ATTN: All Kontakt 7 Users - Warning for Factory Library 2 - PLEASE READ ASAP

Vocalpoint · 2024-09-23T19:06:44+00:00

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All

Like many out there - while I am very excited for the release of Kontakt 8 - and will adopt in due course - right now is not that time.

So I began poking around in Native Access today - and noticed an update for the Kontakt Factory Library 2 - moving from 1.3.0 to v1.4.0 and I am glad I did:

If one blindly hits Install on this - and has a bunch of existing projects in Kontakt 7 - while I am NOT going to try this - I expect that:

This may force you to taint your environment with a copy of Komplete 8 Player (which you may or may not be ready for)
More seriously - it WILL push the version level of Factory Library 2 up - which I suspect will see anyone who is using Factory Library v1.30 in a older project to get pulled right back into the "your Kontakt version is too old" disaster - which we have all suffered through at various levels for the last year

Once you kick this thing to v1.4.0 you are either going to v8 of Kontakt OR you will be subjected to massive pain like you may (or may not have) endured with many of us in the last year.

Also have no idea at this early point how to get the v1.3.0 version of the Kontakt Factory Library v2 if someone gets burned by this. All I do know is that file is huge. And with all the bandwidth issues going on with the Komplete launch today - it is not an opportune time to fix this if you have to go back.

Fairly certain someone - very soon - will be the first to report trouble.

Read the Release Notes is all I can say.

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D-One

OK, confirmed by NI that it's all good and K7 will eventually be updated to hide the extra patches only meant for K8.

Official reply here:

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179893#Comment_179893

I think it's safe to mark this thread as "solved" to avoid panic, is that ok with you @Vocalpoint ?

All comments

pnutbutta

Thanks for the update. I was expecting something like this. New stuff usually has issues and would rather wait some for major issues to get ironed out or see if its worth the pain right now.

If there is a player version, im curious to try it on another computer to check how fast it loads larger libraries.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179393#Comment_179393

No prob.

Just trying to help anyone before trouble lands on them.

And yes - I saw K8 Player in NA today. It is ready for download.

Paul B

Thanks for the warning. I hoped Native Instruments had learned their lesson and would not offer incompatible library versions to those who don't have the minimum required version but maybe not. Or maybe they've done it right this time, and messed up the release notes which should say something more like "Compatible with Kontakt 7 and above but new features require Kontakt 8 and above." I want to believe it's the latter. But I won't be trusting it until we have a definitive statement.

mykejb

I've done the update to 1.40 - the instruments I've tested seem to work ok back in K7 but the multis all fail with "Content missing" followed by this

So as VP suggests, if you don't have K8 don't touch the update!

Lomacar

Native Access seriously needs a built-in way to downgrade libraries and products to any version you please. Also, they should stop screwing over their users with updates breaking compatibility. Makes me want to get away from NI and just use freeware software and libraries.

PK The DJ

Yes, I posted about this earlier today here - luckily I read the notes before I did anything.

christophertmusic

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179423#Comment_179423

They also need to come up with a way to detect the hardware you have so you are not offered annoying updates to Komplete Kontrol and other Apps when you don't have supported hardware/software.

With all the new tools and advancements in software development etc. you would think they would have implemented this. I am sure it can be done on Windows using HW IDs. And I am certain it can be done on macOS also.

Paul B

So seemingly confirmed then: Native Instruments have learned nothing from the absolute mess they created with library updates for Kontakt 7. They're going to let people upgrade to another incompatible library version. Yes, people should read release notes. But to have Native Access check available Kontakt versions and

not list updates not compatible with any installed
if some versions are supported, put a warning message on the update listing NOT In the release notes but right there in the main listing of all updates, prominently displayed, that one or more versions of Kontakt are not supported

this is one of the most basic things in software development. It's the kind of task you give to a new hire who has little to no previous experience, it's that easy.

There are better solutions, but they are more work and simply not offering the update would be acceptable.

I've been optimistic about Native Instruments through all the chaos of the last couple of years. My optimism is waning.

D-One

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179422#Comment_179422

What's a "Multi" ? The presets under K8's Combined / Tools / Leap?

If so that doesn't really break anything other than adding useless presets on the Browser, I guess this could be easily fixed with a K7 hotfix to hide content only meant for K8?

Thusis

Those Leap Libraries will not show up in Komplete Kontrol as own Library right or do they?

D-One

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179647#Comment_179647

No, not for me at least… Only the "Combined" patches show up in K7, not in KK.

Leap and Tools only show in K8.

The release notes basically make it sound way more alarming than it actually is.

Kymeia

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179422#Comment_179422

It does all work with K7 apart from the multis which were created to showcase the combined mode in K8 using the new tools so naturally those only work with K8

Headfirstonly

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179423#Comment_179423

…which is exactly what I've been doing since they retired the VST2 version of Komplete Kontrol and broke all my archived Ableton sets. Won't get fooled again.

Paul B

I may have been too hasty before. Looks like the new library will continue to function in Kontakt 7, but the multis problem is yet to be addressed, that being something which only works in Kontakt 8 and should be hidden in K7.

Still not the best experience, but better than that of the K7 libraries and K6.

I admit I am tempted to upgrade to K8 just to keep up to date and have assurance of compatibility. Don't care for any of the new features and K7 has been solid for me, but at least then I don't need to be concerned about any possible compatibility problems.

Kymeia

To be fair the release notes could have been clearer

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