# Best practice with Kontakt Volume



## THW (Nov 6, 2020)

Hello -- I have a noobie question and I'm probably overthinking: 

I understand libraries are recorded at different volumes and in different places. I recently purchased Spaces II and have begun exploring how I can put different libraries in the same space, and stepping out of my comfort zone of using built in reverbs and basic routing. In my attempts to balance my template, I think I'm overcomplicating things... 

For example: If I open an instance of Kontakt and load Albion One, I see -6db. I find it not loud enough to work with my other libraries. If I want to match the output I get from, Cinestrings for example, I've been increasing the kontakt volume in the albion one instance to 6db, whereas in Cinestrings leaving it at 0db. If my piano is by default at -6db and I want it to be louder, I adjust to 0db, or 6db depending on the piano VI. Does that make sense, or is there another way I should be doing this? Assume if that's right, then I'll have to do the same with other instrument groups to maintain balance. 

Hope I got my questions across, and really do appreciate the great advice on this forum.


----------



## THW (Nov 6, 2020)

I did some digging and am realizing this is just part of the process -- wasn't sure how to remove the original post


----------



## Crowe (Nov 6, 2020)

Don't. I like the topic, I wonder about how other people do these things too.

In FL Studio, I used to just max out all volume levels on the instrument and fix volumes in the mixer. These days, in Cubase I kinda do it by hand in Kontakt before ever touching the mixer.


----------



## THW (Nov 6, 2020)

Shiirai said:


> Don't. I like the topic, I wonder about how other people do these things too.
> 
> In FL Studio, I used to just max out all volume levels on the instrument and fix volumes in the mixer. These days, in Cubase I kinda do it by hand in Kontakt before ever touching the mixer.


Sounds good! I'm doing it like you are as well, I just wonder if I'm making things too loud. I don't think I am -- for example, "brass longs" in albion I now have peaking at -12db in the mixer after adjusting the instrument volume in kontakt.


----------



## Crowe (Nov 6, 2020)

I am pretty new at symphonic composing and I find template balancing singularly frustrating. I guess this stuff comes with experience.


----------



## THW (Nov 6, 2020)

Agreed, it can be frustrating and sometimes takes me out of the creative headspace. On the flip side, I'm finding that every mistake I make is a learning experience and the more I get in the weeds, and honestly the more mistakes I make, I'm improving and it's exciting to discover and explore how powerful these tools we have at our disposal are. 

At the end of the day, just want to write music and collect VIs


----------



## Leequalizer (Nov 17, 2020)

I always set the Kontakt Volume so that you get a signal of up to -12 (on your DAW track) when playing loud parts. The DAW Fader should be at 0 when you set Kontakt Volume. You can balance the instruments to eachother afterwards using the fader. If you do it like that you are sure to have a loud enough but not to loud input signal into your DAW.


----------

