# Kontakt 5.6.8



## enCiphered (May 22, 2017)

I just updated to the latest version and I can´t open Kontakt in Cubase 9 anymore.
Could anyone with the same DAW please check and confirm if its working?

Thanks!


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## JonSolo (May 22, 2017)

What is happening specifically? Are you saying you add it as a virtual instrument and it does not add? Is it that the GUI will not open? Is it missing from the list?

Explain. (otherwise no issues here on Win 10)


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## enCiphered (May 22, 2017)

JonSolo said:


> What is happening specifically? Are you saying you add it as a virtual instrument and it does not add? Is it that the GUI will not open? Is it missing from the list?
> 
> Explain.



Explanation:

I can´t open Kontakt. It´s in the list but I can´t open it, no error code, nothing. Going back to the earlier version


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## JonSolo (May 22, 2017)

No issues on Windows 10, Cubase 9.0.20. No reboot was necessary. I did open standalone first.


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## sostenuto (May 22, 2017)

enCiphered said:


> Explanation:
> 
> I can´t open Kontakt. It´s in the list but I can´t open it, no error code, nothing. Going back to the earlier version



Yep! NI_US Support confirms some issues since Creators Update. Apparently an issue with GeForce GPU for one thing. One DAW _ Win10 Pro PC OK (i5/GTX560Ti); other DAW _ (i7/GTX760) take almost 5 minutes to load instance of Konakt5.


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## Shad0wLandsUK (May 22, 2017)

Not having any issues here myself 

Not got the creators update either though. Which is something I was wondering about myself just a while ago


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## EvilDragon (May 22, 2017)

Creators Update over here, all NI stuff working fine. No nVidia graphics here, though (just using iGPU of my i7-6700K).


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## Jaap (May 22, 2017)

Cubase (9.0.10) started to hang here and never loaded Kontakt...(window 10 pro, creator update and nvidia graphic card). Also rolled back and working fine again.


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## novaburst (May 22, 2017)

Is there a list of fixes to this update or are we getting ready for kontakt 6,


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## JonSolo (May 22, 2017)

Cubase 9.0.20, Kontakt 5.6.8, Windows 10 Creators update, Nvidia 1060....no hangups...just for clarification.


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## EvilDragon (May 22, 2017)

novaburst said:


> Is there a list of fixes to this update or are we getting ready for kontakt 6,



https://www.native-instruments.com/...-update-status-kontakt-5-current-5-6-8.94387/


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## D Halgren (May 22, 2017)

"The update links the Add/Authorize Library buttons to Native Access, simplifying installation and authorization. As part of this change, all 3rd Party Kontakt Player Libraries can now be managed from within Native Access."

What happens if you don't use Native Access and you want to add a library?


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## kurtvanzo (May 22, 2017)

*"CHANGED* Add & Activate Library buttons now launch Native Access which now also supports 3rd party Libraries."

Kind of a bummer it no longer will allow you to add a library within Kontakt. Making us rely on yet another program for such a simple thing (and it has to be updated/working/compatable). I've thankfully avoided NA until now.



EvilDragon said:


> https://www.native-instruments.com/...-update-status-kontakt-5-current-5-6-8.94387/


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## heisenberg (May 22, 2017)

Anyone install the update running Win 7 and Cubendo?


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## erica-grace (May 22, 2017)

Getting a 404 for all 568 updates


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## David Hall (May 22, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Creators Update over here, all NI stuff working fine. No nVidia graphics here, though (just using iGPU of my i7-6700K).


has there been any issues with kontakt in relation with nvidia graphic cards in the past? just curious


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

D Halgren said:


> What happens if you don't use Native Access and you want to add a library?



You have to use 5.6.8 from this point onward to add libraries (especially new libraries released for 5.6.8). You can still keep previous Kontakt version around (rename the executable for the standalone, for example) and use it for adding older libraries, but ultimately NA *will* become a full-blown replacement for Service Center and then everyone will have to move to using it - that's the plan.



kurtvanzo said:


> (and it has to be updated/working/compatable)



That is not a problem with NA as it auto-updates on start, if it finds there are newer versions available.



David Hall said:


> has there been any issues with kontakt in relation with nvidia graphic cards in the past? just curious



There have been issues with nVidia and W10 updates in general, affecting various applications. Nothing new - nVidia is at fault, they're not testing their driver releases very well it seems :/


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## tabulius (May 23, 2017)

What a great "creators" update.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

It actually is. That one new KSP command is pretty long overdue and it makes stuff like this MUCH easier:







Not to mention the CPU munching/framerate issue when using more than one ui_waveform fix is extremely welcome, and $CONTROL_PAR_ALLOW_AUTOMATION returning the proper value is also a long overdue fix...


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## novaburst (May 23, 2017)

Any reason why we now need to use NA for 3rd party's library's, and if this is the case will we still be able to move the folders around with the same amount of freedom


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Because NI intended NA to be used this way from the get go - just like Service Center used to be. NA is going to be a full-blown replacement for all current NI products (for legacy products like Kore 2 and older you will still need to use SC, though, from what I can tell).

Library relocation feature will be added in a NA update eventually, it is planned. For now you can still move libraries manually but in that case you should also update the registry/plist entry for ContentDir of that library yourself. NA will handle that once library relocation feature is implemented.


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## Parsifal666 (May 23, 2017)

Wow. Glad I read this. I won't be in a hurry then. Thanks so much for the info, as I'm right in the middle of a commission and have no plans to change anything, especially anything having to do with Kontakt.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Yep, once you're out in the clear from the commission, update, because any and all new Kontakt Player libraries WILL demand 5.6.8 and authorization via NA. All the developers got this announcement.


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## dathyr1 (May 23, 2017)

Man, just when I think I got a handle on operating Kontakt, something new shows up. <hehe>
Plus I haven't gotten the creators update yet.
Evil_Dragon- how does version 5.6.8 and NA effect new kontakt smaller libraries that don't have a ncint file and just load in patches? I assume NA is just for bigger libraries that need to get added.

Thanks for all the info Evil_Dragon.

Dave


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Not to mention the CPU munching/framerate issue when using more than one ui_waveform fix is extremely welcome, and $CONTROL_PAR_ALLOW_AUTOMATION returning the proper value is also a long overdue fix...



Hi, ED.

Great timing. I'm currently working on a project using up to 4 ui_waveforms at the same time, and after the third one is in use, the whole GUI slows down a lot. I tried different ways to optimize it until i realized it could be a limitation of the current ui_waveform.
How noticeable are the improvements in the new version?

Cheers,

P.N.


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## Parsifal666 (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Yep, once you're out in the clear from the commission, update, because any and all new Kontakt Player libraries WILL demand 5.6.8 and authorization via NA. All the developers got this announcement.



Now I'm _*definitely*_ going to get on this update, very grateful.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

P.N. said:


> Great timing. I'm currently working on a project using up to 4 ui_waveforms at the same time, and after the third one is in use, the whole GUI slows down a lot. I tried different ways to optimize it until i realized it could be a limitation of the current ui_waveform.
> How noticeable are the improvements in the new version?



I didn't test in great detail but I would assume it's very smooth sailing, now 



dathyr1 said:


> Evil_Dragon- how does version 5.6.8 and NA effect new kontakt smaller libraries that don't have a ncint file and just load in patches?



Simple: nothing. Non-Kontakt Player libraries continue to work as they used to. This change is just for Kontakt Player libraries that need authorization via serial number.


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## D Halgren (May 23, 2017)

Thanks for all the info Dragon. Is the transition from Service Center to Native Access easy? Guess I will try it when I get into my studio later today.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

It worked pretty smooth over here... Of course, I still need to have SC since I have Kore 2 and some Kore soundpacks, so...


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## wst3 (May 23, 2017)

not to go too far astream... I too still use Kore, and have no problems using it, but there are three others from Komplete3 that will no longer authorize under Win10 - Pro53, Spektral, and Vokator. Anyone have any tips before I pester NI? I am building my previous DAW, a Win7 machine, as a slave and will eventually move these over to that PC, but if there is a way to get them working now I'd love it.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Pro-53 authorized over here just fine under W10... Make sure you run Service Center as administrator, and make sure you run Pro-53 in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3. Same should probably work for Spektral Delay and Vokator.


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## D Halgren (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> It worked pretty smooth over here... Of course, I still need to have SC since I have Kore 2 and some Kore soundpacks, so...



So far so good, Native Access went smoothly for me. Again, thank you Dragon for all the help.


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## Wunderhorn (May 23, 2017)

Somehow I feel that it is reason NOT to update any time soon. I sense an increased intention to control the customer and perhaps more data harvesting...?


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

"Data harvesting" can be disabled. The only intention there is is to replace Service Center, that's all.


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## heisenberg (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Pro-53 authorized over here just fine under W10... Make sure you run Service Center as administrator, and make sure you run Pro-53 in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3. Same should probably work for Spektral Delay and Vokator.



Thank you for that. I can now drag them out to use again.


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## HiEnergy (May 23, 2017)

My studio computer isn't connected to the Internet.
Probably means getting no more new libraries for me. Or will there still be a possibility for offline authorization and downloading libraries with a different computer than the one running Kontakt?


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## Wunderhorn (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> "Data harvesting" can be disabled. The only intention there is is to replace Service Center, that's all.



Do you really believe that?
For example Adobe has proven that data harvesting and customer strangling is more important than keeping up with quality work on the software - I do not say the same of Native Instruments, but since they are one of the biggest players in the music software industry of course they would be lusting for information as it seems to have become a trend and thus the move from SS to NA just makes suspicion bells ring.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Yes, I really believe that. It's also possible to confirm that data is not sent when usage tracking is disabled, by using ProcMon.


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> I didn't test in great detail but I would assume it's very smooth sailing, now



Hi, again, ED.
I've just updated. Unfortunatly it didn't make a difference, at least not in my setup. The framerate is still choppy after 2 ui_waveforms are "active".

I hope you and others have better results so i can re-check things on my end and see what else can be done.

Cheers,

P.N.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Hmmm... I have just tested with 4 ui_waveforms updating playback cursors at the same time and it's smooth sailing here... What exactly are you doing with ui_waveforms?


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

The same, 4 ui_waveforms, updating playback cursors at the same time, but each one with its own zone and slice index settings.

The reason for this was avoiding the general "chaos" that arises when a user presses more than 1 key at the same time. So, normally (if you only play 1 key) you only see one waveform on the GUI, press 2, the waveform divides into 2, 3, etc.

It's more a "cosmetic" fix than anything else. It works fine, but it slows down considerably after 2 simultaneous notes.

Maybe it's just... too much?


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

The way I sort that out is I just use one (non-polyphonic) variable to remember last played zone, and ONLY show the current slice highlight for THAT zone.

See script for George Duke Soul Treasures (if you own it) for some pointers.


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

My script works dynamically, meaning, a rotation system for the active waveforms, based on zones/slices ids and instrument voices. So the order in which you play the notes will affect which waveform plays which zone/slice. I also have different colours depending on the note played. This is working fine, except for the sluggish framerate after 2 active voices. 
Maybe i'm overdoing it overall.

I don't have George Duke Soul Treasures installed atm, but i'll be sure to check it out.
I'll try your method and see if it works under my specifications.

Thank you.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

So you're using attach_zone() on the fly, on every new played voice? Yeah I can see how that could choke up eventually with multiple waveforms... Keep it simple!


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

Yes, i know... but i have 5 possible different zones to display... and the user could play different zones/slices (or the same zone, different slices, etc) at the same time... That's why i went with instrument voices attaching zones on the fly.

I'm trying to keep it simple, but it's complicated. 

Do you have your smooth 4 waveforms test example available? I'm still curious if my system can process it smoothly.


EDIT: Well, i could have the zones pre-attached on init, and still have the rotation system in place... I just hope it will improve the performance overall.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

P.N. said:


> Well, i could have the zones pre-attached on init



Yes, if you can do this it'd be a bit better at least. Also definitely cache the zone IDs in an array so you don't need to use any "blip" notes to get zone IDs on the fly.


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

Yes, and i can just move/resize the waveforms on the fly instead. I noticied it wasn't actually the resizing/position of the waveforms that's causing the problem.



EvilDragon said:


> Yes, if you can do this it'd be a bit better at least. Also definitely cache the zone IDs in an array so you don't need to use any "blip" notes to get zone IDs on the fly.



I'm not sure what a "blip" note is, but i think i got what you're saying. 
I think i could also cache the slices indexes while i'm at it and put everything into a table.


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## EvilDragon (May 23, 2017)

Pretty much


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

Thank you very much, ED.
I wasn't feeling quite enthusiastic about returning to this part of the project (the waveforms, and my "functions inside functions" chaos). I had almost accepted it to just be like that, period. But our talk motivated me to go back and try the alternatives.
I really apreciate your time.

Cheers,
P.N.


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

On a side note, i've dusted off my K9U disk to install George Dukes Soul Treasure (i haven't played this in some time - i probably only tried it briefly once). 

It has lots of cool ideas and possibilities, but it didn't solve the ui waveform simultaneous playback. That being said, it's still a great case study.

It relies on multiple nki's, one zone per nki (it actually has more than 1 zone per nki, as it has the reverses and some FX "baked in" in separate zones), but it only displays one zone per nki. The "baking" was probably due to the limitations of the time.

But... most importantly... a script slot dedicated to the artist's photograph. Now, that's Soul, man. :D


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## P.N. (May 23, 2017)

Update:
So that others don't repeat my mistake, changing multiple waveform colours on the fly (while each wf cursor is fecthing play position) is also not very healthy for the GUI performance... 
Like Evil Dragon says, "Keep it simple".

Cheers,
P.N.


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## Brian2112 (May 23, 2017)

What about libraries that are not kontakt player libraries for which I just made an ncint and custom wallpaper for? I realize it's kind of a "work around" but it is very convenient. Is the ability to do this being removed?
I would imagine that this is officially not supported, but until now, it has been very cool that this was possible.


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## EvilDragon (May 24, 2017)

Not only is it not a "workaround", it's not a legitimate thing to do since it's firmly against NI's licensing terms.


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## babylonwaves (May 24, 2017)

Wunderhorn said:


> Do you really believe that?
> For example Adobe has proven that data harvesting and customer strangling is more important than keeping up with quality work on the software - I do not say the same of Native Instruments, but since they are one of the biggest players in the music software industry of course they would be lusting for information as it seems to have become a trend and thus the move from SS to NA just makes suspicion bells ring.


data collection could be build into Service Center as well, so i don't think that's the reason at all. And Kontakt/Machine/Traktor/Komplete Kontrol do it already among other NI products. You can switch it off easily. Here's a complete list: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/209545029


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## z.langlumos (May 24, 2017)

Guys, is there a way to pause download in NA??? Also anyone got libraries missing after update to KONTAKT5.6.8 and NA? Thank!


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## EvilDragon (May 24, 2017)

Not yet possible.


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## sostenuto (May 24, 2017)

Did Update via latest Native Access _ (2) DAW(s) and Version changes to new 5.6.8 (R25) in Standalone, _but Reaper VSTi_ shows prior Version 5.6.5 (R13). ??????


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## EvilDragon (May 24, 2017)

Wrong path to VST folder in NA preferences, likely? Or wrong VST folder for Kontakt set in registry (*HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Native Instruments\Kontakt 5\InstallVST64Dir*)? In any case, search your whole C: drive for Kontakt 5.dll and see what comes up. The largest of them all (in MB) is the latest version, so move it to your VST folder.

And tweak the VST folder via regedit to match its correct location - it'll be fine on subsequent updates then.


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## heisenberg (May 24, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Yep, once you're out in the clear from the commission, update, because any and all new Kontakt Player libraries WILL demand 5.6.8 and authorization via NA. All the developers got this announcement.



Did the Kontakt 5.6.8 update yesterday on a Win 7 x64. No issues so far after a day of use with a medium to large sized template in Nuendo.


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## sostenuto (May 24, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Wrong path to VST folder in NA preferences, likely? Or wrong VST folder for Kontakt set in registry (*HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Native Instruments\Kontakt 5\InstallVST64Dir*)? In any case, search your whole C: drive for Kontakt 5.dll and see what comes up. The largest of them all (in MB) is the latest version, so move it to your VST folder.
> 
> And tweak the VST folder via regedit to match its correct location - it'll be fine on subsequent updates then.



THX !!! Was in the middle of this and NI-Los Angeles called to do the Screen Share. In the process Kontakt5 was uninstalled/reinstalled and VSTi version now OK on i5 DAW. 

Still working this and other issues on i7 DAW, as every Kontakt5 instance is taking almost 5 minutes to load in Reaper v5.40. All works when it completes, but next instance ... same 4-5 minutes. NI thinks some Win10 / nVIDIA GPU issue may exist. Strange.


I


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## EvilDragon (May 24, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> NI thinks some Win10 / nVIDIA GPU issue may exist. Strange.



As I told you that nVidia+W10 issue is very likely already, back on NI forum.


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## Brian2112 (May 24, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Not only is it not a "workaround", it's not a legitimate thing to do since it's firmly against NI's licensing terms.


Oops! Thanks for the heads up on that!
I stupidly, and wrongly assumed that it was ok to do.
Guess I need to build a nice quick load menu..lol


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## EvilDragon (May 24, 2017)

That is exactly what you should do instead


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## SpeakPianissimoAndCarry.. (May 24, 2017)

I must say, this new Kontakt/Native Access update has been a huge time saver for me. I built a new computer not long ago, and with Service Center for 3rd party libraries, I had to click Add Library in Kontakt, look up my serial number in my emails, paste it in, then it got added.....very time consuming it was. With this new update, it seems all of my serials are on NI's website, so I open NA, go to "Not Installed", select install for the 3rd party library, point it to the folder and bam, it is there, no serial number required. I finally gave up so I could write music and was going through the old method as I needed a library. Now I have them all in less than 30 minutes of time. Brilliant move NI! I love this new update.

On the nVidia issue, I have Win 10 Creators edition and an nVidia 1060 and have none of the issues discussed here. I wonder why I am so blessed? I am sorry others are having troubles. I wish I had an answer for them. I am fearful of updating my video driver now, after hearing these horror stories though.


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## novaburst (May 25, 2017)

Before there was no need to register 3rd party librarys , just open from folder in kontakt .


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## EvilDragon (May 25, 2017)

If they weren't licensed Kontakt Player libraries, then you're correct. If they were licensed Kontakt Player libraries, then you're wrong - you had to add library, then browse to the folder, then authorize by entering the serial. NA makes this faster since it already knows all your serials from previous installations!


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## novaburst (May 25, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> If they weren't licensed Kontakt Player libraries, then you're correct. If they were licensed Kontakt Player libraries, then you're wrong - you had to add library, then browse to the folder, then authorize by entering the serial. NA makes this faster since it already knows all your serials from previous installations!



Not talking kontakt player, for instance, emotional cello, bravura, soundiron would need to be licenced through NI account, and would show up inside the library and licenses would show up in your account.

8dio , Kirk hunter and more does not need NI account to register only the developer, is needed, it's these library's you can mix and match and even put the folder inside others library's and still use and would not show in your NI account these only need folder to access inside the full kontakt

As I understand it is this freedom that will no longer be available in the new update

Or am I wrong


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## EvilDragon (May 25, 2017)

You're wrong. Nothing is changed for non-KP libraries with 5.6.8.


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## novaburst (May 25, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> You're wrong. Nothing is changed for non-KP libraries with 5.6.8.



Oh ok that's cool really cool


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## Goldie Zwecker (May 25, 2017)

Got nothing but problems from this update. 
I also updated my Soundiron Requiem Light library. They updated to version 3.0 , which isn't just an update but an overhaul so you need to remove the previous version - and "add library" to the new one. 
But now the new Kontakt protocol nonsense. 
To make things easy, Soundiron made the update so you don't need to re-authorize the library, and the serial number is the same. But Kontakt 5.6.8 doesn't "know" that. It requires the serial number again. So i give it. The library is authorized. But alas - it doesn't show up in the library list on the left. It's on the Native Access list of installed products - but not on the kontakt itself. Not on kontakt standalone and not when i open kontakt in cubase. 
I just want to do it the old way and "show" kontakt where it is, but can't.


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## galactic orange (May 25, 2017)

Goldie Zwecker said:


> Got nothing but problems from this update.
> I also updated my Soundiron Requiem Light library. They updated to version 3.0 , which isn't just an update but an overhaul so you need to remove the previous version - and "add library" to the new one.
> But now the new Kontakt protocol nonsense.
> To make things easy, Soundiron made the update so you don't need to re-authorize the library, and the serial number is the same. But Kontakt 5.6.8 doesn't "know" that. It requires the serial number again. So i give it. The library is authorized. But alas - it doesn't show up in the library list on the left. It's on the Native Access list of installed products - but not on the kontakt itself. Not on kontakt standalone and not when i open kontakt in cubase.
> I just want to do it the old way and "show" kontakt where it is, but can't.


This might or might not have to do with the new way of doing things in 5.6.8. It sounds like it could be related to the .xml file problem that has happened before with Kontakt updates. Some libraries fail to show up in the list on the left. IF this is the same problem you might have to delete the .xml file and get another from either Soundiron or NI, but if this isn't the problem then sorry for wasting your time.


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## Goldie Zwecker (May 25, 2017)

galactic orange said:


> This might or might not have to do with the new way of doing things in 5.6.8. It sounds like it could be related to the .xml file problem that has happened before with Kontakt updates. Some libraries fail to show up in the list on the left. IF this is the same problem you might have to delete the .xml file and get another from either Soundiron or NI, but if this isn't the problem then sorry for wasting your time.


I don't know what is an .xml file, where to find it and how to delete it. 
However i can tell you that what i did was first doing the "remove library" to the old library, then i thru that old library's folder to the recycle bin and than i started the "add library" procedure with the new one. All this - is following the instructions by soundiron. 

So what's the .xml file, where do i locate it and how do i erase it?


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## galactic orange (May 25, 2017)

The .xml issue seemed to be a problem with Service Center, but some users had problems after Native Access was downloaded. From the NI site:

https://www.native-instruments.com/...rking-service-center-xml-files-errors.309261/

From a 3rd Party vendor's site:
https://output.com/article/product-disappears-libraries-tab

I hope this gives you something to start with. I had to get a new .xml file from Impact Soundworks once. It solved the problem, but I still don't know the cause. It appears to affect instruments randomly.


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## Michael Antrum (Jun 2, 2017)

Goldie Zwecker said:


> Got nothing but problems from this update.
> I also updated my Soundiron Requiem Light library. They updated to version 3.0 , which isn't just an update but an overhaul so you need to remove the previous version - and "add library" to the new one.
> But now the new Kontakt protocol nonsense.
> To make things easy, Soundiron made the update so you don't need to re-authorize the library, and the serial number is the same. But Kontakt 5.6.8 doesn't "know" that. It requires the serial number again. So i give it. The library is authorized. But alas - it doesn't show up in the library list on the left. It's on the Native Access list of installed products - but not on the kontakt itself. Not on kontakt standalone and not when i open kontakt in cubase.
> I just want to do it the old way and "show" kontakt where it is, but can't.



I had exactly the same issue with Symphobia 2. It was in the list of libraries in Native Access - but wasn't on the Library tab in Kontakt. In the end I copied over the 5.6.6 executable (I'm on a mac) from my laptop and I use that just for installing libraries.

Also,I just bought the side-grade to NI Symphonic Strings, and it would not download and install through Native Access. It was saying one of my drives didn't have enough space. That was true, my SSD did not have enough space to download, but that drive wasn't referenced in my preferences for Native Access at all, so why should that matter ?

All three drive locations referenced under Native Access Preferences had enough space. In the end I downloaded it on my laptop and manually copied it over.


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## Goldie Zwecker (Jun 3, 2017)

They finally resolved the issue. There's a work around, and now i managed to install the library. If in Kontakt itself you go to file-options-libraries - you can check or uncheck each library. If you check it again it will prompt a "locat" / "browse" option and that solves it.


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## Michael Antrum (Jun 3, 2017)

Hurrah !


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## galactic orange (Jun 3, 2017)

That is the shiz-nite!


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## WindcryMusic (Jun 3, 2017)

I've been holding off on Kontakt updates since 5.5.2, first because of the myriad problems with 5.6, but lately because I've still been reading reports of CPU spikes and similar misbehavior in even the more recent 5.6.x builds. Have those been resolved? Is it finally safe to do a Kontakt update? (Note that I already have Native Access running on both of my systems, without any observed issues.)


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## sostenuto (Jun 3, 2017)

Goldie Zwecker said:


> They finally resolved the issue. There's a work around, and now i managed to install the library. If in Kontakt itself you go to file-options-libraries - you can check or uncheck each library. If you check it again it will prompt a "locat" / "browse" option and that solves it.



 must EDIT  ...... seemed like miraculous FIX, but later Reaper session and Kontakt5 still taking long to load each instance. 

Oh well ... felt great for a bit !!


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## novaburst (Jun 3, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> must EDIT  ...... seemed like miraculous FIX, but later Reaper session and Kontakt5 still taking long to load each instance.
> 
> Oh well ... felt great for a bit !!



Make sure you are logged out of native access, or try deleting native access the see if it effects the load time on kontakt.

If stand alone loads fine then forget the post


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## sostenuto (Jun 3, 2017)

novaburst said:


> Make sure you are logged out of native access, or try deleting native access the see if it effects the load time on kontakt.
> 
> If stand alone loads fine then forget the post



No. Standalone is grinding thru the 4-5 minute load as I write. Native Access has been uninstalled and Win10 Pro restarted.


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## novaburst (Jun 3, 2017)

It sounds like some thing is being triggered in the back ground when you boot up, getting you can always down load access at any time, just to see if it has an effect.


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## byzantium (Jun 5, 2017)

Geez these issues with 5.6.8 is scaring me off upgrading, it doesn't sound so good from NI.
(also looking at the NI forum).

I'm still on 5.6.1 after getting burned before. Is there anything I should be doing before upgrading to ensure it has a better chance of succeeding, how do I test it safely, and if it causes issues can I do something now to ensure I can roll back? I couldn't roll back before because I opened a Logic project, and it all got converted irreversibly on start-up.

I'm on mac El Cap 10.11.6, Logic 10.3.1, and wide smattering of NI and 3rd party Kontakt libs. Had trouble with Cinebrass and Kontakt before (GUI not full showing/working).

Many thanks if you have any advice.


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## procreative (Jun 5, 2017)

Which makes the decision to release Thrill on 5.6.8 only a bit daft as many users hold back a bit to see how the next update pans out.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 5, 2017)

All Kontakt Player libraries going forward will be 5.6.8 MANDATORILY. All KP developers got the memo. So...


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## sostenuto (Jun 5, 2017)

Truly applaud the _many _who move ahead confidently and provide helpful feedback, solutions as problems arise. 
Understand that some others face high risk and must delay. Congrats to those who help move us forward. 

Still struggling with (2) very similar-build DAW Win10 Pro PC(s) ..... one working perfectly, the other with very long Kontakt5 load times. Very hard to blame NI /K5 v5.6.8, when one has no issues. Those with only one PC would likely feel otherwise.


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## Soundhound (Jun 7, 2017)

Looking to see how the 5.6.8 update is working on macs for people here. Are there continuing issues and if so, anyone know if it's being looked at by NI?


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## byzantium (Jun 7, 2017)

I just installed 5.6.8 today (El Cap 10.11.6, Logic 10.3.1). Libraries picked up fine, and I could add a new one via Native Access. However, I've had two hangs (endless beach balls) already in a few hours, while working within a Kontakt instance adjusting stuff. Have to force quit everything and re-load (which takes ages). Maybe I'm wrong and it's a Logic thing, but nothing else has changed, and I didn't have these problems in 5.6.1 and before. Fairly disappointed in Native Instruments at this stage, and what seems again like poor testing / quality control / user impact (it was same with messing up the fonts and purges last time round). This software is so crucial to the VI world / the industry, and they have such a monopoly (ah, maybe therein lies the reason...) it should be tested to death.


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## bill45 (Jun 8, 2017)

Is it possible to install the komtakt plaer along with the full version.
Had less cpu issues with the player. win7 64bit


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## EvilDragon (Jun 8, 2017)

No, they are exactly the same app, the only difference is the license.

Consequently, there can be no difference in CPU performance between them.


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## bill45 (Jun 9, 2017)

Thanks.


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## mc_deli (Jun 9, 2017)

byzantium said:


> I just installed 5.6.8 today (El Cap 10.11.6, Logic 10.3.1). Libraries picked up fine, and I could add a new one via Native Access. However, I've had two hangs (endless beach balls) already in a few hours, while working within a Kontakt instance adjusting stuff. Have to force quit everything and re-load (which takes ages). Maybe I'm wrong and it's a Logic thing, but nothing else has changed, and I didn't have these problems in 5.6.1 and before. Fairly disappointed in Native Instruments at this stage, and what seems again like poor testing / quality control / user impact (it was same with messing up the fonts and purges last time round). This software is so crucial to the VI world / the industry, and they have such a monopoly (ah, maybe therein lies the reason...) it should be tested to death.


Why did you jump?
I am on 10.11.6 / 10.3.1 and K 5.5.2 - until there is a must have library that is 5.6.8 and/or the NA download "features" are out of beta, only there's no way I am joining!


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## byzantium (Jun 9, 2017)

Thanks mc_deli

The only reason I jumped to 5.6.8 was to regain the Purge facility. My template was maxing out RAM and causing performance problems so I wanted to build a template that started up in a purged / lower RAM usage state (not having tried out this purging thing before).



mc_deli said:


> Why did you jump?
> I am on 10.11.6 / 10.3.1 and K 5.5.2 - until there is a must have library that is 5.6.8 and/or the NA download "features" are out of beta, only there's no way I am joining!


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## zeng (Jun 11, 2017)

How can I add a library without serial for demo use with Native Access? For example sometimes I copy a library from my friend, I add it to my Kontakt and explore it for a time. Then I buy it or not but Native Access does not allow to add a library without serial??


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## EvilDragon (Jun 11, 2017)

You cannot, you need a serial to add a Kontakt Player library.


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

There are other bonuses for using a KPlayer library beyond it not needing the full Kontakt.
Being able to open your project on any platform and not being asked to find the samples for one. Allowing Developers to give you lots of presets via snapshots is another. Allowing Developers to do some kind of copy protection on their libraries is another. Library tad is another (although with Quick Load, it may debatable how much an advantage this is)

rsp


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## rrichard63 (Jun 11, 2017)

thereus said:


> The thing that annoys me about Kontakt is paying for it twice. We pay for the product and then we pay for the deva to get licenses to use the free player when we don't need a free player. That's the kind of dodgy practice which leads to companies losing their customers' trust in the long term.


This is an issue. I'm aware of exactly one developer who offers Player and non-Player versions at different prices: www.realitone.com.


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

thereus said:


> That still doesn't add up, though. If these are genuine each-time services offered to the devs then fine, let them pay. If they are product features, include them in the price of the library and stop charging rent. Regardless of any of that, I don't want to be paying for others to get the software free after I have bought it. Either give it to them and let all devs use it without further charge or discount the devs and us for those installing their produce on a full version of Kontakt. Charging both ways is a very ugly business model.



I clearly am not following you, and I have to admit I haven't read every post in this thread.
What I was saying was that KP libraries tend to be a little bit more and those are some of the advantages of them.
Surely if it cost the Developer more they will pass it on.
Are you somehow paying NI directly twice?
Not sure I am following you.
rsp


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

rrichard63 said:


> This is an issue. I'm aware of exactly one developer who offers Player and non-Player versions at different prices: www.realitone.com.


Soundiron, does or did too.
rsp


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## rrichard63 (Jun 11, 2017)

zvenx said:


> ... Allowing Developers to give you lots of presets via snapshots is another. ...



Are you saying that developers can't provide a folder full of snapshots with their non-Player libraries? Why not?



zvenx said:


> ... Are you somehow paying NI directly twice?
> Not sure I am following you.



Directly twice, no. Directly once when you buy Kontakt, and then indirectly every time you buy a Kontakt Player library where the developer pays NI a per-copy fee in order to sell it to you.

Some people don't need Kontakt. So they only pay only once and indirectly. Well, once for each Player library they purchase. But those who do need Kontakt -- as a sampler and/or to use non-Player libraries -- are paying twice. Unless they need or want the Player-specific attributes of the Player libraries they buy.


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## Soundhound (Jun 11, 2017)

How are people doing with 5.6.8 on OS X and Logic/Cubase/Studio One? I'm itching to try Thrill but don't want to jump if 5.6.8 has problems. thanks!


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

thereus said:


> If the developer passes on the cost of being able to offer me the use of a product that I have already paid for, I am paying for it twice, no?


what are you paying for twice?
Are you getting an additional copy of Kontakt when you buy the third party library?
you are paying for the library and the functionality that comes with it......


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

Hi, apparently they can, but it only works if installed in a specific place and requires additional information and troubleshooting from third party developers to get them to work. I didn't realise that till I asked a prominent developer recently why they don't just sell their products with snapshots instead of selling ten different patches of the same instrument..
That was the gist of the answer given to me.


So what is the suggestion? Either NI doesn't charge developers to encode their libraries (including serial numbers) or the developer swallows the cost?

What would you and T suggest?
rsp



rrichard63 said:


> Are you saying that developers can't provide a folder full of snapshots with their non-Player libraries? Why not?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## rrichard63 (Jun 11, 2017)

zvenx said:


> ... What would you and T suggest?
> rsp



Two possibilities. (1) Developers could offer non-Player versions for approximately $20 less than their Player versions. (2) NI could sell Kontakt Player instead of giving it away. $40 (approximately the developer's cost for two libraries) seems like a fair price. The buyer breaks even on the second library and comes out ahead on the third.


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## Shad0wLandsUK (Jun 11, 2017)

Is anyone else having 3rd Party libraries show as demo?

My CineBrass PRO is showing as a Demo in NA and I cannot use it as a Full version.
It was not in my list of owned products in NA originally and then I added it with the Add Serial option.

But it is in my account on the NI site.

Wondered if others are having this issue...?


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

rrichard63 said:


> Two possibilities. (1) Developers could offer non-Player versions for approximately $20 less than their Player versions. (2) NI could sell Kontakt Player instead of giving it away. $40 (approximately the developer's cost for two libraries) seems like a fair price. The buyer breaks even on the second library and comes out ahead on the third.



Suggestion 1 would offer the developers no copy protection, and those who pay extra for NI encoded KP Libraries I doubt would want to go for this option.. as it leaves them 'exposed'.

I am not following suggestion 2, if NI sells KP, is it that then at no cost to the developer encode and copy protect with serial numbers their libraries?
rsp


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## wst3 (Jun 11, 2017)

in fairness, rrichard has a point - if a developer only offers player-encoded libraries then people who have paid for the full version of Kontakt are paying a small penalty when they buy those libraries. It is small, but count up your libraries and I'll bet it is not insignificant.

There is also a fair bit of confusion surrounding the full vs player thing, and any developer that offers both is asking for support calls, although they are saving their customers the extra fee, and I think that's a nice thing to do.

I don't think there is an solution that addresses everyone's concerns in this case, it is complicated. Option #1 gets close, but the developers that do so will incur additional support costs, which they either eat, or find a way to build into their prices. I don't think option #2 works at all, even at $40 I think a lot of folks will look elsewhere for a sample player, and that hurts NI and the 3rd party developers.

The idea of the Free Player seems great at first, but it does have some challenges.


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## zvenx (Jun 11, 2017)

then what is the next step? ask developers who develop on ilok to offer us an ilok free version at a reduced price? same with e-licenser?
rsp


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## kurtvanzo (Jun 11, 2017)

Let's be honest, you bought the full Version of Kontakt to get access to cheap third party libraries, some of which I've picked up for $5-$20. People who don't buy it don't have access to these libraries (without dealing with demo mode). So your real value in buying full Kontakt is the money you save on inexpensive libraries, NOT KP libraries. I have many KP libraires, but probably 10x as many non-player libraries that I couldn't use properly without full Kontakt. And those cheap libraires are some of my favorites! 

Also, if you want to tweak patches (which I do often) or build your own libraires (which I also do) it can only be done with full Kontakt. I'd say there are many more advantages to being a full Kontakt owner than saving $20 on a $200-$600 KP library, come on!

Or just buy all Realitone libraires.


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## rrichard63 (Jun 12, 2017)

thereus said:


> ... Charge devs for the encoding service on a per user basis. (Entirely possible since all player libraries are registered with NI)



I have been led to believe that this is already the case.


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## rrichard63 (Jun 12, 2017)

thereus said:


> I'm amazed how easily NI get away with this to be honest. Nobody seems to mind. People are even suggesting that it would be a difficult issue to resolve! ...



I think the main reason for this is Kontakt's position in the market. No one who uses sample-based virtual instruments (certainly as a professional, maybe even as a hobbyist) can get along without it. There are alternatives to Reaktor, Guitar Rig, Maschine, Traktor and so on. But, even though there are good libraries for UVI Workstation/Falcon and other hosts, can anyone imagine doing film/TV scores or library music without Kontakt libraries?

In fact, the issue would be difficult to resolve, as those on the other side of this debate have said. It's very hard to start charging for something that you have been giving away for any length of time. As a result, this hijacking of a perfectly good thread about technical issues with 5.6.8 is pretty much just a gripe session. I say that as one of the main hijackers. If this needs to be continued, then maybe in a new thread?


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## EvilDragon (Jun 13, 2017)

thereus said:


> removing access to the samples we've purchased.



You're never purchasing samples. You're only purchasing a license to use them. Samples are NEVER your property after purchase - they are property of the developer. So in that regard, it's perfectly fine to have samples monolithed and away from being able to be tampered by the user.

Some developers of i.e. loop libraries, do add regular samples to the monolithed pack (like Apple loops or REX files), though.



thereus said:


> Allow access to the library list and other key functionality to non-player libraries



Won't happen.



thereus said:


> Charge users for the player



Won't EVER happen.



thereus said:


> Reduce the fee to devs to cover only the encoding service



After the first KP library a dev is doing with NI, which has some administrative charges, that is exactly what NI is doing. Plus:



thereus said:


> Charge devs for the encoding service on a per user basis. (Entirely possible since all player libraries are registered with NI)



That is already what NI is doing - developer pays for a certain amount of serial numbers, which is the same thing as per-user basis. Except you buy a specific amount in advance, in bulk. This is pretty standard practice in other industries, too. If you build an electronics device, you won't be ordering "just" 57 instances of a same chip, if you need it. You will have to buy 100. Nothing weird or strange there, it's how things work.



thereus said:


> My understanding is that devs have to buy packs of licenses in the thousands.



Not any more, packs in 100s starting from 500 now, AFAIK.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 13, 2017)

thereus said:


> Not only that, it disables proper functioning for full player libraries (why shouldn't I have them in my library list? I've already paid for the product)



This is also wrong. Library not being encoded for KP doesn't disable "proper functioning". It works like any other library, except KP libraries have their dedicated "easy browsing" location, which is the Libraries tab. This was ever since Kontakt 2 times. Non-KP libraries work just as well, either from Files browser or from Quickload, nothing is really disabled (apart from snapshot location being linked to KP library folder, which is a bit more complicated to explain, but was a necessary thing to do, really, from programming standpoint).

So the real answer is: Libraries tab was predetermined for KP libs from "times immemorial". Why shouldn't you have your non-KP libraries there? Because they lack the framework to be there, because they were not meant to be there - and this shouldn't be taken as discriminatory at all. Non-KP libs function just like any other library. Put them in Quickload, in fact put everything in Quickload, since after some time Libraries tab becomes quite a chore to manage. Then there's no real discerning between KP and non-KP libraries. Big f'n deal.


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## kurtvanzo (Jun 13, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Put them in Quickload, in fact put everything in Quickload


Just don't spend hours organizing quickload then move your samples. It all disappears. :/ It was a shock, as I thought this would be a great way of remembering all my non-player libs, but it all vanished. Kind of a major flaw (ok, I now understand why it happens, so perhaps unaviodable flaw, just wish I knew before spending so many hours on it). 

I do have many KP libs, but haven't had problems with the Lib tab, though they could add the ability to reduce the height of each (sm, med, large?) for those that have many libs (to make scrolling easier). Thanks for your insight ED.


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## EvilDragon (Jun 13, 2017)

Yeah, that's a bit of a drag with Quickload, because it basically creates shortcuts to NKIs (like, your regular OS shortcuts). There are tools to bulk edit shortcuts for Windows, but probably something can be done on macOS in the same vein, I suppose.


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## kurtvanzo (Jun 13, 2017)

I'll look into it. Thanks.


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## zeng (Jun 14, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> You cannot, you need a serial to add a Kontakt Player library.


That's really bad! I was able to add libraries and use as demo with 5.6.6 (and older) and could try some libraries before buying :/ If I keep my original DLL of 5.6.6, can I move it to plugins folder, add library and then replace it with 5.6.8 dll again?


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## NYC Composer (Jun 14, 2017)

If you add everything to Quickload, you don't get to look at the pretty tabs that replaced the pretty shiny boxes


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## Parsifal666 (Jun 14, 2017)

EvilDragon said:


> Yeah, that's a bit of a drag with Quickload, because it basically creates shortcuts to NKIs (like, your regular OS shortcuts). There are tools to bulk edit shortcuts for Windows, but probably something can be done on macOS in the same vein, I suppose.



I felt so dumb when I finally glommed on to what the Quick Load feature was all about a little while back. The difference has been very pleasing, especially when I load up Albion One, which for me has a history of being hard to get going (even with my SSD card).


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## dathyr1 (Jun 16, 2017)

I am still running version 5.6.5 of Kontakt and few days ago I installed the new Maschine 2 software along with updating to the latest NI Access service center. Today, Now every 3rd party libraries that worked fine before are now all coming up as demos, which shouldn't be. They are all smaller libraries I bought that didn't need to be license registered. Maschine 2 software works fine.

Any ideas why my kontakt libraries now show as demos? I saw another person was getting a demo mode indication. 

Dave


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## dathyr1 (Jun 16, 2017)

dathyr1 said:


> I am still running version 5.6.5 of Kontakt and few days ago I installed the new Maschine 2 software along with updating to the latest NI Access service center. Today, Now every 3rd party libraries that worked fine before are now all coming up as demos, which shouldn't be. They are all smaller libraries I bought that didn't need to be license registered. Maschine 2 software works fine.
> 
> Any ideas why my kontakt libraries now show as demos? I saw another person was getting a demo mode indication.
> 
> Dave



Ignore my last post, got things working now,not sure why. I bumped up to version Kontakt 5.6.8 and all is working great. Don't see any problems loading anything so far as others mentioned. If I see anything, I will edit to this post.

Happy Camper again,
Dave


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## zeng (Jun 19, 2017)

zeng said:


> That's really bad! I was able to add libraries and use as demo with 5.6.6 (and older) and could try some libraries before buying :/ If I keep my original DLL of 5.6.6, can I move it to plugins folder, add library and then replace it with 5.6.8 dll again?



Is this possible?


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## Ryan99 (Jul 3, 2017)

No problem for me with the update.


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## John Judd (Aug 31, 2017)

Any word on this update? I just built a new machine and installed 5.6.8 and this was the first awful issue I've ever encountered with NI.


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