by Sara Simms

Kontakt vs. Komplete vs. Komplete Kontrol: a beginner’s guide to Native Instruments

Kontakt vs. Komplete feature

If you’re interested in learning music production and want to start using Native Instruments tools, but aren’t quite sure where to start, read on. In this blog, you’ll learn the key differences between Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol and how each product can enrich your music production workflow.

Let’s break down each one of these tools within the NI ecosystem so you can decide which ones belong in your music production toolkit.

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What are Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol?

Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol are three of the most recognizable names from Native Instruments. But when you’re getting started in the NI ecosystem, the differences between them can be a bit confusing. So let’s break down those differences.

Kontakt is a virtual instrument platform and sampler. Komplete is the world’s leading music production suite. Komplete Kontrol is a tool that allows you to organize your music production workflow.

Going beyond these basics, we have NI Expansions, Play Series instruments, and NKS technology that help round out our music production tools and virtual instruments. All of these are designed to help you on your music production journey. Let’s do a deep dive into each of them.

Kontakt

kontakt

Kontakt is Native Instruments’ flagship software sampler and virtual instrument platform. It has multiple uses in music production. As a sampler, it allows producers and beatmakers to record, edit, and manipulate audio with a high degree of control. Kontakt is also a virtual instrument builder that provides powerful design tools for creating custom instruments. As a host platform, it allows the ability to play the world’s largest selection of professional virtual instruments and sample libraries.

Thousands of third-party developers and sound designers create instruments for Kontakt, allowing access to a wide range of sounds – from traditional acoustic instruments like pianos, strings, and percussion, to modern electronic textures and ethereal soundscapes. Listen to some of these below:

One of the most exciting features in Kontakt is its suite of Tools, which have been designed to make writing music easier and more inspiring. Additions like Leap let you experiment with loops and samples in playful, performance-driven ways, while MIDI tools like Chords can turn a one-note input into a full harmony.

Combined with features such as Patterns or Humanizer, these innovations showcase Kontakt’s groundbreaking technology, which has given producers an accessible entry point into complex musical ideas. In other words, Kontakt’s collection of Tools is a way to transform sparks of inspiration into finished tracks.

Kontakt is an industry standard in music production, sound design, and media scoring due to its versatile uses. It is widely used by music producers working across genres, composers for film, television, and video games, and sound designers who require advanced tools for shaping and developing custom sounds.

Kontakt is also an exciting way for DJs and live performers to integrate virtual instruments and sampled material into live settings.

Kontakt vs. Kontakt Player

There are two versions of Kontakt – Kontakt and Kontakt Player.

Kontakt Player is the free version that can run NI Kontakt instruments and officially licensed instruments from third-party developers. Kontakt Player is available in the free Komplete Start bundle. It’s a great option if you’re just starting out or on a budget, as you can download it and start using free Kontakt instruments.

kontakt player

Here are two audio examples made with free Kontakt instruments by third-party developers, Memoire Piano and Neverland.

neverland

Of course, the full version of Kontakt runs all Kontakt instruments, including some that won’t run in Kontakt Player.  But the real difference is in the depth of creation tools that the full version offers.

With the full Kontakt, you can go under the hood to build and edit instruments, design custom modulation routings, and fine-tune every detail of your sound. Advanced features like the Script Editor, flexible modulation options, and sample editing make it an indispensable platform for sound designers and power users.

Kontakt Player is perfect for playing libraries, but the full version is where you gain complete control and creative freedom.

If you’re using Kontakt, you’ll want to check out the Play Series instruments, a collection of easy-to-use virtual instruments by Native Instruments. They come with ready-to-play sounds and a simple interface, making it quick to browse presets, play melodies, and create music without complex setup. The Play Series includes a variety of sounds and genres, including hip hop, techno, pop, and more.

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There are countless instrument types available in Kontakt. The powerful sampler can host a wide range of instruments, like:

If you can imagine it, there’s probably a Kontakt library for it.

What is NKS?

Many Kontakt libraries are NKS-ready (Native Kontrol Standard). This means their controls and functions are automatically mapped to NKS-compatible hardware and software, including Komplete Kontrol, Komplete Kontrol keyboards, and Maschine hardware.

NKS provides a deep connection between software and hardware, and more specifically, a consistent workflow by enabling features such as tag-based preset browsing, pre-mapped parameter controls, and Light Guide integration. NKS allows you to browse instruments, access key parameters without manual mapping, and use visual feedback on keyboards to highlight playable ranges, drum zones, or key switches. As a result, Kontakt instruments become easier to navigate, perform with, and integrate into larger production or performance setups.

Komplete

komplete 2

Komplete is a versatile software suite that offers music producers, composers, and sound designers a full set of tools for modern music creation. The bundle includes an extensive collection of virtual instruments, effects, and sound libraries, ranging from synthesizers and sampled instruments to drum machines and professional mixing and mastering tools.

Komplete is available in several editions, with each offering different levels of sounds, instruments, and effects:

Komplete integrates seamlessly with everything in the NI ecosystem, including hardware like Maschine and Komplete Kontrol keyboards.

While you don’t strictly need Kontakt to use everything in a Komplete bundle, many of the best parts of Komplete require Kontakt to launch. That includes diverse instrument libraries, samples, and expansions. Kontakt is included in every Komplete bundle, though, so this should never be a problem.

Compare all the different Komplete bundles side by side here.

Dive in for free with Komplete Start

For those just starting out, Komplete Start is a free introductory bundle that includes a selection of instruments, effects, loops, and samples.

komplete start

Using Komplete Start, you can create and compose with professional-quality sounds without paying anything.

Listen to an example made entirely with free virtual instruments included with Komplete Start:

Komplete Kontrol

komplete kontrol

Komplete Kontrol is Native Instruments’ all-in-one software that makes it easy to browse, play, and control virtual instruments and sounds from the Komplete library. It’s a free plugin that runs in any DAW.

Think of Komplete Kontrol as your hub for organizing, browsing, and controlling all of your instruments, effects, presets, loops, and samples in one place. With Komplete Kontrol, you can instantly:

  • Search across your entire Komplete library (including Kontakt and third-party NKS instruments)
  • Pull up presets with tag-based browsing
  • Tweak sounds with pre-mapped controls
  • Pair the software with Komplete Kontrol keyboards or Maschine to get hands-on workflow benefits like Light Guide (showing key switches, zones, or scales directly on the keys) and real-time hardware feedback

In short, where Kontakt functions as a dedicated instrument platform, Komplete Kontrol is a unified browser for all of your instruments, plugins, libraries, and more. It provides consistent pre-mapped controls and tight hardware and software integration, which makes it quicker and more intuitive to find and play sounds across your entire setup.

Go further with NI Expansions

If you’re looking to expand your sonic palette and use cutting-edge, genre-specific sounds, you’ll want to explore NI Expansions.

Created by top artists and sound designers, Expansions include presets, drums, samples, and loops that work with any DAW. They’re designed to integrate with Komplete, Maschine, and Play Series instruments, giving you ready-to-use sounds in various genres like electronic, hip hop, pop, and cinematic. Expansions make it easy for producers to quickly access fresh sounds and build tracks without creating every element from scratch.

Void Eclipse

Start producing using Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol

Whether you’re getting into music production or are an experienced producer who wants to start using Native Instruments’ products, Kontakt, Komplete, Komplete Kontrol are all essential tools that will help you to create and use amazing sounds in your productions.

The NI ecosystem of virtual instruments is accessible to you now, no matter your budget or experience level. Download Kontakt, Komplete, and Komplete Kontrol and start making music today.

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