Synchronisation problems: Actions Strings 2, Empire Breaks and other Kontakt VSTs

There are still synchronisation problems with some Kontakt VSTs. With Session Strings Pro 2, synchronisation deteriorates the longer a note is played.

For example, if you record note C in Empire Breaks (with the key held down/long note) (MIDI editor) and then record another note four 1/16 steps later and then record note C again (quantised), note C is played with a noticeable offset.

To make it run synchronously, I had to shift the notes 1/128 to the left. Everything runs synchronously at the beginning of the first note. But as the same MIDI part is played behind the first (copy), it runs out of synchronisation. However, if you leave a bar space between the MIDI parts, the second one runs synchronously.

Is an update planned after such a long time?

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Sunborn

There is something fundamentally wrong here…

Those products you mentioned, are Kontakt Libraries.

They are not VST3 plugins.

Only Kontakt itself it's a VST3, when (and only when) it is loaded through a DAW (Cubase, Ableton, Logic etc.)

sylpre

Nonetheless, there is a synchronisation problem with whatever you call your virtual instruments.

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/256330#Comment_256330

Having to nudge notes by a 1/128th just to keep them in time is a sign of a buffer or engine synchronization error. Based on how Kontakt handles internal scripting and voice management, here are some info and possible causes about why your timing is falling apart:

1 - The "Sample Start" & Scripting Overhead

Libraries like Session Strings Pro 2 and Empire Breaks aren't just simple audio triggers; they use complex engine scripts (KSP) to handle legato transitions, round-robins, and rhythmic syncing.

When you play a long note, Kontakt's engine is constantly calculating the playback position for loops or rhythmic slices. If a note ends and another begins immediately (or overlaps slightly), the script may not have enough "CPU air" to reset its internal clock to zero. It carries over a few milliseconds of processing lag from the previous note, resulting in that offset you're hearing.

2 - Voice "Stealing" and Note-Off Latency

When you copy MIDI parts back-to-back, the Note-Off command of the first part and the Note-On command of the second part happen at the exact same timestamp.

Kontakt might still be processing the "release" phase (envelope) of the first note while trying to trigger the attack of the second. The engine gets "clogged." By leaving a bar of space, you are giving Kontakt's voice management system time to fully terminate all active voices and reset the playback pointer to the start of the sample.

3 - The "Playhead Drift" (Sync to Host)

Many modern Native Instruments libraries sync their internal sequencers to your DAW's playhead.

This is often exacerbated by High Buffer Settings in your DAW. If your buffer is set to 512 or 1024 samples, the "rounding error" in how Kontakt calculates the start of a sample relative to the DAW's grid becomes much more apparent over time.

Potential Fixes to Try:

Shorten the MIDI notes: Ensure there is a tiny gap (even a 1/256th) between the end of one MIDI clip and the start of the next. This forces a "Note-Off" before the new "Note-On."
Check "Options" in Kontakt: Go to Engine -> Handling and ensure "CPU Overload Protection" isn't killing voices too early or late.
Purge and Reload: Sometimes the sample container gets "stuck" in a memory cycle. Purging the samples and reloading them can clear the timing buffer.

Let me know if any of the above made a difference.

Sunborn

Here are what i found for the specific instruments you mentioned.
However, i can not test them, since i don't have them. :-)

To fix the sync drift in Session Strings Pro 2 and Empire Breaks, you need to address how the instrument handles its internal clock. These libraries often use "Look-ahead" or "Input Quantization" which can create the exact "pile-up" of latency you're describing when parts are back-to-back.

Here is how to dive into the settings to check (and hopefully fix!) things up:

1. Disable "Input Quantize"

This is the most common cause. Many rhythmic NI libraries have an internal "Input Quantize" setting. If your MIDI notes are already perfectly snapped in your DAW, this internal setting often fights with the DAW's timing, causing a lag that compounds over time!

In Session Strings Pro 2: Open the Rhythm Animator page. Look for a small gear or "cog" icon or a "Quantize" menu. Set it to Off or None.
In Empire Breaks: On the main "Play" or "Pattern" page, look for the Input Quantize button. Turn it OFF. This ensures the engine triggers exactly when your MIDI note hits, rather than trying to calculate the next "musical" start point.

Please test if the above solution is working first, before try the next solutions!
If things are working, then you do not need to go further.

2. Adjust the "Rhythm Animator" Sync Mode

In Session Strings Pro 2, the Animator can be set to different sync behaviors:

Locate the Sync Mode: Usually found within the Animator tab.
Change to "Host" or "Ext": Ensure it is strictly following the DAW (Host) clock rather than its own internal "Free" cycle.
Reset on Start: Look for a setting called "Retrigger" or "Restart." You want the pattern to restart on every Note-On event. If this is off, the engine keeps running its internal clock in the background, and if your note starts even a millisecond "late" in its cycle, the whole phrase will be offset.

3. The "Note-Off" Buffer Gap (Manual Fix)

Since you mentioned that a bar of space fixes the issue, it confirms that the Kontakt engine is not "flushing" the previous note's data fast enough.

The 1-Tick Gap: Open your MIDI editor. Select all notes and shorten them by just one or two ticks (the smallest possible amount).
Why it works: This ensures a definitive Note-Off message reaches Kontakt before the next Note-On. Without this gap, Kontakt sees a "Legato" transition, which in these libraries often triggers a different, slower script path that causes the offset.

4. Use "Fixed Buffers" (For FL Studio/Ableton Users)

If you are using FL Studio or Ableton Live, this is a known issue with how Kontakt receives audio buffers.

In FL Studio: Go to the Kontakt Wrapper settings (the gear icon) -> Troubleshooting -> Enable "Use fixed buffer sizes."
In Ableton: Ensure your Buffer Size is a power of 2 (e.g., 128, 256, 512). Non-standard buffer sizes can cause "clock jitter" in rhythmic Kontakt libraries.

5. Check the "Pre-Roll" or "Sample Start" Offset

Some patches in Session Strings have a built-in "Attack" or "Pre-Roll" to make them sound more natural.

Go to the Settings tab in the instrument.
Look for "Sample Start" or "Latency" controls. If there is a slider for "Anticipation" or "Look-ahead," try setting it to 0ms.

….that's all i found, i hope they are enough!

sylpre

Hi Sunborn,

Thank you for your reply!

Unfortunately, none of that helped. Process buffer in the Komplete Audio 6 settings: 256 samples. All the settings you mentioned were already set before, exactly as you recommended.

There was a small error in your text. You wrote about Sessions Strings, but I'm talking about Action Strings 2. I don't have any synchronisation issues with several other instruments.

sylpre

PS: DAW: Nuendo.

Jeremy_NI

@sylpre What are the audio settings in Nuendo when this happens? Could you recreate the issue in a small project, zip it and share it here? This way we can try and reproduce the issue, forward it to devs, etc…

Sunborn

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/256415#Comment_256415

…you did mentioned Session Strings too… ;-)

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