Native Instruments updated Kontakt, Kontakt Player and Kontakt Factory Library. This update provides several major improvements and brand-new features that enhance the performance and ease-of-use for both new users and those already familiar with Kontakt.
What’s New?
Background Loading – The new background loading feature improves the workflow: It makes opening large instruments incredibly fast, enabling you to play nearly immediately – without having to wait for all samples to be loaded. This applies to the stand-alone version of Kontakt1 and Kontakt Player, as well as the plug-in versions. (Watch video here!)
True 64bit Support – Complete and native 64 bit support for Mac, Vista and Windows 7. Kontakt can use virtually unlimited amounts of memory, which turns working with even the largest libraries into a pleasure.
Authentic Expression Technology – AET can capture acoustic instruments with all their dynamics and articulations, while adding completely new options for creative sound design. In addition to the traditional way of sampling different volume levels of an instrument statically, AET is able to capture specific spectral characteristics of samples and gradually apply them to another samples in real-time, allowing you to seamlessly “morph” between different instruments’ characteristics.
Improved Performance View per Instrument – Custom control panels, that make instrument-specific settings available without having to switch to Edit mode. A much larger control panel is available so each instrument has more important parameters accessible, as well as giving each instrument a distinctive feel through the easy-on-the-eye graphics.
Advanced Script Processor – The enhanced Kontakt Script Processor gives many more options for designing custom Performance Views and for controlling other areas such as the master section (when writing ‘multi scripts’).
New Attribute Based Browser – You can now search via keywords or browse by instrument type (bass, piano, strings), etc. Attribute-based browsing works for Instruments, Multis, Banks, Groups, Presets, and Samples.
Lossless Sample Compression – New Lossless Sample Compression format ‘NCW’ with real-time encoding – reducing the size of samples by up to 50%. Instruments with high disk streaming load, such as Grand Pianos, benefit from the fact that less data has to be read from hard disk. Note: Kontakt Library is delivered in uncompressed WAV format – the Lossless Sample Compression is just an option for your choice when you save instruments.
Expanded Library (+10 GB) – In addition to the six collections available in the previous versions, Kontakt now includes a comprehensive Choir Collection, recorded exclusively for Native Instruments, providing a complete set of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices in different setups. Orchestral Collection has been updated with a new Solo Strings section, taken form the legendary Vienna Symphonic Library, and a concert hall organ, while the Vintage collection gets the famed Mellotron keyboard. Plus, all the e-piano samples from ELEKTRIK PIANO are included.
All in all, an extra 10 Gigabytes of new material enrich the KONTAKT library. (Watch video-showcase here!)
Other Notable Features
- Redesigned Quick-Load feature - Gain instant and convenient access to all your patches. Customize it by creating your own folder structure and simply dragging and dropping any patch into the browser.
- Improved Samples Missing Dialog - Remembers selection of the search folder for subsequent appearances. Avoids frequent use of the dialog well-known to all of you who have ever moved a project to a different folder.
- Extended Memory Addressing – Full support for 64-bit memory addressing in both Windows and Mac OS X. This means you can load more than 4 GB samples into RAM in both stand-alone and plug-in mode.
- Enhanced Sampling Engine – Completely re-designed sample playback engine.
- Multi-processor support – True multi-processor / multi-core support.
- Direct MIDI Learn – MIDI Learn function for all sliders and knobs including Performance Views.
- Enhanced Library Management - Browsing and loading samples and libraries with visually enhanced library tab quicker and easier.
- Further improvements – A bypass button for effect slots, localized info pane in six languages, improved automapping, Pro Tools compatibility under Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, aftertouch interpretation added to KSP, a Play cursor for Beat Machine mode in Wave Editor and enhanced REX file support.
Pricing & Availability
The new versions of Kontakt, and Kontakt Libary are available for purchase from Native-Instruments store. The upgrade costs 129 EUR, and the retail version costs 379 EUR.
More details here (native-instruments.com)
