# Setting up Komplete Kontrol



## Colin66 (Oct 22, 2021)

Can someone please give me some advice/tips for setting up Komplete Kontrol software and my VST's? I have a load of instruments that I want to set up to play on my Komplete Kontrol keyboard, but this is all new to me so I'm not entirely sure how to do it. Specifically, I have Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, Trilian and Keyscape all loaded onto my laptop and I want to make them available to Komplete Kontrol. Obviously certain files need to be in certain places but I'm not sure which/where! Any advice gratefully received, before I pull my hair out!! Thanks


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## Zedcars (Oct 23, 2021)

I don’t think those libraries are NKS compatible. However, Freelance SoundLabs have created their own NKS Presets for those products so you should still be able to get it working how you want:









[RELEASE] 3rd Party VST NKS Preset Libraries for Komplete \ Maschine


[IMG] http://freelancesoundlabs.com/nks Freelance SoundLabs has released NKS Libraries over the last few years for the Komplete Kontrol \ Maschine...




www.native-instruments.com





I’m not an NKS or Komplete Kontrol user so I’m unable to provide specific support for you.

Hopefully someone else can guide you if necessary. Good luck.


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## AcousTech (Oct 23, 2021)

Hey Colin66,

You’ve got some fun new toys there! I think it might help to define some terms. My apologies if you already know these. 

1. Digital Audio Workstation(DAW) - GarageBand, Logic Pro, Cubase, Studio One, Ableton Live, etc. 
2. Virtual Instrument (VST) - Omnisphere, Keyscape, Trillion, etc.
3. Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) - A VST built to comply with the Native Instrument’s specifications. All VSTs from Native Instruments are, not surprisingly, NKS-compatible. And all of those work within Komplete Kontrol which is Native Instrument’s proprietary VST management tool. So KK will only function with NKS-compatible virtual instruments. Spectrasonic’s products are NOT natively NKS compatible and will not work within Komplete Kontrol. 
4. MIDI Controller - loosely - any instrument capable of sending MIDI information to VSTs

So what can you do? 

I believe you may have a Native Instrument’s S88 MIDI Controller(often just called a keyboard). If so, you set that up to send MIDI to the Spectrasonics VSTs. So, for example:
S88(or any MIDI Controller) -> sends MIDI data to -> Omnisphere

or

S88(or any MIDI Controller) -> sends MIDI data to -> Trillion (or any other VST you want)

Now, these VSTs from Spectrasonics actually all function standalone, OR they can be hosted inside of a DAW. Not all VSTs work that way. Some of them have no standalone capability and only work inside of a DAW. If you wanted to host them in a DAW it would look like this:

S88(or any MIDI Controller) -> MIDI data to -> DAW -> VST

As you can imagine, getting a DAW involved makes things considerably more complex, but it is also required if you want to start recording what you play. Anyway, I hope this points you in the right direction. There are many other factors that can impact whether or not you hear anything when you press a key on your MIDI Controller. If you need more information, you’ll want to share more details about the hardware you have and people here can respond with more specific information for your particular situation.


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## Colin66 (Oct 23, 2021)

AcousTech said:


> Hey Colin66,
> 
> You’ve got some fun new toys there! I think it might help to define some terms. My apologies if you already know these.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the post, it clarified a few things for me. I appreciate it!


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## AcousTech (Oct 24, 2021)

Sure thing! Also, as Zedcars mentioned, there are some 3rd party plugins that function like “NKS wrappers” around non-NKS-compatible VSTs. So you might think of it like this:

S88(or any MIDI Controller) -> sends MIDI data to -> Komplete Kontrol -> Freelance Soundlab Omnisphere NKS-Wrapper -> Omnisphere

That way you can still use Komplete Kontrol to browse patches with the S88 screens instead of having to manually select options with the mouse/keyboard on the Omnisphere interface.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Oct 24, 2021)

There's a lot of information above, but as an NKS user, let me explain it in a more direct way..

*Komplete Kontrol--and all the features, like light guides and pre-mapped knobs--only work if you begin by loading Komplete Kontrol in your DAW. * Lots of people don't understand this and ask often on forums like this for KK to work with Kontakt. The handshake between your NI controller and your computer only exists in the Komplete Kontrol appplication.

So I would begin by learning about NKS through the many free NKS products out there. Native Instruments offers them (you probably got them with your keyboard) but others are offered by ProjectSam (The Free Orchestra) and Evolution Series (Clar-Duduk). If you pay attention during Black Friday/Holiday sales, many other ones will be given away. The ONLY way to load them is through the NI application Native Access. You put in the serial number there and follow the instructions for downloading. You may want to check the preferences to see where the application will be installed, otherwise all the instrument data will go to the same place. I generally change the preferences for content folder every time.

*Very important. *You must load up the new application in Komplete Kontrol standalone first or the new instrument won't show up in KK in your DAW.

*Non-NKS INSTRUMENTS AND LIBRARIES. * You can load up practically all of them by clicking the dropdown arrow next to the magnifying glass at the top. By selecting "instruments" you should see most of your applications organized by company. When you load many of them, you may find that you have partial or full NKS functionality. If you want to load a Kontakt instrument load Native Instruments/Kontakt. But it works with non-Kontakt libraries too. For example, the non-NKS ujam products all work fine. Some instruments will have only the light guides and some will have the knobs mapped. Spectrasonics will load there, but there is no added functionality, so there's no reason to do it.

*FREELANCE SOUNDLABS* However, you need to check out the Freelance Soundlab website link above. They not only offer all the Spectrasonics instruments, they also have the majority of Omnisphere third-party libraries. And you can see they have NKS templates for companies like UVI, Arturia, Korg, KV331, SONiVOX and so on. However, they do not work in the usual spot. You find them in the user area. The knobs are mapped but you don't get the lightguides. The prices are in Australian dollars, so they are very reasonably priced. They are a little tricky to set up, but Jason from FS offers free limited versions so you can try before buying. His service is the best in the business, so I am sure he can get you set up if you're having any issues.

*MIDI CONTROLLER* - An NKS controller is also a standard MIDI controller and you can create and save templates that work with anything you like. For example I just got Spectrasonics' Nylon Sky. I was able to Midi Learn knobs there and give them names on my keyboard. You'll have to either read the manual or watch some videos to learn how to do this.

*OTHER FEATURES -* Learn about the scale and arp editors. They are very useful. Depending on your controller and DAW, you can control the transport with the buttons and even mix levels with the knobs.

*MASCHINE *- You may notice that there are 4 black buttons to the left of the first screen that aren't lit. You can buy Maschine software without owning Maschine. When you load up that software (not KK) those lights will turn on and become part of the way of controlling Maschine through your keyboard. This is a cool feature few people are aware of.

There is much more to learn and there are many videos that can help you. But I would suggest beginning by installing free NKS instruments, and then getting the Freelance Soundlab templates to allow you to control your Spectrasonics products.

Have fun!


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## kevinh (Oct 24, 2021)

As others said, Jason from freelance sound labs does an amazing job. Prices are great and most updates are free or very small update cost for all the work he does. Although his implementations are upside down because he’s from down undah hahah. Obviously kidding


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## sostenuto (Oct 24, 2021)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> There's a lot of information above, but as an NKS user, let me explain it in a more direct way..
> 
> *Komplete Kontrol--and all the features, like light guides and pre-mapped knobs--only work if you begin by loading Komplete Kontrol in your DAW. * Lots of people don't understand this and ask often on forums like this for KK to work with Kontakt. The handshake between your NI controller and your computer only exists in the Komplete Kontrol appplication.
> 
> ...


Great post ! Helpful here _ having used KK- S-49, Reaper, Kontakt 6.6.1, Komplete Kontrol (minimally), for some time. Many thanks for this ! 👏🏻


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## Colin66 (Oct 24, 2021)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> There's a lot of information above, but as an NKS user, let me explain it in a more direct way..
> 
> *Komplete Kontrol--and all the features, like light guides and pre-mapped knobs--only work if you begin by loading Komplete Kontrol in your DAW. * Lots of people don't understand this and ask often on forums like this for KK to work with Kontakt. The handshake between your NI controller and your computer only exists in the Komplete Kontrol appplication.
> 
> ...


If I had a gold star I'd give it to you for that post. Thanks a lot! I'm slowly working my way through things, purchased the Freelance Soundlabs stuff for my 3 Spectrasonics products and am installing them. 

One question....when I want to load an instrument via the Komplete Kontrol software and I select the files in the drop-down menu, which file type/extension am I looking for please?


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## Reid Rosefelt (Oct 24, 2021)

Colin66 said:


> If I had a gold star I'd give it to you for that post. Thanks a lot! I'm slowly working my way through things, purchased the Freelance Soundlabs stuff for my 3 Spectrasonics products and am installing them.
> 
> One question....when I want to load an instrument via the Komplete Kontrol software and I select the files in the drop-down menu, which file type/extension am I looking for please?


You don't have to worry about file types. You should just see the name of the instrument or library and click on it. Obviously if you're just starting out, you might not have many. But if you don't see your instruments in the dropdown menu, you should use preferences in Standalone to set up the folder where Komplete Kontrol scans for the .dll files for your plugins. Then you can either manually scan the folder or log out of KK and log in again. It should automatically scan every time you load it. 

When you install a new program it usually asks you for what folder you want those files to be installed in.


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## Colin66 (Oct 24, 2021)

Reid Rosefelt said:


> You don't have to worry about file types. You should just see the name of the instrument or library and click on it. Obviously if you're just starting out, you might not have many. But if you don't see your instruments in the dropdown menu, you should use preferences in Standalone to set up the folder where Komplete Kontrol scans for the .dll files for your plugins. Then you can either manually scan the folder or log out of KK and log in again. It should automatically scan every time you load it.
> 
> When you install a new program it usually asks you for what folder you want those files to be installed in.


Thanks, what I was trying to say - but didn't explain myself very well - is that I have some free instruments that aren't made by NI. I have them in a folder on my Desktop and I can see them under 'Libraries' in Kontakt but I don't know which files need to go where. There must be 1 file type that launches the instrument?


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## Reid Rosefelt (Oct 24, 2021)

Colin66 said:


> Thanks, what I was trying to say - but didn't explain myself very well - is that I have some free instruments that aren't made by NI. I have them in a folder on my Desktop and I can see them under 'Libraries' in Kontakt but I don't know which files need to go where. There must be 1 file type that launches the instrument?


These are free Kontakt libraries? They should load the same way they do in Kontakt.

I'm not at my music computer right now, but I think there are two ways:

You can look in the files section in KK and explore that folder on your desktop. Click on them and they should load directly.
You can add Kontakt as an instrument from the dropdown and then find them in there.


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## AmbientMile (Oct 24, 2021)

This is an awesome way to get Omnisphere and Trilian into your Komplete Kontrol:

Omnisphere

Trilian


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## Colin66 (Oct 24, 2021)

AmbientMile said:


> This is an awesome way to get Omnisphere and Trilian into your Komplete Kontrol:
> 
> Omnisphere
> 
> Trilian


Thanks, I got the Freelance Soundlabs and it kinda works but couldn't get it working smoothly.

Pretty disappointed with the lack of support from NI. As a new customer you'd think they would point me to a place where all the beginners info is laid out but apparently that's too difficult for them. Got to the point where I'm just gonna go back to a digital piano that plugs into the wall and works. The whole NI/Kontakt/Komplete Kontrol experience has been so utterly frustrating I'm seriously thinking of selling everything!


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## AcousTech (Nov 6, 2021)

Colin66,

I’ve been there. I can a hair-pulling experience for sure. However, on the flip side, once you get over the initial hurdles a whole new world opens before you. You CAN do this. Most on here have been where you were at some point or another. Unfortunately you kind of started the hardest way. Native Instruments is a proprietary ecosystem. The “easy path” is to stay in that as you’re starting out, and then expand. In other words:

Native Instruments Keyboard -> USB Connected to -> PC/Mac -> Running Komplete Kontrol -> Using NKS-compatible instruments. 

As soon as you step outside of that ecosystem it requires deeper understanding in several areas. All of a sudden you need to understand:

MIDI/Keyboard controllers
The distinction between MIDI & Audio
VST types and versions
VST file locations & paths
Hosted VSTs vs. Standalone
DAW specifics
And more

For some of us, that are bent in a particular way, all of that can be part of the fun. In my case, I’m vastly more comfortable with the “tech” of all of this, than I am with either the “music”, or “theory”. So, for me, all of the tech stuff is easier, though still not easy. 

Anyway, you aren’t crazy, lazy, or incapable. It’s just that, unfortunately, you made what appeared to be a rational decision(NI Keyboard + Spectrasonics virtual instruments) without understanding the implications. All of that said, start with NI, play with things in their ecosystem, and then branch out. Once you’ve had a taste for what’s possible, I suspect you’ll be REALLY happy with your purchases.


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## BreakBeatDJ (Nov 7, 2021)

AcousTech said:


> Colin66,
> 
> I’ve been there. I can a hair-pulling experience for sure. However, on the flip side, once you get over the initial hurdles a whole new world opens before you. You CAN do this. Most on here have been where you were at some point or another. Unfortunately you kind of started the hardest way. Native Instruments is a proprietary ecosystem. The “easy path” is to stay in that as you’re starting out, and then expand. In other words:
> 
> ...


Nice post, really helpful.

A question . . . If you stay in the NI ecosystem, are the Berlin orchestra collections the only “higher end” orchestral options that would run as NKS inside Kontakt? Are there others of equal quality compatible with the NI ecosystem?


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## AcousTech (Nov 7, 2021)

Hmmm. I’m not nearly as equipped to answer that as many of the other “true” musicians on here. I’m not sure exactly what you mean by “higher end”. Have you seen the current sale they have on these?








NKS PARTNERS Featured Products | Native Instruments


Explore an ever-expanding collection of instruments from our partners. All NKS-ready for instant playability.




www.native-instruments.com





There are also all the NKS-compatible partner products that may work for you, but again, I can’t speak to how high end they are:








NKS PARTNERS Featured Products | Native Instruments


Explore an ever-expanding collection of instruments from our partners. All NKS-ready for instant playability.




www.native-instruments.com





I can say this - it sure can be fun trying to figure it all out!


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