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Kontakt

Native Instruments comes belatedly to the software sampler field. Is it too late? Ian Waugh makes first Kontakt...

Native Instruments already produces Reaktor which is arguably the most powerful modular soft synth currently available and it has sampler facilities, too. However, developments in the soft sampler field over the past couple of years have blazed new trails so now NI probably thought it was time to show the world what they could do with a dedicated soft sampler. And boy have they pulled out the stops!

You get both Windows and Mac versions in the box and it works as a VST and DirectX plug-in as well as a stand-alone sampler unlike many other soft samplers.

Long grain forecast

Kontakt actually has three modes. The first is basically a standard sampler while the others use granular synthesis which seems to be an up-and-coming favourite among synth developers at the moment. This essentially involves splitting the sample into "grains" just a few milliseconds long and then playing them back in various ways.

In case this doesn't sound very exciting, it can produce a wide range of superb textures and sounds. One method, Kontakt's Tone Machine, as its name implies, changes the tone of the sample by varying the formants, speed and filtering of individual grains. The Time Machine, again, as its name implies, basically alters the sample speed while maintaining the pitch.

Both these modules can produce both subtle and extreme effects. They are great fun and very impressive to work with.

Just browsing

The main window has a browser similar to Windows Explorer where you can select and load samples. There's a Common Parameters window where you set parameters for all instruments - of course! - and the main Operating Window where individual settings and made.

Here you can create up to 16 instruments (RAM and CPU power permitting) each assigned to its own MIDI channel. The program uses a virtual rack for the instruments which is neat and helps keep things tidy.

The actual hierarchical structure is a little complex with Multis at the top, these being a collection of up to 16 instruments, each containing one or more groups which are made up of zones. A zone is a sample assigned to one or more notes so an instrument could have, say, two samples assigned to each note that responds to loud and soft velocities. And you can build it up from there.

You need to get your head around the structure but once you do you'll be flying, and find it easy to create  your own instruments.

Full load

You can load samples in several ways. One of the most useful is by dragging them onto the Mapping Editor where you can assign them to a single note or several notes, and even stack several samples on one note.

One of Kontakt's undoubted fortes is its effects which include a range of 11 excellent filters, plus distortion, compression and stereo enhancement.

Kontakt v1.1 has recently been released which features support for an extended range of file formats including HALion, EXS and SDII files as well as SoundFont and Akai sample files plus others, and it adds SSE2 support on the PC. Native Instruments also promises direct-from-disk sample playback so samples will no longer be limited to the amount of free RAM. That will really put Kontakt in the Major League - if it wasn't there already. Both updates are/will be free to existing users.

Summary

There is an initial learning period but after that Kontakt is quite easy to use. Its various modes of operation probably make it the most powerful soft sampler currently available - for now! - and when direct-from-disk playback becomes available there'll be no stopping you!

In all, a powerful and highly-recommended program.

Ian Waugh

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