Kontakt 6 - No More NKI Export

[chickeneps]

Just wanted to share some bad news.

We (Chicken Systems) has been informed that NI will not give us, for the time being, the ability to access NKI or NKM files written by the forthcoming Kontakt 6. This means that anything you compose, or download/purchase, or just is a Kontakt6-written NKI/NKM/NKB, you cannot currently open the file in anything other than a NI product.

Where this most affects people that if you have a Kontakt 6 file and you want to translate it to (say) EXS24, or SFZ, or even the hardware samplers we support (Yamaha Motif/Montage, Korg Kronos, Kurzweil, and on and on), you will not be able to. Further, you can't view a K6 nki in Translator and view the mapping or audition it, and nor can you use the Reference Manager to fix or replace/alter the references.

Our advice is whatever you decide on regarding upgrading to Kontakt 6, if these things are important to you, keep a older Kontakt version lying around and use that for the things you want to have access to. We suggest Kontakt 4.1, as that was the last Kontakt version that gave you FULL access to your data. (Even since v4.2, we have provided access, due to NI's help, but that does not include Modulators (Envelopes, LFO's, and their routings), Filter settings, and Effect selection and their settings - plus a couple other minor things. This is much better than nothing, but it's not very good either.)

We hope NI reconsiders their decision, and provides some way to enable the user to have full access to their composed data other than through NI apps. Though it'd be much better to do it right and go back to the better way of just not protecting their files. But right now it's only words, it has to be action that is important.

Feel free to email us at support AT chickensys.com if you have any questions.

[enroe]

Just wanted to share some bad news.

... This means that anything you compose, or download/purchase, or just is a Kontakt6-written NKI/NKM/NKB, you cannot currently open the file in anything other than a NI product.

No surprise here. That's the typical problem you have with any proprietary system.

[chickeneps]

It's not typical. Every sampler to date, going back to the very first (the Fairlight), and with only a handful of very minor exceptions, has had readable files with full access to all data. That's typical.

[No_Use]

So NI now intentionally encrypts the files ?

[chickeneps]

They have since v4.2, eight years ago. At the time, they compensated by privately providing a way to partially read/access the files. The change in K6 is that they are no longer providing that way, at least not for now. So in effect, it went from 100% to 80%, now it's 0%.

[Zombie Queen]

Kontakt patches are getting so complex and dependent on Kontakt features that export doesn't make any sense anyway most of the time. To re-use raw samples you can re-save the patch uncompressing samples, unless it's an encoded library.

[chickeneps]

Those Kontakt features really mean scripting, and most strongly scripted patches are copy-protected anyway.

[Zombie Queen]

most strongly scripted patches are copy-protected anyway

Only encoded libraries. There's plenty of 3rd party 'full Kontakt' patches with a lot of scripting involved, some of which simply come with wav files.

I understand why you can be upset, but this 'bad news', is unnecessary drama IMO. I'd guess 99% of folks why actually have Kontakt don't care if they can open nki in another sampler.

[RobGee]

Who cares as long as you can extract the wav. Translator hasn’t even managed to convert the wav files reliably over the years!

In theory this software is a great idea but in practice it has been absolutely terrible!

[chickeneps]

I assume you are talking about NKI monoliths and converting/extracting the WAVE files embedded in them. AFAIK I know of no issues.

RobGee, feel free to contact us at support AT chickensys.com with any and all issues you've found and we are happy to address every single one of them on the spot.

[AcustiX]

Would it be possible to convert Kontakt 5.6.8 nki files to 5.5.0?

[DJ Warmonger]

No suprise. They've got leading product and don't want anyone else to piggyback on their prioprietary technology. Especially since there are many free Kontakt libraries laying around NI doesn't get credit for.

[chickeneps]

Would it be possible to convert Kontakt 5.6.8 nki files to 5.5.0?

Yes, Kontakt Assistant and Translator can do that. www.chickensys.com/kontaktassistant www.chickensys.com/translator

It's just that once a nki is a v6, it can't be touched.

[LaptopMusicianBlog]

That's why I kept Kontakt 4 installed on my computer. I can use it to quickly map samples and then convert them to other formats (via Translator) without any problems.

Kontakt 6 is getting bloated for my needs anyway.

[AcustiX]

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Would it be possible to convert Kontakt 5.6.8 nki files to 5.5.0?

Yes, Kontakt Assistant and Translator can do that. www.chickensys.com/kontaktassistant (http://www.chickensys.com/kontaktassistant) www.chickensys.com/translator (http://www.chickensys.com/translator)

It's just that once a nki is a v6, it can't be touched.

I was hopeful to use you Kontakt Assistant, so I tried to convert several Kontakt 5.6.8 instruments from ProjectSam Free Orchestra to 4.2 but your Kontakt Assistant crashes every time!
You can try with https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-fr ... o-violins/ (https://projectsam.com/libraries/the-free-orchestra-2-sordino-violins/)
Kontakt Assistant crashes when converting.
Also converting to 5.5 is not possible, only to 4.2, but anyhow that crashes.
Any suggestion?