Kontakt

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Kontakt

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I don't really like Kontakts UI all that much but since it's on sale, I think I might just cave and pick it up. What's the general consensus of the factory library? I've heard that it's not that great?

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Have Kontakt for 3 years, never got to factory library...

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Hmmmm perfect. I love spending money on content that I won't use.

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You don't get Kontakt for the factory content, but for the wealth of great free and cheap libraries that become available once you've got he full version. Things like the fabulous Indiginus instruments. Full-Kontakt instruments are always cheaper because NI's license fees are not baked into the price. Over time, Kontakt will pay for itself if you like virtual instruments.

That said, there are a few goodies in the bundled libraries. For example, things you might not want to go out and buy a separate library for, such as a concert bass drum or a tuba.

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bbaggins wrote:You don't get Kontakt for the factory content, but for the wealth of great free and cheap libraries that become available once you've got he full version. Things like the fabulous Indiginus instruments. Full-Kontakt instruments are always cheaper because NI's license fees are not baked into the price. Over time, Kontakt will pay for itself if you like virtual instruments.

That said, there are a few goodies in the bundled libraries. For example, things you might not want to go out and buy a separate library for, such as a concert bass drum or a tuba.
I honestly just want some good orchestral stuff so maybe there's a better option for me.

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Buy kontakt for the software, then pick up a kontakt library and you'll be set.

The factory library isn't bad, it's actually pretty decent. It might not be as comprehensive as more specialized libraries, but for what it offers i think it's quite good value.
:borg:

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For me, certain of it has been very useful, some of it does in a pinch, some of it I have no interest in. For orchestral, it's pretty lite. The viola ensemble is really out-of-tune, but the viola solo has an interesting character to it, some spunk. I saw "tuba" above: the tubas in it are like all of it, lite in terms of articulations but there is this soft, quiet, impossible tuba that I really like. All in all, it's an improbably refined sound for tuba. The World woodwinds have been among the most useful here. The drum kits are not so hot, I delete all the synth stuff... The African-type drums are also serviceable, tablas decent... The choir in it is not terrifically realistic nor does it offer fantastic control, but for a general pad it's quite nice.

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Get the Player and then buy only the libraries that you want / like?
DarkStar, ... Interesting, if true
Inspired by ...

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DarkStar wrote:Get the Player and then buy only the libraries that you want / like?
Only specially designated 3rd Party libraries/VI's work in the Kontakt Player, ie: Output Rev etc.

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^^^
Yes, of course, but they are likely to include the good quality ones that the OP is seeking.
DarkStar, ... Interesting, if true
Inspired by ...

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Agree with what others have said here. The factory library is pretty light and will work in a pinch, but that's not what you buy Kontakt for. Some of the best low-cost and free libraries only work with the full version. And there truly is some *amazing* stuff out there in this category.

For example, I think the piano libraries from Sampletekk beat the pants off the NI pianos, and cost half or less of NI's offering. Waves Factory is another source of low-cost orchestral stuff. I picked up their timpani library for under $12 and it sounds gorgeous, the best I could find at any price, with tons of articulations for crafting exactly the sound I was looking for.

And a quick search for cinematic/atmosphereic instruments will give you all sorts of inexpensive or free options if you don't have the cash for heavy-hitters like Omnisphere or Heavyocity.

All that being said, get Kontakt on sale, if you can. No sense in paying more than you have to. :)

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If you're looking for good orchestral sounds, forget Kontakt and get one of these

East West Quantum Leap (Hollywood Strings, Brass, Woodwinds)
Vienna Strings
8Dio Strings
Albion Spitfire

Some of these are obscenely expensive but you get what you pay for. How realistic do you want?

But forget Kontakt. Their orchestral stuff, compared to the elite libraries, are so-so at best. That's not what Kontakt excels at.

PS - Some of these, and others, are available for Kontakt. But again, it's not what you get Kontakt for. So figure out what library you want then get the player that supports it. EWQL uses Play VST for example.

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Astralv wrote:Have Kontakt for 3 years, never got to factory library...
Have Kontakt for 13 years, never got to factory library...

:)

Actually, there's some useful bits here and there I put to use every so often... a drum or percussion kit... But for the most part 99.99% of what I use is not from the factory library.
You need to limit that rez, bro.

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I would argue that 200 for Kontakt and 100 or so for Kirk Hunter Diamond, catch both on sales, isn't a bad way to go. Pretty good 65 gig orchestra for 300 plus access to the factory library which is OK for some things and many low cost and freebie 3rd Party instruments.
Image

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The factory content is perfectly serviceable as a sort of, "first" high end sample library. You could even do a project with it until you buy your second high end sample library, and most regular people might not notice. They have lots of articulations, and a large spectrum of sounds to cover a lot of different stuff. Jack of all trade, master of none. But yes, they are by no means the reason you would buy Kontakt.

Kontakt is instead a tool that can do amazing things with samples. The factory presets only go as far as allowing you to use articulations, but they were all made many years ago. The things that can be done with Kontakt now, and the libraries that have been made, especially after version 5 came out, are incredible and intuitive to allow you to "play" them expressively live. There is a lot of programming that is built in to specialized patches that not only provide better GUIs, but legitimate playing capabilities.

Not all of them are insanely expensive either. Check out the website Embertone for some amazing libraries that are highly specialized for specific tasks, but are amazing to actually "play" live.

I think the problem here is that you are picturing other libraries almost like preset patches on other synths. I get annoyed by having to buy external preset patches too, unless they are amazing (Luftrum and Mulperi for example).

The reason most of us don't use the factory presets is because specialized libraries are better at what they are trying to do.
A heaping dose of outrageously goofy synth tracks, scores and chiptunes.

https://raddlandstudios.com
https://youtube.com/NorrinRadd22

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