How To Use Bandstand In kontakt 6?

mdiemer · 2022-09-14T20:09:37+00:00

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I have a legit copy of the old GM library, NI Bandstand. there are some things on there I use from time to time. I know the old Service Center is dead. However, supposedly you can get it to work on Kontakt.

So, I installed Bandstand to my drive where I have all my libraries. I added the serial number to Native Access. I located it, and it shows up as installed, with the correct pathway and serial number.

But, when I load an instrument, I get an error message, telling me I need to open NA and activate it. I am at a loss at this point. what's the trick?

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Accepted answers

EvilDragon

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/34575#Comment_34575

Native Access can and does activate ALL Kontakt Player libraries, of which Bandstand is one. It works fine over here! What NA won't do is activate the standalone Bandstand app/plugin, but this is beside the point, since the library itself opens in Kontakt as a matter of course.

OP - if Windows can't see your drive, it's likely because you're using a Linux-centric file system, probably? You definitely need your drive formatted as NTFS if you want Windows to see it. There is no other way around it. Once you have done this, you will be able to point to the Bandstand folder in Native Access and it will activate it, and any Kontakt from and including version 5.6.8 will work with it just fine and not in demo mode. It's pretty simple.

EvilDragon

You don't get the Reinstall option because it's an old discontinued product that is not delivered through Native Access (nor was it ever intended to).

I suppose there might be some dark magic happening between the WINE emulation layer and NA-attempted conversion of old auth system that Bandstand used to the new one that K5.6.8 and above are using... Is about the only logical thing I can think of. So the only solution would be to... run actual Windows or macOS...

Case in point, here's Kontakt 5.6.8 with a Bandstand patch loaded and not in demo mode.

All comments

EvilDragon

Which version of Kontakt is this? You need minimum Kontakt 5.6.8 for the NA provided activation to work.

mdiemer

Hi Dragon, thanks for replying. I'm using Kontakt 6.67 or thereabouts (I'm not on my music rig at the moment).

I am using Linux, so I have kontakt on that (Mint 21). But, I also have it on Windows 7, so I'm going to go on Windows and do whatever needs to be done there (serial number, pathway etc). I sometimes forget about that, and it sometimes solves the problem. So let me do that before you reply again.

Cheers :)

mdiemer

Well, I did put in the serail number in NA on windows 7. but I can't install Bandstand to the drive I use for my libraries, as windows can't see it. Installing Bandstand to my old "D" drive would work of ocurse, or "C" for that matter, but the pathway would be different than on my Linux drive. I can't see how it would help the situation anyway.

I can load instruments through files or the load feature, but it comes up as demo. Which means, I'm assuming, that it ****** out after 15 minutes or something.

mdiemer

Well, I put in the serail number in NA on Windows drive, but Windows can't see my m.2 drive, which is where I have Bandstand, along with my other libraries. So I can't locate it on Windows. I don't see that it would help anyway.

I can load insts. in Bandstand, but they come up as demo.

Jeremy_NI

Sorry to come late to the party. Unfortunately there's no way around it. Activation for Bandlab is not available anymore (Service Center or Offline activation) and is not possible with Native Access.

mdiemer

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/34575#Comment_34575

I know that activation of Bandlab is no longer possible. sorry if I was not clear about that. what I am trying to do is to use the sounds in kontakt, which I have heard is in fact possible. Bandtstand does show up on kontakt, and I try to locate it but I am not successful.

EvilDragon

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/34575#Comment_34575

Jeremy_NI

@EvilDragon Oopsie! Thanks for correcting me! I wasn't aware of that.

mdiemer

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/34670#Comment_34670

Ah, that must be it, Dragon. As you may know from the Reaper forum, I do indeed use Linux (currently mint 21, and it's working great).

I thought that I did format my m.2 drive, where my libraries are, as NTFS. Although it may have been GPT. I'll have to check that out.

It would be a bummer if I had to reformat it, but it's doable, it will just take time.

Thanks!

mdiemer

Woops, GPT is the partitioning system. I had intended to use NTFS for the file system, but somehow it ended up being FUSE. what is weird though, is that I have the KFL, as well as the Sam Free Orch on that drive, and NA and Kontakt recognize them fine. I can use the sounds. So why doesn't Bandstand work?

One solution would be to put it on my Windows C drive. but then I have to mount it. I could also try installing it on my Linux wine C drive, since it's only a 3GB library, and wouldn't take up too much space, even considering that drive is only a 250 GB SSD.

One way or another I'll figure it out. Everyone needs a good GM library, and Bandstands is as good as it gets. Which begs the question, why doesn't NI support it anymore? It's too good to be abandonware.

mdiemer

Update on this. First, the file system is indeed NTFS; I was wrong about that. So no problem there. Also, I have cinematic Strings, Cine Orchestra core, the kontakt factory library and the Sam Free Orch all on the same drive, and they all load normally. Only Bandstand does not. I did put in the serial number, and it shows up as installed, Full Version, on Native Access. I don't know what else is necessary here. it should work, and not be in demo mode. The only thing I see that is different on NA is that when I hover over "Full Version," it does not say "Reinstall," like the other libraries do. Maybe that is a clue?

EvilDragon

You don't get the Reinstall option because it's an old discontinued product that is not delivered through Native Access (nor was it ever intended to).

Case in point, here's Kontakt 5.6.8 with a Bandstand patch loaded and not in demo mode.

mdiemer

Hmm, that makes me wonder whether installing an older K5 version, using Windows 7 config in wine, might do the trick. I'll try it and see.

mdiemer

I finally got around to trying kontakt 5, as I have a project that needs a Bandstand instrument. I installed version 5.6.6, and indeed it does load instruments correctly (not in demo mode).

I fianlly have a great GM set now to use in Reaper for Linux.

Thanks to Evil Dragon for solving this. 🙂

EvilDragon

Hmmm... you should definitely be able to load it in K5.6.8 and above, too...

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