The rest is kept on the hard drive and streamed via “DFD” (direct-from-disk). Why It Matters: By default, Kontakt loads only a small portion of each sample into RAM. For desktops, the price of RAM continues to drop considerably: adding an additional 8gb to your setup can cost as little as $60! Though 4gb is a safe number, 8gb is our preference. These numbers are quite low! Simply running your operating system, a DAW, and Kontakt – with no samples – can eat up well over 1gb, leaving precious little for samples. RAM: The official NI recommendation for RAM is 4 gigabytes, with a minimum of 2gb. Note that even a very small sample library can be CPU-intensive due to scripting or high polyphony!īelow: A single, high-polyphony, CPU-intensive instrument being played in Kontakt on an Intel Core i7 processor!
Running at lower latencies (more on this later) causes the processor to work even harder.
Why It Matters: When your CPU is overworked, it becomes unable to process audio in real-time, and the result is unpleasant pops, crackles, glitches or slowdowns in playback. An Intel Core i3/5/7 processor (2008-2009) is therefore more of a realistic minimum. However, most modern Kontakt libraries are more demanding, with advanced scripts, built-in FX, etc. If you’re using basic instruments with low polyphony, this is probably sufficient. Setting aside the operating system, consider your available CPU (processing power), RAM (memory), hard drive space, and your audio interface.ĬPU: Native Instruments recommends a Core 2 Duo processor at a minimum, released in 2006. That being said, before we delve into Kontakt and your DAW, it’s important to take stock of the machine you’re running it on.
#Kontakt 4 64 bit mac
Whether you’re on Windows or Mac OSX, Kontakt is a fairly efficient piece of software, refined through years of development and updates. Welcome to Part 2 of our Kontakt Workflow series! This post will focus on ways you can get Kontakt running more smoothly in your DAW and operating system of choice. Allura Volume 1: Ethereal Vocal Phrases.Reforged: Cinematic Metallic Sound Design.Juggernaut: Cinematic Electronic Scoring Tools.Cosmos: Atmospheric Rhythms and Textures.