In this article, we will look at the Native Instruments Kontakt 7 in detail. What is the price of Kontakt 7, is there a free demo available for download, what are its specifications and system requirements, and what are the new features, we will answer all these questions.
Kontakt 7 release date is October 2022 and has great changes compared to its predecessor Kontakt 6.7.1.
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Native Instruments Kontakt 7 Player Review – A Brief Introduction
According to the official website of Native Instruments; Kontakt 7 has the following new features in the update-
- A new browser that helps users find the sound faster.
- Access to the biggest collection of virtual instrument libraries.
- Easy Compatibility with a range of hardware.
- 43 GB of sampled content with 900 instruments.
- Creator tools to create own Kontakt libraries and advance GUI.
- New Effects.
- New added effects – Psyche Delay and Ring Modulator from Guitar Rig.
Although there is no free version available for Kontakt 7, you can buy it for just $299 from the official website of Native Instruments. This software is available for both Windows and Mac in VST3, AU, AAX, and Standalone modes. However, Kontakt 7 is not yet available for Linux operating system.
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Kontakt 7 – What’s New
Although most of the Kontakt 7 includes bug fixes, it has also added lots of new features. Here are some of the noteworthy new added features of Kontakt 7.
- New HiDPI Browser.
- Factory Library 2.
- 2 New effects – Psyche Delay and Ring Modulator.
- Brand new browser with filters, tag system, and favorites.
- Non-player library import.
- Increment in the maximum number of declared user zones to 1024.
- A detailed explanation of script errors and warnings.
- Fixes for Cubase and Reaper DAW.
Kontakt 7 review – The New Browser
The biggest update in the Kontakt 7 is its new library browser. Finding the sounds in the plugin has become way easier than ever. The new Kontakt 7 browser is resizable and compatible with high DPI and Retina screens.
You can use the search bar in the new Kontakt 7 to search for the desired sound among all the libraries. The search function supports instrument type, preset name, developer name, and more. You can now choose the type of sound, or character from the vast tag cloud, it is possible to choose multiple tags by holding the shift key.
Furthermore, you can mark the presets as favorites and use them later on. Talking about the presets, the preset window is on the right side of the browser. Probably the biggest improvement in the Kontakt 7 is the ability to preview the sound right from within the browser without loading it. This function will allow users to audition the sound and save a lot of time. You can also import the legacy and non-Kontakt Player libraries.
New Kontakt 7 Instruments – Factory Library 2
Native Instruments has done a big overhaul of its Kontakt 7 factory selection libraries. They have added lots of new presets, samples, sounds, and GUI. These are the Factory libraries available in Kontakt 7 bundle. You can learn about each factory 2 library in detail here.
ORCHESTRAL
This library is recorded and made by the Orchestral Tools. This library includes high-quality strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. All the sounds are taken from the Orchestral Tool’s famous Berlin series.
ACOUSTIC
The Acoustic library contains 60 great instruments such as Flutes, dulcimers, recorders, bagpipes, fiddles, Hurdy gurdy, etc. The sound collection of this library comes from a wide range of nations and cultures including Japan, Ireland, Cuba, and more. The library also features an editable midi function.
BAND
This library includes presets for Rock, Jazz, Soul, Funk, and other band-related genres. This library features a wide range of articulations, acoustic and electric sounds, and an embedded midi editor that supports drag-and-drop functionality.
BEATS
Beats is one of the factory libraries for the new Kontakt update that has been completely changed. The new user interface is very practical and easy to play and record drum patterns. This library includes 90 kits and 288 groove patterns.
CHOIR
Choir is a new addition to the Kontakt. You might have already guessed it from its name, it is a Choir vocal library for Kontakt. The vocal includes soprano, alto, tenor, and bass pitch ranges & sustain, marcato, staccato, and staccatissimo articulations. It has all the essential vowel choir sounds.
SYNTHS
Although all other libraries have organic sounds, the Synth library is quite different from the others. It includes some of the most popular and essential synth sounds- bass, pads, keys, leads, bass, textures, etc. The synth type ranges all the way from classic FM and modular to modern synths.
VINTAGE
Kontakt 7 comes with a dedicated library for vintage synthesizer sounds. This library has 292 vintage instruments. These instruments include some of the most popular pieces of vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and gears.
Kontakt 7 Play Series
While previous libraries are pretty standard for Kontakt update, Kontakt 7 has also included 3 libraries from its Play Series namely – Hybrid Keys, Ethereal Earth, and Analog Dreams. The three libraries contain dual sound layers with multiple instruments, a series of great FX, and a collection of breathtaking presets.
Kontakt 7 – System Requirements
Kontakt 7 supports VST, AU, AAX, and Standalong version for both Windows and macOS. Although there is no version available for Linux, we can hope that there will be one in the future.
Talking about the specifications, for Apple users, Kontck can run on Intel Macs(macOS 10.15, 11, or 12) for i5 or higher versions. Furthermore, it supports Apple silicon Mac(macOS 11 or 12) via Rosetta 2 and natively on ARM in Standalone or in hosts that support it.
For Windows users, you need Windows 10 or 11 with the latest service pack. An i5 processor is recommended with a minimum of 2GB RAM. Your graphic hardware should support Direct 3D 11.1 or higher. For a smooth run, at least 6 GB RAM will require.
Kontakt 7 Price, upgrades, Installation guide, and User Manual
In this section, let’s discuss the price, upgrade, and installation of Kontakt 7.
For new users, the price of Kontakt 7 is $299. However, if you already have a previous version of Kontakt, the Kontakt 7 upgrade price is just $99.
But is upgrading or buying Kontakt 7 worth it?
For the producers and composers who use Kontakt on daily basis, Buying or Upgrading to Kontakt 7 totally worth it. By upgrading to the new version, not only you can enjoy the new sounds, added effects, and fast workflow, but also use the libraries made with Kontakt 7. Furthermore, with the help of the new browser, you can save a lot of time and effort in browsing.
Kontakt 7 Demo version & Kontakt 7 Player Free Download
There is no demo version available for the software. You will have to purchase it first in order to use it. However, you can Kontakt 7 free download is available on the Official website of Native Instruments for the player version.
How to download and install Kontakt and Kontakt 7 player for mac and windows?
Kontakt 7 and Kontakt 7 players are installed with the help of Native Access, Native Instrument’s own centralized system to manage all NI products. Although you need to purchase Kontakt 7 or its upgrade in order to download and install it since there is no free demo of it, you can download the Kontakt player for free. You can also get the software with the Komplete Start and other Komplete versions.
To download the Kontakt 7 and Kontakt 7 player follow these simple steps-
- Make an account on Native Instrument’s official website.
- After creating the account, go to the download page of Kontakt 7 Player.
- Enter your e-mail and get the download link. NI will send the download link to your specified email address.
- Click on the download link, it will take you to the page where you can download Native Access.
- Execute the setup for Windows or Mac and install Native Access.
- Login to Native access after the installation using your NI login credentials.
- From native access, you can easily install Kontakt 7 or any other product from NI.
Kontakt 7 vs Kontakt 6
Although Kontakt 7 is way better than Kontakt 6 in terms of the browsing experience and some other features, there is not much difference on a fundamental level. There are some minor as well as major improvements. Here are some major differences between Kontakt 7 and Kontakt 6-
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Kontakt 7 Producer’s response – Forums and Reddit reviews
Although the producer community has welcomed the new Browser and HiDPI Browser, the reviews of the producer community of various forums and Reddit isn’t that positive. While most people have got Kontakt 7 with the Komplete upgrade, many artists are showing interest in the new version of Kontakt.
From the post of the subreddit r/Nativeinstruments, one can analyze the reviews of the producer community. Although people like the new update, they didn’t find more useful features for a major upgrade. However, the sounds in factory library 2 are amazing.
Final words
Kontakt 7 is a great VST that can be helpful for producers from all kinds of music genres, styles, and fields. It is also better in performance and navigation. However, it has not gone through a big change for a major upgrade.
I hope that you find this Kontakt 7 review helpful, thanks for reading!
Also, Read – A complete guide to Reverb – Popular Reverb VSTs, Types,