KONTAKT was designed by Native Instruments to be the most powerful sampler ever created. KONTAKT fuses an innovative design with an advanced sampling engine. The result is an inspiringly fast and intuitively flexible sampler with exceptional sound quality...

The Sampler
KONTAKT was designed by Native Instruments to be the most powerful sampler ever created. KONTAKT fuses an innovative design with an advanced sampling engine. The result is an inspiringly fast and intuitively flexible sampler with exceptional sound quality.

In addition to supporting all the standard sample playback and manipulation abilities of its hardware and software predecessors, KONTAKT adds several technologies to give sampling a new dimension. Realtime time-stretching and resynthesis, graphical breakpoint envelopes, an integrated loop editor, analog-modelled filters, visually displayed modulation, and breathtaking efficiency create a sampler with the power to realize the most ingenious ideas. An outstanding sample library containing more than three gigabytes of sounds in various styles and categories is also included.

Architecture and Engine
KONTAKT’s advanced design and dynamic resource allocation ensure that its audio engine is always running at optimal efficiency, for up to 256 stereo voices per instance on a standard computer. The semi-modular architecture of KONTAKT’s audio engine corresponds exactly to its on-screen layout. Filters, effects, and modulations can easily be added with one click. If an audio-process is not active, it is neither displayed on the screen nor calculated by the CPU.

Unlike a conventional sampler, where pitch and length are always linked, KONTAKT’s integrated granular resynthesis engine frees you to compose with pitch and timestretch independently. KONTAKT can play back each sample in one of three modes: classic mode, Time Machine mode, and Tone Machine mode. The Time Machine allows real-time manipulation of length, pitch, and formant. The Tone Machines imprints a playable pitch onto the sample and maintains the same length across the keyboard.

The comprehensive filter section offers 17 varieties from analog lowpass and highpass to exotic sound-design filters. A broad range of insert and send effects, including EQs, waveshapers, delays, and reverbs, are available to position the instruments in the mix. All effects are inherent parts of the instrument, regardless of how many instruments are playing at once.

Modulation
Even a noise sample in KONTAKT’s hands is no static thing. Nearly all of KONTAKT’s parameters can be dynamically modulated by LFOs, breakpoint envelopes, step-modulators, or via MIDI velocity or controller. Naturally, all time-based modulation can be synced to song tempo. Nothing is hidden behind the scenes, since all modulation is shown graphically. For instance, if a filter cutoff is modulated by a step-modulator, the filter cutoff knob will display its modulation movements in addition to its current value. Despite the power of KONTAKT’s modulation abilities, there is no need for a complex modulation matrix, as only the active modulations are shown.

Efficient Workflow
KONTAKT’s elegant user interface takes just seconds to learn, yet is exceptionally flexible during the creative process. An integrated file-browser supporting drag and drop makes it quick to set up multisamples. Samples can be trimmed and looped within the main sampler window. The built-in graphical loop-editor features seamless looping with a sophisticated autocorrelation algorithm and supports up to eight loops per sample.

Content
More than three gigabytes of top-quality samples are included, ranging from acoustic pianos, drums and percussion, basses and guitars, to vintage instruments. The library, produced by YellowTools® and Native Instruments, makes extensive use of KONTAKT’s dynamic modulation abilities for patches that are truly alive. KONTAKT ships with five sample CDs, with each CD focusing on a different musical category. KONTAKT can also import AKAI CDs and many other common formats for immediate access to an immense library.

Supported Sample Formats
KONTAKT is able to load nearly any sample library format: AKAI™ S-1000/S-3000, Gigasampler™, SF2™, HAlion™, EXS™, SDII™, BATTERY™, REAKTOR™ Map, LM4™, AIFF und WAV von 8 bis 32 bits. Planned is the support for EMU™ files (EIII, ESI, and EIV).

Direct From Disc extension
In November 2002 a free Mac and PC update for registered KONTAKT users will add the Direct From Disc extension. This feature will enable KONTAKT to play samples directly from the hard drive. Sample size will no longer be limited by the amount of physical RAM - an instrument can be as large as available hard drive space. All instruments utilizing this technology will load many times faster than RAM-based instruments.

Integration
KONTAKT supports every professional native interface to seamlessly fit into all computer-based studios. KONTAKT can be used as a plug-in with VST® 2.0, DXi™, DirectConnect™, and MAS™. In the studio or during a live performance, KONTAKT can be used with less latency than a hardware sampler with ASIO™, offering 32 outputs and up to 256 stereo voices.

Release date
KONTAKT for Mac and PC is now available.

What is it?:
The most powerful software sampler to date, bar none.

What does it do?
Playback samples with 32 channels and up to 256 stereo voices. Performs with less latency than its hardware equivalent when ASIO is used.

Who would use it?
Anybody who is into composing his or her latest masterpiece on a computer. All musical style will be catered for. Lets not forget the creative potential that Kontakt would unleash for the gigging musician

Whats good about kontakt?
Operates on any platform seamlessly integrating into any computer-based studio as a VST 2.0, Dxi, DIRECTCONNECT and MAS plugin. Kontakt boasts a lightning fast audio engine capable of handling all current sample formats while maintaining extremely hi audio quality up to 32-bit resolution. Analog style filters, real-time time stretching, resynthesis, modulation and native FX, are all to be found here. Kontakt will import samples from the Akai S-1000/S-3000 range of hardware samplers, Gigasampler, Sf2, Lm4, Aiff (Mac format), Reaktor Map, Battery and good old Wav formats. Works standalone.

A closer Look:
On closer inspection, the one thing that immediately springs to mind is just how easy sample manipulation can be achieved. If you choose to load a new sample from your personal sample library then Kontakt will automatically map the sample across the entire keyboard. You can, of course, change this in the mapping editor with use of the very well implemented zoning feature. There is also a unique feature within Kontakt's preferences settings, which automatically converts any sample to the 32-bit standard if you prefer to work in the 32-bit domain.

When samples, or multi-samples, are loaded and zoned to your tastes, FX and all sorts of tweaking can be applied. This is where Kontakt truly stands out from the rest of the competition. The FX's are excellent and range from the ubiquitous reverbs and delays to the more ethereal phasers and flangers. All come with presets for that quick setting you need on the fly. You can of course apply your own plugin FX's from within your native sequencer but I feel, and I am sure you will agree, that this will more than likely be unnecessary as the quality of the included FX are of an exceptionally high calibre. Distortion, compression, and filtering are all included along with a set of more unusual FX such as bit crushing (through the use of the lo-fi module) or formant shifting (from within the tone machine module). Real-time time stretching and resynthesis are made possible in this module as well. Graphical representations of envelope breakpoints and even a display for modulation are both welcome inclusions for the sampling freak in us all. Controller information, including pitch bend, modulation and after touch, can be used to trigger parameters such as filter cut-off, resonance and even FX send levels. Most of the parameters within Kontakt can be dynamically modulated in sync with your new compositions. With modulation controlling filters cut-off, all in real-time and editable on the fly, I was staggered to say the least.

Editing of start/end points for a sample are all made a breeze in the loop editor, as are the start/end points for a loop. Complex loops can be created easily by setting up any of the 8 loops points that are available. I used a drum loop for this example with 3 individual loop points. Loop 1 was set to play the defined range 2 times by setting the count feature to 2, simple. Loop 2 was set to loop in reverse 2 times using the "until end <->" function with a count of 2 also. To loop the selected section of audio in this manner I clicked on the loop mode button located under the waveform display in the loop editor. Loop 3 was set to play once. I was amazed at how easy this was to do. My old sample library will be coming back out of hibernation and Kontakt will be used to blow the dust of all my old samples and breath new life into a collection I thought I had no further use of. Hardware manufactures should take note of how well NI has implemented such powerful and creative features. I have been using my old Akai S1000 for a long time but it has now been made officially redundant. It lacks the flexibility of its software sibling and sits in my rack looking a little like a dinosaur. After all, why should I have to get up from the comfort of my studio chair just to go over to the Akai to change something as mundane as the start point of a sample? I can just stay right where I am and do the same task in a couple of seconds with no stress added or tea spilled. The ability to audition the audio before importing it (and only then finding out that it isn't suitable for your track anyway) is nothing short of a Godsend! All the features to do with looping can be applied to any sample you care to throw at it, strings, pads, bass, piano etc. Cross fading of all the loop points that you set up are available here as well. Audio manipulation and sonicscape creation are your veritable oysters, pearls included.

Kontakt ships with a huge sample library that is spread across five disks with over 3 Gigs of various samples broken down into the following categories:

BEST OF SYNTH, ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC BASS & GUITAR, PIANO, DRUMS & PERCUSSION

On the whole, the cd's are of a very high standard with more than enough content there to create a wide range of musical styles. For those who do not possess other NI releases such FM7, Pro52, Absynth, Battery, Reaktor and B4, samples from these plugin's are a welcome inclusion and are what make up the best of synth collection. These samples are a real plus if you cant afford the individual softsynths. I have read elsewhere that people are moaning a little about the sample library but lets be fair as being supplied with 3 Gigs of material to start out with is very impressive indeed. Those muso's with pockets that don't go so deep will be quite pleased with the NI sample library. It is a sign of what to expect of future releases.

Thanks to audiomidi & Native Instruments

Conclusion: