Why I keep loosing settings ?

aka
aka Member Posts: 72 Member
in Komplete Kontrol

komplete kontrol sucks :-(
this is one of the reasons I have not upgraded my KOMPLETE library, have not upgraded my Komplete keyboard and question if I would ever purchase again anything by NATIVE INSTRUMENTS.

PROBLEM:
It happens for about 2 years or so. I create a project in Ableton LIVE12. Everything is completed and works fine. I forget about it for a few weeks or even months. I open it later and all of a sudden multiple tracks keep loosing plugins (plugin settings).

I scan the plugins and there is nothing wrong with them. I also check through NativeAccess, no issues. I see plugin names but no presets. I can remove plugins in question and reinsert them in a track, but any settings (whether default or customized) are gone, and I see no way to restore it.

In recent 2 years this happened at least a dozen of times.
I remember this happened with the NI disaster hit all users when KONTAKT7 was introduced, but this for example happens to the plugins outside Kontakt or KK (i.e Flair, Choral etc).

When this happened first time I was advised (on this forum) not to use the most recent version of KK.

Now I discovered I have at least 3 project with missing KK, KONTAKT settings and I really want to scream! This is a total disaster :-(
I am not sure whet version of KK damaged projects used, as there is no way for me to find out (or I do not know how).

I would appreciate your input here, and perhaps some solution to this ongoing problem.

Live12/Windows10Pro/Kontakt7/KK v2.6.7

Comments

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,201 Expert
    edited April 19

    Need details of what was and is now installed…

    Honestly, people should kind of forget updating anything from NI when you have things working. macOS will at some point force you to do this, i'd advise of maintaining a backup before updating.

    Likely the issue is not KK itself but if you used Kontakt it's probably an issue there since if you update some of the kontakt libraries that are now designed for the latest Kontakt, they wont work on older versions and it is also an issue where the new Kontakt doesn't work in projects where the previous Kontakt versions were used… Pretty cool eh.

    I stopped using Kontakt as much as possible a few years back for these kinds of reasons. I flattened old projects or swapped out what I could. No other plugins I use have this kind of issue all the time, just Kontakt over the last few years.

    Need to know what plugin was loaded and if it is Kontakt, is the plugin loading but the ibrary is empty or is KK loading up blank? Sadly if you are on mac there are limitations as to what versions of plugins and software you can install but there is a thread on the forums here somewhere that lists previous versions of Kontakt libraries if you find the latest ones do not load, hopefully you have some notes or something of what you have loaded in which tracks, I suspect like most people tho you don't keep any kind of project notes.

  • Vocalpoint
    Vocalpoint Member Posts: 3,594 Expert

    "Sadly because you are on Mac there are limitations"

    I believe the OP is on Windows 10.

    But has clearly not stuck to this rule - allowing updates via Native Access.

    If the OP really had projects from 2 years ago - and had not touched one thing - these should open just fine. But it is clear that updates have occurred. LOTS has happening in NA in the last 2 years.

    Also - the OP claims to be using KK v2.6.7 - which is REALLy old.

    Hard to tell what the deal is here - but without screencaps or error messages - it's a bit of mystery.

    VP

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,201 Expert
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/222467#Comment_222467

    Ah, correct you are. Skim reading fail, not even sure where I even deduced he was on mac since it actually says Win in the bottom. I just defaulted to people updating because they are forced to which is only really a mac thing. Should be common knowledge these days to never auto update all your plugins and for the uneducated, when it comes to NI software never go in blind and update, even if it is suggested to on the forums here, without first doing backups or making sure you know how to roll back because, well, this is what happens.

    Also - the OP claims to be using KK v2.6.7 - which is REALLy old.

    Yeah pretty sure that may be the issue if he updated Kontact and such because it does not work with VST3. I believe 2.8 was the first version with VST3 but at the very least he should update KK to the v2.9.6 as that has proven to be stable for 2 years now. With the issues he has, stay well away from KK V3!

  • aka
    aka Member Posts: 72 Member

    When this happened to me first time I did enough research and was advised to stick to v2.6.7, which I did. I use KONTAKT7 (as recommended). Despite of that I've lost all presets (most likely in all projects which are older than about 2 months. Not sure if all recent ones are OK.
    Possibly the damaged project is from the time when the disaster happened for the first time. IT is not really important. What is important - how to restore the settings ???

    Any ideas ?

    2025-04-16_22h33_47.png
    2025-04-16_22h30_32.png
  • Vocalpoint
    Vocalpoint Member Posts: 3,594 Expert
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/222610#Comment_222610

    Your error messages are a bit strange.

    In the first screencap - you indicate a missing Komplete Kontrol "VST3". Indicating that you are missing a version of KK - that is far newer than 2.67. This is because 2.67 did not have a VST3

    And the second screencap - indicates you are attempting to work with Choral and Flair VST2 plugins - which have not been a thing for years now

    Flair was updated to VST3 on Dec 7, 2021 and a quick scan of my install indicates no such thing as a VST2 for this effect. Same for Choral. It appears these two have not had a VST 2 for a very long time now.

    Your only option here - for these old songs - unless you are somehow NOT scanning a super old version of Flair.dll or Choral.dll - is to replace them with their new VST3 counterparts.

    For the Komplete Kontrol issues - to cover all your bases - I suggest you be using Komplete Kontrol v2.9.6 which offers both VST2 and VST3 versions of the plugin.

    I too use v2.9.6 here with my S61 MKII and still use Kontakt 7 daily - no issues to speak of. But I use Studio One and my VST plugin folders are standardized.

    I have never allowed those bizarre Native Instruments suggested locations (C:\Program Files\Native Instruments\VST Plugins 64 bit)

    I use the Steinberg VST standards for everything:

    C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

    C:\Program Files\VST Plugins

    VP

  • aka
    aka Member Posts: 72 Member

    Thanks, I appreciate your reply.


    As far as KK versions and other plugins, I am totally confused. It is a nightmare to deal with all of this. I am not full-time music composer/producer so I do not have as much time to get into a detail of how NI stuff is configured and works. I however use DAW for 20 years and finding NI software the hardest to deal with.

    Even a simple fact that the version of the plugin is not reflected in a file name at the first step already sucks. If we could use: komplete_v296.exe or whatever instead komplete.exe I would already help to deal with the problems of versioning.

    I agree completely with you about wired path for NI files. Simple stupidity, but at least we have an option to change folders. I was also curious if the problem is related to a specific DAW. I used STUDIO ONE for over 2 years and I quit due to the lack of most basic features which Ableton LIVE has. At the time I used S1 I experienced the similar issues, so KOMPLETE KONTROL software sucks in every DAW.

    For a FLAIR and CHORAL —- I just discovered I do not have VST2 version of these, that is why they show up in project with errors. I can replace them with VST3 version, but this will not help to restore the presets :-(

    for the tracks with KOMPLETE KONTROL (with embedded KONTAKT7), the case seem to be opposite. I do not have KK VST3 version installed and that's the version which was possibly used in the project, so that is why it shows up empty.
    Mixing these version and not being able to keep multiple versions of KK created a total mess. I have seen hundreds of users missing their presets, lost and damaged project because if NI carelessness, when handling the updates. Anyone can validate this statement by researching this forum.


    When this disaster happened the first time about 6 months ago I was able to reinstall the correct KK version (as advised) but it did not help me to restore the KK presets on the tracks. The track which previously showed error (KK not found), now was able to show KK on the track but there was no preset and KK showed up with no instrument).

    I had to waste tons of time and restore everything by my best guess and memory. I was super upset.
    I created a ticket with NI support about a week ago, but so far no response of any kind :-(

    For me FLAIR and CHORAL is not a such a big deal to restore, but KK is, because I have that all over the place and loosing all presets is like loosing several months of work.

    I will try to install KK v2.9.6 as you suggested to see if that helps.

    ART

  • Vocalpoint
    Vocalpoint Member Posts: 3,594 Expert

    KK v2.9.6 is the way if you need BOTH VST2 and VST3 variants.

    The FX - I have no idea how/where you managed to wedge a VST2 version of these into a project - but I am guessing it may have been 2020 (or earlier)

    VP

  • bullBoi
    bullBoi Member Posts: 3 Newcomer
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/222597#Comment_222597

    Is it strange that I'm waiting for a Maschine 3 update that'll make it more…intuitive? Or at least intruduce more, close to the mind features.

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,201 Expert
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/222676#Comment_222676

    Well, we were all waiting for the V3 update of KK3 to improve and enhance browsing but what we got was something that instead hindered it more than it improved it, became far less intuitive and completely omitted or broke many working features.

    Usually you would have some hope things will improve since many users were raising the exact same concerns, however based on history and the fact that we have constantly heard their attention for software is based off "data and metrics" and this was a leading reason for certain decisions it is quite clear the decisions are made by someone analysing the data, not a team passionate about making things work. Have been waiting years for this statement to be proven wrong but at every turn it seems to be more cemented in reality.

    So it may be strange you are waiting on updates for NI to improve things, by all means hold out hope they can offer improvements that will benefit you, don't let my opinion affect you there, just some of us have kind of lost that hope some time ago and have had nothing to rekindle that again for years….

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