Ask Kontakt 8 creators anything

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  • Calagan
    Calagan Member Posts: 187 Advisor

    hey Paul. I use an ad-hoc location for saving because all theses presets/snapshots are temporary, and just created for a migration purpose. I will never re-use these presets because they don't have any sense outside of the session I used them : they're just a studio drummer preset with some hi-hat louder, or a British Drama violin with some specific output level. Nothing too fancy. But when you migrate an instance of Kontakt from vst2 K5 to vst3 K6, it's obviously safer and quicker to save/load presets than to copy by hand each parameter (and forgetting you changed this little tiny one about stereo or whatever).

    Another reason is I need to do the same with Reaktor and Battery. In a basic session, this can accumulate and I better have the same location for all these plugins than searching and opening different folders located in different places. After the migration session, I just erase all these presets/snapshots.

    Regarding my procedure in Kontakt, I just click the floppy disk, go to "Save as", this brings me to the default location for .nki presets of the specific instrument I'm saving, but I just choose another temporary location (for exemple in a TEMP folder on my desktop), then save, then re-load that .nki file in my new K6 instance…

    It takes me 1-2 minutes per instrument (without accounting for the verification process : null test when possible and so on). In a crowded session, it accumulates quickly.

    Each time I do the same procedure, Kontakt brings me to the same default save location, so (to my knowledge) I can't save an ad-hoc location for my Kontakt .nki presets…

  • MLARS
    MLARS Member Posts: 145 Pro
    edited September 26

    THIS.

    NI could have the option in Native access for users to install Old/legacy versions of Kontakt (still needs to be supported with updates and fixes) if there are issues with older libraries. But going forward supporting proper painless migration options should be a priority - find ways to move settings from one big release to another.

    Work with DAW devs so it does not break project templates. The sample player/library world should have standards to migrate to new sample player releases. I would even suggest some kind of Kontakt/template migration tools to identify issues when migrating where settings are lost, where libraries are incompatible etc.

    The less occasions a new sample player release breaks big project templates the better. This is also why some users don't see Kontakt having big releases every other year and preferably less frequent.

  • Paul B
    Paul B Member Posts: 163 Advisor
    edited September 26

    I see what you mean now about how the preset saving works for you. I could not find the save icon you were talking about because it doesn't exist in Kontakt 7 (it's the ‘File’ menu in K7, icon in K6). It's also referenced in the manual as saving a copy of the instrument, not a preset, so I was looking for the wrong thing everywhere.

    It uses a default location well suited to me, though, because it is on my external drive where my Kontakt libraries are installed, while snapshots are on my internal drive and I can't find a way to change that (again, asking the Kontakt devs to please allow this to be set in configuration so I can have it on my external also).

    I still think you can simplify your process. You can use the central location and delete after migration. Why add the effort of the ad-hoc location? They are no less temporary no matter where they are saved. Anyway, you have your preference, no need to justify it to me, I only suggest trying without the ad-hoc location. Snapshots will also, to my surprise, work with being deleted after, at least in Ableton Live. I thought since they show up as user presets if I deleted them then reloaded my Live set the settings would be gone, but they persist. The preset/snapshot name shows greyed out, because it no longer exists, but the settings are there.

    Native Instruments could probably make this easier. Mentioning Tokyo Dawn reminded me there is a better way. Yes, it's still a manual process to copy/paste, but easier and quicker and no temp files (in your case, since I intend to keep mine) needing to be deleted. And as years go by each new version takes longer if you wish to migrate all your old sessions (though keeping the saved instruments/snapshots will save time). I didn't think that Reaktor would be the same, but it has a version number also so of course it will be and now I need to go and save all those as well in case Reaktor 7 is ever a thing (please no reviving that debate, anyone who reads this).

    Despite this I bought Kontakt 8 yesterday. I don't really need the new features. The only one that intrigues me is the phrase tool, for chords I have Scaler, and Leap doesn't seem to offer anything I would use. But I like to stay current where I can, and it looks like there are good usability improvements with more to come.

  • Philipp_NI
    Philipp_NI Product Team Posts: 12 mod

    Thanks again for your follow up. Regarding the purge: we aim to integrate it with some of the upcoming updates. For now you can access the feature by showing the instrument headers with the view option (in default view) or using the classic view.

    The other points will get an follow as soon as possible.

    Best

  • MLARS
    MLARS Member Posts: 145 Pro
    edited September 26

    Routing UX for Kontakt, Battery and Maschine with a DAW is not great. While I get sound designers need work, the basics still need improvements.

    I have completely moved from Maschine to Ableton Push 3 Standalone because of issues with Routing UX.

    I do want to see Battery grid system tech support Ableton Push 3 and similar grid style player either in a new Battery version or as new tech in Kontakt.

  • Philipp_NI
    Philipp_NI Product Team Posts: 12 mod

    Hi, thanks for the question!

    With the first Version of Kontakt 8.0 and its new sidebar browser view you can search within a selected product. We aim to extend search functionality with upcoming releases.

  • Tulio Guilherme Grunwald
    Tulio Guilherme Grunwald Member Posts: 19 Member

    Furthermore, I would like to know if there is an intention to include the search bar in the side menu without the need to select a library?
    So that those who have several instruments can quickly search for the name in the same menu, without having to open the browser or scroll the side pane endlessly.

    I'd also like to report that the previews of old libraries (Evolve, Symphony Series, among others) are not working in Kontakt 8, (But working perfect in Komplete Kontrol and Maschine)
    In my case, the preview library is correctly installed, do you guys know about this issue already?

  • telefunkin
    telefunkin Member Posts: 1 Member

    Kontakt 8 Leap is all about triggering loops? Wow, now we've gone all the way back to Acid Pro by way of Ableton, and thousands of Kontakt users will be able to turn out similar sounding tracks! It's a shame when most media composers are extremely wary of sounding like everyone else so they avoid melodic loops (and library owners can smell them a mile off anyway because they've heard them all too many times). All of this makes me wonder who Kontakt 8 is actually aimed at. The new features might be a big deal for some (not sure who) but I won't be rushing to buy it just for more browsing options, a set of chord sequences and phrases, and loop triggering. The trouble is, I'll be forced to buy it as soon as I fancy a new instrument that requires Kontakt 8. Seriously, I don't see why chords, phrases and loops have to be inside Kontakt. They could have been optional by putting them in external software to trigger any sound source. You can't take them out again though, so we'll all be buying them and re-buying them with every upgrade now.

    As has been mentioned, I hope these new (old) features don't make it even slower than 7. It already takes an age to re-load Cubase projects that include several instances of Kontakt 7.

  • MLARS
    MLARS Member Posts: 145 Pro
    edited September 27

    Happy to hear. Currently they are sibling software: Battery can open Kits. Leap (Kontakt) cannot.

    As a Push user I would love to have grid player UI/UX support at least in some NI software - preferably the next Battery or Kontakt update (I will likely not use Maschine this cycle, but will still use the expansions - so downloadable Ableton Live Drum Kit versions would be lovely if NI could add in an updated Expansions offering, add Cubase Groove Agent support too if it is possible).

    But to be clear, I am currently have no plans in buying any new Kontakt or any new 1st or 3d party libraries if there isn't GUI scaling improvements on any previously released libraries in the Komplete bundles (same for third party vendors like Heavyocity who currently released another pixelated addon for Novo). Current situation is terrible.

  • Matthew_NI
    Matthew_NI Product Team Posts: 1,454 mod
    edited September 26

    We've run extensive surveys over the years. I also come from ten years at iZotope where the same patterns and surveys have been observed (another brand that introduces new major versions, rather than overwrites).

    Your assertion of how people interact with usage data tracking is also incorrect at scale, but something we hear a lot from users such as yourself. There are many users, and no one user speaks for all.

  • MLARS
    MLARS Member Posts: 145 Pro
    edited September 26

    Still important to address migration issues for big template users with DAW developers.

    You can support both access to older releases of plugins (old school way of doing things) - and still innovate to find improved ways for big templates to be able to migrate to a new version of sample players and mix plugins, like the ones from iZotope.

    I don't like the old "either or" rhetoric.

    Innovate. Solve customer problems. Simple.

  • Duffcat
    Duffcat Member Posts: 44 Helper

    Thank you @Philipp_NI. I look forward to your expanded side-pane system wide search as it seems to be a logical and essential function. I have to say that the sidebar is still the most useful and elegant solution to finding content. Judging by the user input here it seems that we are all in agreement.

  • Tim_NI
    Tim_NI Product Team Posts: 52 mod

    This also works with Logic Pro so it is possible for AU. Pro Tools support is also coming soon.

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