# Your gems from the Kontakt Factory library?



## evilantal (May 2, 2016)

I was triggered by the recent thread on Glockenspiel libraries where the one from the Kontakt Factory library did rather well in a blind test (thanks for that).
I've also used the harp from the Factory Library before.

Are there any more undiscovered/underappreciated gems in the Factory Library in your opinions?


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## constaneum (May 2, 2016)

The legacy legato solo flute patch as well as the legato two horns patch. Used to use those before I got other latest libraries like Berlin woodwinds exp b, VSL solo flute, cinewinds core, Hollywood brass and cinebrass core


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## streetster (May 2, 2016)

evilantal said:


> I was triggered by the recent thread on Glockenspiel libraries where the one from the Kontakt Factory library did rather well in a blind test (thanks for that).
> I've also used the harp from the Factory Library before.
> 
> Are there any more undiscovered/underappreciated gems in the Factory Library in your opinions?


You can get reasonable sound with guitars and using guitar rig as insert. Yeah i like the harp from it too. Infact I did Mike Vertas galaxy quest using only kontakt, as did he I believe and got reasonable quality.


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## willbedford (May 2, 2016)

The shakuhachi! I use it all the time.


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## dariusofwest (May 2, 2016)

All of the mallet instruments (especially when adding a fake round roubin script) and all of the keyboard instruments ^_^


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## Farkle (May 2, 2016)

The Harp, the Celesta (VSL Percussion), some of the electric pianos (Mark I and II), and the Clarinet.


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## drumman (May 2, 2016)

I have found Studio Drummer to be quite good. My go-to drums are usually Toontrack, but decided to "force" myself to use something else for variety. MIDI grooves cover a lot of ground. I can tweak them to what I want without much fuss. Three kits. Various mix presets. They all sound rather nice.

It's interesting how just using something else can bring about a different creative path and/or mixing quality.


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## P.N. (May 2, 2016)

Most of the stuff everyone already said, i agree, and i've used it with great results. In my opinion, it's just a matter of not pushing their limits, and using them in the right context.

I just don't understand why NI didn't merge the legacy patches with the new ones, and thus, giving us legato scripting and release samples plus all the options (randomize, etc) from the new patches. All the goodies in one modern patch. Maybe a scripter can answer that...
(i'm guessing it's because they're all old patches that could benefit from a major update?)

One of them nobody talked about, and while i didn't use in a project, i believe can be quite useful is the Akkord Guitar.
Lots of different patterns, that can be enhanced with the randomizer.

@drumman: Yeah, i know what you mean. I can't let go Toontrack, but the NI drums (all of them) sound great.
Studio Drummer is not a part of the Kontakt Library though... You were thinking Komplete, right?


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## Ashermusic (May 2, 2016)

Actually among the only libraries I have on my drives that I essentially never use are the VSL Epic orchestra and the Kontakt Factory library. I sometimes check them out but I always seem to end up using something else,


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## AmbientMile (May 2, 2016)

drumman said:


> I have found Studio Drummer to be quite good. My go-to drums are usually Toontrack, but decided to "force" myself to use something else for variety. MIDI grooves cover a lot of ground. I can tweak them to what I want without much fuss. Three kits. Various mix presets. They all sound rather nice.
> 
> It's interesting how just using something else can bring about a different creative path and/or mixing quality.



The OP was referring to the Kontakt Factory Library, not add-on libraries. That said, I agree with you. Also, you can use the grooves from Studio Drummer in EZ Drummer and vice versa!


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## chillbot (May 2, 2016)

The steel drums are fantastic. I have bought 3-4 steel drum libraries searching for something better... not sure why I guess because of the negative connotation that the kontakt factory library has... but I haven't found anything better.

Also when I did a blind piano comparison the majority thought that the kontakt factory concert grand was actually HZ Piano, which I thought was... interesting.


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## drumman (May 2, 2016)

P.N. said:


> @drumman: Yeah, i know what you mean. I can't let go Toontrack, but the NI drums (all of them) sound great.
> Studio Drummer is not a part of the Kontakt Library though... You were thinking Komplete, right?





AmbientMile said:


> The OP was referring to the Kontakt Factory Library, not add-on libraries. That said, I agree with you. Also, you can use the grooves from Studio Drummer in EZ Drummer and vice versa!




Oh, my! My first mistake of the year. I've had Komplete for so long, Studio Drummer just popped into my head. Yes, indeed, that's what I was thinking.


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## evilantal (May 2, 2016)

Thanks for all the response guys!
I'm gonna have some fun checking all these out with a fresh approach


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## Killiard (May 2, 2016)

Yeah the only things I still use it for are the steel pans, celesta, harp and various other little ethnic instruments. I even used the bagpipes the other day on a project!

There's been plenty of times when I've needed a random instrument that I thought I didn't have. It's at that point I think "I wonder if there's one in the Kontakt factory library?"


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## tonaliszt (May 2, 2016)

I have heard some great things with the Kontakt Factory brass. I assume this takes some under-the-hood work, but it sounds very good.


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## storyteller (May 2, 2016)

Somebody else mentioned it in another thread a while back, so I'm not sure who to credit, but the choir is surprisingly good for oohs and ahhhs. It reminds me of airy vocals used by James Horner (such as Titanic).


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## Living Fossil (May 2, 2016)

drumman said:


> I have found Studio Drummer to be quite good.



Thanks for mentioning them...
i have them since Complete 8 but never touched them. However, turns out they are really not bad


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## ScarletJerry (May 2, 2016)

My picks (basically endorsing what many of you said):

Legacy legato solo flute (my go to solo flute)

Legacy legato two horns (I usually use Kirk Hunter brass, but the Kontact horns load much quicker and I sometimes leave them in)

Shakuhachi (I use it along with the classic Shakuhachi patch from Stephen Howell's vintage Emu II legacy collection)

Muted trumpet (just add WIPS and reverb and it sounds great)

The Kalimba!

-Scarlet Jerry


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## AmbientMile (May 2, 2016)

drumman said:


> Oh, my! My first mistake of the year. I've had Komplete for so long, Studio Drummer just popped into my head. Yes, indeed, that's what I was thinking.


Wow, first mistake of the year and we're four months in........impressive


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## kitekrazy (May 3, 2016)

I always recommend Kontakt for those who want to dabble in orchestra instruments who don't want to invest more money in them. I also like some of the sampled synths in Kontakt.


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## bill45 (May 3, 2016)

Some of the horns are from Chris Hein.


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## Tatu (May 4, 2016)

Muted articulation for Oud.


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## Ian Dorsch (May 4, 2016)

I'll chime in with another vote for the shakuhachi, harp, glockenspiel, and celesta.

I've also had good results with the pianos and electric pianos, and while the jazz drum kit doesn't offer the kind of detail that you'd probably need for really serious jazz stuff, it's got a nice, gritty tone that sits well in a mix. The synth and Retro Machines material offers a lot of possibilities as well, but it takes so long to browse through and figure out what you'd like to use that it's generally easier to just go to Omnisphere or similar.


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## Chris Porter (May 5, 2016)

My two favorites from the Kontakt Factory Library are definitely the harp (I love it!) and the Uilleann Pipes. I haven't fully explored all of the instruments in there, but for a classical harp, the factory library's is fantastic.


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## Eurig Gwilym (Jul 12, 2016)

Why would the legacy flute be better than the flute? One would presume that the new version was better scripted? Or does the legacy version allow for better control?


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## zacnelson (Jul 13, 2016)

The harp, tuned percussion, shakuhachi, and jazz drums


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## cyoder (Jul 14, 2016)

I really like the celesta in the factory library, and they actually have one with more velocity layers in the World > Metallophone section. I just made some neighboring note round robin for them and it works great.


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## Mike Fox (Jul 15, 2016)

The gongs, harp, harpsichord, and cymbals are probably my favorite instruments from that library.


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## Eurig Gwilym (Jul 25, 2016)

What are the main differences to VSL instruments and the legacy VSL instruments collection?
Are there any merits to the older legacy library?


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## synthpunk (Jul 25, 2016)

+1 I would really like to know how the Tympani compares ?



Eurig Gwilym said:


> What are the main differences to VSL instruments and the legacy VSL instruments collection?
> Are there any merits to the older legacy library?


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## phil_wc (Jul 25, 2016)

I use upright piano from Band section in one film I did. It has unique characteristic on a 'sound' knob on library when you change.


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## ScarletJerry (Jul 25, 2016)

Eurig Gwilym said:


> What are the main differences to VSL instruments and the legacy VSL instruments collection?
> Are there any merits to the older legacy library?



Some of the legacy instruments have simulated legato, notably the French horns and the flute. They sound great!


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## Chris Porter (Jul 25, 2016)

phil_wc said:


> I use upright piano from Band section in one film I did. It has unique characteristic on a 'sound' knob on library when you change.


I had never even opened that Band folder before. You're right! That upright is pretty nice!


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## David Stiles (Jul 25, 2016)

Aside from what people have already mentioned, I find the jazz bass in the band section to be fairly pleasing. And I like the organs in the orchestral section.

I would also agree that the tuned percussion in the factory library is not half bad.


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## synthpunk (Jul 26, 2016)

Where are the Steel Drums ? Having trouble finding. Cheers.

Love the Tympani and Harp.



chillbot said:


> The steel drums are fantastic. I have bought 3-4 steel drum libraries searching for something better... not sure why I guess because of the negative connotation that the kontakt factory library has... but I haven't found anything better.
> 
> Also when I did a blind piano comparison the majority thought that the kontakt factory concert grand was actually HZ Piano, which I thought was... interesting.


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## Chris Porter (Jul 26, 2016)

aesthete said:


> Where are the Steel Drums ? Having trouble finding. Cheers.
> 
> Love the Tympani and Harp.



World -> Metallophones -> Steel Drums


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## Rob Elliott (Jul 26, 2016)

Believe it or not the 808 drum machine is solid. Needed a quick one the other day for a TV show and didn't keep looking for it after I found the factory library one. Is there a better one - maybe - but the producers like it and signed off - so I like it.


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## kurtvanzo (Sep 27, 2016)

Had to dig up this thread for "Asian Percussion" under Orchestral. Still some of my best cymbals, gongs and asian perc after purchasing many perc libraries. Clean and clear recordings. 

The Church Organ is also nice, some great deep bass pedals. The harp has a decent tone and plays well. Amazing how much you find useful in there after going through so many other libraries.


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## Zookes (Sep 27, 2016)

Have used maybe everything from "Synth" category. Still use it very much!
Desiring a preset, I will grab for this from Synths in quick mock-ups and doubling. Low CPU requirement and Kontakt is loaded always so I say why not!
Not so much now with Omnisphere tho, but sometimes and some habits.

Favorites from pads are Across the Pacific, Daft and Fairy Voice plus some others after tweaking. Very useful under strings for thickness. Remembering for old projects I have used The Wagons Roll at Night layered also with factory Glock for a feeling of tenderness or such, then bringing in also Marimba Xylophone and Celesta for playfulness. Stacking things like this for unique timbres.


So many patches from this factory library I am still using (using still?)!
Never alone tho. Never ever alone and it is too sterile this way I think. Important always to layer such presets, but not to hide weakness no. I say they are colors to mix! Primary simple colors like this, needing mixing for better use in work.

Big expensive libraries I think are for exposing primary colors - must be bold and true, yes? Needing such boldness, I use them. So bulky and unwieldy tho. So I say it is more fun to play in this "mud" hehe.


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## Bluemount Score (Apr 23, 2019)

1. Harp (only one I have and don't see a real need to upgrade anytime soon)
2. Celesta (need lots of EQ, but the resonant frequencies might be typical for that instrument, otherwise GREAT sound)
3. Timpani
4. Church Organ
5. Cymbals and more percussion
6. Synth (especially pads)
7. The guitars can sound pretty nice
8. I forgot the choir! Too bad it has no legato, I love the Ooh and Aah patches

These I use the most. Surely forgot something and haven't tried out everything by any means. But, as said before, it is always nice to have the Factory Library as a backup for nearly everything.


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## TomislavEP (Apr 23, 2019)

There are quite a few gems in the Kontakt Factory Library, yet it's so easy to overlook the power and potential of the same due to the huge ecosystem of dedicated libraries, not only by boutique 3rd party developers but also by Native Instruments themselves.

My personal favorites from the factory library are probably Harp, Celesta, a few Choir patches, orchestral percussion, but also some of the instruments from the World Collection such as Shakuhachi, Bagpipes, even Steel Drums. Recently, I've begun exploring the included Synth sounds; there are some nice suprises there, especially in the pad category, though I would like to see a bit better selection of pluck and lead sounds myself.

In any case, I think that Factory Selection should always be at one's hand, even as your collection of dedicated libraries grows over time.


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## kessel (Apr 24, 2019)

willbedford said:


> The shakuhachi! I use it all the time.



Nice, didn't know there is a shakuhachi in this library too. Even when I already own some very good shakuhachi library I think I could make use of this one as well


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## Desire Inspires (Apr 24, 2019)

storyteller said:


> Somebody else mentioned it in another thread a while back, so I'm not sure who to credit, but the choir is surprisingly good for oohs and ahhhs. It reminds me of airy vocals used by James Horner (such as Titanic).



Yeah, I just used them for a trailer track I’m working on. Pretty good sound out of the box for backing melodies.


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## dreddiknight (Apr 24, 2019)

This thread is pure gold! I have rarely even looked at the built in library; that's about to change.
Thanks all.


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## Mornats (Apr 24, 2019)

I just checked out the synth pads for the first time off the back of this thread and I love them. I've had a nice play with them and popped Tantra on some for some nice underscore type sounds.


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## jonvog (Sep 18, 2019)

When you guys refer to the harp, you mean the standard one with keyswitches or the legacy harp?


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## Bluemount Score (Sep 18, 2019)

Isn't the sound extremely similar? I use the standart one with keyswitches though.


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## Michael Stibor (Sep 18, 2019)

The bass guitar. With the tone turned down to about 10 o'clock, it has this warm and big sound which sounds great in a mix, and is very close to the bass tone I hear in my head.

I use it for pop and rock songs, as well as in my epic orchestral tracks.


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## Mifkin (Nov 30, 2020)

evilantal said:


> I was triggered by the recent thread on Glockenspiel libraries where the one from the Kontakt Factory library did rather well in a blind test (thanks for that).
> I've also used the harp from the Factory Library before.
> 
> Are there any more undiscovered/underappreciated gems in the Factory Library in your opinions?


Just had to go check ... I am shocked at how good the glock is


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## bill5 (Sep 28, 2021)

chillbot said:


> when I did a blind piano comparison the majority thought that the kontakt factory concert grand was actually HZ Piano, which I thought was... interesting.


I won't say it's the best out there and I'm no concert pianist testing the max limits of pianos, but I think I have a good ear and (based on an initial listen at least) think the concert grand is really nice.




tonaliszt said:


> I have heard some great things with the Kontakt Factory brass. I assume this takes some under-the-hood work, but it sounds very good.



I like what I've heard of the ensembles, but not the solos.


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## Ricgus3 (Sep 29, 2021)

I use the Electric Guitar (jazz) alot. Tweak the sound to get a warm and round tone. Sounds really nice!

I ALso use the MkII retro Machine that comes with Kontakt 6 full version I think? Really fun stuff there too!


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