# Kontakt 6.6.0 - RC 2 VST3!



## Alchemedia (Jul 2, 2021)

From Native Instruments 7/2/21

As the sub-header gave away, we are happy to share with you the long awaited *VST3 *target!
Additionally, a great UX improvement for cases where users have missing content has been implemented: you can now specify a *base path* for your non-Player Content but also choose if you want to store referenced paths relative to the base path. You can set these in the updated *Loading tab* (fka Import/Load) of Kontakt Options.

And although VST3 is the main purpose of this release, we couldn't have a release without a couple of cool new KSP features and improvements. To name one, you can now route the EVENT_PARs to various destinations!

Finally, we are sure that a lot of our builders will appreciate the new Creator Tools update as it enables *file system acces*s via Lua. That means that one can now automate any process via Lua scripts, without leaving the Creator Tools environment! We are certain that you will be super creative in finding ways to optimize your workflows. 
Changelogs​Kontakt v6.6.0 - RC 2 (2021-07-02)​
*FIXED* In some cases projects would still not recall parameters with Kontakt VST3 in Cubase
*FIXED* Multiple outputs did not work correctly in some DAWs (Studio One) with Kontakt VST3
*FIXED *Automation names would incorrectly display abbreviated long names in Maschine with Kontakt VST3
*FIXED* Loading Surround Panner in Main Effects would crash Kontakt
*IMPROVED KSP* UI Level Meters now have dedicated constants for group, insert and main buses - NI_LEVEL_METER_GROUP, NI_LEVEL_METER_INSERT, NI_LEVEL_METER_MAIN


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## Lindon (Jul 3, 2021)

Not showing up in my Native Access :-(


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## Alchemedia (Jul 3, 2021)

Lindon said:


> Not showing up in my Native Access :-(


Still in beta.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 3, 2021)

Yeah somebody violated their NDA. Not a very cool thing.


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## Artemi (Jul 3, 2021)

can I ask you what's with the VST3 format, what does it improve?


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## JohannesR (Jul 3, 2021)

Artemi said:


> can I ask you what's with the VST3 format, what does it improve?


+1


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## EvilDragon (Jul 3, 2021)

I'm not violating my NDA.


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## rrichard63 (Jul 3, 2021)

Artemi said:


> can I ask you what's with the VST3 format, what does it improve?


Here's is Steinberg's official propaganda:









Our Technologies


Since the foundation of the company in 1984, Steinberg has constantly pushed back the boundaries of what is possible in digital audio.




www.steinberg.net





I've read in several places that whether VST3 is more or less stable than VST2 can depend on both the plugin itself and, for any given plugin, can vary from one DAW to another. I've also read that several of the new features in VST3 are things that developers had already figured out how to do in VST2 using workarounds. A conspicuous example is sidechain inputs.

EDIT: This discussion is also helpful:









VST 2.4 vs. VST 3.0 - Who Cares? You Should. - inSync


As of October 2018, we’ll be transitioning to a VST3-only world as VST 2.4 is dropped from the VST spec. This article details what this will mean to you.




www.sweetwater.com


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## topaz (Jul 3, 2021)

Alchemedia said:


> Still in beta.


Somebody is going to be booted off the beta team. Hopefully.


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## pmcrockett (Jul 3, 2021)

One of the big draws of VST3 is that plugins can be taken offline when they're not actively processing audio. Dunno if/how Kontakt will implement this, but looking at Play, for example, the difference between the VST2 and VST3 versions in a project with many instances of the plugin is night and day in terms of the idle CPU load.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 3, 2021)

That is only really usable for effect plugins. Kontakt (and _most _other instrument plugins, really) already shuts down processing when no voices are playing even in VST2, as far as I can tell (unless scripts aren't doing something continuous in the back end, but this is usually tiny tiny stuff).


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## pmcrockett (Jul 3, 2021)

EvilDragon said:


> That is only really usable for effect plugins. Kontakt (and _most _other instrument plugins, really) already shuts down processing when no voices are playing even in VST2, as far as I can tell (unless scripts aren't doing something continuous in the back end, but this is usually tiny tiny stuff).



Weird that there's such a difference between VST2 and VST3 with Play for me -- maybe there are other factors involved in Play's case that have nothing to do with the offline/online distinction.


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## Blakus (Jul 3, 2021)

I really hope this VST3 rework fixes Kontakt's issues with interpreting VST microtonal/detuning messages.


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## d.healey (Jul 3, 2021)

VST3 is over a decade old and Steinberg no longer allows new VST2 developers to register for a license. VST3 is available under a free software license. Under the hood VST3 has little in common with VST2 - so I've heard.


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## Stevie (Jul 4, 2021)

The only main advantage for me with VST3 is the fact that long reverb tails are not ringing out “infinitely” when playback is stopped. Although, this is not a VST3 exclusive feature, many devs don’t implement this in their VST2 versions.
Another example would be a cymbal roll / swell, that rings out even on transport stop.
this doesn’t happen with VST3is.


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## Lindon (Jul 4, 2021)

Alchemedia said:


> Still in beta.


back to waiting then...


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## EvilDragon (Jul 4, 2021)

Blakus said:


> I really hope this VST3 rework fixes Kontakt's issues with interpreting VST microtonal/detuning messages.



It won't fix it automatically, that's something that needs to be implemented separately.



Stevie said:


> The only main advantage for me with VST3 is the fact that long reverb tails are not ringing out “infinitely” when playback is stopped. Although, this is not a VST3 exclusive feature, many devs don’t implement this in their VST2 versions.



This is pretty much host dependent behavior, from what I can tell.


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## zigzag (Jul 4, 2021)

Alchemedia said:


> you can now specify a *base path* for your non-Player Content but also choose if you want to store referenced paths relative to the base path.


 I've been wanting this for so long!


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## Lindon (Jul 5, 2021)

zigzag said:


> I've been wanting this for so long!


..prolly as long as I've been waiting for this:

*"file system acces*s via Lua."


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## iftekharulanam (Jul 6, 2021)

I am happy to share with you that, Kontakt 6 just became VST3 after the latest update.


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## iftekharulanam (Jul 6, 2021)

Lindon said:


> Not showing up in my Native Access :-(


Should show up now.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 6, 2021)

Um, we have a sticky thread for this already.


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## kingy10kingy (Jul 9, 2021)

Getting major crashes with kontakt 6.6 (kontakt.dll being the route cause) in cubase 11.0.30 .


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## Iwanatsu (Jul 16, 2021)

Hi Everyone, I just went through quite a few hours of struggle solving a problem, which turned out to be the VST3 version of the latest Kontakt, so I though I'd let you know, in case someone else might be going through the same 2/3 of hell after updating to 6.6.0 

I short, it's about many of Spitfire instruments (not all, only the newer ones with newer codebase) not properly recalling the mix/fader settings after saving and reopening the project (at least in Cubase 11, Windows 10). I didn't even know there is a new VST3 version of Kontakt, so I was trying all kinds of things, but then as soon as I luckily noticed the newly introduced plugin, it turned out to be the culprit. So even though I obviously didn't actually solve the problem, for now you can at least temporarily use the same workaround, which is to manually remove the VST3 version of Kontakt you can find in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and thus forcing Cubase to use the VST2 you still have in your regular VST folder.

Of course, this way you won't be using the new VST3, but the VST2 is still good, also updated to 6.6.0, and given how recently the new version was released, you shouldn't even consider it a downgrade, more like postponing the upgrade to VST3  Also, for anyone experiencing any other weird new behaviours that we don't know about yet, I'd suggest trying this out too - it's very easy, totally reversible, and might save you some headaches.

Hope this helps someone, take care!


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## bbyrne (Jul 16, 2021)

Same problem here on Mac - Kontakt 6.6.0 VST3 version sends my Cubase 11 into complete processor overload making it unusable on Mac Pro 2013 8 core 64GB of RAM, Mojave. Workaround - remove the VST3 version from the plugin folder and use the VST2. Nothing like a good ole install hell to get your heart rate up


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## AudioLoco (Jul 16, 2021)

Yeah! the new feutered path for non player content (If I understood correctly) is a nice addition!


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## iftekharulanam (Jul 16, 2021)

Iwanatsu said:


> Hi Everyone, I just went through quite a few hours of struggle solving a problem, which turned out to be the VST3 version of the latest Kontakt, so I though I'd let you know, in case someone else might be going through the same 2/3 of hell after updating to 6.6.0
> 
> I short, it's about many of Spitfire instruments (not all, only the newer ones with newer codebase) not properly recalling the mix/fader settings after saving and reopening the project (at least in Cubase 11, Windows 10). I didn't even know there is a new VST3 version of Kontakt, so I was trying all kinds of things, but then as soon as I luckily noticed the newly introduced plugin, it turned out to be the culprit. So even though I obviously didn't actually solve the problem, for now you can at least temporarily use the same workaround, which is to manually remove the VST3 version of Kontakt you can find in C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 and thus forcing Cubase to use the VST2 you still have in your regular VST folder.
> 
> ...


Nuendo 11 and Kontak 6.6.0 VST3 here. So far, either I am facing no problem or I do not understand the problem even if I am facing it. At the moment, I have Spitfire Chamber Strings only.


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## Iwanatsu (Jul 16, 2021)

Lucky you if it works without problems, because Chamber Strings is one of the libraries that IS affected. No idea if it is because you are on Nuendo instead of Cubase, or something else entirely. Anyway, the problem is that no matter how you set your mix within the plugin, after saving the project and reopening it, it reverts to this (see the screenshot - this is Symphonic Strings but it's the same issue).


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## EvilDragon (Jul 20, 2021)

That doesn't happen over here in Reaper or FL20 or Live 11. When you click on KONTAKT logo in top left, what do you get listed for version etc?


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## Iwanatsu (Jul 20, 2021)

Version 6.6.0 (R133)
Plugin: VST3 [or VST2, if I delete the new VST3]

Maybe it's just on Cubase then? Although it's still weird that older Spitfire instruments (like the legacy Albion 1 for example) don't have this problem and load fine on VST3.


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## Yaron_NI (Jul 21, 2021)

Iwanatsu said:


> it's about many of Spitfire instruments (not all, only the newer ones with newer codebase) not properly recalling the mix/fader settings after saving and reopening the project (at least in Cubase 11, Windows 10).


Can you give all the names of the libraries that you experienced this with please?


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## EvilDragon (Jul 21, 2021)

And please don't use the typical shorthands that VI-Cers use here, to alleviate any confusion and be more to the point. Yaron here doesn't know all the shorthands people use for these libraries (nor should he).


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## Iwanatsu (Jul 21, 2021)

Ok, so I didn't test absolutely everything (I need to work), but hopefully this should be enough:

Affected:
- Chamber Strings
- Symphonic Strings
- Symphonic Woodwinds
- Symphonic Brass
- Albion ONE
- Albion V Tundra
- Albion NEO

- Symphonic Strings Evolutions - this one has to be divided. The "standard" part of the library is affected, however the "grid" part (different interface and functionality, but also with mix faders) is NOT affected.

- Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions - same as above
London Contemporary Orchestra Textures - same as above

- Orchestral Swarm - affected like others, but one time this crazy thing happened that I quickly captured with my phone (please see video)
.
After closing and reopening the instrument only (meaning without also restarting the Cubase or Kontakt within it), I was able to move the faders normally again, and then they were only affected in the same way as others before.

Not affected:
- Albion 1 (legacy)
- Albion 2 Loegria
- Albion 3 Iceni
- Albion 4 Uist
- Percussion (Joby Burgess)
- Hans Zimmer Piano
- Hans Zimmer Percussion 2 (Jason Bonham)
- Olafur Arnalds Composer Toolkit
- Andy Findon Kitbag
- Cimbalom
- Enigma
- Harp

So it looks like there is a clear divide between Spitfire's older and newer libraries (it is the newer ones that are affected, older are fine). But what is the difference between their code, only they can tell you.


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## Henu (Jul 21, 2021)

I think someone mentioned elsewhere about Berlin Woodwinds having some problems as well.


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## Yaron_NI (Jul 21, 2021)

Iwanatsu said:


> Ok, so I didn't test absolutely everything (I need to work), but hopefully this should be enough:
> 
> Affected:
> - Chamber Strings
> ...



Thanks tons for those details! Could I ask one more thing - which of these affected is the smallest in overall size?


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## Iwanatsu (Jul 22, 2021)

If you mean download size (not ram usage etc.), then that would be the London Contemporary Orchestra Textures - size on disk is 13,3 gigs. But you need to remember that all "grid" instruments are fine, so don't load the instrument you find in the main folder, called "Textures Grid", and instead go to "Advanced / Individual Textures" and load anything from within these folders. I'm attaching an example of both interfaces - ignore those that look like the one on top and and focus on the one below.


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## Yaron_NI (Jul 22, 2021)

Thanks again for your input, on it!


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## mscp (Jul 22, 2021)

Berlin Strings too. Whole Ensemble Patch needs to be reloaded every time I open the VEP session.


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## mscp (Jul 24, 2021)

Found another bug...but this time with AAX.
Latest Kontakt is shooting PT CPU Load to 100% and doesn't let me run the session. (Issue occurred after I updated it to the latest version)


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## colony nofi (Aug 2, 2021)

Just adding 2c from another person effected by this bug.
Put 6.6 on for landforms.
Just opened up 2 film cues, and pretty much all the spitfire instruments are not loading the samples / require me to re-load the patch. Thankfully I had saved the patch or was using their presets. All except for one patch in Solstice which I may never recreate... and damn i thought it was a wonderful sound 

Anyway - I'm at a standstill - with a director crying out for WIPS. I'm going to try the trick mentioned earlier with renaming the VST3 version. I'm on mac.

Fun right???? RIGHT???


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## chimuelo (Aug 2, 2021)

Yaron_NI said:


> Thanks tons for those details! Could I ask one more thing - which of these affected is the smallest in overall size?


Faxi Rides Again.
Thanks for keeping NI fierce.


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