Small tip for Kontakt 8, if you go into the Settings, in the Interface-tab there is an option named 'Enable "New Instruments for you" panel', if you untick this, they won't show the new products at the bottom anymore And yes, iZotope is part of Native Instruments now (same goes for Plugin Alliance)
Excellent the new instruments panel is really annoying but now no longer… Thanks. I mean I’m trying to work not be distracted by even more stuff I’ve had to employ a choice strategy as it is..😂
Very fair and balanced video, Guy. I upgraded to K15 Ultimate from K14 Ultimate. As I work across multiple genres, it just about justifies the price with the new instruments and features, but it’s definitely more of a stretch this year so I expect to be more cautious in future.
The new Soundpaint engine is completely free and has features that are supposed to be superior to Kontakt. Small developers could use that as their platform for launching their products.
Wait, so they want people buy Kontakt... again? And the people have no choice, because library creators have no choice, but to update to the latest version? By god, the music software industry is the most predatory place I've ever seen.
@@splitprune It was a hyperbole, but you're right. Though what differentiates music software here is how bad the quality of the software is for the price you're paying and how little anyone seems to care.
Good review. I've already upgraded to Komplete 15/Kontakt 8 - love it. Re: Tools. Yes, they're useful and fun (fun is important). In my experience, a more inspirational tool for Kontakt is Arpology X - stunning arpeggios across many genres. Daunting and inspirational in its depth and possibilities. Outside of Kontakt, something like the Quadra plugins for Falcon 3 (very similar to Arpology X) - another huge, huge treasure box of delights. I'm a big fan of generative MIDI tools/instruments. But learning chords is also highly recommended - and helpful.
This new layout started with Kontakt 7, it finally gives you a good search engine to find stuff which was lacking before. But he's something dangerous, and please tell me if I'm just doing it wrong. You choose a instrument you click it, it's loaded, you're great. Then you say, hey I want to add another channel, you go in find the instrument load it, and it blows over, erases, replaces the instrument you just loaded. I looked up some stuff online that seemed to explain how not to have this happen, only to find that certain instruments seem to do it regardless. You can, using the old rack view I think they call it in Kontakt 7, from the rack view you can drag an instrument to the right and it will add, not replace instruments you already have loaded, but you don't have the search power you have in the new full screen view. I find I load an instrument play some lines tweak the sound, then find myself erasing it all when I pick the next instrument I want to add. It's something that never happened to me in all the Kontakts before this, has no one else found this a big pain???
I bought Komplete 13 standard and thought it had way too many pianos. Meanwhile the synths you get, they will provide you with thousands of different sounds. I don't regret buying the package.
Hi Guy, First of all, I appreciate your diplomacy when it comes to criticism. Yes, I agree with you on how the creative process should be, and it seems the NI guys probably didn’t understand that. I’m very critical of NI’s pricing models and their "strategic" decisions. I even wrote a post on the VI-Control forum titled, "What do you think about Native Instruments Kontakt 8?" In my modest opinion, we (both library builders and simple users) really need a free or, better yet, an open-source sample engine that could break free from the costly monopoly. Also, I’m with you about supporting small developers-totally! Have you listened to Ben Osterhouse’s Ripple Cello? That is the art of sampling, man! Thanks Giorgio
Working on it man 😉 Its going to take a few years more though, unless I get more engineers on the project. It's likely to be two tier. The free and open source base sampler with effects and everything you could need. And then the paid version which incorporates many modules and effects created in tandem with film and game composers to represent their favorite audio + midi workflows. As well as a base library of very 'hard to get' samples.
28:48, I can definitely relate. As an electronic music and hip-hop producer, I’ve been using NI products less and less these days. But honestly, NI has become too frustrating to work with, and the fast workflow just isn’t there anymore. That said, the Maschine software is still pretty solid.
I upgraded but I only upgrade once every 4 years so it's costing me about £40 per year for standard version and for what the package contains that is ridiculously affordable. I love independent sample developers and do need Full Kontakt for when I buy those so happy to carry on like I am.
I got myself a full version of Kontakt 6 just so I can use 3rd party instruments and libraries as those for me a core reason to have Kontakt. I'm not really into Komplete bundles but I always keep my Kontakt up to date for the above reason.
My favorite about Kontakt 8 was how uninstalling 7 and then installing 8 resulted in Cubase 13 saying "Kontakt 7 not found, using compatible Kontakt 8 instead" (paraphrasing) when loading a project, so I didn't even have to change anything. Just resaved the project and it was converted to K8 forever.
@@magicmulder My only reason is I don't want to loose time when I open a patch made with a previous version of Kontakt. A patch made with Kontakt 6 opens with Kontakt 6 accordingly, no question from my DAW. I get the instrument I want and that's all. I'm just a lazzy guy 😊 and having K6, K7 and K8 available doesnt' change many things on my machines regarding disk space, hence I keep them all.
Have found that keeping k6 on machine along w k7 results in komplete kontrol not finding libraries that are not compatible w k6. Uninstalling k6 solves that problem. BUT, as w anything NI, uninstalling K6 is a moderate pita.
@@b4time718 Interesting. On my side I almost never use KK. Actualy I keep KK in my plugin list in the case I would need to open a "VST only" plugin, which usualy never happens (my DAW is, Logic, AU only). I've never noticed a problem with KK AU plugin an my 2 and now 3 versions of Kontakt
NI Guitar Rig opens in mono (only the L channel engaged) by default, a quirk I was hoping would be ironed out by now, but alas. Make sure you click on the link icon between the L and R buttons when you first engage Guitar Rig on a stereo sound source.
@@joshtackett There's no 'trick' per se. You can absolutely use Guitar Rig on a stereo sound source, this is just a weird bug that has been there forever. Insert GR as a stereo effect and just click the "link" icon that sits between the L and R buttons, that's it. You'll hear the sound suddenly open up.
My main issue with Kontakt is that now they are releasing new versions as new instruments, instead of just upgrades. This means that if I open old projects. Where I used a previous version, it will not automatically migrate to the new version, and if the libraries are updated and don’t work anymore on the previous version, the project does not open at all. It’s just a big reason to stay on the current version, and avoid all hassle…
Actually, no. I thought this would be a major headache. But after installing kontakt 8, all of my old kontakt 7 projects naturally loaded up with instances of kontakt 8 instead with all of the instrument settings and parameters migrated over from K7. It was a very pleasant surprise.
Could you please elaborate a tiny bit more? It's very interesting what you said and resonated with my inner feeling but I can't quite put my finger on it, especially with presonus's latest grand update, something doesn't feel right
Arturia controllers are going to "not musicians" direction, Novation too. Automatic chords, Automatic scales. Shitty keys and no pedals. Very depressing
Hello, You mentioned that this "lacked Scarbee". I was listening to some of the music from Kontakt 8 on the Native Instruments website and the description read: "A head-nodding beat with lo-fi vibes built using the new Leap engine alongside soulful keys from Electric Keys - Diamond and deep bass from Scarbee Rickenbacker Bass." I just thought I would let you know that Scarbee seems to be included - at least 1 bass does. I would explore for more Scarbee instruments however I cannot afford the Paid Version of Kontakt 8. However, seeing as you have, well, everything there at your disposal , you may want to take another look for Scarbee. Best regards, Some old dude in a robe drinking morning coffee but sadly, no "Full English" haha. PS, Love the videos!
Intelligent and thoughtful review. Thank you. Makes a refreshing change from the usual "gee whizz see what this can do now" efforts which pretty well sums up just about all of the others. As a happy user of Komplete 13 and the MkII keyboard I see no purpose in upgrading although Kontakt 8 Player is a nice addition to the full version Kontakt 6, which I have, along with Alicia's Keys, Scarbee, etc (which do not appear in the Standard version of Komplete 15). The concurrent upgrades to Komplete Kontrol (3) and Native Access (2) have been problematic for me. I have found the former to be unstable although this might be my set up. Or it might not. Version 2.9.6 is still available to download (which I have done) so I suspect I am not alone. I have had file location issues with NA2.
Have 14 CE I paid £67 in Nov 23 for session percussionist I paid £70.70 in Dec 23 for Guitar rig 7 I’m currently being told I can upgrade to Kontakt 8 for £89 Or I can pay £449 to upgrade 14 CE to 15 CE Still haven’t touched at least 50% of 14 CE There’s nothing I really want except Kontakt 8 I just bought Halion pro in Steinbergs recent sale (bought Absolute 6)hence have even less time to explore all of my 14 CE lol For me I think I might as well just update Kontakt and upgrade to 15 CE when it’s really cheap in their 2025 sales
@Guy but is Kontakt 8 any quicker and less bloat and a performance hog, than previous versions? It stopped being just a sampler decades ago. Now it's a granular synth with an effects engine and a kitchen sink widget. But the core of loading samples fast still seems to be a PITA. Are we still in the age of having to reindex everything we buy, or have they learnt how to load files efficiently yet? (YES of course I'm using SSD)
i think i'm just going to purchase kontakt 8 for the importing of 3rd party libraries, i don't really see any purpose in getting any of the komplete editions with those monstrous price tags, especially when they're just average sounds/instruments...
So all I need is a computer that would scare NASA, a hard drive the size of a supertanker, several years to learn how it all works, then a lifetime of option paralysis with a side order of procrastination. Or, I could plug my guitar in and try to write a decent song. I've had an older version of Komplete for years - still don't know all the different options and probably use 1% of the whole. I can see the appeal for some, but for me personally this is way way way too much (plus I can't come close to affording it!).
"That's quite a lot of money." Damn right, it is. Especially since I use it primarily for 3rd party libraries, unless I want 30 Gigs worth of 80's synth sounds. But thanks for your overview, Guy.
Hi Guy, I got offer for your how to score course I’m interested as it’s not expensive How can I get an idea of is it this relax format like on the TH-cam channel? Is it more structured at times with relax videos etc Trying to see what it’s like. I’m gonna grab it regardless but wanted to see if you had some way to explain that or link to show me. Thank you.
Guy, I have a quick question (or maybe others here can answer), but I notice that your libraries load really damn quick. I have a laptop, i9, 32GB RAM, and all my libraries on SSD, although through thunderbolt. Some librariies can take 30-60 seconds to load - is it something on the computer end, my storage, or what? Any ideas on how to improve the load speed??
Can any of these sample loops expansions be used as a instrument to played by a midi keyboard? like the synths and pad loobs and drum beat thats already made (loop) ..how can we use this as single insturments? is that possible?
Hey Guy, CPO of NI here. Thanks for doing such an in depth review. And yes, glad you like the new browsing interface. Appreciate your work and your custom.
15:45 the Bodhrán is pronounced 'Bore-on' :) (also Uilleann Pipes are pronounced 'ill-un') This is great info Guy, thank you for the in depth walkthrough!
Bodhran is pronounced Bore - on if you're from northern Ireland, bow (as in take a bow) -ron if you're from the South 😅 I'm an Irish film composer and I love the Ireland library!
So if we upgrade they uninstall the Scarbee instruments? Or just if you install fresh? They made a huge deal about the last kontakt update and I found it rather unreliable.
Just love their abundance of similar orchestral and instrument libraries which suffer overlap and then their Symphonic Orchestral Library with different orchestral sections recorded in different locations for that altogether balanced coming together sound...... Oh well. They do have some interesting sound scaping instruments and some good synths but the UI's on those are suffering from a little bit of UI scaling love. Have to have desktop zoom hotkey on so I can zoom in when using their instruments UI's. The newer UI's are good although tuning displayed as default would be nice instead of having to go to old UI and Master UI in Kontakt.
I would have enjoyed watching you eat breakfast, especially the Jupiter 8 with semi-skim milk. "It's not a path to self-expression and originality." Brilliant observation. I think those who rely on pre-made chords, loops, etc will either not stick over a lifetime (like we have). I wanted to get your take on Komplete, but I still can't bring myself to purchase it since I have a smorgasbord of other libraries, some of which are those "smaller guys" I love to support (great of you to bring that up, btw). I prefer buying just what interests me. I think it's worth mentioning that you don't HAVE to download every single thing in Komplete if you don't want to, which may make sense for some people who are watching disc space.
As always informative and enjoyable. I DO find the "dumbing down" of music production to be quite dismaying. I have no issue with newbies using tools to help them learn music and to work past their initial lack of basic keyboarding skills as part of learning the composition process. Unfortunately, these tools have found their way into the production of mainstream commercial pop music to the degree that what is marketed most successfully today is so musically simplistic that it is just simply SAD! My best analogy is comparing this issue to acquiring linguistic skills, both verbal and written. If one never has to learn how to form complete and cogent sentences but rather one can just say a couple of words into a smart phone and an AI program then creates the rest of a total sentence, how will that person ever learn to communicate effectively or understand others fully and accurately? Likewise, randomly poking pads on an "NI Maschine" or such until the rest of the room says "WOW" and then seeing that this result gets marketed and sells... Well, that is already where we are and have been for a while now. Democratization of language skills means teaching everyone the basic skills and understanding of speaking, reading, and writing. So, it should be with music as well.
Its true. I'm actually personally very interested in the idea of the computer assisting composition, and affecting the writing process. But many of these tools are missing the point. They dumb down the technical parts in order to make the UI sleeker... My favorite thing about making something simpler, is that you now have room to cram in even more! When a computer makes a task easier, that means the composer has more headspace and can work on the art at a higher level / they can work faster. But removing the complexity entirely is not the solution.
@@mjrisinsd6836 Unfortunately, tech has been used for years now by uneducated music "producers" to make commercially successful "dumbed down" music with mostly unsuccessful pushback from true musical artists. This has been a losing battle for many years and AI based tech is just another nail in the coffin.
There is a lot in Komplete (I’m on 14 CE), but I’ve become more and more dejected with it all - especially Kontakt. I have found myself avoiding Kontakt and going instead with Omnisphere, Zebra, Diva, Falcon, and for classical/cinematic - what’s in Komplete is… ok, but I’ve moved to OTs Sine and Spitfire’s own player. Kontakt 7 was so bad, it forced me to stop using it, and I found great alternatives.
Good for you, sincerely. I’m a huge fan of omnisphere too. Also the Arturia v collection is a nice alternative for folks looking to rely on NI a bit less. 🎹💙
Chords are a nice easy tool if you do already understand them and also may lead you in a direction you weren’t expecting when noodling around, I don’t know any music theory, but can happily write music by ear, but I feel the chord tool could potentially be useful. Phrases seems fairly useless though.
Thank you Guy for the honest review. Native Instruments have been a huge let-down for a few years now. The only thing I like is Reaktor. Kontakt is frustrating but only using it because of Spitfire libraries.
Kontakt 8 has adopted some of the many features available in Scaler 2, but S2 does SO much more than just chords and phrases. I find it rather annoying that NI continues to release updates to Kontakt that I have to pay for. So many boutique plugin makers have created their own players so as to avoid the licensing fees that help keep their costs down.
Yeah that's actually why I started working on plugins, and my goodness, the work I'm doing now looks to have a shot at really displacing KONTAKT and I'm really hopeful that I can put music making back into the hands of musicians again and tempt people off of the crutches of the expensive sample back workflow 😂
Would be cool if someone edits out only the parts where you can HEAR the music & samples ... it may be around 5 to 10 minutes long ... that video would be GOLD and can be used as a "trailer" promoting the whole video!
I bought Kontakt 7 last year and ended up having to upgrade my PC as the video card in my Pentium 4 machine couldn't run the required Direct X. Round flat Irish thing you hit is actually with a bone not a stick. Traditionally covered with goat hide.
Maybe NI could also split their different Komplete offers by genre: "All orchestral", "All drums", "All synths", "All world music", "All cinematic", etc... About Kontakt itsef. I've the full version but only to get access to other 3rd party/small developpers (and sometimes free) instruments. Honnestly I almost never use it for programing my own instruments. I create my own sample instruments, yes, but not with Kontakt which is a major pain in all you intimate parts* when you use it for that. (* I'm realy polite, my personnal feeling about Kontakt programing GUI would make me banned by youtube)
Have had Komplete since 2 and last upgraded at 8. I've bought other libraries since then, but more than anything else still use Kontakt 5 and 6 and the add on libraries. Not really gonna use it enough to justify the full max version and the bog standard upgrade doesnt really add anything that I need. Been getting more out of Spitfire and Arturia over the last 5 years to be honest...... but am thinking about it, if nothing else for Kontakt 8.
As it stands when you first buy it, it's OK. personally I think the whole Steinberg absolute 6 is much better and fresher. NI's strength is in the number of 3rd party libraries it has in it's well, library. It's when it comes to upgrading, the price of said upgrade and what you're getting for your money. Kontakt 7 was roundly dismissed as a regressive step and a meaningless upgrade, as is Kontakt 8, which is annoying people a lot, quite rightly. the upgrade from Complete, isn't remotely worth it, to many, not just me. In my opinion, NI, Izotope and the other companies absorbed by the Corporate vulture capitalist group have made a bit of a predictable mess of said companies. The update and upgrade offerings are not worthy of dot releases and the customer service, Kuality and pricing has just shut them out of my consideration now.
I dont think that Kontrol S mk2 can’t work in kontakt same as mk3, they just blocked it in the software. I’m scpeculating that newer kontakt has same or similar software to komplete kontrol built in but they made it to “respond” only to mk3 and later In its core, it’s just hyped up midi messages send and receive
I suppose if I had a regular gig composing and way more coin I'd go for the full version Kontakt and I could knock out better mockups much quicker. Just me but the joy of music is learning, experimenting, composing something from the ground up. The 'paint by numbers' approach works for some people, I have tried and it is not enjoyable The palette of colours are too broad.
NI Komplete everyone love to hate it but we all have it 😂 I wouldn’t update this time, my last update was 6 and I’m still ok with this. If you’re Pro you’ll defo want 8 but for the rest of us, will wait til next time.
Suspect I will be sticking with Ultimate 14 as the "Ultimate" 15 upgrade is very threadbare for almost £400 (considering I have many of the Ultimate 15 apps via single purchases when I've needed them). Most important aspect was the Apple Silicon updates last time around. I've realised that I use Kontakt so rarely these days too. Sad to say but NI have become rather bloated.
Can you create the full MIDI notes when using the idiot one-finger chord/phrase tools? Otherwise this will be an issue if you hand it off to someone else to put it onto another (non-Kontakt) instrument or scoring software, or if you want to tweak what it plays slightly
Once you've found what you like in the tools section and are happy with the results you can just drag and drop everything into your DAW as a full chord MIDI file and proceed from there.
I took this opportunity to just upgrade mu kontakt instead of komplete.....I have enough at this point that I really only need specific libraries that are interesting....also...the chord and phrase tools are for SAMPLERS....I know we aren't respected by people who play instruments....but we are creative and these tools help us.
I can tell you the free version. have lots of stuf (a week of scrolling) . and with your DAW. you can create the strumming ., and arpeggiators , stuf you pay lots for in Komplete.. i use Studio one 6 pro. and it comes with a lot. ''with extra payed orchestra addon 100euro,s'' . i have BBC orchestra Free version (realy good) .. I have Labs..and all free stuf that comes with it.. i am good to go for the next 50 years haha.. GOOD VID again thmbs up !!
There are a lot of instruments in Komplete, but most are outdated, redundant, or merely sample libraries. Also, NI software is horribly buggy. I am transitioning completely away from them in favor of Roland Cloud and Akai.
I got the previous version and REALLY didn't like it. It huge and clunky. Sure, it will do almost everything, but getting there is cumbersome. This, as opposed to me Arturia library lets me get what I want quickly and easily. It's really a choice between the behemoth of NI or something more manageable.
I agree I think that Irish Harp is super good. With chord progressions or any chord program, I get frustrated if it doesn't display for you what chord you are actually playing, as Guy shows, you hit a C key and you aren't playing any kind of C chord. When they offer, as almost everyone is, these one-finger-warrior features, and if you want to use more than one finger you, I find, they don't play well together, assuming you're using more than one or two chords from the one-finger-warrior program you'll go mad trying to add other bits of chords or play a melody above chords that don't related to the notes you are hitting to create them. Can't they just display what the chord is? Why can't they actually have the C chords spring from the actual C note on your keyboard? Am I just missing someplace where it shows you the chord you are creating? Couldn't the short cuts, like created a whole chord with one note, be friendly with actual good ole fashioned key board playing? I do see a lot of this and the dreaded phrase-based libraries coming along more and more frequently, like more and more commercials on any streaming service. New Irish Harp super good, other stuff mentioned dare I say bad?
They often have 50% discounts (at least once a year), just wait for that, upgrades are also half the price, I have ultimate 14 and payed about 600, which is still a lot, but less than 1200 xD
Small tip for Kontakt 8, if you go into the Settings, in the Interface-tab there is an option named 'Enable "New Instruments for you" panel', if you untick this, they won't show the new products at the bottom anymore
And yes, iZotope is part of Native Instruments now (same goes for Plugin Alliance)
Are you still getting the Windows 98 experience?
Excellent the new instruments panel is really annoying but now no longer… Thanks. I mean I’m trying to work not be distracted by even more stuff I’ve had to employ a choice strategy as it is..😂
a genuine laugh out loud with the chapter marker gag - another informative video, thanks as always!!
I learned a while ago that the fewer instruments you have, the more creative you become. Mind you, there's nothing quite like a new toy!
word
@@tutengenezemuziki Just had a look at your Channel. Wow, some great music you’re making! 👍👍
I’ll agree with that 100%. But right after I buy that new toy. 😂
@@Tyrell_Corp2019 🤣Yup!
You speak truth my friend. I have everything under the sun at this point and find myself freezing up with too many choices.
Kontakt has come a long way. I used to ignore it. Now I'm using 8 regularly. Tons and tons of great new sounds. Job well done.
Is the UI Scalable yet?
Or is it still tiny? I hope they’ve jumped into the 21st century on UI SIZE
Very fair and balanced video, Guy. I upgraded to K15 Ultimate from K14 Ultimate. As I work across multiple genres, it just about justifies the price with the new instruments and features, but it’s definitely more of a stretch this year so I expect to be more cautious in future.
The new Soundpaint engine is completely free and has features that are supposed to be superior to Kontakt. Small developers could use that as their platform for launching their products.
Yes, and they are less expensive and way more original. NI stuff all sounds the Same, Nobody needs Kontakt in 2024
@@alontrigger I'd never heard of Soundpaint, but just watched their 3.0 walk-through and Wow. Blows Kontakt out of the water. Thanks for the tip!
Wait, so they want people buy Kontakt... again? And the people have no choice, because library creators have no choice, but to update to the latest version?
By god, the music software industry is the most predatory place I've ever seen.
what about the pharmaceutical industry, the gaming industry, or the gambling industry?
@@splitprune
It was a hyperbole, but you're right.
Though what differentiates music software here is how bad the quality of the software is for the price you're paying and how little anyone seems to care.
$>humanity
I like the music industry. Buy THIS guitar and amp because the one we told you to buy last year is shit.
You vill own nothing and you vill be happy
You are delightful to watch. Thanks for making it fun!
My god, that tip for how to make a six figure sum making music is absolutely golden, thank you so much!!
YES! Who knew?
Ya I'm already at 5.5 figures and i haven't even finished watching the video..
Worth upgrading for me? On sale, yes from K14 CE. Probably during the summer sale.
Happy Friday sir and thank you for another sterling video 👍😁
Here to see recommendations for other software... As many have said, i dont think ill he upgrading anymore.
I’m a fan of the Arturia collection. 🎹💙
Guy laying the LAW about 1 finger warriors, well done!
Good review. I've already upgraded to Komplete 15/Kontakt 8 - love it. Re: Tools. Yes, they're useful and fun (fun is important). In my experience, a more inspirational tool for Kontakt is Arpology X - stunning arpeggios across many genres. Daunting and inspirational in its depth and possibilities. Outside of Kontakt, something like the Quadra plugins for Falcon 3 (very similar to Arpology X) - another huge, huge treasure box of delights. I'm a big fan of generative MIDI tools/instruments. But learning chords is also highly recommended - and helpful.
This new layout started with Kontakt 7, it finally gives you a good search engine to find stuff which was lacking before. But he's something dangerous, and please tell me if I'm just doing it wrong. You choose a instrument you click it, it's loaded, you're great. Then you say, hey I want to add another channel, you go in find the instrument load it, and it blows over, erases, replaces the instrument you just loaded. I looked up some stuff online that seemed to explain how not to have this happen, only to find that certain instruments seem to do it regardless. You can, using the old rack view I think they call it in Kontakt 7, from the rack view you can drag an instrument to the right and it will add, not replace instruments you already have loaded, but you don't have the search power you have in the new full screen view. I find I load an instrument play some lines tweak the sound, then find myself erasing it all when I pick the next instrument I want to add. It's something that never happened to me in all the Kontakts before this, has no one else found this a big pain???
I bought Komplete 13 standard and thought it had way too many pianos. Meanwhile the synths you get, they will provide you with thousands of different sounds. I don't regret buying the package.
I completely agree with your assessment!
Kontakt 7 has the non-classic browser already? I distinctly remembering having to disable it.
Hi Guy,
First of all, I appreciate your diplomacy when it comes to criticism. Yes, I agree with you on how the creative process should be, and it seems the NI guys probably didn’t understand that.
I’m very critical of NI’s pricing models and their "strategic" decisions. I even wrote a post on the VI-Control forum titled, "What do you think about Native Instruments Kontakt 8?"
In my modest opinion, we (both library builders and simple users) really need a free or, better yet, an open-source sample engine that could break free from the costly monopoly.
Also, I’m with you about supporting small developers-totally! Have you listened to Ben Osterhouse’s Ripple Cello? That is the art of sampling, man!
Thanks
Giorgio
Working on it man 😉
Its going to take a few years more though, unless I get more engineers on the project.
It's likely to be two tier.
The free and open source base sampler with effects and everything you could need.
And then the paid version which incorporates many modules and effects created in tandem with film and game composers to represent their favorite audio + midi workflows. As well as a base library of very 'hard to get' samples.
28:48, I can definitely relate. As an electronic music and hip-hop producer, I’ve been using NI products less and less these days. But honestly, NI has become too frustrating to work with, and the fast workflow just isn’t there anymore. That said, the Maschine software is still pretty solid.
I bought Komplete standard version a couple of years back. However, I do not update it every year. There must be something in, I am really interested.
Great overview and I loved the joke Guy (no spoilers). Brilliant video as always.
So nice to hear about all this from a chap who gets his copy of Native products, for free !!
I upgraded but I only upgrade once every 4 years so it's costing me about £40 per year for standard version and for what the package contains that is ridiculously affordable. I love independent sample developers and do need Full Kontakt for when I buy those so happy to carry on like I am.
I bought the collectors edition last year and now Native want me to fork out another 500 bucks this year, they've got to be having a laugh.
I got myself a full version of Kontakt 6 just so I can use 3rd party instruments and libraries as those for me a core reason to have Kontakt.
I'm not really into Komplete bundles but I always keep my Kontakt up to date for the above reason.
Brilliant review, thank you.
Love the video you rock much love from Canada
as a brit i love the little skit at the start, also that guy at the start needs a raise lol
My favorite about Kontakt 8 was how uninstalling 7 and then installing 8 resulted in Cubase 13 saying "Kontakt 7 not found, using compatible Kontakt 8 instead" (paraphrasing) when loading a project, so I didn't even have to change anything. Just resaved the project and it was converted to K8 forever.
Personnaly I keep K6, K7 and K8 installed.
@@FLH3official Any particular reason? I've not yet had any incompatibilities.
@@magicmulder My only reason is I don't want to loose time when I open a patch made with a previous version of Kontakt. A patch made with Kontakt 6 opens with Kontakt 6 accordingly, no question from my DAW. I get the instrument I want and that's all. I'm just a lazzy guy 😊 and having K6, K7 and K8 available doesnt' change many things on my machines regarding disk space, hence I keep them all.
Have found that keeping k6 on machine along w k7 results in komplete kontrol not finding libraries that are not compatible w k6. Uninstalling k6 solves that problem. BUT, as w anything NI, uninstalling K6 is a moderate pita.
@@b4time718 Interesting. On my side I almost never use KK. Actualy I keep KK in my plugin list in the case I would need to open a "VST only" plugin, which usualy never happens (my DAW is, Logic, AU only). I've never noticed a problem with KK AU plugin an my 2 and now 3 versions of Kontakt
NI Guitar Rig opens in mono (only the L channel engaged) by default, a quirk I was hoping would be ironed out by now, but alas.
Make sure you click on the link icon between the L and R buttons when you first engage Guitar Rig on a stereo sound source.
I think the trick is to use a mono audio track, then add Guitar Rig as a mono to stereo plugin.
@@joshtackett
There's no 'trick' per se.
You can absolutely use Guitar Rig on a stereo sound source, this is just a weird bug that has been there forever.
Insert GR as a stereo effect and just click the "link" icon that sits between the L and R buttons, that's it.
You'll hear the sound suddenly open up.
My main issue with Kontakt is that now they are releasing new versions as new instruments, instead of just upgrades. This means that if I open old projects. Where I used a previous version, it will not automatically migrate to the new version, and if the libraries are updated and don’t work anymore on the previous version, the project does not open at all. It’s just a big reason to stay on the current version, and avoid all hassle…
Actually, no. I thought this would be a major headache. But after installing kontakt 8, all of my old kontakt 7 projects naturally loaded up with instances of kontakt 8 instead with all of the instrument settings and parameters migrated over from K7. It was a very pleasant surprise.
@@nickmeredith002 this is a very pleasant surprise. It didn’t work that way with kontakt 7.
I agree that NI and a few other folks, like Presonus, are moving towards people who are not musicians. Sad.
Could you please elaborate a tiny bit more? It's very interesting what you said and resonated with my inner feeling but I can't quite put my finger on it, especially with presonus's latest grand update, something doesn't feel right
Arturia controllers are going to "not musicians" direction, Novation too. Automatic chords, Automatic scales. Shitty keys and no pedals. Very depressing
Hi Guy, a great review of this. Thank you. Are you intending to do one for Spitfire Audio's new Tutti?
Hello, You mentioned that this "lacked Scarbee". I was listening to some of the music from Kontakt 8 on the Native Instruments website and the description read: "A head-nodding beat with lo-fi vibes built using the new Leap engine alongside soulful keys from Electric Keys - Diamond and deep bass from Scarbee Rickenbacker Bass."
I just thought I would let you know that Scarbee seems to be included - at least 1 bass does. I would explore for more Scarbee instruments however I cannot afford the Paid Version of Kontakt 8. However, seeing as you have, well, everything there at your disposal , you may want to take another look for Scarbee.
Best regards,
Some old dude in a robe drinking morning coffee but sadly, no "Full English" haha.
PS, Love the videos!
Intelligent and thoughtful review. Thank you. Makes a refreshing change from the usual "gee whizz see what this can do now" efforts which pretty well sums up just about all of the others. As a happy user of Komplete 13 and the MkII keyboard I see no purpose in upgrading although Kontakt 8 Player is a nice addition to the full version Kontakt 6, which I have, along with Alicia's Keys, Scarbee, etc (which do not appear in the Standard version of Komplete 15). The concurrent upgrades to Komplete Kontrol (3) and Native Access (2) have been problematic for me. I have found the former to be unstable although this might be my set up. Or it might not. Version 2.9.6 is still available to download (which I have done) so I suspect I am not alone. I have had file location issues with NA2.
Have 14 CE
I paid £67 in Nov 23 for session percussionist
I paid £70.70 in Dec 23 for Guitar rig 7
I’m currently being told I can upgrade to Kontakt 8 for £89
Or I can pay £449 to upgrade 14 CE to 15 CE
Still haven’t touched at least 50% of 14 CE
There’s nothing I really want except Kontakt 8
I just bought Halion pro in Steinbergs recent sale (bought Absolute 6)hence have even less time to explore all of my 14 CE lol
For me I think I might as well just update Kontakt and upgrade to 15 CE when it’s really cheap in their 2025 sales
This is my position exactly! Bought session per & GR7 and have just updated to Kontakt 8. I also bought Absolute 6 in the sale.
Or just wait for 16CE
What is in the 15 CE that is isn't in CE14 and justifies paying 50% of that upgrade cost?
@Guy but is Kontakt 8 any quicker and less bloat and a performance hog, than previous versions?
It stopped being just a sampler decades ago. Now it's a granular synth with an effects engine and a kitchen sink widget.
But the core of loading samples fast still seems to be a PITA.
Are we still in the age of having to reindex everything we buy, or have they learnt how to load files efficiently yet?
(YES of course I'm using SSD)
Hey Guy. What are your thoughts on the use of a Synology NAS system with music production?
Do you use it? If so, how do you set it up and use it?
i think i'm just going to purchase kontakt 8 for the importing of 3rd party libraries, i don't really see any purpose in getting any of the komplete editions with those monstrous price tags, especially when they're just average sounds/instruments...
Is Kontact 8 a keyboard or software or both?
So all I need is a computer that would scare NASA, a hard drive the size of a supertanker, several years to learn how it all works, then a lifetime of option paralysis with a side order of procrastination. Or, I could plug my guitar in and try to write a decent song.
I've had an older version of Komplete for years - still don't know all the different options and probably use 1% of the whole. I can see the appeal for some, but for me personally this is way way way too much (plus I can't come close to affording it!).
I use scarbee all the time, thats a deal breaker for me. Do you lose those completely when you upgrade? Or do you lose anything?
"That's quite a lot of money." Damn right, it is. Especially since I use it primarily for 3rd party libraries, unless I want 30 Gigs worth of 80's synth sounds. But thanks for your overview, Guy.
Are you going to look at Tutti from Spitfire? It seems like an incredible starting place for beginner composers
So helpful ❤thanks a bunch .ive seen those breakfasts !
Will i lose scarbee instruments if i upgrade to 15?
Great words atound self expression and originality. Its no wonder so much music sounds similar now really
Hi Guy, I got offer for your how to score course
I’m interested as it’s not expensive
How can I get an idea of is it this relax format like on the TH-cam channel? Is it more structured at times with relax videos etc
Trying to see what it’s like.
I’m gonna grab it regardless but wanted to see if you had some way to explain that or link to show me.
Thank you.
Guy, I have a quick question (or maybe others here can answer), but I notice that your libraries load really damn quick. I have a laptop, i9, 32GB RAM, and all my libraries on SSD, although through thunderbolt. Some librariies can take 30-60 seconds to load - is it something on the computer end, my storage, or what? Any ideas on how to improve the load speed??
Can any of these sample loops expansions be used as a instrument to played by a midi keyboard? like the synths and pad loobs and drum beat thats already made (loop) ..how can we use this as single insturments? is that possible?
Hey Guy, CPO of NI here. Thanks for doing such an in depth review. And yes, glad you like the new browsing interface. Appreciate your work and your custom.
15:45 the Bodhrán is pronounced 'Bore-on' :)
(also Uilleann Pipes are pronounced 'ill-un')
This is great info Guy, thank you for the in depth walkthrough!
Bodhran is pronounced "BOW-rawn" and Uilleann is "ill-an" (all close enough ;-)). Great video Gye ;-)
You-aye-leen was creative, I would've guessed Yoo-lee-an or Willy-Ann. :D
Im sure you told me that before and I lost the comment!
As in take a bow.. 👏👏
Bodhran is pronounced Bore - on if you're from northern Ireland, bow (as in take a bow) -ron if you're from the South 😅 I'm an Irish film composer and I love the Ireland library!
Well done, entertaining (and now I am hungry).
I've got the Standard breakfast and not the Ultimate. I can't justify the upgrade price to the Ultimate breakfast. Too much cholesterol as well!
So if we upgrade they uninstall the Scarbee instruments? Or just if you install fresh?
They made a huge deal about the last kontakt update and I found it rather unreliable.
It all comes down to simple math. How many full English breakfasts can I buy for the price of the upgrade?
Just love their abundance of similar orchestral and instrument libraries which suffer overlap and then their Symphonic Orchestral Library with different orchestral sections recorded in different locations for that altogether balanced coming together sound......
Oh well.
They do have some interesting sound scaping instruments and some good synths but the UI's on those are suffering from a little bit of UI scaling love. Have to have desktop zoom hotkey on so I can zoom in when using their instruments UI's. The newer UI's are good although tuning displayed as default would be nice instead of having to go to old UI and Master UI in Kontakt.
I would have enjoyed watching you eat breakfast, especially the Jupiter 8 with semi-skim milk. "It's not a path to self-expression and originality." Brilliant observation. I think those who rely on pre-made chords, loops, etc will either not stick over a lifetime (like we have). I wanted to get your take on Komplete, but I still can't bring myself to purchase it since I have a smorgasbord of other libraries, some of which are those "smaller guys" I love to support (great of you to bring that up, btw). I prefer buying just what interests me. I think it's worth mentioning that you don't HAVE to download every single thing in Komplete if you don't want to, which may make sense for some people who are watching disc space.
As always informative and enjoyable. I DO find the "dumbing down" of music production to be quite dismaying. I have no issue with newbies using tools to help them learn music and to work past their initial lack of basic keyboarding skills as part of learning the composition process. Unfortunately, these tools have found their way into the production of mainstream commercial pop music to the degree that what is marketed most successfully today is so musically simplistic that it is just simply SAD!
My best analogy is comparing this issue to acquiring linguistic skills, both verbal and written. If one never has to learn how to form complete and cogent sentences but rather one can just say a couple of words into a smart phone and an AI program then creates the rest of a total sentence, how will that person ever learn to communicate effectively or understand others fully and accurately? Likewise, randomly poking pads on an "NI Maschine" or such until the rest of the room says "WOW" and then seeing that this result gets marketed and sells... Well, that is already where we are and have been for a while now.
Democratization of language skills means teaching everyone the basic skills and understanding of speaking, reading, and writing. So, it should be with music as well.
Its true.
I'm actually personally very interested in the idea of the computer assisting composition, and affecting the writing process.
But many of these tools are missing the point. They dumb down the technical parts in order to make the UI sleeker...
My favorite thing about making something simpler, is that you now have room to cram in even more!
When a computer makes a task easier, that means the composer has more headspace and can work on the art at a higher level / they can work faster.
But removing the complexity entirely is not the solution.
There will be blowback. There always is in music. Artists rule this domain no matter what the tech bros want to think about AI.
@@mjrisinsd6836 Unfortunately, tech has been used for years now by uneducated music "producers" to make commercially successful "dumbed down" music with mostly unsuccessful pushback from true musical artists. This has been a losing battle for many years and AI based tech is just another nail in the coffin.
There is a lot in Komplete (I’m on 14 CE), but I’ve become more and more dejected with it all - especially Kontakt. I have found myself avoiding Kontakt and going instead with Omnisphere, Zebra, Diva, Falcon, and for classical/cinematic - what’s in Komplete is… ok, but I’ve moved to OTs Sine and Spitfire’s own player. Kontakt 7 was so bad, it forced me to stop using it, and I found great alternatives.
Good for you, sincerely. I’m a huge fan of omnisphere too. Also the Arturia v collection is a nice alternative for folks looking to rely on NI a bit less. 🎹💙
Hello from the other side of the Solent 😎
I have not upgraded from 14, and Kontakt 7 looks a lot like what he is showing at 12:00.
Chords are a nice easy tool if you do already understand them and also may lead you in a direction you weren’t expecting when noodling around, I don’t know any music theory, but can happily write music by ear, but I feel the chord tool could potentially be useful. Phrases seems fairly useless though.
Thank you Guy for the honest review. Native Instruments have been a huge let-down for a few years now. The only thing I like is Reaktor. Kontakt is frustrating but only using it because of Spitfire libraries.
Kontakt 8 has adopted some of the many features available in Scaler 2, but S2 does SO much more than just chords and phrases. I find it rather annoying that NI continues to release updates to Kontakt that I have to pay for. So many boutique plugin makers have created their own players so as to avoid the licensing fees that help keep their costs down.
Yeah that's actually why I started working on plugins, and my goodness, the work I'm doing now looks to have a shot at really displacing KONTAKT and I'm really hopeful that I can put music making back into the hands of musicians again and tempt people off of the crutches of the expensive sample back workflow 😂
I dont got kontrol but i got kontact 7 is it worth the update
Would be cool if someone edits out only the parts where you can HEAR the music & samples ... it may be around 5 to 10 minutes long ... that video would be GOLD and can be used as a "trailer" promoting the whole video!
I bought Kontakt 7 last year and ended up having to upgrade my PC as the video card in my Pentium 4 machine couldn't run the required Direct X.
Round flat Irish thing you hit is actually with a bone not a stick. Traditionally covered with goat hide.
Maybe NI could also split their different Komplete offers by genre: "All orchestral", "All drums", "All synths", "All world music", "All cinematic", etc...
About Kontakt itsef. I've the full version but only to get access to other 3rd party/small developpers (and sometimes free) instruments. Honnestly I almost never use it for programing my own instruments. I create my own sample instruments, yes, but not with Kontakt which is a major pain in all you intimate parts* when you use it for that.
(* I'm realy polite, my personnal feeling about Kontakt programing GUI would make me banned by youtube)
Actually I believe kontakt new GUI is copied from Arturia Analog Labs Pro...and placed differently!
But it seems good...
The part with Kithara crackles? Or is it my phone?? 😂
Listened again... sorry Kithara crackles, does it?
They're updating too often, I've only just upgraded to Kontakt 7.
Have had Komplete since 2 and last upgraded at 8. I've bought other libraries since then, but more than anything else still use Kontakt 5 and 6 and the add on libraries. Not really gonna use it enough to justify the full max version and the bog standard upgrade doesnt really add anything that I need.
Been getting more out of Spitfire and Arturia over the last 5 years to be honest...... but am thinking about it, if nothing else for Kontakt 8.
The first 30 seconds had me in stitches XD
As it stands when you first buy it, it's OK. personally I think the whole Steinberg absolute 6 is much better and fresher. NI's strength is in the number of 3rd party libraries it has in it's well, library. It's when it comes to upgrading, the price of said upgrade and what you're getting for your money. Kontakt 7 was roundly dismissed as a regressive step and a meaningless upgrade, as is Kontakt 8, which is annoying people a lot, quite rightly. the upgrade from Complete, isn't remotely worth it, to many, not just me. In my opinion, NI, Izotope and the other companies absorbed by the Corporate vulture capitalist group have made a bit of a predictable mess of said companies. The update and upgrade offerings are not worthy of dot releases and the customer service, Kuality and pricing has just shut them out of my consideration now.
You're right, and their prices are eye-watering considering the quality is average at best
Guy should try Studio One 7.
You Studio One agents never miss a film! If it WERE really so great, you wouldn't have to push it so hard.
@@SteamvilleQuintet It's great boy. Don't be angry.
@@LucasBurnMusic You're a liar, little shill girl.
@@LucasBurnMusic Why would I be angry at an unfortunate looking girl like you?
@@SteamvilleQuintet You're the left means you're not a person. End of discussion.
Absolute from Steinberg is also very interesting.
Is that a U67 in front of your piano? 🤤
I dont think that Kontrol S mk2 can’t work in kontakt same as mk3, they just blocked it in the software.
I’m scpeculating that newer kontakt has same or similar software to komplete kontrol built in but they made it to “respond” only to mk3 and later
In its core, it’s just hyped up midi messages send and receive
chapter gag got me bang to rights, guilty as charged your honour
Bodhran is pronounced as "Bow", as in the front of a boat, and "Ran", as in the past tense of run.
I suppose if I had a regular gig composing and way more coin I'd go for the full version Kontakt and I could knock out better mockups much quicker.
Just me but the joy of music is learning, experimenting, composing something from the ground up.
The 'paint by numbers' approach works for some people, I have tried and it is not enjoyable
The palette of colours are too broad.
NI Komplete everyone love to hate it but we all have it 😂 I wouldn’t update this time, my last update was 6 and I’m still ok with this. If you’re Pro you’ll defo want 8 but for the rest of us, will wait til next time.
Suspect I will be sticking with Ultimate 14 as the "Ultimate" 15 upgrade is very threadbare for almost £400 (considering I have many of the Ultimate 15 apps via single purchases when I've needed them). Most important aspect was the Apple Silicon updates last time around. I've realised that I use Kontakt so rarely these days too. Sad to say but NI have become rather bloated.
Can you create the full MIDI notes when using the idiot one-finger chord/phrase tools? Otherwise this will be an issue if you hand it off to someone else to put it onto another (non-Kontakt) instrument or scoring software, or if you want to tweak what it plays slightly
Once you've found what you like in the tools section and are happy with the results you can just drag and drop everything into your DAW as a full chord MIDI file and proceed from there.
Yep, you drag and drop the midi from the Tools into the DAW timeline if you want to use it with non-Kontakt instruments.
I took this opportunity to just upgrade mu kontakt instead of komplete.....I have enough at this point that I really only need specific libraries that are interesting....also...the chord and phrase tools are for SAMPLERS....I know we aren't respected by people who play instruments....but we are creative and these tools help us.
Guy it’s not only Ukulele’s in every advert online don’t forget the Bells - it must be Ukulele and Bells. 😂
To pronounce Bodhran it's quite easy, first "dh" is silent and you just need to roll the R a little and that's about it.
Sad Ukulele = Dowland Uke?
I can tell you the free version. have lots of stuf (a week of scrolling) . and with your DAW. you can create the strumming ., and arpeggiators , stuf you pay lots for in Komplete.. i use Studio one 6 pro. and it comes with a lot. ''with extra payed orchestra addon 100euro,s'' .
i have BBC orchestra Free version (realy good) .. I have Labs..and all free stuf that comes with it.. i am good to go for the next 50 years haha.. GOOD VID again thmbs up !!
Your video I liked really much ;)
There are a lot of instruments in Komplete, but most are outdated, redundant, or merely sample libraries. Also, NI software is horribly buggy. I am transitioning completely away from them in favor of Roland Cloud and Akai.
You are Pure Vibe
I got the previous version and REALLY didn't like it. It huge and clunky. Sure, it will do almost everything, but getting there is cumbersome. This, as opposed to me Arturia library lets me get what I want quickly and easily. It's really a choice between the behemoth of NI or something more manageable.
I agree I think that Irish Harp is super good. With chord progressions or any chord program, I get frustrated if it doesn't display for you what chord you are actually playing, as Guy shows, you hit a C key and you aren't playing any kind of C chord. When they offer, as almost everyone is, these one-finger-warrior features, and if you want to use more than one finger you, I find, they don't play well together, assuming you're using more than one or two chords from the one-finger-warrior program you'll go mad trying to add other bits of chords or play a melody above chords that don't related to the notes you are hitting to create them. Can't they just display what the chord is? Why can't they actually have the C chords spring from the actual C note on your keyboard? Am I just missing someplace where it shows you the chord you are creating? Couldn't the short cuts, like created a whole chord with one note, be friendly with actual good ole fashioned key board playing?
I do see a lot of this and the dreaded phrase-based libraries coming along more and more frequently, like more and more commercials on any streaming service. New Irish Harp super good, other stuff mentioned dare I say bad?
They often have 50% discounts (at least once a year), just wait for that, upgrades are also half the price, I have ultimate 14 and payed about 600, which is still a lot, but less than 1200 xD
BORE-ann or BOUGH-ron are the usual pronunciations (depending on where you are in Ireland/rest of the world)