The best free Kontakt instruments for house music

Native Instruments Kontakt is a sampler with thousands of available instruments that allow you to play any kind of sound imaginable. This means that no matter what kind of music you’re making, there are sure to be many Kontakt instruments suitable for the task.

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In this guide to the best free Kontakt instruments for house music, we’ll look at some instruments that you can download and use for free, specifically ones that are suitable for making house music.

Five of these instruments will work on the free Kontakt Player, meaning you don’t even need the full version of Kontakt to use them. The other two require the full version of Kontakt, which you’ll already have if you’re a Komplete owner.

Jump to these sections:

1. ProjectSAM – The Free Orchestra
2. Strezov Sampling – The Creative ToolboX: Steinway Grand Piano
3. Native Instruments – Analog Dreams
4. Strezov Sampling – Minimalist Violins Legato Free
5. Heavyocity – Foundations Nylon Guitar
6. 8Dio – Cajon And Bongo
7. ETI – Roads Mark II

Are Kontakt instruments free?

Some Kontakt instruments are free, but others must be purchased to use. Also, some free instruments that can be used with the full version of Kontakt won’t work with the free Kontakt Player. Usually a product’s website will make it very clear if the instrument is free or not, and if it is free, whether it’s compatible with Kontakt Player.

Where can I download Kontakt Libraries for free?

Another great resource for free Kontakt instruments is the “100 best free Kontakt instruments” guide, which includes a wide variety of instruments suitable for all kinds of musical styles. This includes many instruments available from Native Instruments directly, plus the best offerings from third party developers.

1. ProjectSAM – The Free Orchestra

Strings have long been one of house music’s most important sounds since the genre’s inception in the 1980s.

Most of the sounds in The Free Orchestra aren’t particularly useful for house music. Still, Short Strings and Sordino Violins are perfect for making modern-sounding, polished string parts that retain that classic house feel.

Short Strings are staccato strings with a dynamic punch. They can help drive a track whether they’re playing in a low or high register.

Sordino Violins are muted violins with a soft sound. They’re useful for high leads, “tension” strings, or sustained chords.

Download The Free Orchestra

Compatible with Kontakt Player

2. Strezov Sampling – The Creative ToolboX: Steinway Grand Piano

Pianos and house music have gone hand-in-hand since its inception, and many of the most famous classic house tracks are piano-laden anthems.

Strezov Sampling’s Steinway Grand is a straightforward instrument with an unflashy interface, but it has a tremendous sound that is ideal for producing house music. From low-velocity delicate melodies to loud and proud chord progressions, Steinway Grand Piano can handle everything with a clean, clear sound that will punch through the mix.

If you’d like to customize the sound, you can mix between three mix sources, control the level of pedal noise, apply EQ and reverb, and adjust the stereo width.

Download The Creative ToolboX: Steinway Grand Piano

Compatible with Kontakt Player

3. Native Instruments – Analog Dreams

Analog Dreams is packed with big analog sounds, ideal for making electro house amongst other genres.

With 100 presets covering bass, FX, leads, pads, and plucks, Analog Dreams is full of sounds perfect for creating the more synthetic-sounding styles of house music. Macro controls for filter and processing are available for each instrument, allowing you to sculpt the sound to fit your mix.

Some of the most house-appropriate patches on offer include The Bump (bass), Bubble Boi, Old Fashioned and Twisted Apples (FX), BIGGGGGGGGGG, Chorder, Hybrid Poly, New World, and Summer Hill (leads), Frosty, Ocean Wave and Warm Ensemble (pads), and Garage and Jupiter Spikes (plucks).

Download Analog Dreams

Compatible with Kontakt Player

4. Strezov Sampling – Minimalist Violins Legato Free

Legato strings are a popular element of disco music, and as a direct descendant of disco, house music has often featured their slinky sounds.

Strezov Sampling has all your gliding string needs covered with this pared-back legato violin instrument. Much like their Steinway Grand Piano, Minimalist Violins Legato Free features a choice of three mics plus a reverb effect. You’re also given a choice to turn the Legato, Overlap, Releases, and Divisi options on or off, giving you a good deal of control over the resulting performance.

Download Minimalist Violines Legato Free

Compatible with Kontakt Player

5. Heavyocity – Foundations Nylon Guitar

Nylon guitars aren’t the most commonly used instruments in house music, but when they crop up, they can bring an expressive quality that’s hard to beat.

Foundations Nylon Guitar is an easy-to-use guitar instrument with an unfussy interface and a fantastic clean sound. If you’re after something a little more exotic, the instrument also includes delay and reverb effects plus an arpeggiator, which can be employed to create rhythmically complex parts that work well in an electronic music environment.

Download Foundations Nylon Guitar

Compatible with Kontakt Player

6. 8Dio – Cajon And Bongo

Percussion sounds are an ever-present part of house music, and Cajon and Bongo gives you access to a selection of percussion sounds for creating infectious Latin rhythms.

Featuring simple sounds meticulously sampled, Cajon And Bongo offers eight kits and three ensembles for your playing pleasure. The instrument includes all manner of processing tools such as the ability to mix between two mic sources, EQ, effects, and filter with LFO.

Download Cajon and Bongo

Compatible with the full version of Kontakt

7. ETI – Roads Mark II

Rhodes electric piano sounds are a staple in deeper forms of house and garage music, and this Roads Mark II instrument is perfect for creating that classic flavor.

An enormous 9GB in size, this instrument’s attention to detail is stunning, and its sound easily rivals the most popular commercial electric piano plugins. Roads Mark II works excellently, but if you tailor its sound, you’ll find options for pedal and instrument noise, vibrato, cabinet, and room sound, plus a fully customizable dynamics section for the ultimate playability.

Download Roads Mark II

Compatible with the full version of Kontakt

Start using Kontakt instruments in your electronic music productions

We’ve looked at seven free Kontakt instruments that you can use to take your house tracks to the next level. If you need yet more sounds, remember Native Instruments has a huge range of Kontakt instruments and expansions, many of which are specifically designed for creating dance music.

If you’d like to check out other free Kontakt instruments, take a look at the 100 best free Kontakt instruments.

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