After reformatting, (WIN XP SP3 - Cubase 5) Kontakt 4 doesn't seem to load my "custom" instruments into some projects. By "custom" I mean wav files like a breakbeat I had dragged and dropped into the mapping zone then sliced and processed with Kontakt. I hadn't saved those wav files as nki. (at least not manually, I don't know if Kontakt had automatically) since they were playing into the project anyway.
I backuped my cubase project folders and after reformatting I try to open them but Kontakt wont load those instruments. No instruments, no "missing samples" warning so I can point to a new folder with the wav files in, nothing. Is this supposed to happen? I do have the wav files I had dragged into Kontakt upon first working in the project but no nki. files or monoliths or something simply cause as I've said I haven't made any in the first place (unless Kontakt created those anyway automatically and hided them somewhere, if so where can I find them?). Kontakt used to load every wav as instrument in Cubase just fine but not after reformatting and reinstalling.
Is there anything I can do? Thanks.

I am the type of guy who'd hate to bump a thread but this has been driving me crazy for so long because I practically cannot work with my old projects.
Maybe someone who has the slightest idea of what went wrong/what could I do sees this.

have you tried Kontakt 5.

This isnt a very good answer if i'm honest. Maybe he would if you give him the upgrade £.

To the OP: you tried asking on the NI forums yet?

Apart the money for the update factor, if I got problems working on projects with a previous installation of Kontakt 4, it's pretty much a given there's no way it will work with Kontakt 5. There are compatible problems (with nki etc) between the two versions as far as I know.

And yeah I've already asked there too more than a month ago, and in other forums as well but no one has ever replied. It's just crazy.

It's Cubase who search for files to restore the projet to the status it had when you saved it, that's why there are no 'missing samples' dialog. You must make sure that the audio files you used are exactly in the same location that they were when you sliced them. So, you must create a folder with the same name and put it in the same place. I don't know if there is any utility to analyze the Cubase's projet files so that you can check all the paths.

But if cubase thinks audio files are missing wouldn't it notify me as it usually does? I wonder how important is the "in the same location that they were when you sliced them" part cause if it is it makes sense. I have changed the paths of my samples as I have changed paths for my project files. But what I should make clear is that after doing that and before the format I checked many times and everything was playing fine without problems. I also backuped in an external drive. I wonder where I go from here or whether anyone else got an idea about a "utility" as the one you describe that would scan a cpr and reveal sample/audio file paths.

With it's own instruments, it does. With third-party instruments, Cubase simply ignores the issue and goes on.

About that hypothetical utility, I was thinking of a program that translates projects from one format to another, for example, it converts Cubase projects into Logic projects, at least patially (not plugins and midi tracks, mainly audio). I guess that if someone could achieve this it means that the project files can be analyzed. There is a thread in the Hosts forum about that app:

www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=258044

Maybe you could ask in the Hosts forum if there is some way to analyze Cubase project files. Or, if you still have that backup you mention, you could just mount the image with the program you used to make it and search to see where you stored the audio.

And about "I wonder how important is the "in the same location that they were when you sliced them" part cause if it is it makes sense. I have changed the paths of my samples as I have changed paths for my project files". If you would have done that directly in Cubase, it would have saved copies of all your audio files in the audio folder that is besides every Cubase's project file (if you have that option selected in the preferences, of course). Kontakt doesn't do this if you don't save a preset, it just remembers the path of the audio you have imported and Cubase writes that path in the project file when you save your project. When you reload the project and Cubase doesn't see any audio there it just says "not my problem, it's Kontakt's fault" and Kontakt simply doesn't know what is happening.

I don't have an image backup. What I did before formatting was:

1.Backing up my cubase project folders on an external so I copy them back in my C:// after the format. Backing up my samples/library etc folders as well.

2.Went and cleaned up the projects using the cubase "back up" option.
That indeed cleaned up stuff and saved me some space. I backed up those folders too aiming to have them as my new (now cleaned up) cubase project folders.

3.Went and played every single (now cleaned up) project to make sure everything was loading and playing fine. It was. But I kept the original folders from step 1). as well nevertheless just in case I'd figure "back up" feature messed with something later. See, I've been careful. Then formatted.

Then, after reinstalling stuff my problem started. At this point I want to make clear that exactly as everything was playing fine before the format (both original and cleaned up folders) they now both got those Kontakt problems.



Thread created. Someone reported wordpad opens cpr files and it indeed shows some info. A wave file Kontakt has problems to open is "sniper.wav". I do see "sniper" as the name of the kontakt midi channel but not the path for it.


So next time to save me all this trouble I should save it as a nki. file, right?


You mean the path the wave file was when I first imported it ah?
Then how can you explain the fact that even though that path has been changed since the import (I've transfered my samples in another path) the project was loading everything fine before the format?

Thanks a lot for trying to help standalone, you really put me in a direction of where the solution could be by explaining how Cubase cooperates with Kontakt. I really hope I get to the bottom of this. If there's any other kind soul who can provide additional support, jump in!

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you're having the same trouble as I am, well, very similar.
I'm using Kontakt 5 and Cubase 5 together (Kontakt as a VST Instrument). I've been mainly using the standard instruments that come with e.g L.A Scoring Strings, and been panning, changing volume and adding a couple of effects on various ones (sometimes may have 5+ instruments loaded simultaneously).

These were working fine. I saved the project(s) under whatever name in Cubase 5, and came back to work on these projects again and they opened fine.

Recently these projects have just opened up without the Kontakt instruments in there at all!

I haven't recently removed and replaced the files on a drive or reformatted my machine. I'm using Windows XP 32. I have a Drive for my operating system and progs, then 2 other drives, one of which, has a folder called SAMPLES which is where I always point Kontakt to.

So, I know my problem isn't exactly the same as yours aeropuzzle, but it's pretty similar, and if anybody can help with my problem, it may go towards helping distinguish more info on the topic.

Can anyone see why it wouldn't open the saved intsruments in Kontakt 5 in the Cubase 5 session, and is there a difference or a similarity between whether you use a preset instrument in Kontakt or it's a custom instrument?

thanks for any information or ideas at all.

Because you didn't back up Kontakt's database. It's at:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Native Instruments\Kontakt 4

Next time you reformat, back up Kontakt's database- in fact, if you have any other NI stuff, back up the Common Files\Native Instruments folder. A backup of that folder's saved me more than once.

EDIT: oops- that's the factory stuff

Turn on "show hidden files and folders" and go to:
XP- Documents and Settings\*your user account*\Local Settings\Application Data\Native Instruments\Kontakt 4

W7/Vista- Users\*your user account\App Data\Local\Native Instruments\Kontakt 4

With Kontakt 5, the only difference's the folder name.

ew

Wow, I am positively surprised more people gave this a go, I still haven't resolved the issue so it's nice to see there are new replies.

SunKing I don't know if we got the same problem but if you find a workaround let me know, best of luck!


I was actually afraid something like that is the case, it makes sense.
If I understand well, that's a whole other theory than standalone's?
Most importantly, is there a way to load my sliced breakbeat instruments back in the projects or am i screwed?

Kontakt does not save anything by itself. If you did not save the instruments at all, there is nothing for Kontakt to remember.

Kontakt in Cubase, means Kontakt is coupled with Cubase; loading an instrument that has previously been saved with samples relies on a known path. Cubase knows if this is not right.
Where the path is disrupted, it will in such a case prompt you to show a path for loading. In your case, there is no 'there', there. If you do not have these instruments saved, they do not exist. Unless you can go back in time by a restore move... maybe. I don't know tbh.

But Cubase's paths for the samples in Cubase audio pool are not relevant to Kontakt paths. I address that since it got brought into the discussion, it seems like a confusion.

if you want Cubase to successfully find its samples after you moved things, what you do is right click in the pool and select 'Prepare archive...' if there are edits to the samples, you will be prompted, do you want to consolidate those. If you do not, and you move them, the next time Cubase will need you to know where the 'edits' folder is, even as it finds the base samples.

If you find the edited samples, you can of course load them again in Kontakt and recreate the instrument, but do save the instrument.

What has been said about saving the database does not apply to instruments that were never saved. If you do move things, that is good to know.

Thanks for your input, clearly you know how things work. I am a bit confused though when it comes to my two basic questions:

*How do I prevent that from happening next time? Saving everything as instruments as you seem to claim backing up the application data won't do any good? Everyone seems to got a different take on this.

*Most importantly and I repeat: Is there a way NOW to load my sliced breakbeat instruments back in the projects or am i screwed?
I tried to right click-prepare archive in the pool and I get a "Pool is ready for archive!" message. Should I get the original wav files I sliced with Kontakt into the cubase's project audio folder? Is there any way I make Kontakt or Cubase prompt me to find the wav files in question, point them and then have it apply all the editing and load them back into the project? I mean come on, this is such a mess, they shouldn't allow it happening. Battery prompts you, Cubase does too when it comes to audio files, why can't Kontakt do the same? There is another project I've merely dragged some snares into Kontakt and did some minor tweaking like pitching etc and the thing won't load them so I don't even know the filenames anymore. This is unbelievable.

the applications data in windows must be the same as 'Application Support/Kontakt/Database' [OSX] which is just the factory and 'update factory' database. Here that is not something you are allowed to actually save to.

A default instrument configuration is saved, you can save your own, in the username/application support here which must correspond with EW's other stated path.
Beyond this I don't know anything. I back things up manually myself as far as safety copies. When I have to move the whole library eg., after a failed drive, I update the database in Kontakt, which takes some time.
if you got that with no prompt to consolidate the edits you made in Cubase, you didn't make any edits in that Cubase project. Unless the edits were already fixed.
Cubase is prompting [to find Cubase audio files/edits] you because you saved a project in a state where there were edits and files at that time.

I use Kontakt in an instrument which is also a plugins host, VE Pro, decoupled from Cubase, so I have to save the instrument host as a project besides the Cubase project, but if I do not save there is nothing for either Kontakt or VEP to know to look for. The key is saving.

Cubase does make you find missing content in Kontakt if Cubase was saved with that content loaded, as the two are coupled. I don't know what happened to your slices, I can't address slices in Kontakt from experience.

If you can locate them and load them into Kontakt again I would recommend you save in the instrument in case Cubase is handling whatever you did differently than it normally does.
Last edited by jancivil on Fri May 04, 2012 5:21 pm; edited 1 time in total