Will I find Kontakt 2 worth buying?

Hey, I'm slightly new to the whole sample library thing - I've been working on my Logic Pro 7.1 for a little over a year now. I use GPO, RA, Ethno World 3, StormDrums, Stylus RMX and Atmosphere. I wanted to have more control over my samples and I also wanted to buy another orchestral library - I thought I'd get Kontakt 2 and Kirk Hunter's Emerald. Today I was getting ready to buy them when I decided on a whim to check out feed back on the products. I was really excited about buying these products. Kontakt 2 seems (if this board is any indication) to have a frighteningly extensive list of bugs and problems. From an unbiased view, is this actually the case? Or is this a few isolated incidents with a loud voice?

I'm working on a G5 dual 2.0 OSX 10.3.9 2.5 gigs of ram.

Thanks for the opinions.

Josh

 

yes

Kontakt 2.0 was a mess. Kontakt 2.1, just released, is great. You'll like it. Some people are still mad because their favorite bug didn't get fixed, but I have not had any serious problems on my Mac with Kontakt 2.1 and am much happier than I was with 2.0.

 

Yes K2 is worth buying, there is a fix for the bugs on the way, hope its not as long as the last fix. 5.1 sound in SX3 not functioning well, troubles with import for some, no import of Halion 3. Some, only some, having install troubles - which can be fixed. Some have database corruption issues - not me. K2 has a whole VSL orchestra and many other sounds instruments bundled. Sounds bad when I list the problems, but as I say, you are unlikely to experience them, except the suround thing (which is workaroundable), the import issues, well I just dont import foreign formats. Some have a mono track issue in Cubase.

Zero

 

i use kontakt 2.1 daily, and i am quite happy with it. kontakt 2.0 used to crash a lot, but i haven't had any problems with kontakt 2.1 so far.

i get the 'memory corrupt' message from time to time, but thats the only thing that troubles me - and its not a big thing.

 

I am also using Kontakt 2 almost daily... In most of my projects I load very large librairies (my bass instrument is 500mb)... Streaming is stunning in Kontakt 2.1. I'm using it on PC and hardly having any troubles.

Kontakt 2 is IMO the ultimate instrument.... worth every penny.

Erik.

 

The more I use it the more I like it. A very good buy.

 

There are progress between 2.0 and 2.1 but there are still a few crashes and a quite few problems with QLSO Platinum library

K2 is still a CPU and Disk exterminator (compared to the EXS), no improvement of that between 2.0 and 2.1

Best

Cyril

 

Hi Cyril
Are you serious? In my experience 2.1 is vastly superior to 2.0 in terms of cpu efficiency. Eg. With some instruments I could easily overload the cpu in 2.0, but in 2.1 I can play with much higher polyphony and before even getting a chance to overload the cpu I run into the maximum load my disk can handle. I cannot see why disk usage would be much different between different samplers. They all need to stream the same amount of data from the harddrives (unless the data is compressed of course).
That said, I'm still unhappy about the memory corruption bug introduced in K2.1 (only seems to affect PC users though).

Regards,
Nils

 

My test is done with K2 NOT using the DFD.
The EXS piano samples are imported into K2

Best

Cyril

 

Hi Cyril,
just to clarify I don't have any reason to doubt the difference you measure between K2 and EXS and unlike some other users who have responded to you earlier I do think such a comparison is perfectly valid. I was only talking about the difference between 2.0 and 2.1 (using DFD). I think the performance enhancements are very noticable.

Best
Nils

 

Hello

I would love to say that K2 has more horse power.

If you read what NI say at : http://www.native-instruments.com/index.php?id=kontakt21_us

If you rebuilt the DB I can confirm this

" everything but sample"

ONLY IDLE MODE

May be in standalone, not as an AU, if you have one K2.Au the load is on the left proc in Logic !

NI does not say that it is running faster. They are careful now because of our pressure, they are taking precautions in case we go on a class action.

And my tests are confirming what they say.

Best

Cyril

P.S. I have wrote a mail to Markus and to the big boss of NI, Stephan Schmitt , on the 5th of May, about the problems I still have with K2 and QLSO platinum

no politeness, no answer !

 

2.1 is excellent, pretty much what it's supposed to be. I am now pretty dependent on it. It is MUCH more efficient than 2.0, and a lot of the buggy stuff has been sorted out.
Easily worth it IMO.

 

Yes , the CPU efficiancy from 2.0 to 2.1 is much better. QLSOXP platimum working flawlessly here on PC with Samplitude, Live 5, Cubase and Forte...

Best ,Rich

 

Hi rich

NI fixed the "idle cpu problem " with 2.0.2
Can you give us figures ?

On Mac, between 2.0.2 and 2.1, I have no improvement, I am still with 80 simultaneous notes`

Best
Cyril

 

Hi, jpjohn1980.
Since your using OS 10.3.9, you should wait till they release a hotfix.
Kontakt 2.1 just crashes while booting it.
I thought updates were to fix bugs. Not to add them.