7 of our favorite tracks and presets made with Native Instruments | September 2025

At Native Instruments, we’re inspired every day by the music being made with our tools. The creativity of this community is what keeps these platforms alive. It’s always exciting to see how artists take Maschine, Komplete, Kontakt, and Traktor products in unique directions and with the summer months of July and August in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start hunkering down and finding new creative fuel for the colder months of the year.

Because September was no exception, with producers, performers, and sound designers all contributing ideas that stretch across genres and styles, from thoughtful reinterpretations and emotional performances to inventive preset design and ambitious live setups, the range of what’s being shared right now is incredible.

Here are the highlights from the community that caught our attention this month.

@aleanaleanalean reimagines Jay-Z with soulful piano

The Native Instruments community never fails to surprise, and ALEAN’s rework of Jay-Z’s I Know is a perfect example. Instead of the percussion-heavy original, she rebuilds the track around piano, letting cascading chords give the lyrics a new kind of presence. Performed on the Komplete Kontrol S-Series, it shows the instrument’s expressive capabilities in the hands of an artist who knows how to bring out its nuances, in this case, in the hands of the self-proclaimed ‘Queen Of Keys 🎹 👸🏻’.

This is the kind of creativity that makes scrolling through the community such a rewarding experience.

@therealasethic performs heart-pounding beats

Producer Asethic knows what gets an audience hollering. This video features one of his fire beats played live with Maschine, with enough headbanging to cause a serious neck injury if he isn’t careful.

@javachills shares a live jam session that lets you unwind

Okay, this one came out in June – but we couldn’t sleep on it. Producer Java Chill shared a smooth jam session with his buddies featuring his finger drumming skills with Maschine.

This makes us want to lay back on a beach and enjoy the vibes.

@thanksjoey flips 90s cassette samples on Maschine

Digging into old cassette tapes and flipping 90s samples into something fresh is a time-tested tradition, and thanksjoey is carrying it forward in style. Working on Maschine without even using the LED screen, he chops, sequences, and rebuilds iconic vocal fragments into something that feels both raw and timeless.

It’s the kind of dedication that shows how far you can push Native Instruments gear even under limitations, and it highlights the creativity alive in this community right now.

Simon A. Billington builds 19 custom Massive X presets

Simon A. Billington took the Massive X preset challenge and went all in, building an entire 30-second track out of 19 original patches he designed from scratch. Every sound in the piece originates directly from Massive X, with no additional processing except for a limiter to maintain level control.

The result is a short but powerful showcase of what can happen when you push yourself to design from the ground up, and it highlights the creative energy driving the Native Instruments community.

Read Simon’s original post and download the presets below.

Get Free Massive X presets

@ladyincognitamusic shares shimmering Massive X pad

Lady Incognita shared her Shimmering Space Pad, a Massive X preset built years ago and brought back to life for the recent community challenge. With synthwave-inspired tones and subtle modulation from LFOs and performers, the patch delivers a glowing atmosphere that works beautifully for chords or melodic layers.

It’s the kind of preset that invites experimentation, giving producers a strong starting point to shape entire ideas.

Read Lady Incognita’s original post and download her pad below.

Get Massive X pad free

Discord highlight: Studio tour and interview with David Elfström Lilja (@moist_se)

Based in Gävle, Sweden, David Elfström Lilja has been creating music since the 1980s and continues to explore new ideas under several aliases. From electronica and pop as Moist to ambient and downbeat explorations as Árstraumur, his work reflects decades of experience and a commitment to pushing creativity forward. We had a chat with him on our Discord server to find out more.

Hi, I’m a producer, artist, and composer from Gävle, Sweden. I make music under several aliases, with my main focus being Moist, where I create electronica and pop, as well as numerous remixes. Under the name Árstraumur, I explore electronic instrumental music, from ambient to downbeat. I started playing drums when I was four and have been active as a musician since the 1980s. Today, I work full-time with music and my label, I/O Music, which I’ve had since 2011.

What’s the one piece of gear you couldn’t live without?

I could live without most gear except my computer. Over the years I’ve shifted more and more into working “in the box” and that’s really helped me get more music finished. But I do love gear, so I think I’ll always keep my little Casio VL-Tone close by.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing in your studio right now?

 Probably the Mute Synth 1. A strange little touch-and-tilt synth created by Dirty Electronics together with Mute Records. It’s even shaped like the Mute logo, and makes the most unpredictable sounds.

What advice would you give to someone setting up their first home studio?

My best advice is not to overspend on gear right away. Build your setup slowly and take the time to really learn each piece of equipment or software before adding more. That way, you’ll get the most out of what you already have, and you’ll understand better what you actually need as your skills develop. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of monitoring. Good speakers or headphones are crucial. 

If your listening environment is poor, it doesn’t matter how much time you put into a track, you’ll still be working with the wrong perspective.

Be inspired by the NI community

September brought another wave of inspiring projects from the Native Instruments community. From heartfelt performances to bold preset design and genre-spanning Maschine sets, creativity is thriving with NI tools at the center of the process.

Keep sharing your music with us. Every post adds to the collective energy of this community. Tag your creations with #madewithNI for a chance to be featured in the next roundup. You can check out additional studio pics and chat with other Native Instruments users on our Discord server.

If you are ready to start creating yourself, explore a wide selection of free instruments and effects with Komplete Start.

Get Komplete Start free