How to reopen VERY old Kontakt session?

garfinkle · 2023-12-06T20:48:20+00:00

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Hi there.

Im attempting to restore several sessions from 2006 (!) and once again I run into the same old Kontakt backwards compatibility issue.

Now, I don't expect to be able to open a version of Kontakt 2 on a modern Mac but is there any way at all to at least determine what patches/libraries were being used within that Kontakt session?

Is there any way to trick or force the session to open using a more recent version of Kontakt?

Many thanks

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Milos

Ooof, that is a tough one...

Hmm...

You are saying that when you open Kontakt 2 track it crashes couple of seconds later, right?

Can you at least see the libraries quickly before it crashes?

garfinkle

Hi Milos.

no.

i have a 2006 logic session containing what I presume was a version 2 or 3 Kontakt. The session opens correctly but as THAT version of Kontakt is no longer available it gives me no option to open the Kontakt files(or do anything at all ).

All I need to know is what was loaded into each of those Kontakt instances so that I might replicate them with a working version of Kontakt.

is there a text based app that might look into the logic session to give me that information? Can a later version of Kontakt somehow “read” what those instances contain?

sorry for the convolution.

solsta

You've probably checked but is there any text data or description in the midi or audio files in the timeline? When I add a synth in logic depending on the type, my midi or audio will have the name of the instrument itself, but in this case I imagine it mighty just say Kontakt. I assumed a newer version of Kontakt works with the older ones but how far back I am not sure. If you export the files as stems, what are they called or described as

garfinkle

No. Nothing.

my housekeeping was even worse in 2006.

garfinkle

It’s a bit annoying.

For example, if I attempt to open a 20 year old Logic session, Logic will recognise the file and give me the option of creating a new and compatible file containing all the original setup and information.

Kontakt gives no options whatsoever.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/113911#Comment_113911

You could try and find out which is the latest version of Kontakt that can open Kontakt 2 files and then see if there is any possibility to have that version installed somewhere and / or ask Kontakt support help you with the endeavor : Kontakt support : http://bit.ly/NIsupport_kontakt

You can download old updates to Kontakt 2 still but if they constitutes actual installers or if they have any practical value that wouldn't know ! : https://www.native-instruments.com/en/support/downloads/update-manager/?q=Kontakt+2&

Else , then sometimes the best way to work with old files is to make an actual old version installation inside a Virtual Machine ! (I am windows and do not know anything about any VM for Mac or how good they may be)

Jeremy_NI

@garfinkle Unfortunately, Kontakt 2 will not install on a recent OS and it can't be activated anymore.

There is actually a migration possibility for older versions of Kontakt with Logic, but it starts with Kontakt 3: Notes about Auto-Migration of Kontakt Versions in DAW Projects

garfinkle

Jeremy

Thanks for your response. The link you provided states:

"macOS: Auto-migration works down to Kontakt 2 for AUs on Mac. Please uninstall you older Kontakt version as shown in this article."

Im still trying to make sense of this "auto-migration" and how I might make it work for me. I have an old copy of Kontakt 5 and 6 loitering in my system. Is the implication here that if I delete ALL instances of ALL Kontakt apps other than Kontakt 7 and then reopen the project this "auto migration" will open up the Kontakt 2 session in Kontakt 7?

What am I missing here before I go ahead and delete these versions of Kontakt?

Jeremy_NI

@garfinkle You're right, i mixed up with Windows, auto migration on Mac can be from Kontakt 2. Uninstalling all previous versions of Kontakt and keeping only Kontakt 7 is the way to go.

Calagan

@Jeremy_NI

Is there any chances Kontakt auto-migration will be implemented in other DAWs (Ableton live for exemple) ?

Is it an Ableton thing or a NI one ? Or in other words, do we need to ask Ableton or NI for that auto-migration thing to happen ?

I must say I'm pretty annoyed (to say the least) with the policy of NI on OS compatibility and plugins updates (that don't retain ANY compatibility with previous versions). But if they could build an auto-migration feature in K7, I could even think (maybe) about spending more money with NI and buy the upgrade from K6 to K7...

Jeremy_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/115186#Comment_115186

This auto migration is a feature of the AU and VST3 plug-in formats. It's up to DAWs to enable it, then it should work out of the box with our plug-ins. So, it's probably a question for Ableton.

garfinkle

Jeremy

So I deleted all past versions of Kontakt from my system leaving only Kontakt 7 as the sole version of Kontakt.

Upon attempting to open the session Im met with:

"The plug-in named "Kontakt" isn't available on your system."

Is there some some trick to implement this "auto-migration" feature?

Jeremy_NI

@garfinkle I'm sorry, it looks like we need to update this article. There's a catch. Kontakt 2 is still 32-bits and as current MacOSs (and since 10.15 i believe) do not tolerate anything 32 bits, the automigration will not work from Kontakt 2. We'll have to add this information: "on current macOS and Logic versions that support AU migration properly this will only work with Kontakt 3.5 64-bit and above"

I'm afraid it will be impossible to open your old Kontakt projects and know which instruments were used.

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