Kontackt 4.2.4

Seems to be some library confusion. Wish NI would work out a way to make it simple and easy to understand. I'll probably go with 5 though.

It may be quiet over there simply because this is far and away the least-exciting revision of Kontakt ever, and has been largely greeted with yawns.

No earth-shaking new features, and literally nothing new in the factory library. It won't even show the K4 factory content in its "Library" browser view at all, so if you like that feature you'll have to install the K5 content and live with multi-gigabytes of duplicate files.

With no new content and only minor enhancements, it should have been called 4.5 and been offered either free or as a $20 download.

Thanks for the heads-up on the 4.2.4 release, though. It'll be nice to be able to play all the factory libraries without crashing.

Glyn Barnes


I went over to the NI forums to see is there were any Kontakt 5 murdered my dog and ran off with my wife threads. Its pretty quiet but it seems there are problems with it and the Lion o/s on Mac. It's early days yet though!
 
Looks like the Kontakt 4.2.4 update is now available.
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147558
 

Lion has been released late in July - a lot of manufacturers are still adjusting and many have yet to catch up. FWIW, anyone running a DAW should observe the usual rule and wait a bit before upgrading to a new OS, be it on Mac or on PC. Furthermore, Lion doesn't bring anything new to the table at this point in terms of functionality for us, so I just don't get why people insist on upgrading right away.

My latest little NI adventure.

Downloaded Guitar Rig 5 Player to give it a try. Received the e-mail with my authorization code. Installed. 

Then I get the usual - Service Center has been updated and will restart - even if I'm pretty darn sure I have the latest version. Goes on 2 or 3 times. Then it doesn't re-start. Nothing unusual.

Relaunch manually. Ohhh, it works! Good. Enter code. Fail to authorize. Try again - now it's telling me that Guitar Rig 4 has been authorized. I knew that. This isn't news to me - I authorized it like months ago.

Back on NI's site - request a new code - in my inbox within seconds. Fails within seconds.

Tried it in demo mode instead. Nothing exceptional. They got better with Hi-Gain. That's it.

That's the end of the story between me and Guitar Rig. Uninstalled 3, 4 and 5. I'm done. I'm  happily sticking w/ Amplitube.


EDIT - I'm not running Lion - I would have understand issues w/ a new OS.

In terms of amps, I think most of them amp sims sound more or less the same/have the same issues. GR5 seems to be getting better w/ Hi Gain - but Amplitube was already at least as good.

I think I was expecting more out of it, partly due to the fact that they've worked with RedWirez for room impulses. However, I didn't hear anything better than what AT can do. 

So it's pretty much a matter of preference. I don't like doing business w/ NI for starters, so they'd have to win me over with something that really stands above the competition. It isn't the case with Guitar Rig 5. The interface is a matter of taste - I also prefer AT's interface - instead of racks that you have to scroll through, you have dedicated windows for each module. And then there's the diversity - AT, with its Custom Shop is unbeatable. 

Another major point in their favor is that IK is present on the web - it's not like they're hiding behind closed doors somewhere in a bunker. It's just so easy to get in touch with them. And they don't systematically discontinue their products either.  

Different product but recent update - my Absynth 5 has gone bananas. It can't read all the soundpacks in standalone. It can inside Kore 2. It doesn't work as Vst in Studio One but does inside Sonar and Reaper. It can't read all the files in any of the DAWs. It's now one weird plug-in.

I fully agree with Rain re doing business with NI.
 
After the Kore Fiasco I wrote to NI – basically I thought that they should do something for me after the amount of money I had spent over the years etc.
 
My Initial Email to NI
From: Nigel Nicholls [mailto:nigeln@xxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 10:33 AM
To: 'NI-Ticket-System'
Subject: A problem I hope you can help with
 
Hi
I am very conscious that this could be construed as being very “cheeky” but really I have little option.
As you know I am a very long term user of NI products.
Only recently I made the decision to go the Kore Route as my future path re software etc. You will see from my purchase history.
Now of course you have deleted this product I am left considering my options.
I have spent a considerable sum but now need to concentrate I feel on software only products that might not get so easily cast aside, so Maschine is a non starter for me.
I want to stick with Kontakt but I am asking for some help considering the Kore situation.
I want to upgrade my Sessions Strings to the Pro version and I would like to get the West Africa Library and the Razor Synth.
If I were to get all three in one go, can you help me on the cost of this?
I hope you will view this favorably and look forward to hearing from you
Regards
Nigel
 
I received no reply so had to keep chasing.
Eventually I received this from them:-
 
From: NI-Ticket-System [mailto:ni-support@native-instruments.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 7:25 PM
To: Nigel Nicholls
Subject: Re: [Ticket#2011070710006181] multiple purchase
 
Hello Nigel Nicholls,
 
Thank you for contacting NI. The products you are looking for are available in our
Online Shop at the following URLs:
https://co.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=4101&prid=404
https://co.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=4101&prid=405
https://co.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=4101&prid=385
 
Bundle pricing is offered for pre-assembled bundles only, such as KOMPLETE 7,
VINTAGE COMPRESSORS, SCARBEE VINTAGE KEYS, CLASSIC PIANO COLLECTION, and the
EVOLVE MUTATIONS Bundle.
 
 
Best regards,
Your Native Instruments Customer Service
 
 
This was a somewhat underwhelming reply so I wrote again:-
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Nigel Nicholls [mailto:nigeln@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 8:23 PM
To: 'NI-Ticket-System'
Subject: RE: [Ticket#2011070710006181] multiple purchase
 
 I know this - what I was asking for was some discount because I was going to make a multiple purchase of the products I mentioned even though you have just discontinued a product I have only just spent a lot of money on - you know like a bit of goodwill on your part for me being a long term NI customer, one who has invested much money with your company and one who is somewhat disillusioned by your axing of a product you only recently described as one of your building block products or such like.
Please reconsider, I don't think my request is unreasonable..
 
Even though I chased a number of times, not even a response this time.
It’s such a shame their products have been good over the years – I would SERIOUSLY like never to have to deal with them ever again.
It would be great if someone (come on IK!!) developed a product that knocked Kontakt off its perch – I think there is a great deal of animosity between NI and its customer base that will, in my experience, come back to bite them at some time.
Nigel
 

very true, but I did think I was being very nice - well nice considering what they had just done!!