With KONTAKT 6, you can sound like a snare drum, a symphony orchestra, or anything in between, from a universe of sampled instruments. It’s a simple sampler when you want it to be, and a deep sonic scripting laboratory when you need something more. The next generation of the world’s favorite sampling platform gives you new instruments and new features under the hood – so you can layer, link, stretch, and shape your sounds any way you can imagine.

What's new?

Over two decades, KONTAKT has become a highly-developed engine for creating and playing sampled instruments. KONTAKT 6 offers more for players and builders alike:

Introducing KONTAKT Play Series: Three new instruments for the KONTAKT library, offering pristine, contemporary sound in a creative and streamlined interface

Wavetable synthesis module: Build hybrid instruments for entirely new sounds

Enhanced effects: Even more effects for your creations, for greater expression and realism

Creator Tools: New standalone application dedicated to improving the library creation and editing process.

THREE NEW INSTRUMENTS

KONTAKT 6 introduces the KONTAKT Play Series: Sonically rich sample libraries that combine powerful sound design with simple playability. Each offers eight intelligently mapped macro knobs giving you a wide-sweeping, intuitive range of control. They all showcase KONTAKT’s new wavetable module, each offering two blendable sound sources and a unique take on a speciality style.

ANALOG DREAMS

Iconic 20th century hardware synthesizers captured with an intricate level of detail, and creatively processed with seminal outboard effects. This hybrid analog/digital instrument utilizes blendable sound sources to deliver a modern take on classic electro and synthwave, which have seen a resurgence in recent cinema.

ETHEREAL EARTH

Hybrid organic/electronic instrument that takes myriad acoustic instruments from around the world, and combines it with digital synthesis, organic foley layers, and effects processing. The result fuses traditional and digital, with basses, strings (bowed and plucked), wind instruments, tuned percussion, bells/metals, pads/drones, leads, and textural ambiences.

HYBRID KEYS

A contemporary, creative, and ultimately new take on keys and piano sounds. HYBRID KEYS moves away from conventional sampling processes and instead focuses on inventive techniques such as re-amping, creative mic positioning in interesting spaces, and vari-speed experiments with tape.

NEW FEATURES FOR BUILDERS

KONTAKT has long since grown beyond its origins as a software sampler, and now provides a solid foundation for building advanced sample-based instruments. We’ve been supporting this platform, and the people who use it, with continuous updates to KONTAKT 5, and KONTAKT 6 builds on this strategy with some big additions for you builders out there.

NEW EFFECTS

Replika Delay: Based on the dedicated Native Instruments plug-in REPLIKA XT, it offers multiple delay modes, each with a vastly different sound character.

Room Reverb: A new high-quality algorithmic room reverb that offers options for real time modulation.

Hall Reverb: Another high-quality algorithmic reverb, tuned for hall sounds.

Plate Reverb: Emulates a plate reverberator for for classic vintage metallic sounds.

Cry Wah: Wah-wah effect module, based on the most popular wah pedal of all time.

WAVETABLE MODULE

The latest version of KONTAKT adds wavetable synthesis to the ever expanding KONTAKT toolset. All three of the new Play Series instruments incorporate this new module, and we’re looking forward to hearing what you create with this powerful new building block.

CREATOR TOOLS

Creator Tools is a standalone application designed to improve the workflows of library builders and instrument creators. It consists of two elements: A Debugger, for identifying and fixing problems in KONTAKT script, and an Instrument Editor, which can load and run Lua scripts to automap samples, duplicate and batch rename groups, and copy settings from one part of an instrument to another.

► v6.6.0 - 2021-07-06

VST3 Target, User content base path, flexible EVENT_PAR routing.

ADDED Kontakt now also provides a VST3 target

REMOVED 32bit VST2 target is no longer provided

CHANGED The Options Load/Import tab is updated and renamed to Loading

ADDED It is now possible to set a user library path in the Kontakt options Loading Tab

ADDED KSP New KSP command redirect_output()

IMPROVED KSP It is now possible to refresh the ui_file_selector

ADDED KSP Scripts can now send modulation events to the new From Script modulator

ADDED KSP It is now possible to attach the ui_meter to gain reduction meters

ADDED KSP Level meter ranges and orientation can now be set with $CONTROL_PAR_RANGE_MIN and $CONTROL_PAR_RANGE_MAX

ADDED New factory script Arpeggiator (sync) based on the listener callback for solid host sync timing

ADDED The about screen now displays the Kontakt target

FIXED When modulating amp release, the release velocity was delayed by one note

FIXED Kontakt could crash on Windows if the system user documents folder was on a USB or network drive

FIXED Kontakt could crash when re-ordering NKIs in a bank

FIXED In some cases external modulator names were missing in instruments created with Kontakt 4 or earlier

FIXED Wavetable Inharmonic knob is now correctly displayed as a bipolar value

FIXED Collection of minor cosmetic GUI fixes

► Kontakt v6.6.0 Beta 1

VST3, Content Library Path, KSP Commands, Creator Tools 1.4

At a Glance

As the sub-header gave away, we are happy to share with you the long awaited VST3 target!

Additionally, a great UX improvement for cases where users have missing content has been implemented: you can now specify a base path for your non-Player Content but also choose if you want to store referenced paths relative to the base path. You can set these in the updated Loading tab (fka Import/Load) of Kontakt Options.

And although VST3 is the main purpose of this release, we couldn't have a release without a couple of cool new KSP features and improvements. To name one, you can now route the EVENT_PARs to various destinations!

Finally, we are sure that a lot of our builders will appreciate the new Creator Tools update as it enables file system access via Lua. That means that one can now automate any process via Lua scripts, without leaving the Creator Tools environment! We are certain that you will be super creative in finding ways to optimize your workflows. Enjoy and use responsibly :)

NOTE: Hosting Kontakt as VST3 inside Komplete Kontrol and Maschine is not fully supported yet. Please wait for the respective product updates.

We’d love to have coverage around the following key areas:

- Generally trying out the Kontakt VST3 target and reporting any discrepancies between Kontakt VST2 and VST3 behaviour and functionality

- Saving and recalling projects with Kontakt VST3

- Multiple outputs functionality with Kontakt VST3

- Migrating a DAW project correctly from Kontakt VST2 to Kontakt VST3 (For DAWS that support this)

- Sending external MIDI of all kinds to Kontakt VST3

- Specifically sending Program Change MIDI messages to Kontakt VST3

- Send MIDI output from Kontakt to other instruments

- Correct behaviour and parameter naming of host automation with Kontakt VST3

- Loading and resolving projects with missing content for all Kontakt plugin targets

This version is fully compatible with the new Creator Tools 1.4.0 beta.

We hope that everyone is safe and thanks again for all your help.

Greetings from Berlin,

The Kontakt team

Please scroll down all the way to the bottom of this page for the download links and documentation.

Notice that there are also download links for Kontakt 6.5.3 and Creator Tools 1.3.0 should you feel the need to roll back from the beta.

Changelogs

Kontakt v6.6.0 - Beta 1 (2021-04-XX)

ADDED Kontakt now also provides a VST3 target

REMOVED 32bit VST2 target is no longer provided

CHANGED The Options Load/Import tab is updated and renamed to Loading

ADDED It is now possible to set a user library path in the Kontakt options Loading tab

ADDED The about screen now displays the Kontakt target

ADDED KSP New KSP command redirect_output()

IMPROVED KSP It is now possible to refresh the ui_file_selector

ADDED KSP It is now possible to attach the ui_meter to gain reduction meters

ADDED KSP EVENT_PARs can be now routed to various destinations

Creator Tools v1.4.0 - Beta 1 (2021-04-XX)

ADDED Instrument Editor: It is now possible to set the grid and BPM with Lua

ADDED It is now possible to enable Lua file system access

IMPROVED Lua Script: Log limit is now increased to 100.000 lines

Release Note: (v6.6.0 Rev2)

Rev2: Fixed vst3, setup corrected and more..

Release Note: (v6.6.0 Beta 1)

Install

Replace from the Fix folder

MORiA Note: (v6.6.0)

REQ:[iNTEL] + [M1]

Mac: OS 10.13 Hugh Sierra+

Plugin Formats: AUi | VSTi | VST3i | AAX* (K* ProTools) | STANDALONE

UPD 12.08.2021: Now you can see you own Libraries in Browser

SPTNDC Note: (v6.5.3)

Fixed another version.

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