Quick Introduction to Kontakt

This helpful video tutorial provides a quick and easy to follow introduction to Kontakt, with a brief overview of the main features.

This tutorial does not dig deep into any one feature, nor does it get technical in any way. This lesson is simply meant to be a basic introduction to Kontakt for those who are brand new to it. Each of the main buttons on the main interface window are explained, as well as how to browse and load patches and libraries. One thing that is not mentioned in this video is the fact that some sample libraries can be imported directly into the Kontakt sidebar, while others cannot. If it is a Native Instruments library, then it will import no problem. But if it is a 3rd party sample library, then it comes down to whether or not the developer chose to set it up that way or not. Do not fret if you are unable to import a library into Kontakt directly, as you can still load it through the browser by navigating to the folder you have it stored in and selecting it.

Something that is kind of glossed over quickly in this introduction to Kontakt is the use of your system RAM and the Purge feature. You can find a Purge button on each patch that is loaded, as well as a universal Purge button at the top of the interface. Some sample patches use up a lot of RAM and sometimes it take a while for this to load completely. There are three colored boxes, which go from red to yellow to white. When the last box is light up white, the patch is fully loaded. Trying to play the patch prior to being fully loaded can result in incomplete sounds when notes are played. You can use the Purge buttons to purge the RAM of any or all of the loaded patches at any time.

Although many other things are covered in this introduction to Kontakt, the other big topic you really need to understand is how the sample patches are set up in regards to how your MIDI controller works from one patch to the next. The color coding of the keys basically represents what is associated with that particular key. A blue key means that it will play a sample, while red and yellow keys are used for key switching, which can change how a sample is delivered, performs, etc. This provides you with incredible amounts of control on-the-fly both in studio and liver performance settings. This is what allows you to create truly life-like and believable sequences with your sampled instruments. For a full breakdown of what each color means and how it influences and/or affects your patches, you need to read through the manual that comes with each different sample library.