The deals NI has on Kontakt are pretty sweet. But I can't find Kontakt 5 on any major website store. Was Kontakt 5 just never sold individually outside of the NI Store? Or are they pulled off the shelfs to make room for Kontakt 6?

Is this what NI does? Puts stuff on sale, then a month later, new versions come out with $150-$200 upgrade price tags? Kinda making the sale a bit less...of a good sale?

I suspect.
I just ordered the upgrade to 5, hard to resist the good price, and I *think* they seem to have this kind of sale every year? I upgraded to 4 similarly.
I'm okay with that though, I can live a year behind everyone else

They did the same last year with K4. I ordered K4 cross grade and a week after I got it they released K5. It's a problem if you like to buy third party encrypted libraries (ie. soniccouture), because NI encrypts stuff always to the latest format. So ie. I have K4 full (also K3 full) but can only use some libraries with kontakt player. Kinda sucks...

I don't understand the complaint. The fact that a new version is coming out doesn't make the version that you paid for work any differently. How does this make it less of a good sale?3

What's hard to understand?

Your premise- which is wrong. If NI encrypts the libraries, they will open in the player. It's the third party encryptions that don't always follow suit.

ew

I give you an example. I have Alicias Keys. I wanted to change the Release setting of AHDSR. Since I'm only able to use Alicias Keys with the free Kontakt Player I'm unable to do this. Would my copy of Alicias Keys be encripted in K4 format I would be able to open instrument editor and add a modulation source for the release parameter.

Kontakt 5 very well may be a short lived version. It added some new features over version 4, but I thought the new features of version 5 were more of a 4.5 release -- significant, but not as revolutionary. Ah, maybe I'm expecting too much for a major release ....

-----------------------
WISHLIST
-----------------------
If they are releasing Kontakt 6 this year, I hope to see:

1. Easier mapping GUI for mapping cells (such as incorporating Battery or a Battery type of GUI or another better mapping method).
2. Better tools for importing / mapping groups of samples
3. A comprehensive multi-track sample editor that opens in a workable workspace -- and view/compare with other samples not being actively edited. A serious Soundforge / Peak Bias (defunct)/ Wavelab type of editor built in.
4. Expanded included sample library with updated "meat and potato" instrument samples that utilize scripting features (eg. updated samples / improved keyswitching articulations).
5. Better user sequencer interface for recording/importing/editing/playing and switching between complex midi patterns via keyswitches or keytriggers. Similar to Arturia Brass "riffs" playback.
6. A FM8 type of Arppegiator -- with MIDI export
7. Method to keyswitch between loaded instruments
8. Better workflow for creating and editing libraries. Not sure what I'm even looking for, but I get overwhelmed looking at the clutter.

... and for an extra fee, a button that unlocks third party encryption.

Even without any of this wishlist, I find Kontakt to be one of my core tools -- flexible, dependable and powerful.
Last edited by Kevin63101 on Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:19 pm; edited 1 time in total

If that's true, then

It's definitely true. I'm sitting on it... ;( That and a few other libraries. That's how it works. That's why I decided to wait for Kontakt 6 and buy it even at full price instead of buying K5 and then having troubles with encrypted instruments (not being able to edit them). And that's also the reason why I like open sample providers (like ie. 8dio or soundiron that much)...

Yeh, actually the premise is correct and I had never thought of it before.....

Well, will they have a Kontakt 6 crossgrade? I already own a qualifying Kontakt player instrument.

I think it would be cheaper or not much different for me to crossgrade directly to K6 later rather than crossgrade to K5 now (even W/ the current 50% discount) then finally UPDATING to K6.

Using current prices to guide my estimates....


140(crossgrade to K5)+~150(update to K6)= $290

OR

Guessing ~ $300 crossgrade to K6= $300


Doesn't seem to much of a difference.

Any thoughts?
Last edited by GMusic on Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

You can always crossgrade, from any version of Kontakt, to the most recent one.

Sort of the same here.
I bought K4 and thought about getting Evolve Mutations 1+2, which were available at that time, the "rule of K4".

Then K5 came out, and some time after that NI had a deal on Evolve Mutations.
Strangely, the NI website now said that Evolve Mutations required Kontakt 5.

So I wrote to NI's support and they confirmed: I needed K5, and these libraries would not load in K4.
I could use the K5 Player, but with limited functionality.

Great.

lol that's such BS.

I think I'll stick with Spectrasonics, and other such companies, even if it limits my sound pallet/3rd party abilities. And who knows...maybe Omnisphere will start using more 3rd party developers or allow importing .sfz, ect? Either way, at least I know they won't screw me over with compatibility, random ass sales events days after I purchase something, coming out with new things every year and requiring to pay for bug fixes and features that should have been there to begin with.

I don't have the patience, time or money to be worrying about updating crap every year and wondering if X is going to work with version Y I currently have, ect.




Last edited by GMusic on Tue Jul 31, 2012 2:49 pm; edited 2 times in total