Top 20 Kontakt Sample Libraries 2023 (All Categories)

We searched the web to pick the top 20 Kontakt libraries for you in 2023. In the list, you will find synths, choirs, sequencers, orchestral isntruments, pianos, guitars,  ethnic instruments and more!

Native Instruments Kontakt is arguably the most famous and influential sampler available today. In addition to the developer’s sample libraries, thousands of paid and free sample libraries are available for the sampler.

Many of them have become staples for most music producers today. Hence, it’s only natural that I’m talking about the best of those libraries you can find this new year. The list includes ethnic instruments, analog synths, granular synths, scoring instruments, beat-making toolkits, etc.

In a nutshell, here are the best NI Kontakt libraries in 2023:

1. Native Instruments Vocal Colors NEW* (Creative Vocal Engine)

2. Native Instruments Ignition Keys (Pop Focused Piano Library)

3. Native Instruments Mysteria (Vocal Based Synth)

4. Native Instruments Choir Omnia (Choir Library)

5. Heavyocity Symphonic Destruction (Orchestral/Scoring Instrument)

6. Native Instruments Utopia (Made For Trance Music)

7. Native Instruments Sequis (Acoustic Sequencer)

8. Sonuscore Elysion II (Synth/ Sequencer)

9. Native Instruments Symphony Series String Ensemble (Orchestral Strings)

10. Native Instruments Symphony Series Woodwind Ensemble (Orchestral Woodwinds)

11. Native Instruments Piano Colors (Versatile Piano)

12. Heavyocity Damage 2 (Epic Drums)

13. Native Instruments Pharlight (Voice-Based Synth For Vocal Soundscapes)

14. Output Substance (Bass Engine)

15. Native Instruments Symphony Series Percussion (Orchestral Percussions)

16. Native Instruments Electric Vintage (Electric Guitar)

17. Vir2 Instruments MOJO 2: Horn Section 2.0 (Horn Instrument)

18. Native Instruments Straylight (Modern Soundscapes & Transitions)

19. Native Instruments Analog Dreams V2 (Modern & Vintage Vibes)

20. Ethno World 6 Complete (Collection of Ethnic Instruments & Voices)

Native Instruments provides two versions of the software: the free Kontakt Player and the paid Kontakt. The free version lets you use the sample libraries, whereas the paid version lets you edit the samples deeply under the hood.

However, note that not all libraries open in the free version. So, make sure you check under the Compatibility section of each library on the list.

Now, without further ado, let’s have a look at our list:

Top 20 Kontakt Sample Libraries 2023 (All Categories)

1. Native Instruments Vocal Colors NEW* (Creative Vocal Engine)

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NI Vocal Colors is a Kontakt library that offers a wide range of expressive vocal samples and powerful modulation controls, making it a versatile tool for crafting hybrid textures that bring emotion to your music.

It explores the synergy between speech and synthesis, delivering inventive sounds that push the boundaries of the human voice. Whether working on cinematic compositions or forward-thinking pop productions, Vocal Colors provides hypnotic hues that ignite your creativity or add the finishing touches to your tracks.

It has five tabs: Arpeggiator, two Layer tabs, Particles, and Global. The arpeggiator tab can help you create interesting vocal chops and movements. The Layer tabs consist of parameters for editing the sonic characteristics of the sound, like Formant, Dynamic, ADSR, Breath, etc.

The Particles tab lets you add interesting textures to your sounds, and finally, the global tab gives you a single slider access to all the other tabs.

Key Features:

• Expressive Vocal Samples
  Vocal Colors includes over 19 GB of eclectic, double-tracked vocal samples that blend electronic and organic elements. These samples offer diverse vocal expressions, from gentle whispers to passionate shouts, allowing you to create unique and expressive sounds for your music.
• Arpeggiator tab
  You can program up to 32 steps on the arpeggiator and do advanced sequencing on them, like adding repetitions, chords programming, setting min/max limits, looping, adding a sustain pedal, adjusting the time, octave, length, velocity, etc., retriggering, and more. You can use that to add interesting movements to your music.
• Presets
  You can choose from various arpeggiator presets, like Single, Chord, Straight, Syncopated, Mixed, Free, Continius, Odd, Slow, Fast, Random, etc. Similarly, multiple Layer(s) presets consist of loops, one-shots, rhythm, reverse, and other samples categorized as Pure, Designed, Vowel, Consonant, Percussive, Bright, Smooth, etc.
  Similarly, there are multiple presets for Modulation Sources, including many steps and LFO patterns. In addition, effects preset include categories like Analog, Crunch, Lo-Fi bits, Tape, Transistor, etc.
• Enhanced COLORS Engine
  The library features an enhanced COLORS engine, which enables you to blend and transform two layers of expressive vocal samples. This engine provides in-depth control over the sound, allowing you to shape and customize the vocals according to your artistic vision.
• Specialized Vocal Shaping Controls
  Vocal Colors offers specialized vocal shaping controls that allow you to customize over 250 presets or create sounds from scratch. These controls provide flexibility in modifying various aspects of the vocal samples, such as timbre, formant, vibrato, and more, enabling you to achieve the desired vocal character and expression.
• Powerful Effects and Modulation
  You can build your effects chains within Vocal Colors or utilize carefully designed effects presets to enhance and modulate your sounds. Effects in the plugin include EQ, Filter, Dynamic Processor, Drive, etc. This capability allows you to add depth, texture, and movement to your vocal textures, creating dynamic and evolving sonic landscapes.

Compatibility:

Vocal Colors is compatible with the free Kontakt Player and the full Kontakt 7.3.1 or higher version. To install and set up the library, you can use Native Access, Native Instruments’ software management platform. It is available for purchase on the Native Instruments website, and existing owners of Piano Colors can enjoy an additional discount.

Summary:

In summary, NI Vocal Colors is a powerful Kontakt library that brings the voice to the forefront of dynamic instruments. Its expressive vocal samples, enhanced COLORS engine, specialized vocal shaping controls, comprehensive arpeggiator, and powerful effects and modulation capabilities offer a versatile toolkit for creating unique and dynamic vocal textures.

Whether you’re looking to add depth and emotion to your compositions or explore innovative vocal synthesis techniques, Vocal Colors provides a rich palette of sounds to inspire your music-making journey.

2. Native Instruments Ignition Keys (Pop Focused Piano Library)

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Ignition Keys is a Kontakt library for piano sounds with modern textures.

It’s one of the best Piano Kontakt libraries with a versatile range of sounds, from lush pads to grand synth leads to warm retro style presets, classic EPs, organs, deep Rhodes pianos, etc. In addition, the plugin has windows like FX, SEQ, and Macros to edit sounds, so the FX and SEQ windows are switchable, all packed in an intuitive and attractive interface.

Key Features:

• Presets
  The presets in the library are labeled as Hazy Piano, GoTo Piano, Arcade Piano, Icy Piano, Glass keys, Dream Keys, twilight keys, etc. There are 151 presets like these, with 106 sounds and preset categories.
• Workflow
  The instrument has two layers of sounds: A and B, which could be tweaked and edited individually with parameters like transpose, tune, pan, volume, etc., such that you can apply two LFOs, two envelopes, and other modulators on the sound. There are also MACRO controls that you can assign and order them.
• Effects
  The effects section is where most of the sound design happens. You can add many effects like compressor, reverb, flanger, phaser, eq, etc., to enhance your sounds, and add more depth, character, and room.
• Modulations
  The library allows for deep modulations. You get two ADSRs, one for amplitude and the other for modulations. In addition, you can make the velocity, aftertouch, modwheel, and two LFOs the modulation source.

Compatibility:

The plugin is compatible with the free Kontakt plugin and has a small hard disk space requirement of 1.65 GB.

Summary:

The Kontakt instrument is great for modern Pop, RnB, K-Pop, pop-rap, pop punk, synth-pop, the 80s, and EDM genres like future bass, future pop, house, etc. Ignition keys are a diverse and flexible instrument with tweakable settings, making them suitable for sound designers.

3. Native Instruments Mysteria (Vocal Based Synth)

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Mysteria is a distinct and immersive vocal/choir library excellent for scoring films and trailers.

Native Instruments and Galaxy Instruments have crafted something genuinely unique and incredible with Mysteria. It has you covered whether you want to evoke a sense of terror, wonder, dread, or ethereal beauty. It uses a variety of choir “clusters” that you can mix and manipulate to produce highly expressive sounds. Depending on the needs, the clusters include recordings of elegant harmonies or chaotic discord.

Thanks to its unique and inviting interface design, you can start with calm and beautiful sounds while smoothly transitioning into the unsettling chaos of dissonant voices. Furthermore, quick automation results in stark changes that act like impact percussions. Similarly, processed, hybrid sounds add an even more distinct quality to Mysteria’s abundant sound palette.

Key Features:

• Layers
  Mysteria features two layers, each capable of loading a sound. You can then morph between them using an XY-pad on the interface. Horizontal movement on the pad morphs between the two layers, whereas vertical movements add modulation and intensity changes in most presets. However, when making custom patches, you can control what changes occur with the pad movements in the Effects Page.
• Incredible Recordings
  Mysteria employs four choirs in its recordings. These include an epic 48-singer choir, a 24-female singers alto/soprano choir, a 24-male singers tenor/bass choir, and a modern quartet choir. On top of contemporary recordings of the choir, it also features strange vocal techniques, melodic lines, whispers, body noises, feet stomps, breathings, etc. These provide a large variety of sounds to use in your scores.
• Source Page
  A small waveform icon at the bottom of the user interface opens the Source Page. Here, you can change the fundamental parameters like amp envelope, pan, tuning, mic variations, etc. The settings vary depending on the preset types loaded in each instrument layer. Speaking of which, there are two kinds of presets: Atmosphere and Cluster. The prior features atonal sounds like whispering and stomping, whereas the latter uses tonal sounds like melodic lines. Furthermore, this page allows you to split the two layers across your keyboard, letting you play a layer at a time.
• Effects Page
  On this page, you can add effect processors on each layer. These effects include an EQ, Space reverb, Replika delay, and a “Mod FX.” Under Mod FX, you’ll find six effects, and, as I mentioned earlier, you can modulate these using the XY-pad. The six Mod FX include Hacker, Mutate, Color, Drive, Stereo, and Phaser. Here, Hacker is an LFO-based processor, Mutate features unusual convolution effects, and Color changes the tone of your sound. The rest are self-explanatory.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.2.0 or Kontakt Player 6.2.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

If you often compose film scores or enjoy making cinematic music, Mysteria is a truly useful instrument. It evokes emotions harnessing the human voice and hybrid synths as sound sources. There are over 800 sound sources, 600 layer-presets, and 350 presets. Most of the presets and samples are best suited for horror, fantasy, drama, and mystery themes.

Related Reading:

Top 7 Kontakt Libraries For Horror & Thriller Scoring

4. Native Instruments Choir Omnia (Choir Library)

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In collaboration with Strezov Sampling, Native Instruments comes with Choir Omnia – 40-voice male and female symphonic choir captured in four independent sections in a virtual instrument.

It’s a rare plugin that allows you to build realistic choir parts with deep customizations beyond a typical virtual instrument. Anything from syllables, intonations, phrases, timings, articulations, vowels, and voices can be customized, creating a wide range of dynamics and emotions.

Key Features:

• High-quality samples
  The Kontakt instrument consists of samples recorded by world-renowned vocalists and choirs in six weeks, capturing live recordings at Sophia session studio with a world-class signal chain. The samples create an expressive and deeply customized sound design experience.
• Workflow and synth architecture
  Choir Omnia contains four main sections: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, each section covering different pitch ranges and textures. That allows you to create smooth transitions, realistic choir, and in-depth vocal stacking. In addition, the interface offers eye candy, is easy to tweak, and is simple to work with. You can choose different articulations: Sustain, staccato, marcato, and staccatissimo.
• Mic positions
  There are four mic positions: close, mid-close, decca, and hall. You can adjust the pan, spread level, and reverb for each of these. That allows you to have flexibility over your room and the overall atmospheric tone.
• Keys/Sequencer
  The key mode allows you to play the notes individually, whereas the sequencer allows you to combine the notes in order in a complex sequence of syllabi, with adjustable note intervals, articulations, and other parameters.
• Expressive capabilities
  The plugin is highly expressive, especially with its Dynamic curve that allows you to set how the plugin responds dynamically, and you can set it between soft, normal, and hard. Further, you can adjust the Round Robins and Legato mode settings. Further, the room adjustments using mic positions, genders, articulations, syllables selection, etc., along with forty different voices, allow great expressive capabilities.

Compatibility:

Choir Omnia is a KOMPLETE instrument that requires Kontakt 7 or above and 70 GB of free space to store its library. The Kontakt 7 minimum system requirements are Intel Macs (i5 or higher) and macOS 10.15 for Mac, Windows 1o or higher, 4 GB of ram, and 2 GB of hard disk space.

Summary:

It’s an nice great with great features and design. One can create real-sounding authentic choir-based compositions and score in the comfort of working on a laptop/computer from your home/studio without having to do high-budget choir recordings. The plugin is heavy on the system but delivers great quality and sound.

From fantasy to mystery to gritty to dark, you can create almost any emotion with the versatile and expansive Choir Omnia by Native Instruments. It has over 70 GB of content, across four instruments, with 189 presets for smooth and effortless scoring.

5. Heavyocity Symphonic Destruction (Orchestral/Scoring Instrument)

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The epic film score and trailer composers receive a treat in the form of this Kontakt instrument.

Heavyocity’s Symphonic Destruction combines traditional and hybrid orchestral sounds with synths, heavy guitars, and impact sounds to deliver a highly usable toolkit for modern film and trailer scoring.

Many of the samples are from Heavyocity’s Novo strings, Forzo brass, and Vento woodwinds libraries, and the distinctive processing from Damage 2 percussions makes them as bombastic as possible.

The library features two classifications of instrument engines: Designers and Performers. Each folder contains engines and instruments dedicated to specific purposes in trailer/film scoring.

From mysterious and malicious quips of staccato passages to action-packed horns and impacts, you’ll find them all. However, there’s more to Symphonic Destruction than merely a collection of samples and loops.

Each engine in the library provides different features that allow you to manipulate and customize the samples or loops to your liking. Furthermore, macros let you control multiple parameters with the turn of a knob or your modulation wheel. This feature makes it a breeze to perform with the library.

Key Features:

• Designer Engine
  The Designer Engine allows you to design many kinds of sound palettes, from pad-like hybrid strings to intricate horror drones. Of course, there are numerous factory presets and samples you can use to make new patches. Each patch features three channels where you can load a sample. You can preview, load, and distribute samples across the keyboard in the Source menu at the top left of the interface. Similarly, you’ll find three menus on the top right of the interface: Cycle, Macro Sequencer, and Master FX.
  The Cycle page lets you modulate each channel and its start position, velocity, and panning with a sequencer. Similarly, the Macro Sequencer modulates the Macro knob in the middle of the interface that controls six parameters: Envelope, EQ, Filter, Drive, Gate, and Space. Note that you can click on each parameter to find the envelope, filters, and effects editors.
• Braam and Loop Designer Engines
  These Designer Engines are similar to the main Designer Engine. However, the difference is that you’ll find the menu Designer instead of Cycle at the top right of the interface. And the Designer menu is better suited for braams and loops. Instead of sequencing, you can change the volume, pan, tune, and start position of each channel.
  Furthermore, like in the previous Engine, each patch contains three channels. However, the Engine distributes each source/sample you’ll find in this Engine per octave across the keyboard. And the bottom octave plays all three channels simultaneously to give you an epic braam or a complicated loop with a single key.
• Performer Engine
  The Performer Engine allows you to choose various instrument types like Traditional, Hybrid, Damaged, Soundscapes, Hybrid Pedals, Damaged Guitars, etc. Each of these comes with different sounds and articulations that you can switch using key switches. Also, you can control the dynamics using your modulation wheel or the velocity, depending on what you choose.
  In the Engine itself, you’ll find buttons on the left side of the user interface to open an amp envelope, a three-band EQ, and a filter. And on the right side, you’ll find a mixer, a performance editor, and space. In the Mixer, you will find three channels: Main (Dry), Hall, and Reverse FX. And the performance editor lets you add a gate or dynamics sequencer. While the gate sequencer controls the instrument’s volume, the dynamics sequencer modulates the dynamics (velocity) of the sample. And finally, the space page lets you add a delay and a reverb.
• Repeater
  When you select short sounds like staccatos, colegno, and pizzicato, a module called Repeater appears. You’ll probably use it for ostinatos most often. However, every good ostinato requires accented notes to enhance the rhythm, and this library’s Repeater lets you do just that. It lets you play ostinatos with 3^rd or 4^th note accented, crescendos, diminuendos, etc., without writing each note in your DAW. Similarly, you can adjust the round-robin from none to six.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.1 or Kontakt Player 6.6.1. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

The more you attempt to explore this library, the more you realize how vast the sonic possibilities are. I would describe this library as a comprehensive sound module for trailer or film music. You will find almost everything you’d need to compose epic hybrid cinematic scores.

Similarly, although the workflow isn’t very obvious at a glance, using each sound engine and experimenting with the buttons and knobs gets you up to speed. Also, when you’re producing, try turning up the proprietary Punisher knob if you need to hype things up a little.

Related Reading:

7 Best Heavyocity Kontakt Libraries For Music Production 

Key Features:

Compatibility:

Utopia, as a KOMPLETE Instrument, is designed for use with the latest version of the free KONTAKT PLAYER, which can be downloaded via KOMPLETE START. This ensures compatibility with the Native Instruments ecosystem and seamless integration into your workflow.

It is compatible with most major digital audio workstations (DAWs) on Mac and Windows platforms. It can be used as a standalone instrument or as a plugin within a DAW and supports various plugin formats such as VST, AU, and AAX.

Summary:

7. Native Instruments Sequis (Acoustic Sequencer)

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Sequis presents acoustic instrument samples with the unique potential of modern sequencing and processing.

Orchestral Tools has been producing sampled instruments for composition and orchestration for many years. They have now combined their expertise with the brilliant minds at Native Instruments to reimagine the way musicians play acoustic instruments.

Inside, you’ll find various instruments ranging from keyboards and strings to percussions and woodwinds. And you can use a pattern sequencer to play each.

The instrument selector loads a menu that divides the samples into Instruments and Articulations. Under Instruments, you’ll find guitars, dobro, banjo, viola, cello, bass, flues, bass flues, pianos, marimbas, steel tongue drums, cajons, tablas, metal and wood percussions, shakers, hi-hats, female voice, etc.

Similarly, each instrument features multiple articulations. For example, if you click on the Female Vox instrument, you’ll find different syllables, vowels, single vowels, etc., under the Articulations section. These help you add peculiarity to your rhythm.

Key Features:

• Sequencer
  The library features four layers, each capable of loading samples. You’ll find two pages on the user interface: Perform and Edit. On the Perform page, there are three controls. Tempo lets you change the tempo half or twice as fast as the DAW’s BPM. Similarly, you can enable or disable looping. And at the center, Layer Control lets you set how you want the layers to play. You can select either Modwheel or Polynote. The prior lets you play only one layer or all four depending on the position of your modulation wheel, whereas the Polynote mode plays more layers when you play more notes.
• Edit View
  This page allows you to create and adjust pattern sequences, switch the instrument’s articulation, change the layer’s volume and pan, and add effect processors to each layer. The editing controls let you adjust swing, add accents to notes, and activate triplet patterns for polyrhythms. Similarly, the effects include reverb, filter, and delay. Together, you can achieve a fully-mixed scape of rhythms and sounds.
  The editor also features Sequence Segments, which are segments of the pattern (four in a 4/4 pattern). You can modify each segment to activate or deactivate it and repeat or reverse it once before continuing playback.
• Snapshots
  Sequis features over four hundred snapshots or presets in many categories. These categories include basslines, bowed, clean slate, echoes, effects, flues, keys and mallets, percussions, plucked, etc. Although most are simplistic, each preset sounds tastefully designed to add rhythm and pacing to your music production.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.0 or Kontakt Player 6.6.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

What sets Sequis apart from similar products is that it stays true to the acoustic category. Most sequencing libraries tend to preset hybrid sounds to add a creative taste. However, Sequis only features acoustic sounds. So, it might sound somewhat different from what you might expect, although the results are undoubtedly beautiful.

Still, I’d have liked to see a pattern designer like the ones in sequencer plugins to provide more control and intricacy. Then again, simplicity is often the key to success, and I’m sure that is the philosophy of this rhythmic tool.

Related Reading:

Top 9 Sequencer & Arpeggiator KONTAKT Libraries 

8. Sonuscore Elysion II (Synth/ Sequencer)

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Dive into the world of the aggressive and driving side of film and trailer scoring with the second iteration of Elysion by Sonuscore.

Elysion II comes with the entire sound palette of the original Elysion instrument (with both the GUIs available), which was a collection of ambient synth samples or highly treated acoustic instruments. Now, Elysion II adds raw and massive-sounding samples alongside a brand-new user interface and a sequencing ensemble engine from The Orchestra library.

Combine the power of the sequencer, the wide variety of the sampled instruments, and its built-in effect processors, and you’ll find Elysion II to be a formidable scoring tool all on its own.

The electronic sounds are best suited for sci-fi and action films, games, and trailers. Although, I love using such sounds combined with acoustic instruments to add impact and space to my scores.

Key Features:

• Layershttps://integraudio.com/20-best-native-instruments-plugin/
  Each patch in Elysion II features five instrument slots. You can load an instrument in each to create an ensemble of sounds. Similarly, each layer lets mute/solo, shift the octave and add an arpeggiator/envelope. Note that the latter depends on the kind of instrument you have selected. Only sustaining instruments allow you to use both, whereas hits only allow arpeggiation.
• Theme Browser
  Click on the preset’s name at the center to open the Theme browser with over four hundred themes. Here, you’ll find three categories: Spheres, Pulses, and Animated. Spheres feature hits and pad themes. The hits are shorter sounds, whereas the pads are longer and moving. Similarly, the Pulses feature rhythmical patterns, and the Animated patches are the most intricate ones utilizing the ensemble engine to design complex arrangements.
  Similarly, you’ll notice that the names of planets categorize the patches or themes. Each planet represents a sonic character. For example, Mars represents aggressiveness, Earth is familiar and pop-like, Sagittarius is violent and dark, Antares is cinematic, Mercury is lively and vibrant, and Jupiter represents joy. There are twelve such planets.
• Arpeggiator & Envelope
  Each layer features an arpeggiator and an envelope editor. The arpeggiator lets you set the time signature, rate, order, steps count, transposition, swing, etc. And you can write custom sequences using the sequencer, where you can draw each note’s value with your mouse. Also, the envelope editor works very similarly.
  Furthermore, you’ll also find a dedicated Pan Engine per layer that adds space and movement to your sounds. You can draw shapes in the editor with your mouse to create the path for your panning to follow.
• Mixing
  The Mix Page lets you control the volume, pan, and send levels to the master effects. The master effects include a compressor, delay, and reverb. The reverb is a convolution reverb with impulse responses from reputable effect processors and real-life spaces.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.0 or Kontakt Player 6.6.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

The first Elysion was a cinematic soundscape engine dedicated to ambient sounds. So, the contrasting aggressiveness of the second version is a welcome change. The samples contain up to three round robins and five velocity layers. Furthermore, the upgraded engine and user interface make the upgrade worth it even for the fans of the previous version.

I highly recommend this instrument if you often make sci-fi or action music and are a fan of electronic sounds. Similarly, the soundscapes and rhythmic themes also come in handy for producing pop and dance music.

Related Reading:

Best Kontakt Libraries For TRANCE Music Available

9. Native Instruments Symphony Series String Ensemble (Orchestral Strings)

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A 60-piece lush-sounding string orchestra ideal for epic film scores at your disposal.

Following up the release of Symphony Series: Brass, Native Instruments has teamed up this time with world-famous Audiobro, responsible for LA Scoring Strings, one of the most well-regarded and on-demand string libraries of the past few years.

Five patches or Kontakt instruments comprise this library: violins, violas, cellos, basses, and an ensemble option that works great for pads or to draw some ideas. In addition, each section is provided with a fair amount of articulations to assign up to 8 of them.

Key Features:

• Articulations:
  Each section is provided with up to 10 articulations consisting of sustains, sordino, tremolo, staccato, spiccato, pizzicato, octave runs, and more. The legato articulations comprehend the Divisi function, so each Divisi part has its own smart individual legato control over transitions (fingered or portamento) when two notes are played simultaneously. There’s also a threshold slider control to determine the transitions to portamento controlled with velocity. There’s an option for No Vib. to Vib. for the legato articulations, meaning that a note starts with no vibrato and fades into it.
• Section Setup:
  This string orchestra, like any other, is divided into 4 sections: violins I and II (conformed by 30 players and divided into 16 and 14 for each, respectively), 12 violas, 10 cellos, and 8 basses. In this tab, you can control how big each section will be by setting the overall number of players for each section, allowing you to write for a small and intimate orchestra or create an epic soundscape with a full-string section.
• Divisi:
  One issue with many string libraries is that each section is recorded monophonically as one, which is a problem when playing several notes simultaneously as the number of instruments is usually doubled – the more notes you play at the same time, the bigger the section gets in number –; this means that, if you have a 20-piece violin section and play two notes, you’ll have a 40-piece violin section. However, thanks to the True Divisi function featured on this library (turned on by default), the number of players is kept consistent, as it automatically divides the number of players when playing polyphonically. Further explaining, there are two violin sections, I and II (as per usual); when playing divisi, the section splits in 16+14 for two notes, 16+7+7 for three notes, and 8+8+7+7 for four, resulting in a more true-to-life performance, made possible due to the sections for each instrument being recorded in two separate A and B parts.
• Dynamic Knob:
  A very large knob can be seen in the centre of the GUI. It enables to control of both volume and intensity by blending several layers of samples. This way, for example, soft bowing with a slower attack can be achieved with a low setting. Below, we find more performance controls for expression, attack, release, and brightness.

Compatibility:

The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Symphony Series: String Ensemble offers the flexibility to achieve any sound, whether you want close and intimate chamber strings or a larger-than-life cinematic ensemble. Its true Divisi feature and the option to set up the section size make this library stand out above many others, especially considering how easy it is to control its behaviour. However, one weakness this library has is that it doesn’t come with a solo string library like its predecessor Symphony Series: Brass, even though they cost the same.

Related Reading:

Top 5 Strings VST Plugins (AND 4 Best Free Instruments)

10. Native Instruments Symphony Series Woodwind Ensemble (Orchestral Woodwinds)

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An ensemble with an authentic sound and intuitive GUI aimed at professional composers.

Recorded at Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland in collaboration with Soundiron, this ensemble comes with 314 articulations, providing a flexibility and precision with great quality of sound. The user interface is consistent with the rest of the Symphony Series, being very minimalistic and easy-to-use.

Symphony Series: Woodwinds comes with two libraries, one for solo instruments and one for ensemble and feature the regular line-up of a woodwind section: flute, oboe, Bb clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet – bass and contrabass clarinet are not included in the solo library. Additionally, the tenor saxophone was included to this line-up too – which regularly is not featured in a woodwind section.

Key Features:

• Legato:
  In order to give these instruments a wide array of expression and playability, Soundiron included not only a main legato articulation but also legatos for different dynamic ranges, including piano, mezzo forte, and forte (plus the aforementioned main legato) to most of the instruments.
• Arpeggio:
  It is a habit of Soundiron to include an arpeggio function (or scripted arpeggiator) in the libraries they work on; this is no exception. The samples for the phrases were recorded live – confirmed by Soundiron themselves –, making them sound natural and non-mechanic. Its presets include major, minor, fifth and octave arpeggios. This Arpeggio Runs Tool is included in the main, legato, and staccato articulations and comes with controls over the type of run, speed, number of notes, and so on.
• Sound-shaping:
  The instruments were recorded with close, mid, and far microphones and are reflected in their respective dedicated channels – plus a stereo channel that is a combination of the three microphones – which, in conjunction with the panning controls, is useful for placing the instruments wherever we need without depending on reverb effects. Additionally, there’s a parametric EQ with three bands, a compressor (with the classic threshold, ratio, attack, and release controls), a filter with cutoff and resonance controls and a convolution reverb with a fair amount of IRs.
• Performance:
  In this section, we shape interpretation using the dynamics knob, which controls both volume and intensity, and the envelope controls for attack, release, tightness, and motion, which come in the form of sliders. Also, in this section, we choose the articulations we need and find some handy tools like the Repetition Tool. These controls are very responsive and easy to control, so it doesn’t take long to get the performance we want.

Compatibility:

The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

The sound quality this collection offers is excellent. Thanks to the 3 microphone channels, it is possible to get a very epic cinematic sound, even with the quintet. The repetition and arpeggio options are very well executed, as well as effects like the sax’s broken runs or the flute’s flourishes.

The only issue with this library is that the sound is too wet, so much so that it’s really hard to get a defined sound from the instruments, incorporate it into an orchestra, or blend it in with another library. It’s not impossible to achieve a closer and more intimate sound, but it does require a lot of work.

With that being said, the sound this library offers is top-notch and works great for film scoring.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Woodwind Plugins (And KONTAKT Libraries)

11. Native Instruments Piano Colors (Versatile Piano)

More Info & Price 

If you’re tired of the same old piano sounds in your collections, this inspiring library might spark your creativity back to life.

Native Instruments and Galaxy Instruments have come up with Piano Colors, a library of prepared piano sounds with unconventional playing and recording techniques.

From overtones generated with plastic pins and hand-plucked strings to strings beaten with mallets/brushes and bowed with electronic devices, you’ll come across a vast library of sounds you never thought possible from a grand piano.

On top of having a strange and exciting sample library, the library features various sound modules on its user interface that help you bring vibrant colors to your sonic palette. These modules include multiple layers of sounds, an arpeggiator, effect processors, and more.

Furthermore, the user interface features colorful light columns behind the piano. These light columns represent the sound layers, and their width represents the volume of each layer.

Key Features:

• Noises
  Among the layers in this library, one of the most important is the Noise module. When you click on Noises on the main page, you’ll open a new page with five modules. These are the various kinds of noises in the library, including pedal, mechanical, key attack, pianist, and electronic devices’ noises. You can control the volume of each, and some have more parameters and controls for customization.
• Two Layers
  Two of the layers are dedicated to sample playback, and you can load one of the many sampled instruments in this library in each layer. You can see more of their controls when you click on the Layer 1 and Layer 2 buttons on the main interface and open the Tone Page. This new page lets you change the brightness, pan, tone, dynamics, sub-harmonics, overtones, resonance, envelope, etc. Similarly, you can add four modulation effects, a dynamics effect, EQ, a reverb/delay, and LFO modulation per layer on this very page. The reverb/delay effect features a variety of effects, from convolution and analog reverb to the proprietary Replika delay.
• Particles
  You can adjust the behavior of the Particles engine on the Particles page. When you play notes on your keyboard, the Particles engine triggers and processes additional samples called particles. It creates a series of notes and tones to create a cloud-like effect. You can customize the engine so that they behave a specific way. For instance, you can change the generated particles’ density, variation, sync, decay, pre-delay, stereo doubling, etc.
• Arpeggiator
  On the Arpeggiator page, you will find a 32-step sequencer that lets you adjust each note’s rhythm, velocity, and length. You can also change the arpeggiator’s order, rate, octave, length, humanization, velocity range, etc. Using the arpeggiator alongside the Particles module rewards you with a fabulous scape of sounds.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.0 or Kontakt Player 6.6.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Piano Colors is a genuinely unique sample library. It features a prepared piano with many kinds of treatments, mallets, bows, etc. And it can sound anything from soft and soothing to harrowing and piercing.

You could use it to generate a bed of evolving soundscapes in a film’s underscore or as a rhythmic arpeggio instrument in a pop song. Overall, for what it does and the quality of the sounds, I have no complaint about this library.

Related Reading:

Top 9 Piano Kontakt Sample Libraries (And 5 Best Free Pianos)

12. Heavyocity Damage 2 (Epic Drums)

More Info & Price 

Damage 2 is one of the most extensive libraries of epic cinematic percussions.

The second Heavyocity library on the list is Damage 2, an aggressive hybrid percussion collection with 864 loops and 208 presets spread over three designer engines. You’ll find a range of sounds, from massive gran cassa and taikos to spooky gong scrapes and pristine cymbals.

Many of the sounds feature multiple mic positions, including close, room, hall, LFE, and analog Crush. On top of having a massive sound library, Damage 2 also utilizes its designer engines to produce realistic performances. You can use it for creating rolls, flairs, and even rhythms.

A single instance of Damage 2 with proper customization of the engines can act as full-on percussive backing with a humanized feel. I also like recording its performance into another track as MIDI data and editing the performance there.

Key Features:

• Ensemble Designer
  The Ensemble Designer is the most important engine in this library, and it comes with presets in ten categories. Among these, the “All-Star Presets” category showcases a lot of what the engine can do. In the designer engine, you can use the Stage page to load different instruments or “sources.” Each patch can load up to thirty-six sources spread across your keyboard. If you load a bank (a preset of 12 sources), the sources will spread across an octave. So, with 36 sources total, you will have three octaves of sounds on your keyboard.
  You can move each source on a virtual stage on the Stage view, setting the panning and depth (reverb wet/dry) intuitively. Next, you’ll find various controls on the Settings page to adjust the performance. The upper part features round-robin controls, velocity randomization, velocity curve, etc. And the lower part lets you change the drum’s tuning, attack, decay, and tone (also found on the Stage page). Similarly, you can activate Performance, which is a MIDI repeater. You can make it play crescendos, swells, flairs, rolls, and rhythm.
  Finally, on the Master FX page, you can activate up to seven effect processors. These include Filter, Punish, EQ, Compressor, Saturation, Delay, and Reverb. You can reorder these effects, activate or deactivate the effects, and customize each effect on the lower section of the page. Try the proprietary Punish knob to add grit and aggressiveness using preset compression and saturation.
• Kit Designer
  Following the Ensemble Designer, we have the Kit Designer, which is essentially a typical drum machine. You can load drum sources using the sixteen drum pads on the lower part of the Mix page, which is the default view. From C1 to D#2, these drum pads follow the GM format to keep things simple. Furthermore, you can customize each source on the Settings page. Here, you can adjust the mic position mix, pad MIDI note assignment, tuning, velocity sensitivity, round-robin, choke, etc.
  When you add a sound source to the pad, you can mix the sound at the upper section of the Mixer page. A mixer view lets you control the volume and pan of individual drum sources. And below it, you can add up to four effect processors on each drum sound. These effect processors include compressor, transient, EQ, filter, overdrive, modulator (phaser/flanger), delay, and reverb. Finally, as with the previous engine, there’s a Master FX page with the same controls.
• Loop Designer
  In this designer, you can load up to 36 loops spread across three octaves in the Source view. You can preview each loop before dragging and dropping it onto your desired note. Next, you can add four effect processors that act as sends for each loop. The effects include compressor, Lo-Fi, filter clean/dirty, modulator, distortion, delay, gater, and three reverbs.
  Furthermore, you can use a sequencer to modulate the effect sends. These help you create rhythmic sounds with your effects. And finally, it features a Master FX page with the same controls as the Ensemble Designer’s page.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.2.2 or Kontakt Player 6.2.2. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

While designing custom drum kits and ensembles is no doubt fun, Damage 2’s credible collection of presets is not something to be overlooked. The presets fully utilize the engine to present creative and inspiring sounds right out of the box. You can use these for adding flourishes to your cinematic score or pop music.

Similarly, the extensive set of effects and mixing controls ensure that you can create mix-ready sounds without using your DAW.

Related Reading:

Top 7 Drum Libraries For KONTAKT (And 4 Freebies)

13. Native Instruments Pharlight (Voice-Based Synth For Vocal Soundscapes)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Pharlight is an innovative pad sound generator from the makers of Kontakt and is frequently utilized by cinematic composers.

Pharlight has a granular engine built from the ground up and a variety of audio sources. The granulated sounds are routed via several effect processors and modulators to produce dynamic and immersive soundscapes.

It also has a sample layer that you can use to add background noises, envelope attacks, tonal centering (for atonal soundscapes), and pads to the mix.

Most of the sound sources in this library are vocal sounds choreographed to perform well with granular synths. These include invented phrases, noise samples, beatboxing, and choirs.

The main focus is on ensuring that the sources have spectral variations. It provides a variety of sounds for the granular synth to utilize.

Key Features:

• More Than A Library
  Besides its built-in sample library, you can import wav, aif, and ncw audio files into Pharlight to use them as sound sources. Of course, you can use the custom sample as either a sample waveform or in the granular synth. Furthermore, Pharlight finds the audio sample’s root key automatically, making manipulation easier than ever. Note that sounds with a large range of frequency content tend to sound best.
• Grain Page
  On this page, you’ll find the Grain Layer. It is essentially a granular synth that cuts the sound source into tiny “grains” and plays them back, altering the order, stretching them, etc. Pharlight lets you adjust the grain size, interval, playing position, range and tuning to customize the generated sound. It also has an amp envelope.
• Sample Page
  As you probably guessed already, the Sample page features the sample layer. It functions like a typical sampler, allowing you to load lengthy sounds such as vinyl noise or even a single-cycle waveform. Pitch adjustments, start offset, filters, filter envelope, and amp envelope allow you to manipulate the sample playback.
• Effects Page
  Each of the two layers has its own effect section on the Effects page. Additionally, effects that apply globally are in the Master section. You’ll find reverb, delay, drive, tape saturation, guitar amps, tube distortion, and compressors for mixing your sounds. And finally, it also features an XY modulator that’s great for live performance.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.2.0 or Kontakt Player 6.2.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Pharlight is best suited for creating atmospheric sounds like pads, textures, sound effects, and sometimes even leads. It uses granular synthesis alongside sample playback to generate its sound. Furthermore, most of the presets utilize the XY modulator so that you can perform live playing them.

The built-in samples are mostly vocal sounds, although they pretty much don’t sound anything like the choirs we’re used to. Still, the voices help add a somewhat organic vibe to the synth-like sound of the library. And I also like how it allows you to use custom samples.

Related Reading:

Top 6 Choir VST Plugins & Sample Libraries (+ Freebies)

14. Output Substance (Bass Engine)

More Info & Price 

With Substance, gone are the days of layering multiple samples and synths to achieve your perfect low-end rumble.

Substance is a complete bass sound designing instrument featuring built-in samples of real-life acoustic instruments and dirty analog synth sounds. On the main page of the user interface, you will find a peculiar layout of three instrument layers, their controls, and macro faders that let you customize the sound quickly.

And you can also assign the macros to a MIDI CC to control them with your MIDI controller. You’ll find the power buttons to mute/enable the layers at the center of the layout. Moving out a step will lead you to the volume of each of the layers. Next, you can select various sound sources by clicking on the source name.

Outside of this section, you’ll see the category of the sound source you’ve chosen, and the logo represents the same. On the outer edge of the circular layout, you’ll find four macro faders, which differ based on the preset or your assignments.

Key Features:

• Edit Page
  You’ll find the three layers and their various controls on the Edit page. Each layer has a volume envelope, pan knob, stereo width control, tune/transpose, and sample start offset. Similarly, you can also enable monophonic/polyphonic mode and legato. For further customization, you’ll find the key range, legato glide time, and velocity sensitivity in the Advanced tab at the bottom of the Edit page. These features are essential for creating 808-style gliding bass in electronic music, hip-hop, trap, etc.
• Mixing
  There are three pages dedicated to mixing in this library: EQ, Filter, and FX. The EQ page features a 3-band EQ per layer and one more for the global output. You can choose either shelf or peak mode for the low and high bands. Similarly, the Filter page contains a multi-mode filter for each layer and a high-pass and low-pass filter for the global output. Furthermore, it also has a filter envelope.
  Next, you will find six effect processors per layer on the FX page. These effects include distortion, motion (chorus/phaser/flanger), pitch, compressor, delay, and reverb. Similarly, the global FX section has distortion, compressor, delay, and reverb.
• Rhythm Page
  The Rhythm page contains a single LFO or a step-sequencer. When one of them is activated, you can start “sending” various parameters into the LFO/sequencer to modulate them. You can do so by using the upper half of the Rhythm page. Here, you’ll find volume, bite, cutoff, and resonance under each layer. And you’ll also find high-pass cut and resonance, drive, tone, and low-pass cut and resonance under the Global Sends section. If you wish to modulate one of them, turn up or down the respective fader to make it modulate positively or negatively.
• Arpeggiator
  Substance has a built-in arpeggiator with twelve types of playback styles. These include pedal tone, up, down, up-down, down-up, random, chord (polyphonic), four zigzags, and as played. You can also use a step sequencer to control the velocity of each note in the arpeggio. Similarly, other controls include octave selection, gate, swing, rate, etc.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 5.8.1 (NOT free Kontakt Player). Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Substance is a handy tool if you often make music with bass at the forefront like trap, hip-hop, and even house. Similarly, it features interesting acoustic basses, including low brass sections, contrabass pizzicato, bass guitars, etc. When mixing these sounds with the electronic counterparts, I found the results excellent for sci-fi/action trailer music and film SFX design too. Furthermore, there are plenty of controls for customizing the presets.

That said, I would have loved to see a sample import feature that let me use custom sounds for mixing with the library’s samples. In a way, the lack of this feature defeats the library’s purpose, which is to help people avoid tedious sound layering.

However, the built-in sounds are perfectly adequate in most cases. Hence, I recommend you give it a try.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Sub Bass Plugins For Producers (Best Low-End Tools)

15. Native Instruments Symphony Series Percussion (Orchestral Percussions)

More Info & Price

A library that provides depth and versatility with its vast collection of orchestral percussions.

This library boasts a vast amount of 55 instruments featured. Recorded at Studio 22, Budapest, with the collaboration of Sonuscore, this collection offers flexibility with all the instruments it includes as well as the tools for shaping the timbre and performance.

Its GUI is simple and intuitive and, combined with the articulations, a large number of samples and the drum head resonance simulation, provide the users with a detailed and authentic sound with ease.

Key Features:

DHRS:
Making a virtual instrument is not an easy task consdering the recording of the samples, as exhaustive as it can get, is the easy part compared to what comes next, the programing of the samples to imitate a real performance. With that in mind, this library uses Drum Head Resonance Simulation (DHRS), a unique sampling and playback system that switches intelligently between samples of beating on a still drum head and a resonating drum head to simulate a real-life performance.

5 Microphones:
To ensure quality, clarity and authenticity, this library – like the rest of its counterparts in the Symphony Series – was recorded using close, mid, and far microphones, capturing not only the instruments but also the natural reverberation of the studio. But additionally, a spot mic was added to the mix – making a total of 5 channels – to give the users the choice to accentuate any instrument they desire and prevent it from being lost or just cut through the rest of the orchestra besides just balancing distance and placement.

55 Instruments:
With a whopping number of 55 instruments, SSP offers a wide variety of both classic and exotic instruments, including bass drums, snares, toms, timpani, cymbals, celesta, vibraphone, crotales, glockenspiels, jawbones, rain sticks, gongs, chimes, tamtams, and many, many more. These instruments are grouped into 6 categories: Drums, Tuned Percussion, Cymbals, Metal, Wood, and Kits, of which the latter offers 7 sub-categories where some of the instruments of other categories are grouped differently for a commodity like Big Hits, Cymbals, Snares, Toms, and Orchestral Percussion, while others include other instruments like FX Drones and Toys; and the Big Hits combines several of the instruments for impactful segments of a piece. 

Drums:
As the drums are the main reason for anyone looking for an orchestral percussion library, most of the effort and attention to detail was put into recording, sampling, and programming them, making sure they offer the most authentic sound and many options for playability and effects like drum rolls, which are executed superbly. 

Compatibility:

The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

This collection offers a lot of versatility, although many claim it’s not good when it comes to epic drums, which is not entirely true. While it is difficult to achieve that massive cinematic sound, with a good balance of the 4 microphone channels – or maybe just using the close and spot mics – and making the right choices with EQ and compression and then adding reverb, that feature can be accomplished. Some instruments are short in number of samples and options for playability, mostly the non-orchestral. On the other hand, the drums take the spotlight, offering a lot of detail and options.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Orchestral VST Plugins & Kontakt Libraries (+ FREE Plugins)

16. Native Instruments Electric Vintage (Electric Guitar)

More Info & Price 

Native Instrument’s Electric Vintage is a capable guitar library that lets you play rhythm and lead.

Electric Vintage faithfully reproduces the sound of the Fender Telecaster, one of the most popular electric guitars of the late 1950s. It has a flexible engine that can play lead melodies and dynamic strums with an extensive library of patterns. You’ll find hand-played strums, arpeggios, and riffs in the pattern library.

The single-coil pickups produce a nasally, twangy tone that made the Telecaster stand out throughout history. And the recordings in the Electric Vintage library accurately capture the tone. Furthermore, while the library is a natural fit for funk and pop, it also shines in hip-hop, rock, and EDM music.

Tweaking the built-in virtual amp and effects results in a large variety of tones.

Key Features:

• Rhythm Patterns
  There are 231 patterns in the library, which span various genres. Strumming, open and muted chords, riffs, arpeggios, etc., let you choose the style you need for your Similarly, changing the chord voicing (fret position) opens up a whole new world of possibilities. You can also assign key switches to each pattern and play them in various orders to create custom rhythms.
• Playing Melodies
  Electric Vintage comes with two instruments. The first is for playing rhythms, whereas the second is for playing melodies. Furthermore, you can also combine the melodies with the rhythm patterns. It results in a dynamic and convincing performance. For playing melodies, there are a variety of articulations available, including open, muted, flageolet, tremolo, and slides, and the ability to bend the strings using the pitch wheel. Similarly, pick your favorite tone by switching between finger and plectrum strokes.
• Mixing
  Electric Vintage lets you select between the bridge pickup and the neck pickup. And you can also enable doubling to add stereo width. Other settings include muted note length, fret noise, and detuning. Similarly, you can add effects to mix your guitar sound further. The Amps & FX Browser allows you to select effects like distortion pedal, EQ, compressor, reverb, delay, modulation, and tape effect. Additionally, you can select amp simulations and cabinets to add color to your tones.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.5.2 or Kontakt Player 6.5.2. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Sound-wise, it’s difficult to fault Electric Vintage. It reproduces the Telecaster sound well, and it features a range of effects and settings to configure your sound. Similarly, the pattern recordings are clean and highly usable.

Furthermore, the pattern browser lets you play a pattern on your keyboard, and the library will automatically find the matching style for you.

Related Reading:

Top 10 Guitar Libraries For Kontakt (Acoustic, Electric, Bass & Freebies)

17. Vir2 Instruments MOJO 2: Horn Section 2.0 (Horn Instrument)

More Info & Price 

Mojo 2 is a collection of deeply-sampled brass and reed instruments with excellent features for realistic performances.

Vir2 is one of the most known sampled instrument developers producing a variety of instruments, from mallets to guitars, and they have undoubtedly nailed the recording and programming in Mojo 2. It’s a brass library ideal for jazz, march-style music, beguine, funk, big band, pop, etc.

It features various legato modes that make playing solo parts effortless while keeping everything sounding natural.

The library features seventeen sampled instruments, including trumpet, muted trumpet, piccolo trumpet, muted piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn, muted flugelhorn, French horn, muted French horn, clarinet, baritone sax, tenor sax, alto sax, soprano sax, bass trombone, muted bass trombone, trombone, and muted trombone.

Each horn features three round robins and four velocity layers for the ultimate realism.

Key Features:

• Era
  Mojo 2 comes with four era-presets: modern, retro (60s – 70s), vintage 1 (40s – 50s), and vintage 2 (20s – 30s). It changes the tone of the recordings and adds noise to simulate the vintage eras. So, whether you’re writing a dramatic piece for a modern film score or a vintage horn part for a piece calling back to Louis Armstrong’s masterful melodies, Mojo 2 has you covered.
• Legato
  Mojo 2 features both true legato and running legato. True legato makes a smooth change from one note to another when you’re performing. It’s one of the vital parts of realistic instrument performance. Similarly, running legato makes the instrument “run” from one note to another by playing the notes in-between consecutively. It’s also a common technique in horn performance.
• Mixing
  First, the library’s Mixer page provides you with three mic positions: close, near, and room. These help you adjust the raw tone of the horns. Furthermore, it also allows you to adjust the number of players from one to ten per instrument with auto-divisi. Similarly, you can change the humanization and stereo spread of the ensemble.
  Additionally, the Effects page lets you add nine effects to process your horn sound. These are the effects included: EQ, cabinet, stereo width, saturation, tape saturation, compressor, limiter, delay, and reverb. Each effect features an on/off toggle switch, detailed parameters, and presets.
• Mapping Page
  The last page in the library’s user interface is the Mapping Page. On this page, you’ll find the thirteen articulations of the instrument. And you can select the method you wish to use for switching between them. The most common way is to use key switches, but you may also use velocity. This page also lets you select the key switch note, velocity value, etc. Similarly, you’ll also find the MIDI CC assignments for various parameters.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 5.8.1 or Kontakt Player 5.8.1. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10.11 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Mojo 2 is a comprehensive horn ensemble instrument that covers just about every need a composer could have. Each instrument has thirteen articulations, including sustain, staccato, stabs, bend down, octave run down & up, doits, rise to hit, shakes, trills, swells, crescendos, and falls.

Furthermore, the era presets help you effortlessly achieve a vintage or modern sound. So, if you often require horn sounds in your composition, you should go ahead and try its demo for sure.

Related Reading:

Top 13 Jazz & Swing Plugins & Kontakt Libraries 

18. Native Instruments Straylight (Modern Soundscapes & Transitions)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Straylight is yet another granular synth-based cinematic sound designing tool on my list.

Ambient soundscapes, strange textures, and enveloping pad sounds are essential in film, TV, and game scores or trailers. Straylight aims to use a granular synth engine mixed with a sample player to generate organic yet superficial sounds fit for everything from post-apocalyptic sci-fi and action to moody thrillers.

The most powerful part of the library is its sample library. The sound sources include everything, from simple string ensembles to off-the-wall ideas like rubbing a rubber ball on a glass surface. The resulting library features over 360 distinct sound sources for granular and sampler layers.

Furthermore, if you are short on time, you can find your perfect sound from over 300 presets.

Key Features:

• Customize
  Like Pharlight, this library also allows you to load custom samples in both the grain and sample layers. The best sounds to use in the grain layer are those with a lot of frequency content. The more content there is, the more the synth can utilize. As for the sample layer, you can pretty much use anything. However, ensuring that the two complement one another results in a delightful result.
• Granular Engine
  Clicking on Grain reveals the page where you’ll find Straylight’s granular synth. As mentioned in the previous libraries, a granular synth divides a sound source into small segments called grains. And on this page, you can adjust the grains’ duration, fades, level, pitch, playback order, speed, etc. Furthermore, you’ll also find an amp envelope on this page.
• Sample Player
  The Sample page features the sample layer, which provides parameters to shape and manipulate the playback of the sample. These parameters include tuning, start offset, a filter, filter envelope, and an amp envelope. Furthermore, when you load a custom sample on this page or the Grain page, Kontakt automatically detects the root note for you.
• Effects Page
  You can apply effects to each of the two layers I’ve described above on this page. There are four effect slots for each layer, and you can choose from nine effects. These effects include delay, drive, dynamics, EQ, filter, gater, modulation, reverb, and utility (stereo imager).
  Like the layer effects, you can also load four of them in the Master FX section. Furthermore, the library features a separate Send FX section, where you’ll find a global delay and reverb. You can also control the amount sent from the Grain and Sample layers in this section.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.2.0 or Kontakt Player 6.2.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Featuring over 450 presets, Straylight is a vast library of cinematic sounds. The sounds are categorized into atmosphere, pad, lead, transition, keys, effects, subs, and pulses. Furthermore, you can create new sounds by loading custom samples from your collection.

Often, sounds created using granular synths are unique and utterly distinct from the original source. So, make sure you try even the sounds you’d least expect to sound good!

Related Reading:

29 Best Sound Design VST Plugins (Creative Tools)

19. Native Instruments Analog Dreams V2 (Modern & Vintage Vibes)

More Info & Price

Analog Dreams is a Kontakt library for vintage synths and keys.

It sounds warm, aesthetic, modern, and huge, and it has some incredible sounds inspired by the 80s and 70s synth wave. The plugin’s workflow is simple, having two sound layers: A and B, and eight MACRO knobs. You can edit each layer individually, change its pitch, transpose it, tune it, pan it, add color, and apply filters and modulations.

Key Features:

• Filter
  The plugin allows you to select the cutoff frequency, resonance, and key track. In addition, you can select different filter algorithms, whether low pass, high pass, band pass, etc., and their variations.
• Modulations
  The plugin allows you to add modulations using two LFOs, one MOD envelope, one AMP envelope, velocity, aftertouch, and the modwheel. The modulation process is easy and intuitive, with responsive controls.
• Effects
  You can add multiple effects like EQ, Bus compressor, limiter, and more. You can go within the effects and change their settings to fit your sound and the color you want to add to the sound.
• Sequencer
  The sequencer window lets you edit the rate, swing, and steps and select a key (the root note and the scale). In addition, you can adjust the movement of the sequencer and its amount.

Compatibility:

Analog Dreams is compatible with the free Kontakt version and requires a minimum of Kontakt 6.1 and 3.6 GB of hard disk space.

Summary:

Analog Dreams is a part of the Play Series by Native Instruments and has 100 presets and 150 sounds, with preset categories like Bass, FX, Lead, Pads, Plucked, etc. Overall the interface is pretty, streamlined, and highly tweakable. The sounds in the library are perfect for creating modern pop, EDM, R&B, Dance, and hip-hop music.

Related Reading:

Top 20 Native Instruments Plugins & Kontakt Libraries 

20. Ethno World 6 Complete (Collection of Ethnic Instruments & Voices)

More Info & Price 

For over 16 years, Ethno World has been steadily expanding and improving, culminating in Ethno World 6 Complete. 

The sample library Ethno World bills itself as the “ultimate collection of ethnic instruments and voices from around the world.” By “ethnic instruments and voices,” You can take it they mean anything you won’t hear in a standard western classical orchestra or your run-of-the-mill rock, jazz, or electronic band.

Given the immensity of the Earth, it is not unexpected that the library is over 22 terabytes in size, with 28,479 samples and 310 separate sound sources.

Key Features:

• Instruments
  Instrument library includes bowed, stringed and key instruments, gongs, bells, metals, construction sets, woodwinds, brass, drums and percussions from all over the world.
• Quick Edit Tab
  The Quick Edit tab view, the first of six available page views, is the default for all interfaces. The sampling rate, tuning, beginning position, and adjusting range can all be quickly modified using the sliders provided to the user. In addition, the adjacent panel may find sliders for adjusting volume, panning, velocity, pitch bend range, attack, release, and low- and high-pass filtering.
  Adjustments performed with the sliders affect only the selected sample; if the Edit All button is pressed, you will simultaneously modify all samples associated with the active interface’s virtual keyboard.
• Microtuning
  Microtuning enables the user to fine-tune each note and to create, load, and save customized microtonal profiles. This is a game-changer for world instruments, giving them the punch they require to offer a more authentic feel to tunes that need it.
• Interface
  The new version features a graphical interface that has been rethought from the ground up to provide lightning-fast response times.
  There is a wide variety of customization options and cutting-edge features. Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol keyboards and NI Maschine can be tagged and interacted with in ETHNO WORLD 6 Complete thanks to compatibility with the Native Kontrol Standard (NKS).
• Information Database
  Access to the comprehensive IDB-INFO is a standout feature of ETHNO WORLD 6 Complete, as you can access it from any instrument or voice.
  In the “IDB-INFO” section of the site’s navigational menu, you’ll find pictures of the instruments and extensive information about their histories, cultures of origin, and distinctive playing styles. There are also instructions on using key switches to produce believable results with the matching instrument.
• Loops/Phrases
  The instruments are both multi-sampled instruments and instrument effects, and they have a wide variety of performances (loops/phrases) synced to the pace. Most instruments have a nice presence and liveliness during playback. Including each instrument as a multi-sample instrument and the phrase/loops allow users to bring their world or ethnically colored music to life.

Compatibility:

The library is available for Kontakt 5.7 or higher (NOT the free Kontakt Player). Kontakt 5.7 is available for Windows 7 or higher 32-bit and 64-bit and macOS 10.10 or higher 64-bit. It comes in VST 2, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Over the years, this collection of odd instruments has grown into a voluminous archive. This library is unparalleled in its selection of instruments and vocal samples. In addition, the sound is more genuine, thanks to the micro tuning tab I discovered.

You can use the presets to change the tune away from western tuning and toward a better suit for the local environment. Now that Ethno World is NKS-compatible, you may easily navigate between instruments in no time.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Ethnic, Folk, World & Asian Plugins (Free & Paid)

7 Extra Libraries:

1. Native Instruments Ashlight (Granular Synth For Soundscapes)

More Info & Price 

From animated textures to enveloping soundscapes, this granular engine does it all.

Ashlight is a texture engine for producing intricate atmospheres, pads, soundscapes, effects, and even leads. The sounds range from cinematic soundscapes to dark and moody bass and atmospheres. It features a built-in sample library and a granular synthesizer to generate sounds.

And the user interface features five pages that let you perform, edit, and customize the sounds. Let’s have a look at these pages in more detail.

Key Features:

• Performance Page
  The primary control for sculpting the sound is the XY pad in the center of the Performer page. It allows you to make the most significant adjustments in the sound’s character. This page also contains four Macros that allow you to quickly control and alter the assigned parameters. Furthermore, you can change the volume of the two layers in the library: grain and sample. Let’s talk about these next.
• Grain Page
  The granular synthesis starts with an audio sample, divides it into tiny parts known as grains, and plays back the grains out of order. The size of these grains is usually less than a hundred milliseconds, making it near impossible to detect the source sound. On the Grain Page, you can change the playback order, speed, duration, level, pitch, etc., of the grains to design new sounds. Furthermore, you can sync the Grain Cursor to your tempo, resulting in perfectly timed sweeps, risers, effects, and transitions. And, of course, you can also change the volume, panning, and the amp envelope.
• Sample Page
  The sample is the second layer of your sound. You’ll find various parameters on the Sample Page that allow you to shape and manipulate the source sample. You can select a source sample from the built-in custom library featuring multi-samples and one-shots of choirs, synths, noises, percussions, pulses, guitar, etc. You can change the tuning, start offset, add a filter, add filter envelope, arpeggiate the sample, and add a volume envelope.
• Effects And Global Page
  On the Effects Page, you’ll find several effect processors that you can add to each of the layers in your patch. You can load up to four effects per layer, and there are a total of nine effect processors. These effects include a multi-mode filter, EQ, dynamics, gate, drive, modulation, delay, reverb, and utility. The latter controls the stereo image and panning.
  Similarly, the Global Page features four global effect slots and options to aside the XY pads to a MIDI CC value. The effect section on this page applies to both layers of your patch.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.0 or Kontakt Player 6.6.0. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Ashlight is described as a “real-time cinematic texture instrument.” It features an XY pad that you can assign to your MIDI controller for performing live. And it uses a sample alongside a granulated sample to generate its ambient textures. There are 263 grain-source samples and a hundred sample sets.

Furthermore, it comes with a factory preset library with over 320 snapshots. If you often find yourself looking for dark and moody soundscapes, drones, subs, pulsing sounds, etc., Ashlight could be the perfect instrument for you. However, for a library dedicated to a small niche, the price may seem steep for some.

Related Reading:

Top 11 Granular Plugins For Future Sound Design

2. Native Instruments Schema: Dark (Sequencer/ Great For Trailer Scoring)

More Info & Price

Schema Dark is a Native Instruments library that offers dark cinematic loop content for music creation.

Its four-layered Kontakt interface allows for layer mixing and pan, loop playback speed, direction, and sample reverse modes. The plugin has a dark tonality ranging from field-recorded sounds to orchestral recordings. Each layer can be edited using intuitive macro knobs, mix controls, and studio-grade effects.

Key Features:

• Multi-layer loop player
  One of the plugin’s key features is its multi-layer loop player, which enables you to chop loops into 16 slices and play them back in any order according to the chosen pattern. You can fine-tune each step in the pattern, giving them precise control over the timing and rhythm of their music.
• Easy GUI
  Plugin’s main page provides access to specialized editing pages and controls, allowing you to tweak their sound and create unique and intricate patterns. Macros and performance controls are always visible at the bottom of the instrument, providing a user-friendly interface for playing and tweaking key parameters.
• Presets
  NI SCHEMA: DARK has 343 professionally designed presets that can be easily tweaked and swapped to suit individual preferences. The plugin also includes a built-in way to generate sounds with a knob and the option to roll a virtual dice in each of the four loops, giving you even more creative possibilities.
• Random knob
  DARK has a built-in way to generate sounds using the “Random” knob. This allows you to roll a virtual die in the four loops, creating unpredictable and unique sequences. This feature can be used as a starting point for further tweaking and customization, adding experimentation and randomness to the creative process.
  Additionally, the ability to slice and rearrange loops in any order according to the chosen pattern allows for endless possibilities and variations in the sound, making it a versatile and adaptable instrument for various musical styles.

Compatibility:

Summary:

The instrument offers editable patterns for each layer, filters, decay, volume, and pitch controls. It is created in collaboration with pro sound and instrument designer Tobias Menguser. All these features make it a great library for trailers SFX and arpeggiators.

3. Native Instruments Symphony Series Brass Ensemble (Orchestral Brass)

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

A 32-piece symphonic brass section was developed in partnership with Soundiron.

Recorded in St. Paul’s Church in San Francisco by Soundiron, this collection is comprised of two libraries: Solo and Ensemble, each one including the four instruments of a symphonic brass section (trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba) and a group section or Ensemble (Quartet for Solo).

The ranges of the instruments in the Ensemble and Quartet patches can be adjusted and also overlapped when unlinked. Also, instruments can be deactivated – which helps save CPU usage – in case you need just trumpets and horns or trumpets and trombones, for example.

Key Features:

• Articulations:
  Over 100 articulations were recorded and provided to the instrument sections. They’re distributed across all the sections and solo instruments of which each come in six types of preset: Effects, Expression, Legato, Staccato, Sustain, and a general-purpose one with the name of the according instrument – meaning that, for example, the trumpet section would be reflected in Trumpet Effects, Trumpet Expression, Trumpet Legato, Trumpet Staccato, Trumpet Sustain, and Trumpet; and so on with the rest of the instruments –. This can be inconvenient since each preset comes with just a set of articulations according to its description, but none of them have all the articulations; the general-purpose one has a lite mixed set of all the articulations (but not all of them as previously mentioned). The reason for this is reducing the load on the CPU, which is also why it is possible to purge articulations in the articulations tab which reduces the load. This also simplifies the process of performance or MIDI drawing (depending on your style) to only use what you need. Although, it could have been possible to have this option and also an almighty all-articulations preset instead of having to load several presets to be able to make use of several sets of articulations.
• Repetition Tool:
  You can repeat short note strikes two or three times or keep it repeating indefinitely with this feature while pressing down on a key without releasing when activated. Also, this feature allows to create patterns of 1/8^th notes or 1/16^th notes with accents. This is very useful for playing rhythmic sections or ostinatos.
• Dynamics:
  The upper segment of the main page in the GUI features the dynamics knob, which controls a combination of volume and intensity and can be mapped to the mod wheel. There are also slider controls for attack, release, tightness and motion to fill the performance with realism and expression.
• Mixer & FX:
  This section features a four channel mixer with stereo, close, mid, and far microphones – stereo being a combination of the three aforementioned as a RAM-friendly option – with toggle on/off controls and panning sliders. Below, we have a parametric EQ with three bands, a compressor, a low pass filter, and a convolution reverb with 100 different impulses helping add some ambience, which works great for presets with shorter release times. There’s also a Transfer Settings feature that allows users to copy the settings in the mixer section to other instruments. For some reason, this feature does not work when trying to copy the settings of a section to a solo instrument, nor the opposite.

Compatibility:

The library is available for Kontakt Player 5 or higher. Kontakt is available for Windows 10 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

This collection is an excellent choice as it offers a lush sound, great sound-shaping tools, a fair number of articulations and impulse responses, and both Solo and Ensemble options. Its weaknesses can be easily overcome, although it requires patience and spending some time tweaking the presets and effects to get the sound you need.

Related Reading:

Top 12 Brass Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries (+ Best FREE Plugins)

4. Strezov Sampling Jade Orchestra (Asian Ethnic Instrument)

More Info & Price 

Jade Orchestra is an ethnic orchestral collection of Chinese instruments and Mongolian choirs.

Co-produced with Seth Tsui, a conductor, the library includes over fifty instruments with over a hundred patches. The primary instrument categories are bowed string ensembles/solo, plucked strings, vocals, woodwinds, percussion, and pad sounds.

Furthermore, while most of the sounds are predominantly from China, other Asian sounds such as the Mongolian Longsong quartet, Moorin-Khuur, and the Japanese Shakuhachi are also present.

This library is best suited for film score composers who find themselves working on Asian-themed films, where musical localization is necessary. Similarly, you might also find the sounds useful to add peculiarity to an archetypal orchestra or even a pop song.

Key Features:

• Performance
  Jade Ethnic Orchestra, like the rest of Strezov Sampling’s instruments, has exceptional playability owing to its true legato recording and scripting. It lets you play pieces with flawlessly connected notes that sound like you played them on a real stringed instrument rather than a keyboard. True legato is also available in the choir/voice patches.
  Similarly, the instruments in the library also provide multiple articulations. Most of the stringed instruments provide legato, tremolo, staccato, and pizzicato. Key switches let you switch between them. Likewise, bends, harmonics, and tremolo are available for plucked strings. And it features a syllable builder for natural choir performance. You can save your “lyrics” in the syllable builder to use in another instance of the library.
• Mic Mixing
  Strezov Samplings used three mic placements to record the instruments: near, Decca, and hall. Decca Tree is the most typical method for recording orchestral instruments, as you may know. In this setup, three microphones are used to record the stereo features and the center sound. The collection includes a range of tailored convolution reverbs in addition to the original chamber hall sound (from Sofia Session Studio).
• Comprehensive
  With over 110 GB of compressed sample content, Jade Ethnic Orchestra offers deep round robins and multiple dynamic layers, in addition to what is apparent in the recording, like articulations and mic placements. They add to the organic and natural feel of the instruments. Furthermore, other features like polyphonic legato and the proprietary X3M percussive engine provide even more possibilities in performance.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 5.7.1 or Kontakt Player 5.7.1. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.11 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

If you’re looking to add the flair of Chinese and other Asian instruments to your music, the Jade Ethnic Orchestra provides a straightforward way to get started.

Furthermore, each instrument is multi-sampled and well-scripted, making it one of the best ethnic sound libraries yet. If it sounds like something you need, do give it a thorough try.

5. Artistry Audio Scorpio (Motion Synth/Sequencer)

More Info & Price 

Scorpio is a synth library featuring sounds ranging from delicate bell-like tones and daunting basslines.

Scorpio combines synths with traditional instruments using granular synthesis to attain its powerful library of sounds ideal for modern scoring, dance music, electronica, New Age, etc. It features a comprehensive browser that lets you effortlessly find the sound you need.

Furthermore, you can customize the sounds easily in real-time using the XY-pad and macros on the main page of the user interface. Of course, you can also dive into the instrument by exploring its various pages and options to get a deeper level of control.

Based on the sounds in this library, I suggest the library for scoring sci-fi/action films, games, and trailers. Similarly, electronic music like EDM, New Age electronica, etc., will benefit from its evolving pads, arpeggios, and pulsating textures.

Key Features:

• Sources
  The library has two layers or “sources” labeled A and B. You can click on the source name to open the source browser, where you’ll find the sounds in the library. The sounds have five categories: keys & mallets, plucks, bass & strings, brass, and synths & pads. You’ll find processed acoustic sounds like marimba, celesta, vibraphones, strings, etc., and pure synth sounds in the list. You can combine the two sources to produce exciting and intricate textures by changing their volumes.
• Edit
  You can edit each source by going to the Edit page. Here, you will see the waveform of the sample you have selected. And you can change stereo width, panning, volume, tuning, amp envelope, etc., using various modules. Next, you can choose the engine type of the source: Play or Grains. Selecting Grains enables the granular synthesizer that subdivides the sample into small parts called grains. Similarly, you can add a filter and modulate it with an envelope.
  Below the source editing modules, you’ll find three sub-panels. Let’s check them out:
• Layer FX
  Each layer has four effect slots. In these slots, you can load a variety of effects, including a filter, super GT, S-compressor, limiter, transient processor, EQ, tape saturation, dirt, drive, cat, delay, cabinet, cry-wah, Lo-Fi, several reverbs, chorus, phaser, and flanger. Each of these effect processors has various parameters that you can customize to change the sound.
• Motion
  This panel lets you add further motion to the sound using two kinds of modulation: an LFO and a step-sequencer. The modulation targets include each source’s volume, pan, filter cutoff, pitch, and the FX send for each of the four slots. Each target has a slider next to its label that lets you add modulation positively or negatively.
• Master FX
  The Master FX page works very similarly to the Layer FX page. The difference is that the Master FX applies to both sources. Like in Layer FX, you can choose up to four effects. And these effects are an excellent way to polish your sound and make them better suited for mixing with your music.
• Arpeggiator
  After the Edit page, you’ll find the Arp page. You can enable the main arpeggiator on this page, change its speed, playback order, swing, etc. And you can adjust each note’s velocity, octave, gate, probability, stutter, and transpose using a step sequencer. These parameters help make your arpeggio patterns sound dynamic and exciting.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.1 (NOT free Kontakt Player). Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Scorpio offers a range of inspiring sounds out of the box with a distinct style and character. The sounds vary from clean acoustic patches to aggressive synth samples ideal for EDM and trailers. Although the sounds are never really mellow – this instrument is best suited for vigorous styles of music.

Furthermore, if you are into sound designing, the ample number of source samples is sure to delight you. And the library is straightforward to use, but it can also go in-depth in detail when you need it.

Related Reading:

Best Kontakt Libraries For EDM & House Music 

6. Native Instruments MIDDLE EAST (Ethnic Library)

More Info & Price

Middle East captures the sounds of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music in a remarkable collection of melodic and percussive sampled instruments.

The sound of Middle Eastern music is probably one of the most commonly used sets for film and game scores. It has become a staple to add peculiarity to a character or location, whether or not it has anything to do with the Middle East! And in Native Instrument’s take on these familiar sounds, the library seeks to remain as authentic and natural as possible.

Key Features:

• Instruments
  Spotlight Collection: Middle East features three sections of instruments: ensembles, percussion, and melodic. Ensembles include three patches: one with five melodic instruments, one with a percussion ensemble, and one with a complete string group. Similarly, the Percussion category features single Middle Eastern percussion instruments with more detail than the percussion ensemble preset. And finally, the Melodic category features single melodic instruments with key switches for ornaments and patterns. In total, there are thirteen percussion instruments and eight melodic instruments.
• Patterns
  The library features twelve patterns and phrases per instrument. These are authentic performances in MIDI format, which can be loaded and manipulated on the Perform page. You can trigger these patterns and phrases using the lowest mapped octave on your MIDI keyboard. The editing controls include sync, playback rate, tempo, etc.
• Mixer Page
  The Mixer Page lets you control the volume, pan, effect send, and three fixed effects per channel. The three effects include an EQ, a drive knob, and a tone knob. The latter applies a low-pass filter when turned to the left and a high-pass when turned to the right. Furthermore, there is a separate reverb channel, which is a convolution reverb with five different spaces. The send knob on the instrument and master channel sends the dry sound into this reverb.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 6.6.1 or Kontakt Player 6.6.1. Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.13 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Native Instruments Middle East is a comprehensive library of Middle Eastern instruments and patterns. There are twenty-seven instrument presets, 248 snapshots/presets, and 1,488 MIDI patterns and phrases.

Whether you’re scoring a film or writing a pop song with an ethnic touch, the sounds and patterns from this library are sure to inspire you.

7. Splash Sound Epic Percussion V3 (Epic Percussions)

More Info & Price 

As the name suggests, Epic Percussion 3 provides a collection of aggressive and driving percussions perfect for trailers and film scores.

There are seventeen single-drum patches and three kits in this library. Furthermore, you’ll find 560 built-in rhythm loops that get you started quickly. Besides the sounds, the library features a straightforward library that makes sound designing intuitive. Let’s take a closer look at everything included in this library:

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Library
  The drums in this library include bass drums, taiko ensembles, epic toms, march snares, steel drums, African drums, oriental percussion, Cuban drums, ceramic doumbeks, nagado, sticks and blocks, tambourines, shakers, cymbals, and bells. And the kits are Marching Kit, Epic Kit, and Ethnic Kit, each of which uses a collection of individual drum sounds. Whether you’re making typical trailer music or a score with some fundamental ethnic vibe, Epic Percussion 3 has you covered. As a side note, make sure you localize your scores appropriately.
• Mixing
  Epic Percussion 3 features three mic positions: close, hall, and room. You can adjust the level of each on the main page of the interface. Furthermore, you can add effects and use the built-in “epicness” knob that mixes synthesized percussion samples for a more aggressive and gritty sound.
• Rhythm
  The library features 560 built-in MIDI loops, and the Rhythm page lets you make basic customizations. You can switch the loops, change the rhythm type from straight to triplets, customize the loop’s tempo (half, normal, and double speed), and add time/velocity humanization. The latter helps you create convincing performances when using loops for sketching your percussion parts.

Compatibility:

This library is available for Kontakt 5.8.0 (NOT free Kontakt Player). Kontakt requires Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Epic Percussion 3 provides a comprehensive set of percussive instruments for most kinds of film/trailer production. The sound quality is decent, and it also features 560 inspiring loops. Furthermore, its proprietary “epicness” knob lets you add aggressiveness to your percussions with a single twist of a knob. Overall, it feels like an excellent value for its price.

Related Reading:

Top 7 Plugins For Game & Film Scoring (+ Kontakt Libraries)

Conclusion

There you have the top 20 Kontakt libraries available today in almost every category. It’s amazing to see how powerful a sample library becomes thanks to scripting. Percussion libraries like Heavyocity Damage 2 and Splash Sound Epic Percussion v3 are essentially virtual percussionists at the tip of your fingers.

Similarly, even if you’ve never played guitar, Native Instruments Electric Vintage lets you perform convincingly using a keyboard or programming. However, the libraries are not just about realism. Instruments like Piano Colors, Straylight, Ashlight, and Analog Dreams present everyday sounds in a completely new way.

Furthermore, my picks for the most comprehensive sets of libraries are Symphonic Destruction, Mysteria, Vir 2 Instruments Mojo 2, and Jade Ethnic Orchestra (bonus section). Each is for a different kind of use, but they all share one thing in common: they are comprehensive.

And with that, we reach the end of this article. Do let me know which ones you decided to try and your thoughts on them. Happy music-making!

Other Kontakt Libraries:

20 Best FREE Kontakt Libraries For Various Categories

Best Kontakt Libraries For TRANCE Music 

Top 10 Guitar Libraries For Kontakt (Acoustic, Electric, Bass & Freebies)

Top 7 Acoustic Guitar Plugins (And 4 Best Kontakt Libraries)

Best Fujara/Dvojačka VST Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 8 Bells VST Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 10 Percussion KONTAKT Libraries

Top 6 Choir VST Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 9 Saxophone Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries

Top 8 Trumpet Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries

14 Best Plugins & Kontakt Libraries For Country Musicians

Top 7 Accordion Plugins & Kontakt Libraries 

11 Best Flute Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries

12 Most Expensive VST Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 20 Native Instruments Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 12 Violin Plugins With Authentic Sound

Top 10 Viola Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 9 Mandoline Plugins & Libraries

Top 12 Woodwind Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 7 Strings Kontakt Libraries

Top 12 Brass Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries

Top 10 Double Bass Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 11 Spitfire Audio Libraries

6 Best OUTPUT Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

The 8 Best 8dio Kontakt Libraries

Top 8 Riser, Drop & Sweep Plugins & Kontakt Libraries For Transitions

Top 6 Cheap Kontakt Libraries That Don’t Suck 

Best Kontakt Libraries For EDM & House Music

Top 13 Jazz & Swing Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

8 Best Heavyocity Kontakt Libraries For Music Production

Top 9 Piano Kontakt Sample Libraries

Top 7 Trailer Scoring Plugins & Kontakt Libraries

Top 7 Drum Libraries For KONTAKT

Top 7 Kontakt Libraries For Horror & Thriller Scoring

Top 9 Sequencer & Arpeggiator KONTAKT Libraries

Top 7 Trap Music Kontakt Libraries

Top 10 R&B And Pop Music Plugins & KONTAKT Libraries

Top 7 Metal & Rock Kontakt Libraries (Best Guitars & Drums)