If they go AI, I wish them burn as quick as possible.

 

I would not be surprised if N.I went the road of similar business transactions like Studio One (Fender), Reason (LANDR), many SONY creative products (MAGIX) as well as iZotope that N.I took over, like other known mergers, went the path of being incorporated by a larger 'less-insolvent' company.

Somehow, I cannot see a large music developing contributor being left to bite the dust with such a large user base, without another corporate at least attempting to buy them out of debt.

I believe it is healthy to consider observing more as it develops, rather than conjecture, speculation and pre-empting its downfall.

 

Arturia, if the keyboard, in MK3 88, without polyphonic aftertouch, is irrelevant for you.

 

Well, if you figure 500 employees worldwide, your "+6M€/month" gives you 12k/month, which appears adequate in terms of "salaries" and "envelopes."

However, NI isn't just a global software company, it's also a hardware company - hardware helps lock in software users in your ecosystem (until you drop support; e.g., Kore - yes, I had one, and yes, I was pissed). Both divisions would incur the usual overhead: rent or mortgage payments (for office buildings), basic maintenance (cleaners), utilities, computers/monitors/desks/chairs/supplies, etc., and let's not forget travel expenses or - gasp! - the marketing budget (NAMM is but one such example: it's not free and certainly not cheap).

That's before healthcare plans, taxes and the much discussed debt payments. So your €12,000/per wouldn't go as far as you'd expect.

There's management, and ownership. Let's not call mismanagement the misdirection of ownership. Unless you've solid evidence thereof.

 

for every example of good community made drivers, we have 100s of pieces of abandoned hardware (some already from NI!). I'm not gonna hold my breath

somehow I trust Behringer more than NI at this point

 

A former colleague and good friend works at Bain & Company. I reached out - he'd never even heard of NI (not uncommon; his division is Telecoms), so he reached out to his former colleagues at Bain Capital that might have.

This is what he heard back from them about NI: "It's not even a drop in a bucket of water. It's a molecule."

Last but not least, I read that insolvency in Germany is a lengthy process (someone here said 4 years), and that one of the main advantages of insolvency proceedings is that employees be laid off "cost-effectively." So that's semi-bad, semi-good news. Bad for the employees, and users of whichever modules or libraries they developed; good that this "restructuring" won't be an overnight process.

 

Not that I disagree with you (I don't) but in fairness, if you look at Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Tascam, Nord... what's new there exactly?

- Yamaha is still squeezing FM synthesis (which they did not create) for every sonic atom and molecule they can.

- Korg's Karma bill has long been overdue.

- Roland's "sampled" pianos and "super natural" are neither super or natural sounding.

- Tascam/TEAC... exactly what have they brought to market this century that they created?

- And Nord - I'm chuckling as I write this - hasn't released a "new" product since the Lead (1). It's all emulations of old instruments - organs, pianos, Rhodes, Wurli - in a Ferrari red package (their only true invention I suppose). Even their keyboards aren't theirs.


In software, well, exactly what's new? Machine Learning? Not our industry's "creativity." All ai engines are licensed from Microsoft, Amazon, etc., and integrated with existing/evolving software.

The last drops of creativity were in the 80s and 90s - Roland's D-50 was certainly innovative and creative. Eric Persing launched his Spectrasonics (Omnisphere, Trilian, Stylus, etc) off of its success. Besides Roland, Korg innovated (wavetable, waveform ROM, and the previously mentioned and licensed Karma). Yamaha squeezed all it could out of FM, added AWM, etc., but basically, no one's "created" ever since their breakthrough digital synthesizers/workstations.

Now I write this as an owner of many of the above keyboards and products - to be clear. I've a tendency to sound/write tersely or sarcastically, I'm aware (I just can't be buggered to rewrite after the fact) - but I respect those companies (for the most part).

I mean what else do you want? Some good acoustic piano sounds, great Rhodes sound (that's a must), decent Wurli, Pianet, Clavinet and B3 sounds, some synth pads, brass and strings sounds, maybe some vibes and marimba. Everything else is for the techno-DJs that call themselves producers (even though they don't interact with anyone but themselves - an analogy comes to mind, but well...).

Bottom line - to be "creative" in the music instrument industry lately is exceedingly rare. Not to be confused with ingenuity - how to squeeze more out of existing technology (e.g., 32-bit recording that overlays two 24-bit recordings, or new AD/DA converters).

The most creativity I've seen in the MI industry recently (last 10-15 years) is in studio monitors, headphones, and lately microphones.

Everything else is an evolution, a repackaging, a hybridization (like creating a mule from a donkey and a horse). For instance, the brilliant Camden R-800 (my next purchase). Perhaps only the Vintage Vibe Variable Voice Control (VVC) is a truly creative, novative concept (admirably executed).

 

Last edited: Jan 31, 2026 at 1:27 AM

Haha, I appreciate you concisely saying what I probably would have turned into a small novel.

 

A very interesting debate, especially Andre's comment shows how negative the impact can be for some musicians. (57:04)

Also liked how they talked about the NI situation as a problem that is likely to happen more and more often with others as well. Interesting times lie ahead.

 

Why not? Guitar Center are in the hole for over a billion.5 dollars at any given point the subject arises. Sweetwater and Thomann are not even similar. Sweetwater apparently has a massive $478+ million pension liability, if all those old people don't die soon enough. I know NI will probably never pay that down, but they are not the only ones.

Spoiler

Guitar Center has a long history of significant debt, leading to a 2020 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing to restructure over $1.3 billion in liabilities, shedding nearly $800 million by bringing in new equity and financing from investors like Ares, Carlyle, and Brigade Capital. Although it emerged quickly, the company continues to manage its heavy debt load, recently extending maturities from 2026 to 2029 in 2025 to gain financial flexibility, though credit ratings remain low, reflecting ongoing challenges in the music retail market.
Key Debt Events & Timeline:

• 2007:
  Bain Capital takes Guitar Center private in a $2.1 billion leveraged buyout, increasing its debt burden.
• 2014:
  Ares Management buys Guitar Center, converting equity to debt in a restructuring.
• Pre-2020:
  The company faces increasing financial pressure, despite prior profitable quarters, with over $1 billion in debt maturing.
• November 2020:
  Guitar Center files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to execute a financial restructuring, wiping out $800 million in debt and securing new capital.
• December 2020:
  Exits bankruptcy with a new capital structure and ownership, including Brigade Capital Management and The Carlyle Group.
• 2021-2024:
  Sees temporary credit rating improvements followed by downgrades, indicating continued financial strain.
• August 2025:
  Completes a major refinancing, extending debt maturities from 2026 to 2029 to allow more time for its business plan.

Current Situation:

• Guitar Center still carries significant debt but has successfully extended its maturity dates to 2029.
• The company's financial health remains a concern, with ongoing efforts to navigate market challenges and compete with online retailers, while leveraging its lessons, repairs, and rental services.

 

Last edited: Jan 31, 2026 at 2:43 AM