fjz
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Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
Lately, I've been thinking of maybe going ahead and installing this along with the free Kontakt Factory Selection library. I have a couple of questions and I'd love to get some feedback from those of you who may have tried it out. 1- In your opinion, are the sounds in NI's free Factory Selection library any good, or are they not very useful? It does not look like there are very many orchestral instruments included (which would be a bit of a bummer). 2- Are there any third party free libraries that work with Kontakt Player? If so, recommendations would be great. Thanks, fj https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/samplers/kontakt-5-player/
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Fog
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 06:14:41
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☄ Helpfulby jude77 2018/01/19 16:33:18
it's one of them subjective things... try it see what *YOU* think
obv. certain libs are the full version only, again have to read the small print a lot.
think of it as a sound module, not a lot more tbh. as you don't have the capability of the full version.
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AT
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 16:23:46
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The standard library isn't great - more of a tease. But NI's extra libraries should work on the "player" software, as well as any library that paid NI. Heavyocity's libraries worked fine on the player before I upgraded it. So will others.
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jude77
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 16:34:41
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I got it years ago and liked it so much I upgraded to the "real" one. It's definitely worth a demo
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michael diemer
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 17:33:07
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I had to get it when I bought Cinematic Strings. That's all I use it for. Works fine, but I would prefer the Cinematic Strings developers had chosen something else, or created their own player. It was quite bewildering at first how to actually load the library and then load an instrument. Took me days.
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RobWS
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 20:11:20
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Funny, I was looking into the same thing today for the first time. If it's free, why not? But I don't want to jump into something that's not beneficial. I've downloaded other free products and some are getting used and others are now uninstalled. After looking into this free offering today, I've decided against it, but that's just my conclusion.
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Jeff Evans
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 20:30:11
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I found installing the Free Kontakt player to be very useful. Firstly the factory sounds are fine and offer some quite useful patches.
The main reason though is that I have a host of other full version synths from Native Instruments themselves that need the free player in order to run. That makes it reason alone to install it. It means you don't have to buy the full version of Kontakt in order to use may full versions of other Native synths.
Then there are third party synths to which there are many that offer full versions but also run in the free Kontakt player. (there are also plenty that also need the full version of Kontakt to run as well)
It depends on your needs but if it involves using either Native synths or other synths then it is a very worthwhile install to do.
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jmasno5
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 22:24:19
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I started out with the free version then upgraded to the full version. I think it's great and the free version had some useful samples. Keep in mind that third party samples will not play in the free player version. Actually they play for about 15 minutes. Which I guess gives you enough time to freeze whatever you need.
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Jeff Evans
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/19 22:34:39
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☄ Helpfulby jude77 2018/01/20 01:12:32
jmasno5
I started out with the free version then upgraded to the full version. I think it's great and the free version had some useful samples. Keep in mind that third party samples will not play in the free player version. Actually they play for about 15 minutes. Which I guess gives you enough time to freeze whatever you need.
Not completely correct. All the third party synths that I have and run in the player do not have the 15 minute limit imposed at all. The ones that do have the 15 minute imposed however are usually mentioned on the 3 rd party site. But there are many 3rd party synths out there that work normally in the player with no limitations.
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fjz
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 00:45:46
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Thank you all for weighing in. Much appreciated.
I'm gonna do a little more searching for some 3rd party free libs that will work with the "player" version. So far though, I have not had much luck finding any. If anyone knows of any, please do share. I did also have a quick look at the Heavyocity offerings (mentioned above), but the only freebie there appears to be some loops.
fj
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Kamikaze
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 01:12:27
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I installed t make sure there were no system issues, before buying Samplemodelling brass. Then soniccouture had a freebie organ available. Their stuff runs on the Free Player, but they give you a selection of free sounds with each purchase. These free sounds require the full player. http://www.soniccouture.com/en/products/
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jimfogle
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 01:33:10
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Yes the free Kontakt 5 player is worth installing. It's a good way to gain exposure to how the full version of Kontakt works. Run a web search for Kontakt free and you'll find many more soft synths are available using the free player. Many developers will include a link to the free player on their website. Some even have an arrangement with Native Instruments that the cost of their soft synth is deducted from the cost of the full version should you decide to upgrade down the road. Here is one such website: http://realitone.com/
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Jeff Evans
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 01:39:40
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The third part instruments I am talking about are fully paid for full versions of these things. Not freebies. Freebies are generally pretty limited anyway. There is no restriction though in terms of that 15 minute time limit.
Some other third party stuff will work in the player but as jmasno5 pointed out they will be limited to the 15 minute time limit.
Other third party synths just won't work in the player at all and you need the full version of Kontakt. (which I feel is a bit of a bind because it is quite a serious outlay just to get another instrument to work) I generally avoid those all together.
Anyway it is no harm to install the player. It does not effect your system in anyway and I use it mainly to use other 3rd party fully paid versions. (plus a few Native synths too) There are still quite a lot of them out there that work perfectly in just the player and with no time limit.
You do have to check though. Especially before buying a big expensive synth. Often it is in the very fine print and you have to go looking for it too. (e.g. requires full version of Kontakt)
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Magic Russ
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 12:59:33
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fjz
I'm gonna do a little more searching for some 3rd party free libs that will work with the "player" version. So far though, I have not had much luck finding any. If anyone knows of any, please do share. I did also have a quick look at the Heavyocity offerings (mentioned above), but the only freebie there appears to be some loops.
You are not likely to find many because NI charges developers a steep fee to allow their libraries to be used with the player.
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abacab
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 19:08:33
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I believe most free sound libraries for Kontakt will require the full version of Kontakt.
However there are many paid libraries, both from NI and 3rd party, that will run on the Kontakt Player.
The Kontakt factory selection that you get included for free with Player is a sample of instruments in the full factory library. Band, Synth, Urban Beats, Vintage, and World are the included categories.
The 'Band' collection has some nice basses, guitars, an E-piano, organ, etc. Good enough to get a feel for the plugin.
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JoeGBradford
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 20:05:33
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The bagpipes are worth having in Kontakt Player though the duduk is a bit disappointing. Well they are for me as I do folk influenced stuff
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fjz
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 21:22:12
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Magic Russ
You are not likely to find many because NI charges developers a steep fee to allow their libraries to be used with the player.
Ah, that explains a lot. Makes sense.
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fjz
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/20 21:37:36
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Jesse Screed
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/21 22:49:20
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michael diemer
It was quite bewildering at first how to actually load the library and then load an instrument. Took me days.
yep, me too, but for a different third party library, though I would recommend the OP give it a shot; if you are like me you already have eleventy other vst instruments that collect digital dust, and I will focus some of myself on those too. JQS
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fjz
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/22 02:31:29
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Thanks again for your input, everyone! I've just installed everything, and checked out most of the patches. There's definitely some stuff I'll be able to use in there.  Jeff Evans
Some other third party stuff will work in the player but as jmasno5 pointed out they will be limited to the 15 minute time limit.
I have a couple of questions regarding this 15 minute time limit thing, if I may: 1 - Is that 15 min limit only for the current session I'm in... meaning if I close out, reopen and reload, does the 15 minutes start up again? Or, is it 15 minutes total and that it? 2 - I'm not clear on if this 15 min limit is to allow you to demo paid-for libraries before purchasing. Is that the case? Or is it to demo libs meant for the "full" version of Kontakt? fj
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Jeff Evans
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/22 02:42:49
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☄ Helpfulby fjz 2018/01/22 03:01:56
I think you can close out the session and re open it again for another 15 minutes. Even so that can be an inconvenience though. As 15 minutes can go by pretty quick sometimes.
I think the 15 minute thing does allow you to demo some third party software and then after you pay the money it will work for unlimited time but still in the player.
I am not an expert on this either but I think also that if a third party instruments needs the full version of Kontakt you may have to have that to even demo it. There would obviously be some sort of other restriction imposed.
I don't have the full version of Kontakt, only the player. I know that there are some instruments that will work in the player but for only 15 minutes at a time as well even for fully paid versions but will be normal in the full version of Kontakt. I tend to avoid those.
Maybe some full Kontakt owners can chime in. They will know more about what the full version does, demo and paid.
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fjz
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/22 03:04:03
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Jeff Evans
I think you can close out the session and re open it again for another 15 minutes. Even so that can be an inconvenience though. As 15 minutes can go by pretty quick sometimes.
I think the 15 minute thing does allow you to demo some third party software and then after you pay the money it will work for unlimited time but still in the player.
I am not an expert on this either but I think also that if a third party instruments needs the full version of Kontakt you may have to have that to even demo it. There would obviously be some sort of other restriction imposed.
I don't have the full version of Kontakt, only the player. I know that there are some instruments that will work in the player but for only 15 minutes at a time as well even for fully paid versions but will be normal in the full version of Kontakt. I tend to avoid those.
Maybe some full Kontakt owners can chime in. They will know more about what the full version does, demo and paid.
Thank you, Jeff! fj
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AT
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Re: Free Kontakt 5 Player - Is it worth installing?
2018/01/22 15:26:55
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There are lots of cheap libs out there for Kontact (gd spellcheck). Most need the full version, which is on sale summer and Christmas. If you are looking for free libraries, look elsewhere unless you get the paid version. NI wants lib makers to pay them.
The best free libs and player is soundfonts.
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