Objekt
Future Loops
Future Music - CM SESSION
Garritan - Concert and Marching Band
Garritan General MIDI
Garritan Gofriller Cello
Garritan Jazz & Big Band
Garritan Personal Orchestra
Garritan Stradivari Solo Violin
Gospel Musicians - MK Sensation
Gospel Musicians - Neo-Soul Keys
Heavyocity - AEON Melodic
Heavyocity - AEON Rhythmic
Heavyocity - DM307
Heavyocity Evolve

Impact Soundworks - Archtop
Impact Soundworks - Shreddage II
Indigisounds - Indigisounds
influx Audio - Sasha EmFire Soundlab
Kirk Hunter - Pop Rock Strings
KONTAKT PLAYER GOLD for SIBELIUS
LOUD GPO Tracktion 3 Edition
Mixosaurus - Kit A
Music Services - DRUMASONIC
Orchestral Tools - Berlin Strings
Orchestral Tools - Berlin Woodwinds
Orchestral Tools - Orchestral String Runs
Orchestral Tools - Symphonic Sphere
Output - REV
PlugIn Guru - MegaMacho Drums
Presonus Virtual Instrument
PRO AUDIO VAULT - Bluthner Model One
Project SAM - Symphobia 2
ProjectSAM - Concert Harp
ProjectSam - Lumina
ProjectSAM - Orchestral Brass Classic
ProjectSam - Orchestral Essentials
ProjectSAM - Organ Mystique
ProjectSAM - Symphobia
ProjectSAM - Symphobia Colours Animator
ProjectSAM - Symphobia Colours Orchestrator
ProjectSAM - True Strike
ProjectSAM - True Strike 2
PROMINY - SC Electric Guitar
PROMINY - SR5 Rock Bass
Prominy - V-Metal
Realitone - Realivox - The Ladies
Realitone - Realivox Blue
Sample Logic - Cyclone
Sample Logic - Ambience Impacts Rhythms
Sample Logic - Assault
Sample Logic - Cinematic Guitars
Sample Logic - Cinematic Guitars
Sample Logic - Cinematic Guitars 2
Sample Logic - Fanfare
Sample Logic - HAVOC
Sample Logic - IMPAKT
Sample Logic - Morphestra
Sample Logic - Morphestra
Sample Logic - Rumble
Sample Logic - Synergy
Sample Logic - The Elements
Sample Logic - Virtual Ensemble Triolgy
Sample Modeling - French Horn and Tuba
Sample Modeling - Mr. Sax B & A
Sample Modeling - Mr. Sax T
Sample Modeling - The Sax Brothers
Sample Modeling - The Trombone
Sample Modeling - The Trumpet
Sample Modeling - Trombone 3.0
Sampletekk - Black
Sehnheiser - DrumMic'a!
SIBELIUS 3 GOLD Bundle
SIBELIUS Sound Range - Rock & Pop
SIDSONIC - Circus Circuit Bending
SIDSONIC - Tubes!
Sonic Reality - Ocean Way Drums Gold
Sonic Reality - Ocean Way Drums Platinum
Sonic Reality - Ocean Way Expandable
Sonic Reality - Studio ProFiles Infinite Player
Soniccouture - Array Mbira
Soniccouture - Broken Wurli
Soniccouture - Clav
Soniccouture - EP73 Deconstructed
Soniccouture - Geosonics
Soniccouture - Glassworks
Soniccouture - Grand Marimba
Soniccouture - Novachord
Soniccouture - Ondes
Soniccouture - Pan Drums 2
Soniccouture - The Conservatoire Collection
Soniccouture - Vibraphone
Soniccouture - Xtended Piano
Sonokinetic - Grosso
Sonokinetic - Minimal
Sonokinetic - Vivace
Soundiron - Apocalypse Elements
Soundiron - Emotional Piano Player Edition (formerly by Tonehammer)
Soundiron - Olympus Elements Player Edition (formerly by Tonehammer)
Soundiron - Requiem Light Player Edition (formerly by Tonehammer)
Spitfire Audio - Albion
Spitfire Audio - Chamber Strings
Spitfire Audio - Great British Brass
Spitfire Audio - HZ Percussion
Spitfire Audio - Iceni
Spitfire Audio - Loegria
Spitfire Audio - Spitfire British Wood
Spitfire Audio - Spitfire Percussion
Spitfire Audio - Symphonic Strings
STEVEN SLATE DRUMS EX
STEVEN SLATE DRUMS LE
STEVEN SLATE DRUMS PLATINUM up to version 3.5
Tapspace - Virtual Drumline 2
Tapspace - Virtual Drumline 2.5
Terratec Wave XTable VI
Tonehammer - Bowed Grand
Tonehammer - Epic Frame Drum Ensemble
Tonehammer - Plucked Grand
Tonehammer - Solo Frame Drums
tunebeast - Nitron
VIR2 - Acoustic Legends HD
VIR2 - Basis
VIR2 - Electri6ity
VIR2 - Elite Orchestral Percussion
VIR2 - Mojo
VIR2 - Q
VIR2 - Studio Kit Builder
VIR2 - Syntax
VIR2 - VI One
VIR2 - Violence
Vir2 - World Impact
Vital Arts - Plectrum
Wave Alchemy - Digital Revolution
Wave Alchemy - Transistor Revolution
ZapZorn - ZapZorn Elements
Zero-G - Epica
Zero-G Altered States
Zero-G Analogue Sequencer Loops 
Zero-G Beats Working In Cuba
Zero-G Morphology
Zero-G Nostalgia
Zero-G Outer Limits
Zero-G Phaedra
Zero-G PSP AfroLatin Slam
Zero-G PSP Koncept+Funktion
Zero-G PSP NuJointz
Zero-G PSP The Operating Table
Zero-G PSP Wired
Zero-G Sounds Of Polynesia
Zero-G Sounds of the 70s
Zero-G Vocal Forge


And GPO Is on the list of qualifying crossgrade products
So it's an extensive list that get's you Kontakt, which is 10 times the product that ST 3 is,
for $199...thats $150 less the ST 3

That's my 2 cents worth..

ST is 64 Bit only.
 
I finally upgraded a while back because I needed Miroslav and a few ST instruments in a 64 Bit environment.
 
Judging from the demos on their site, the bundled sounds in ST3 seemed average, even weak in certain cases. Some of the ST3 stuff isn't as bad as the demo lead me to believe. But nothing "stunning" or "breath-taking". And when you start turning down the reverb - which most patches make very abundant, dare I say excessive use of - you realize that sounds themselves are indeed pretty average.
 
Hence, I still rely on Logic's own sampler and the bundled samples 99% of the time - not just for convenience, but because I think they sound a whole lot better even w/o having to hide them underneath ridiculous amounts of reverb and EQ and compression.
 
ST is a nice workstation type of plug-in, many of the sounds can be adequate, even very adequate if you start layering them. It's very convenient to put together ideas if you don't have another multi-timbral sampler.
 
Kontakt is in an entirely different class. Incidentally, Kontakt itself is $399 and includes 41 GB of samples. It's Komplete (which includes, Kontakt, Reaktor, and tons of others that's more expensive).
 
I can't comment but on the stuff that came for free with Kontakt Player and Elements, but I suppose that the rest of the stuff is on par with it. The list of top notch Kontakt libraries is quasi endless. I own a couple of them which work with the free Kontakt Player, like the Abbey Road drums, Scarbee Bass, and the Vintage Organ. 
 
I'd definitely put them in a different category than ST. These are beautiful, sometimes even stunning sounding samples by comparison to what's in ST.
 

Thanks Rain!
Thanks DM, I will read your review!
 
Larry... you are worth your weight in GOLD! So I can get all that for 199, since I have GPO4? When you say just the sampler does that include all the instruments and sounds?
Incredible!!
 
WOW... 199? Happy happy. I am so glad for you to be here Larry!
 
Julien

Thanks David. That was a good article.
 
J

I cannot find this Larry.
 
And GPO Is on the list of qualifying crossgrade products
So it's an extensive list that get's you Kontakt, which is 10 times the product that ST 3 is,
for $199...thats $150 less the ST 3
 
I looked on Sweetwater and NI and Googled but can't find it, maybe I misunderstood.
 
Thanks,
Julien

jbow
So it's an extensive list that get's you Kontakt, which is 10 times the product that ST 3 is,
for $199...thats $150 less the ST 3
 
I looked on Sweetwater and NI and Googled but can't find it, maybe I misunderstood.

 
Go to this page: http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5/pricing/. In the first drop-down box select Crossgrade. The price will change to $249. As far as I know that's been the price for a while. However, if you wait for one of their 50% sales, you can get Kontakt for $199 instead.

It says I  have no products that qualify me. My Guitar Rig 4 says it is a full version, GPO4 is old. Maybe it needs upgrading, I sent NI support a message to ask them.
Thanks,
J

I think I will watch for a half price sale. That would be a deal!
 
J