Keyswitches in a Kontakt 3 Virtual Instrument

If you have a multi-timbre or multi-articulation instrument, but no documentation, how do you figure out how to switch between different sounds? What is a keyswitch?One common technique is a “keyswitch”. Playing a MIDI note of a specific pitch turns on a particular timbre. The MIDI note is out of range for that instrument so   Read More...

Mapping Editor Basics in Kontakt 3

In the Mapping Editor you set up Zones for each sample that will be part of an Instrument. A Zone is a sample, plus its root MIDI note and the range of velocities that trigger it. The manual doesn’t say so, but it seems to me that the Zone also includes the range of notes   Read More...

Hearing Your Kontakt Instruments

There are various ways to hear an Instrument: Click notes on Kontakt’s on-screen keyboard. However, they will all be the same velocity, about 120. (Click the Keyboard icon in the Main Control Panel at the top of the rack to show or hide the On-Screen Keyboard panel.) Use a MIDI keyboard with Kontakt in standalone   Read More...

Playing a Virtual Orchestra

Although I seem to write mostly music notated on paper for live performers, I’ve always been interested in computer tools for composing and sound design. I started my recording business a few years ago because I wanted to put my audio tools to more use. Last year, I decided to invest in the sophisticated sampled   Read More...