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NITools User Guide

This guide provides a straightforward overview of how to use the NITools graphical user interface (GUI) applications.

1. Introduction

NITools is a suite of unofficial, multi-platform tools designed to help you extract, convert, and repurpose Native Instruments content for use in other workflows and devices.

2. Installation

For most users, the easiest way to get started is by downloading the pre-built executables for Windows and macOS from the Releases page.

If you are a developer and wish to run NITools from source, please refer to the Development section in README.md for detailed installation and environment setup instructions.

3. Running the NITools Launcher

The NITools Launcher is the central entry point for all GUI tools. It allows you to easily access the different exporters.

To start the Launcher:

  • Windows: Double-click the NITools.exe executable (if using a pre-built release).

  • macOS: After downloading the .dmg file, open it and drag NITools.app to your Applications folder.

    • If the app does not open: - Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and press Open Anyway.

    • If it still does not open, double-click the fix.command script located in the .dmg volume. Then, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and press Open Anyway again. Finally, open the NITools.app from your Applications folder and, if prompted, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and press Open Anyway one last time.

      dmg allow script

  • From Source (Python): Run rebuild_env.ps1 and run.ps1 to setup a Conda environment environment and run the tool.

Once launched, you will see the main window:

NITools Launcher

Screenshot of the NITools Launcher main window.

From here, you can select which tool you want to use.

4. Groups Exporter

The Groups Exporter is designed to extract and process Maschine groups (kits and samples) from .mxgrp files.

To open the Groups Exporter, click the "Groups Exporter" button in the Launcher.

Step 1: Process Groups

This step scans your Native Instruments library for Maschine group files and creates a combined JSON index of their metadata.

Groups Exporter - Build JSON Screenshot of the Groups Exporter "Process Groups" tab.

  1. Input folder: Select the root folder of your Native Instruments library (e.g., D:/Libraries/Native Instruments/).
  2. Output folder: Choose where the all_groups.json file will be saved (e.g., ./out/).
  3. Generate TXT files: Check this option if you also want to generate .txt files alongside the JSON, containing unprocessed information for debug purposes.
  4. Click "Process Groups" to start the process.

Step 2: Export Groups

After building the JSON, this step processes the extracted group data into cleaned and usable kits, applying various transformations.

Groups Exporter - Process Groups Screenshot of the Groups Exporter "Export Groups" tab.

  1. JSON file: This field will automatically populate with the all_groups.json generated in Step 1. You can also manually select a different JSON file.
  2. Output folder: Choose the destination folder for your processed kits (e.g., ./out/groups/).
  3. Options:
    • Skip already processed: If checked, samples that already exist in the output folder will be skipped.
    • Trim silence: Removes silence from the beginning and end of samples.
    • Normalize: Normalizes the volume of the samples.
    • Sample rate: Convert all samples to a specified sample rate (e.g., 44100, 48000).
    • Bit depth: Convert all samples to a specified bit depth (e.g., 16, 24).
    • Include preview samples: Includes the group preview samples in the export.
  4. Pad Reorder Matrix (4x4):
    • Enable matrix reorder: Check this to reorder pads according to a custom 4x4 matrix. Click "Show Matrix" to configure the mapping (e.g., for SP-404 MK2 compatibility).
  5. Pad Filter Keywords:
    • Enable pad filtering: Check this to filter pads based on keywords. Click "Show Pad Filter Editor" to define keywords for each pad (e.g., "kick" for Pad 1, "snare" for Pad 2).
  6. Fill Blank Pads:
    • Fill blank pads: Check this to fill any empty pads in a group.
    • Fill blanks path: Specify a WAV file to use as a default sample, or a folder containing WAVs from which a random sample will be picked.
  7. Click "Export Groups" to start processing and exporting the groups.

5. Previews Exporter

The Previews Exporter converts NKS audio previews (.previews files) into standardized WAV files, making them easily browsable outside Native Instruments software.

To open the Previews Exporter, click the "Previews Exporter" button in the Launcher.

Step 1: Process Previews

This step scans for NKS preview files and creates a combined JSON index of their metadata.

Previews Exporter - Build JSON Screenshot of the Previews Exporter "Process Previews" tab.

  1. Output folder: Choose where the previews.json file will be saved (e.g., ./out/).
  2. Click "Process Previews" to start the process.

Step 2: Export Previews

After building the JSON, this step processes the extracted preview data into cleaned and usable WAV audio files.

Previews Exporter - Process Previews Screenshot of the Previews Exporter "Export Previews" tab.

  1. JSON file: This field will automatically populate with the previews.json generated in Step 1. You can also manually select a different JSON file.
  2. Output folder: Choose the destination folder for your processed preview WAVs (e.g., ./out/previews/).
  3. Options:
    • Skip already processed: If checked, samples that already exist in the output folder will be skipped.
    • Trim silence: Removes silence from the beginning and end of preview audio.
    • Normalize: Normalizes the volume of the preview audio.
    • Sample rate: Convert all previews to a specified sample rate (e.g., 44100, 48000).
    • Bit depth: Convert all previews to a specified bit depth (e.g., 16, 24).
  4. Click "Export Previews" to start processing and exporting the previews.

6. Configuration

From the NITools Launcher, you can access a configuration dialog by clicking the cog icon in the top-left corner.

Configuration Dialog Screenshot of the Configuration Dialog.

This dialog allows you to adjust global settings for the applications, such as UI style.

7. Troubleshooting and Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please visit the NITools GitHub Issues page to report bugs or seek assistance.