Out of all the other soft samplers I've used I'd say what makes this best is how good it sounds stretching or compressing samples. Using the Time Machine 2 mode I'm able to get great results and then modify it live for instant granular fun.

I love the import functionality, I was able to easily import my Akai sample CDs and keep them in my database. There are tons and tons of things this thing can do, but the routing seems confusing sometimes.

Once you learn the workflow in Kontakt it's really easy to get in and edit one or multiple samples I'd definitely recommend getting the tutorial to get you up and running.

No other soft sampler sounds nearly as good.

Pretty good price, just wish the tutorial was free with it.

I had to move Kontakt from my old laptop to my new one and I was able to have it all taken care of in a reasonable amount of time, but what was great was that I got some good suggestions for working with Kontakt.

I wasn't so sure that I wanted it till I got it and found out how much more editing I could get done in a short amount of time.

Editor and composer

Orchestral, jazz, and ambient

After using Kontakt 2 and 3 extensively I can tell you there are awesome sounds and some others are not so great. Some will fool the harshest critics, this I know for a fact!! (fooled a couple pros already with it, believing the sample was a live recording) this does not come without a smidge bit of effort though. Realism does not come easy with most samples.

Good features, you can do a lot within the sampler itself.

compared to some other samplers it isn't bad for ease of use.

Again, quality here depends on what sample you are using.

The grand piano alone is worth the money, try recording a steinway then compare, they did a really good job here. The flute (if you need one) is amazing. I have yet to fool anyone with the strings though.. bit lack luster here in the professional world. I will keep trying as I have not done a lot of effort in trying to fool anyone with the strings. One listen and you know your agaisnt the 8-ball. It is a battle to avoid a "synth pad sound" here as most of the strings are in ensemble form. Sort of sticking you with a pad sound out of the gate. I would MUCH prefer if they gave us solo instruments then we could lay down mutli tracks of our own to get an ensemble if we need. ONE thing I do want to mention here.. YOU CAN RESELL Native Instruments products, they don't screw you in that fact. IF you find it isn't what you want there is a good chance someone else will. Which is WAY cooler then most software companies where, you buy it, you have it for life.. like herpes. HAHA

I have had AWESOME dealings with their support... and horrible dealings. I believe it really depends on how busy they are at the time (ie... how bad did a programmer screw it up this time and is EVERYONE calling??) and who you get as your "helper"

I own it... I guess it looks cool when loaded on the computer.../shrug NOT near as cool as an Old Strat or a Les Paul though. haha

Musician wearing too many hats

many styles

The samples here are wonderful, sure, they aren't perfect out of the box, but a few tweaks and adjustments, and you're ready to rock. The orchestral library is a killer.

Kontakt 3 is a beast, and has the power to show it. The level of depth one is able to get to working with sounds is staggering. Hardware samplers, out of the way!

Kontakt has a learning curve, this is for certain. But do your homework, read the online resources. Download the demo and use it to learn before actually purchasing the product, it should make things easier.

Many buyers below express their frustration with Kontakt's glitches, however I have yet to encounter any at all. Please though, for the love of St. Cathrine, don't use this on an older computer or God forbid, a Dell. You will have headaches to no end. It's a well furnished product, and looks very professional.

For a hardware sampler with this much capability and half the sound library, you will pay 2000+ dollars, so the value here is immense. Highly recommend getting the Komplete package for full effect though.

Ah, this is where I have to dock you NI. It's true, Native Instruments support experiences are highly variable. While the e-mail route was a failure, the over the phone support was fast, efficient, and pleasant. Registration can be a pain, but it wasn't for me.

Love at first sight would be the cliche of choice here. Ideal for use with any keyboard. Recommend Sonar 7 as it can utilize Kontakt as a VST, meaning easy use and access.

Pianist of some ten years, clarinetist of eight, aspiring electronic producer.

Electronic, classical, and jazz.

Ample sounds here to make a movie soundtrack.

excellent features

Easy to use

Has some bugs. Crashes with Windows computers, but this has been fixed in the 3.0.1 update on Native Instruments web site. It is recommneded that you save the library on another hard drive, seperate from your system hard drive. This hard drive should be have an RPM of at least 7200. Why use an external hard drive: Kontakt streams the samples from the library as it plays them.

Too expensive.

I tried calling these guys just to ask a question about the product before I buy it: I was on hold for 20 mins. I finally hung up in frustration. Go to the website for support. Read the knowledge base on their site; it will help!

Looks good in the package.

Active musician

Electronica

Kontakt 1 shipped with a rushed and crappy sounding library. While Kontakt 2 ships with a pretty nice sounding libary, You still can't use the library effectively due to bugs. Kontakt is labeled in the category of "software sampler", but what holds it back is the fact that you can't actually sample anything inside of the program itself. It's a Rompler/Sample Player, an unstable buggy, glitchy, crashing one at best!

Try opening a large Piano file in Kontakt 2 and hearing all the stuttering, pops, clicks, noise associated with larger files that makes this program what it truly is, Garbage!

It crashes way too much. Aside from that fact it is kind of easy to adjust and move things around (small mb sized files), It would be easy to use judging from the layout if it didn't crash soo much

Well it is software so I really can't comment on Kontakt the fact that I can touch or feel it. What I can say is that it does not integrate well with Pro Audio DAW such as Cubase or Logic. Like I had said before it's tremendously buggy.

Definitely NOT worth the $399.99. For all of it's shortcomings and bugs. The actual list price should be $39.99!

Native Instruments has tech support that could probably rival Dell Computers in the title of "Worst Tech Support Ever". They have the nerve to charge users $29 for each update on the new Intel Mac universal binary support that has been delayed now for how long now? MOTU didn't charge me for this! They are the biggest plugin devolper company in the world and still treat their user base like crap!

No! Not ever again would I invest in Kontakt knowing what I know today.

Musician

Electronic

This Product is known for having major bug problems and is highly unstable. All you have to do is read NI's own forums to see that this software is almost unuseable. I wish I would of read the forums and done a few more internet inquires before purchasing. Beware!

If it didn't crash all the time, I might be Happy. Read NI's Forums you won't believe it. NI even admits severe problems.

Doesn't play well with others.

Nope.

NI keeps promising fixes on there forums. This has been going on for a long time.

Some people on the forum pages are considering a class action suit. NI has even asked there customers if they would prefer a REFUND.

Active Musician

Industrial

I'm also having problems running this software. It is very CPU intensive.

Alot of features but not all of them eork as advertised.

i wish it would be more reliable.

This software can be problematic. I would have to add a big wish list to things I would like corrected.

I'm not real satisfied with this product. I was initially looking at the Komplete software package. Now I'm happy that I didn't get it.

It be great if it worked Like its suppose to.

hobbyist

Jazz / contemporary

Low

Classic Jazz

So many Bugs so little time

Is CPU spikes a feature

Locks up my computer. None of my other soft synths do.

Completely unreliable. I tryed and tryed. Went on numerous forums talked to tech support. I can't get it to behave.

To bad its not heavy enough to be used as a paper weight.

lame tech support. There own forums are loaded with discontent.

No

Hobbyist

Jazz

I have yet to use KONTAKT. I own it, and would love to be able to start to dig into it. However, I was given a serial # that would not register. A call to support got me an apology and an explanation that I was sent a serial number already in use. I followed the given instructions (fax the receipt, reg. #, etc., etc.)with a promise of a new serial number immediately. That was five days ago. No new ser. #, no answers to my continual phone calls to reg. support during supposed business hours.

Sound quality is incredibly good if you can put the effort into molding it. I've turned random self-recorded samples into amazing instruments, it just takes a bit of work.

There's some great stuff here. I would have liked a few more built-in effects (A better distortion for one), but it's easy enough to do that stuff through a seperate editor (On the plus side, you can have Kontakt link itself to any other 3rd party editor. On the downside, you need to already own something that's better than kontakt. heh)

Easy to start messing around with. An incredibly intuitive interface (for a softsynth sampler) but there's still a lot of layers to go through. If you really want to do anything amazing with this, read the manual or go check out the forums.

I've never had Kontakt crash, I've never had it do anything out of the ordinary. It's worked fine on my computer from day one (Currently running a 3 Ghz Dual proc Dimension 4700, 2.5 gigs of RAM, Delta 1010 soundcard) The only real resource hog is the Convolution effect (A great-sounding but complicated reverb), which knocks my cpu out after only a few instances.

Value is incredible. I paid an educational price for my version ($180), but considering what I've done with it so far, it would have been worth far far more than that.

I say 6 only because I've never had to deal with them...

I'm in love, what can I say. It's not perfect, but it's close. (The 15 Gig sample library it comes with is nothing to be sneezed at either. Nothing too fantastic, but commendable.

Very Problematic. CPU hog and makes cracking and popping sounds. Causing my G5 with 4gig ram to lock up..

Very Buggy so far.

If I could get it to run I might be able to tell you.

Crash O matic.

waste of money so far.

The absolute worst. I concure with previous reviewer that the forums and costumer service is a mess. They are promising to fix it.

No good