Kontakt 8.9.0 update has caused some instrument crashes and odd behaviour

Bryn Owen

I have noticed some problems with the latest Kontakt 8.9.0 update and wonder if anyone else has these as well …

"Dopamine" is basically unplayable - short staccato notes of various lengths.
Kontakt crashes completely when loading any of the "Output" instruments like "Analog Brass and Winds"
I am also seeing another issue in the forum here:
https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/50176/session-horns-pro

Maybe NI is watching and can comment as well? Thank you.

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Accepted answers

Sufox

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257554#Comment_257554

Hi Bryn!
Could you be more specific on what you mean by "I switched a few times". Did you switch to a different audio driver (like Core Audio) or did you change just the Sample Rate? Did you restart Kontakt after switching?
I was not able to reproduce any crashes or issues using Kontakt 8.9.0 with Output Analog Brass & Winds using my M1 MacBook Pro with Tahoe 26.3 over here.

Looks like you are also on Tahoe 26.3, but what kind of Mac do you use?

BTW. I did not use any external Audio Interface though, just the Core Audio driver. Did you try that also , disconnect your external Audio interface and just use internal Core Audio driver?

You also wrote "but the interface is mangled - lots of images stacked on top of each other." This is typical when the Audio Engine of Kontakt is not running, in these situations hitting the "!" Exclamation Mark Panic Button in Kontakt can help to reinitiate Kontakts Audio Engine, did you try that?

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257530#Comment_257530

Hi HunDread!
Could you please specify which Audio Interface, which sample rate settings and what DAW you use? And if you roll back to Kontakt 8.8 or 8.7.2 via https://www.native-instruments.com/en/account/downloads/ , does this fix your issues?

Matthew_NI

We have spent the day thus far trying to reproduce these errors, and are so far unable to do so.

We've tested the aforementioned instruments in a variety of environments on a variety of chipsets and all seem to load correctly.

We'll keep trying - answers to the above questions will help us explore further.

One thing to note: when loading older instruments with older user interfaces, if the user interface appears scrambles, as mentioned above, this implies a problem with the audio engine. For the curious: it's because the older user interfaces are written in a language called KSP, which operates in the audio thread. If the audio config is broken, then so too is the user interface. More updated instruments write their user interfaces in a language called KUI, which operates outside of the audio thread.

All comments

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/50180/kontakt-8-9-0-update-has-caused-some-instrument-crashes-and-odd-behaviour

Kontakt crashes completely when loading any of the "Output" instruments like "Analog Brass and Winds"

For what it is worth then an "Output" instruments like "Analog Brass and Winds" loads just fine for me… Both as standalone and inside my DAW… But I am also using a PC.

Do you experience the problems in Kontakt 8.9 standalone or only in a DAW ? If so then what is your exact DAW version ?

Have you tried the Kontakt Crashes support page solutions ?

HunDread

The 25.02.2026 update: 8.9.0 is not useable. I'm running it on macbook pro m3 max os tahoe 26.3 massive cpu peaks and crashes, noise bursts, nearly wrecked my ears. Old projects are stuttering like hell. I wish I could downgrade again. Everything worked fine about a week ago. Whats going on?

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257530#Comment_257530

I wish I could downgrade again.

Unless that you have saved the projects using Kontakt 8.9.0 then I would assume that you can just download and install previous version from Account downloads .

Vocalpoint

No issues here with v8.90 on any instrument and I just loaded 20 in a row - from both NI and many other vendors.

I am on Windows however. Maybe this is a Mac thing?

HunDread

Weird, probably is a mac thing. But I'm happy for you at least someone can keep making music! 🤟 I hope this gets resolved asap. 🌞

Bryn Owen

Thanks for the responses everyone - it could be just a Mac thing. Or a "me" thing.

Also, from PoorFellow, looks like Komplete Kontrol is okay - I can open up instruments and they are okay. I have not checked in DAW - not usually how I use these, so not an issue for me.

But Kontakt 8 standalone is not okay. Looks like switching Audio outputs in Options (I use the audio interface in my MODX and it is 44.1k while the computer is 48k) makes a difference. I switched a few times and I can now open the "Output" company instruments like ANALOG BRASS AND WINDS, but the interface is mangled - lots of images stacked on top of each other. This is better than a crash but still not usable! …

Sufox

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257554#Comment_257554

Looks like you are also on Tahoe 26.3, but what kind of Mac do you use?

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257530#Comment_257530

Matthew_NI

We have spent the day thus far trying to reproduce these errors, and are so far unable to do so.

We've tested the aforementioned instruments in a variety of environments on a variety of chipsets and all seem to load correctly.

We'll keep trying - answers to the above questions will help us explore further.

Sufox

Also, if crashes happen, please have a look in the Console App and send the regarded crashlogs to NI. These will most likely help a lot to analyse the issue.

Bryn Owen

I must thank you all again for the suggestions and comments. Some more details for the record, but I seem to have a workaround! …

First, MacOS 26.3 but running on intel iMac, not Apple silicon. Seems not to be an issue for any other instruments or software so far.

The Audio engine seems like a VERY possible issue … I have seen issues with some Kontakt instruments in the past using my Yamaha MODX as the audio output because it only supports 44.1k. My workaround is to start up Kontakt without the MODX selected, then switch once it has started. I do not see a crash any more.

I saw two comments and an explanation of why the garbled interface appears and that is GREAT info from you both, so thank you. If I see the crazy GUI again I will change those settings. Right now it is not an issue because I switched the Audio Output.

Again, by "switching" I most often mean selecting the computer audio, then my MODX output, but I have tried switching to 44.1k on the iMac audio and it does not seem to be a problem. Only an issue when I choose the MODX. So, I think Core Audio (built in) is okay.

I hope I answered all the questions! Thanks again everyone. Great to have this forum, and to have NI actively watching it!! Appreciate it.

Sufox

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257669#Comment_257669

Good to hear that you have found a workaround. When the crashes happened, did you use the Yamaha ModX Audio interface also in the Sound Settings in your MacOS, or was your OS always set to the Core Audio Driver and to 48 kHz? You could try to change the sample rate for the Core Audio Driver in the Audio Midi Setup, start Audio Midi Setup, go to Window→ Show Audio Devices and then set the sample rates there per device. Maybe the right setting for the actual system Audio can also help preventing the crash when using Kontakt with the Yamaha ModX driver.
Also make sure the regarded Yamaha/Steinberg USB driver is updated.

HunDread

@Sufox

Hi HunDread!

Could you please specify which Audio Interface, which sample rate settings and what DAW you use? And if you roll back to Kontakt 8.8 or 8.7.2 via https://www.native-instruments.com/en/account/downloads/ , does this fix your issues?

Hey there.

I use an antelope audio discrete 8 SC in the Studio and a focusrite scarlett 4i4 4g at home.

usually I run on a sample rate of 64 to 128. but since the update I have spikes even running as high as 1024. as soon as 5 or 6 notes upwards are played.

whilst using komplete kontrol (arturia instruments work fine but (claire/handcrafted piano/velvet guitars) make awfull glitches and noises. same culprits in kontakt 8 in DAW.

I use Ableton and cubase, newest versions always up to date.

the workhorse is a (macbook pro 16, m3 max 96gb) (tahoe 26.3) I have everything installed on internal memory 4TB ssd

i hope this helps to find a solution.

i will try to deinstall 8.9.0 und reinstall 8.8.

HunDread

@Sufox

rolled back to 8.8.1

and everything works again. :) thx

HunDread

@Sufox Oh and sorry i got messed up with sample rate and buffer. samplerate is 44100

Sufox

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/257695#Comment_257695

Hi HunDread,

great to hear that the rollback to Kontakt 8.8.1 worked. But it is weird that you get these performance issues (crackles) and even crashes just by updating to Kontakt 8.9.0. Can you please get in direct contact with NI Customer Support and provide them with the crashlogs? If there is a regression issue with Kontakt 8.9.0, that is so drastic, I wonder why this does not affect many other users yet. So better it gets investigated more in depth.

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