We were halfway through a string arrangement, stacking a Spitfire library with a few Kontakt patches, when we loaded the London Contemporary Orchestra Strings from Komplete 26 Ultimate and the whole balance shifted. Not in a dramatic way. In a “why did we spend two hours on the other library” way. That moment is what this upgrade is really selling. The Komplete 26 Ultimate Upgrade for Select is a path from Komplete Select to a 280-plus instrument ecosystem, and for the right producer it is one of the strongest per-dollar moves in the NI catalogue right now. For the wrong one, it’s 950GB of content you already half-own.
First Impressions: The Install Is a Project
Native Access handles the download cleanly enough. The UI has improved. But 950GB is 950GB, and if you’re running a 1TB internal SSD with a loaded session drive, you’ll feel it. Plan for an external. We staged the download across two days, prioritising Absynth 6, Kontakt 8, and the LCO Strings first. That’s the right call. The Native Access library browser is serviceable but not smart. Filtering by instrument type works. Finding new-versus-existing content after the upgrade is less intuitive. You’ll spend the first hour just clicking around. Annoying, but it settles once you know where things live.
Getting It Into a Real Workflow
Absynth 6 was the first thing we loaded into an active session. It’s back after years in the wilderness, and the MPE support is the headline. We ran it through a Roli Seaboard controller, used polyphonic pressure on a slow pad, and got movement that actually tracked per-note. That’s not something you’re getting from most bundled synths. The redesigned interface is cleaner than Absynth 5 was. Patch browsing is faster.
Kontakt 8 slots in wherever Kontakt 7 already lives in your signal chain. No friction there. The Circular instrument is worth loading early. It’s a looped acoustic instrument library built around unusual playing techniques, and it fills a textural gap that a lot of producers patch with field recordings. We dropped it on a midrange ambient layer and pulled back the attack by 40ms. Sat immediately.
The iZotope FXEQ and Brainworx tools are on the mastering bus now. That’s where they belong. FXEQ is clean, the curves are honest, and it doesn’t fight you. Not a full Ozone replacement, but solid for mix-bus work.
What It's Genuinely Good At
The strings situation is the headline, and it deserves to stay there. LCO Strings paired with Cremona Quartet gives you two distinct orchestral textures. LCO leans contemporary and slightly unconventional. Cremona is traditional, warm in the 200-400Hz range, with realistic bow noise baked into the samples. Together they cover ensemble work and solo string arrangements without needing a third library.
We layered an LCO string swell under a Cremona cello line. The timbral difference was obvious but complementary. That combination alone justifies significant upgrade consideration for producers doing cinematic or neo-classical work.
Absynth 6 with MPE deserves a second mention. Polyphonic aftertouch response tracks cleanly at 5ms latency on our M2 Mac. The oscillator architecture hasn’t changed dramatically, but the wavetable import is smoother and the filter section feels more responsive. It’s a brilliant synth. Always was. Getting it back matters.
The Claire Piano is realistic without being overdone. The dynamics across 5 velocity layers feel natural. We love this one for singer-songwriter work.
The Rough Edges
Here’s the honest version. If you already purchased Absynth 6 standalone or grabbed LCO Producer Strings during a sale, this upgrade is weaker. You are paying partly for content you already own. NI doesn’t credit individual purchases against the upgrade price. That’s frustrating and it’s the main reason we’d hesitate to blanket-recommend this.
The hip-hop drum content included is fine. Not exciting. We’ve heard more interesting drum design from smaller developers at a fraction of the price. It feels like a checkbox addition rather than a real contribution.
CPU load with multiple Kontakt instances plus Absynth 6 running simultaneously is heavy. On an older Intel machine, watch your buffer settings. 256 samples minimum, realistically 512 during tracking. Not ideal.
The Collector’s Edition adds 69 more items at a higher upgrade price. Unless you specifically need the Straylight or Pharlight instruments, we’d stay at Ultimate.
Who This Is Really For
✅ Buy if you’ve been on Komplete Select for more than a year and your library is starting to feel limiting. The jump to 280-plus instruments is hard to argue against.
✅ Buy if orchestral and cinematic production is part of your work. The LCO plus Cremona combination alone is worth the conversation.
✅ Buy if you want Absynth 6 with MPE and don’t own it already. That synth at this price point is a genuine win.
❌ Skip if you already own Absynth 6, LCO Prod ucer Strings, and Cremona separately. Your effective new content is much thinner.
❌ Skip if you’re on a K14 or K15 Ultimate already. This upgrade path isn’t designed for you, and Komplete 26 Ultimate full review covers the lateral upgrade question properly.
❌ Skip if storage is genuinely constrained. 950GB is non-negotiable and there’s no partial install option by category.
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.5/5 | LCO Strings and Absynth 6 set a high bar; drum content is weaker |
| Value for Money | 4.0/5 | The price covers 62 new items, which is strong value, but that value drops fast if you own key pieces already. |
| Ease of Use | 3.5/5 | Native Access works, but navigating new-versus-existing content is clunky |
| Features | 4.5/5 | MPE support, iZotope/Brainworx integration, and Kontakt 8 cover most production needs |
| CPU Efficiency | 3.0/5 | Multi-instance Kontakt sessions get heavy; needs a buffer strategy on older machines |
| Overall | 4.2/5 | Best upgrade path in Komplete's history for Select users who don't already own the key titles |
Alternatives to Consider
If the price feels steep and you mainly need orchestral coverage, the Spitfire LABS review gives you free high-quality libraries that stack well with whatever you already own. Not 280 instruments, but zero dollars.
For producers who want a complete in-the-box bundle with stronger mastering tools, iZotope Music Production Suite review competes directly on the plugin side without the sample library weight.
If you’re on Komplete Standard already and considering a lateral move, Komplete 26 Standard vs Ultimate comparison breaks down exactly where the content split happens and whether the jump is worth it from that tier.
The Bottom Line
We’d buy this. With one condition: check your existing library first.
If Absynth 6, LCO Producer Strings, and Cremona Quartet are absent from your setup, the upgrade from Select to Komplete 26 Ultimate is a serious deal. 280-plus instruments, a strings section that actually competes with dedicated orchestral libraries, MPE-capable synthesis, and a capable mastering toolset in one transaction. That’s a strong case.
If you own two of the three flagship additions already, the math gets uncomfortable fast. You’re paying upgrade price for content you’ve already budgeted for separately, and NI won’t give you that credit back.
The best string update Komplete has ever shipped is buried inside this bundle. Make sure you actually need to dig for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's included in the Komplete 26 Ultimate Upgrade for Select?
You get 62 new products added to your Komplete ecosystem, bringing the total to 280-plus instruments and effects with 950GB of content. Key additions include Absynth 6 with MPE support, Kontakt 8, LCO Strings, Cremona Quartet, the Claire Piano, iZotope FXEQ, and several Brainworx mixing tools. The upgrade also includes 100-plus expansion packs for genre-specific content across hip-hop, electronic, and cinematic production.
Is the Komplete 26 Ultimate Upgrade for Select worth it if I already own some of the new instruments?
Honestly, it depends on which ones. If you own Absynth 6 and LCO Producer Strings already, your effective new content shrinks considerably. NI doesn't credit previous individual purchases against the upgrade price, so run through the full content list before committing. If you are missing the flagship titles, the price is defensible. If you own three or more of the headliners, we'd wait for a sale or skip entirely.
How does the Komplete 26 Ultimate Upgrade for Select differ from the Collector's Edition upgrade?
The Collector's Edition upgrade from Select costs more and adds 69 new items instead of 62. The additional content includes instruments like Straylight and Pharlight, which are generative and granular-based tools aimed at ambient and experimental production. For most producers, the Ultimate tier covers the core additions. The CE premium makes sense if you specifically need those generative instruments and aren't prepared to buy them separately later.
What DAWs and hardware does Komplete 26 Ultimate work best with?
Komplete 26 Ultimate runs as VST3, AU, and AAX across all major DAWs including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and FL Studio. Native Instruments hardware like Maschine and Komplete Kontrol keyboards get deeper integration through the NKS standard, with browser tagging and hardware control mapping. You don't need NI hardware to get full value, but if you're running a Komplete Kontrol S-series keyboard, the workflow tightens noticeably. DAW-side, there's no meaningful difference between hosts for core functionality.
