Miserable so far

zanderary · 2025-03-20T18:00:54+00:00

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Just got Kontakt and so far, I hate it. Not intuitive. Manual does not show you where to find the things it describes. The interface is useless. Also, cannot make it respond in Stand Alone mode. I don't see the MIDI channels. Falcon from UVI is MUCH more friendly for that.

When I load a sound, it is very quiet, even though my DAW mixer is at full volume.

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Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217334#Comment_217334

To be fair - pretty much 100% of software companies do not refund simply because you are not happy with a product - and especially when an unlimited free test drive is available.

That said - to at least see what your options are - do the following:

Login to the Native Instruments main site and ensure your user "avatar" is lit up in the upper right
Go here - Sales Support

Purchase Support – Native Instruments

3. Start a chat in the chat window. If a live agent is not available - you can log a ticket

MLARS

It feels like many Kontakt updates are made just to support upcoming sample products - not to actually fix and modernize the entire sample player. In many areas it feels over a decade old. Suspect it may take 4-8 years or longer before we see the GUI/UX be updated (if ever). Similar issue with many other software from NI.

NI is clearly stretched to thin and as a long user I am starting to look elsewhere for the next big sample player and sample library and bundle platform.

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Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/43602/miserable-so-far

Why did you buy it if it is clearly not for you?

Probably should have just went with the Kontakt Player which is free so you could test drive without being miserable.

zanderary

DIdn't expect it to be this difficult. Assumed I could send an email to tech support. Would love to cancel the order, but there's no way of reaching ANYONE!

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217334#Comment_217334

To be fair - pretty much 100% of software companies do not refund simply because you are not happy with a product - and especially when an unlimited free test drive is available.

That said - to at least see what your options are - do the following:

Login to the Native Instruments main site and ensure your user "avatar" is lit up in the upper right
Go here - Sales Support

Purchase Support – Native Instruments

3. Start a chat in the chat window. If a live agent is not available - you can log a ticket

stephen24

Don't give up! Kontakt is powerful and you do need to spend a little time finding out how to get it to do the amazing things it's capable of. This forum is packed with experienced users keen to help, and there are also I believe loads of tutorials to help get you started if necessary.

Why not let us know exactly what you are wanting Kontakt to do for you, and give us more details of the problems you are finding.

MLARS

NI is clearly stretched to thin and as a long user I am starting to look elsewhere for the next big sample player and sample library and bundle platform.

Skijumptoes

Do many people still go to Kontakt as a sound design tool as they would UVI Falcon?

Many years ago Kontakt was the 'go to' sampler, but to me it's just not in the same ball park, and Kontakt is much more about it's ecosystem, NKS support, preset and mass library. And then what you can layer and tweak using those ready to go sounds.

I think this is why NI are developing Leap and Komplete Kontrol for being the place where you quickly drop a sample in and manipulate/build a sound from that?

Vocalpoint

I have never thought of Kontakt (the base app) as a "sound design" tool. Falcon leaves it in the dust in that respect.

For me - Kontakt is simply the "container/foundation" to load a specific library and then - dependant on what library it is - do some sound design using it.

But let's face it - Kontakt (on it's own) is (and always will be a fancy sample playback engine. It's the content that one puts in it that makes it worthwhile.

MLARS

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217444#Comment_217444

Leap is replacing Battery - but Kontakt is still the proper advance sample player to build sample instruments. Many parts of Kontakt feels very old now and not updated properly.

Skijumptoes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217455#Comment_217455

Kontakt was the sound design tool back in the day though, but I can't think of the last time i've gone in to create anything. Heck, I used to use it for chopping drum loops in the past - I don't know if I can even remember how to do it now!

…And that interface once you go into the original view… shudders

Skijumptoes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217456#Comment_217456

I see Leap as replacing the core sample functions of Kontakt too, wouldn't surprise me if they soon add a way of chopping loops and spanning them across the keybed. Because Kontakt has moved away from that quite substantially now.

MLARS

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/217467#Comment_217467

Kontakt 8 UX is a disaster today. The ratings I see in reviews is a joke. It should be lower. Kontakt today is great for veteran composers and developers who know what they are doing - but the software is showing it's age. Adding som basic creative tools for non players shows where NI think how they can make money instead of fixing the software.

stephen24

These are really helpful and constructive comments, for someone having problems starting out with this programme.

DunedinDragon

I think the audience has broadened quite a bit over the lifetime of Kontakt and there are a lot more people that are taking different approaches to creating music than fundamental composition and arrangement from scratch. But those tools don't really apply to traditional music creation because they're too generalized in order to lessen the burden of music creation for those that work in more non traditional areas.

But that traditional area hasn't shrunk so much as the other areas have simply expanded. There are any number of similar companies that still do big business in creating new and innovative sample libraries because that fits the needs of the traditional composers, producers and arrangers. Especially when you look into the cinematic and atmospheric areas of instrumentation which has kind of become it's own unique growth industry.

Although I'm very much in the traditional camp, I'm still intrigued with the new tools that are appearing in Kontakt 8, but I've yet to find any I can employ with any consistency to match the things I typically need in the work I produce. But given time I suspect I'll find more use for some of them as time goes on.

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