Using Kontakt with Sonar.
Using Kontakt Page Navigation:
How to display Kontakt Instruments names in Sonar.
A tutorial for Kontat 5 is under construction.
When using Kontakt with Sonar, opening 1 instance in the Synth Rack, Sonar pulls out the Instruments names from the “Default Outputs names” of Kontakt. (Depending on the last “Make Default” you made.)
This is the reason to use “Make Default” in the Outputs section of Kontakt.
The annoying thing is that the result is a very long string.
In order to see the instrument’s name, we have to hover the track name or to expand the tracks names witch is not very convenient.
There is a way to reduce this string by simply renaming Kontakt in “Cakewalk Plug-in Manager”
Select VST instruments(VSTI), Select Kontakt (3 or 4) then click “Plug-in Properties”
Rename it to K32 or just K (Knowing that K would mean 32 outs).
Select Kontakt (3 or 4 or 5) 16out Click “Plug-in Properties”
Rename it to K16.
Do the same for the 8out.
The result will be that the next time you insert an instance of Kontakt in the synth rack, it will look like this:
After Inserting K16:
The folder then can be renamed to K16-Drums.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t help much in the Console view.
Sonar Console View
It is of course best to use the “Synth Track Folder” for easier tracks management.
Using Kontakt: Single or Multiple Instances ?
The main reason why using multiple instances of Kontakt in a DAW was recommended, is that the CPU load is distributed more evenly through the CPU cores than only 1 instance.
I’m saying “was”, because I’m still using Kontakt 3.5 and I don’t know if things have changed with Kontakt 4, or if it is a Kontakt thing at all.
Memory Cost:
Each instance of Kontakt (3.5) eats up around 30 MB of memory.
It’s not a lot but I wouldn’t of course use 1 instance for each Instrument. This would be a waist of memory and difficult to manage.
CPU Cost:
On a Core2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz, 3 instances of Kontakt = CPU Load between 2 & 3%.
This wouldn’t even tickle an I5 or I7.
Use 1 instance of Kontakt 16 out per section. Save each instance as a multi (*nkm).
The output configuration is saved with the multi.
Using Kontakt : Sonar track Names.
Well this is a bit of a juggle! But doable.
It seems like a lot of work but remember.
If you plan your things right, you might have to do this only once.
That’s what Templates are for.
When we open 1 instance of Kontakt in Sonar’s Synth Rack, Sonar pulls out the Instruments names from the last “Make Default”
In this case the K16 Drums.
!! Loading a K32 multi in a K16 instance, would leave half the tracks unconnected.
We have inserted our 1st K16 (the K16 Drums)
Multi Drum-Kit
Now we want to open another instance of K16 for Pianos Bass …..
We could simply replace the names of our 1st K16 with relevant ones or load in Kontakt a previously saved empty multi with relevant names and click “Make Default”.
(I’m including at the bottom of this page, several empty multis that you can download)
With the 1st Kontakt instance open, we load “Piano Bass Guitar Keyboards K16 TPL.nkm”.
In the dialog Click “Yes”.
Click “Make Default”
Then insert another K16.
Repeat the process for the other sections your project needs.
This will leave no doubt of what multi they should contain.
If you are using Kontakt 4 or 5 you have to create a new test project.
Using Kontakt Individual Outputs
How to assign individual outputs from a Drum Kit using Kontakt single MIDI channel.
In this example we are going to use the “Pop Kit.nki” from the Kontakt library > Band > Drum Kits. Enter Edit Mode and click “Group Editor”.
Select “Bass Drum2” and “Bass Drum”
Bottom right, click “output Default”
Then select “BD” or whatever name you gave it.
Now select the snares and sticks (Making sure that no other group is selected.)
– Repeat the process until all groups are assigned to their correspondent outputs.
– Save the instrument as a new name.
– Save the multi to preserve the outputs names.
Downloads:
(right click and Save as)