# Dynamics and Volume of Audio Samples in Kontakt



## CFrentzen (Dec 26, 2011)

Hey there,

I recently recognized why my virtual Instruments in Kontakt still seem a little bit "unrealistic" to me. It is the volume - I have a couple of instruments with a high dynamic range. As an example I have 16 Samples which range from very subtle quiet to aggressive loud sounds. When putting them into my DAW I have a 30 to 40dB dynamic range.

When implemented into my Kontakt patch those samples don't have this "natural" volume anymore. Seems to me that loud samples have a are reduced volume. I payed attention to the individual volume setting in the mapping editor: everything is set to 0dB. To me it sounds as if NI has an automatic normalization-function. Is there a work-around or a function to obtain the volume (as in the original wav-file)?

Did anyone notice this before?

Chris


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## germancomponist (Dec 26, 2011)

In any sampler, you always have only 128 dynamic steps from ppp to fff . Why? Because midi allows only to adress 128 steps, whatever samples u use.

You have to be tricky with the envelope! what you can paint in Kontakt sampler..... .


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## Tod (Dec 26, 2011)

CFrentzen @ Mon Dec 26 said:


> Hey there,
> 
> I recently recognized why my virtual Instruments in Kontakt still seem a little bit "unrealistic" to me. It is the volume - I have a couple of instruments with a high dynamic range. As an example I have 16 Samples which range from very subtle quiet to aggressive loud sounds. When putting them into my DAW I have a 30 to 40dB dynamic range.
> 
> ...



Not sure what you mean "As an example I have 16 Samples which range from very subtle quiet to aggressive loud sounds. When putting them into my DAW I have a 30 to 40dB dynamic range", did you just load the samples into your DAW?

At any rate take a look at the velocity "Intensity" slider for the groups. If it's not set right you won't get a lot of dynamic range, the closer to "0" has the least dynamic range.

As far as volume goes, you have CC7 that usually controls the main instrument slider and most Kontakt instruments also have CC11 setup as a modulator. If you want a little more control of the volume make sure each group is setup with CC11 which works in conjunction with CC7.


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## CFrentzen (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks for your quick replies. I think I need to explain in a more detailed way what I mean. 

I have sampled a keyboard instrument in 16 Samples per Key. That means that I have (for example) 16 samples for the note C4. C4#01, C4#02 etc. until C4#16. NUmber#01 is the sample with the lowest volume and #16 is the loudest. I recorded and cut those samples with cubase and I measured the lowest sample with lets say -40dBFs, the loudest almost reaches -0dBFs. 

Now I put those samples in Kontakt. All samples were mapped to the "virtual Note" C4, and each sample has a Velocity range of 8 (because 128 / 16 = 8). Of course I want the loudest sample to be at -0dBFs and the lowest sample to be about -40dBFs, because that is the volume range of my original instrument. And this doesn't happen. The volume is pretty much normalized on every sample. Seems to me that Kontakt measures the volume of each sample and reduces it internally. 

Do you know what I am trying to describe?


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## Tod (Dec 27, 2011)

> The volume is pretty much normalized on every sample. Seems to me that Kontakt measures the volume of each sample and reduces it internally.



Hi CFrentzen, I've never experienced anything like that with Kontakt, either K2 or K4. I still think it may have something to do with your velocity intensity.

For example, I have a snare that has 16 velocity layers and the actual rendered levels go from -33db to -0.5db. If I set the velocity intensity at 100% and play the midi note at a velocity of 8 (the top of the bottom layer), I get a ridiculously low output (less than -100db). In order for me to get -33db from that sample I have to set the intensity to 0.0%. At 25% the low sample plays back at around -40db. 

The only problem with setting the intensity to 0% is that you then end up with only 16 different volume levels because each layer will have the same volume at the bottom of its velocity level as the top. which may or may not be all that important.

When you say *Seems to me that Kontakt measures the volume of each sample and reduces it internally*, are you saying that your top sample is not playing back at it's rendered level (0db) when both the group Amplifier volume and the main volume slider are set to 0.0db?


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## CFrentzen (Dec 27, 2011)

Hey, thanks - that's what I am looking for. But where exactly can I find the velocity intensity?


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## Tod (Dec 27, 2011)

Select the groups you want to affect in the group editor and then click on the "Mod" in the Amplifier. If you don't see a Velocity modulator then click on "Add Modulator>External Sources" and select Velocity. It will have the intensity slider on it.


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