Native Instruments releases new, free, Kontakt Player 3.5

Native Instruments has announced the release of the new Kontakt Player, a free software instrument based on its Kontakt 3 sampler. It provides universal playback functionality for the vast range of available Kontakt libraries, and is also the basis for a new category of "Kontakt-Powered" instruments that establishes a unique price-performance ratio for sample-based instruments, according to NI.

With its arsenal of third-party libraries that take advantage of its advanced sound-shaping and scripting functionality, it's fair to say that Kontakt has become one of the essential instrument platforms on the market. The new Kontakt Player is the central instrument to utilize all Kontakt-based sound material in an efficient and convenient way, both in studio and live performance environments. It accommodates all regular Kontakt-format libraries as well as all generations of third-party Kontakt Player instruments, including Kompakt and Intakt formats as well as Native Instruments' Akoustik Piano, Elektrik Piano and Bandstand instruments.

The new Kontakt Player is based on the latest Kontakt 3.5 engine, and utilizes all its technological achievements including 64-bit support, extended memory addressing, advanced DFD streaming, true multiprocessor support, and more. It provides comprehensive playback functionality with full Universal Import and convenient sound manipulation via the Performance View panels, and only omits the in-depth editing features of the full-featured Kontakt 3.5 version. All sound libraries are managed in a convenient graphical library browser, providing overview for even the most extensive sound collections.

Kontakt Player also establishes the basis for a new range of self-powered sample-based instruments, which will be available for download purchase directly from Native Instruments. This line of Kontakt-Powered instruments debuts with the new Maschine Drum Selection and with Evolve Mutations by Heavyocity. The launch of Kontakt Player is also complemented with the free Kontakt Factory Selection, a studio-grade sound arsenal with 50 instruments taken from the Kontakt 3 library, available for download on the NI website.