9 Free & Paid Options for Producers (2023) 🎹

Kontakt Libraries have become a foundation of modern electronic music production. Whatever your preferred genre, Kontakt libraries across all instruments should be part of your producer arsenal.

However, there are hundreds of Kontakt libraries out there. And it can be hard to know which ones are worth it, and which ones are over-hyped.

But today is your lucky day! I’ve scoured the Internet and brought you the best Kontakt libraries available in 2023. In this guide we’ll cover:

• What exactly Kontakt is
• What Kontakt libraries are and how they work
• The best Kontakt libraries options out there

And make sure to stick around to the end – I’ll be covering some free options too 😉

Let’s dive in! 👇

Note: Kontakt works in most modern DAWs, including FL Studio, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro X.

Also, this is also not a sponsored article, but an honest review of my favorite libraries.

So… What is Kontakt? 🤔

Native Instruments introduced Kontakt in 2002. Since then, it has become the leading software sampling application on the market.

In a nutshell, Kontakt combines sampler abilities with synthesis and effects functions.

But most will know Kontakt as a platform for powering sampled instruments. It looks a bit like this:

Sample instruments use sample libraries, i.e. collections of samples that have been recorded and edited.

Think of it this way. Instead of having a single piano sample, you have thousands of them.

Each sample is recorded at different velocities, with different articulations, etc.

Kontakt then enables you to play each of them seamlessly.

Let’s look at an example. Here I have a Kontakt instrument called “The Gentleman” loaded up:

When I play my keyboard, I will trigger samples from actual piano recordings! Depending on the library you load, you will have more or fewer parameters.

In this case, I can change the tone of each note, its transients, if the piano lid is open or closed, etc. All of these changes trigger different samples.

If we look at another Kontakt instrument, the options will be different:

Here I’ve loaded up a Kontakt library called Analog Dreams. You can see that the layout and options are completely different. However, we are still in Kontakt!

That is the beauty of Kontakt: thousands of sample-based instruments at your fingertips.

Kontakt doesn’t come cheap but is one of the best investments you can make. Alternatively, you can download the free Kontakt Player. Kontakt Player runs all NI instruments as well as approved 3rd-party instruments.

Talking about samples, check out our massive compilation of free sample packs here!

What Are Kontakt Libraries? 🧐

Kontakt libraries are where all the samples are grouped. These are shown when you open Kontakt:

People will often use Kontakt “libraries” and “instruments” interchangeably. For the sake of this guide, we’ll assume they are the same. The minor differences between the two relate to licensed vs. unlicensed libraries.

But the beauty of Kontakt is that anyone can develop their own library.

These are often referred to as “3rd Party Libraries”. Thanks to the Kontakt Script Processor (KSP) and Creator Tools, developers can create their own instruments:

This means sample library developers can create instruments that can be played and controlled via Kontakt. This is one of the reasons Kontakt has become so popular.

My 4 Favorite Paid Kontakt Libraries ✅

Analog Dreams

If you’ve read my review of the best Waves plugins, you’ll know I love my retro. Anything with the words “analog”, “retro” or “lofi” catches my eye.

One of the reasons I keep returning to Analog Dreams is its beautiful design:

This Kontakt library is deceptively simple to use, which is why I love it. But first things first, let’s demo some of its sounds:

Analog Dreams is a Kontakt library that blends 2 samples together (A and B). These samples were recorded on vintage synths of the 70s and 80s. This is what gives the instrument its warm, analog feel.

Each sample is interchangeable at will. You can then blend to taste between the two with the “Balance” knob.

With each preset comes a different set of Macros you can control:

These Macros are usually enough to tweak the sound to your liking.

But you can go one step further with the Sound and FX tabs:

The Sound tab is where you can adjust things like sample choice, envelopes, noise layers, and LFOs.

The FX tab is where your effects are located (duh). You can re-order the FX chain, as well as tweak each effect separately:

I could go on as to why I love Analog Dreams so much. The layout is beautiful and the interface is intuitive. If you want to dig into the weeds, this Kontakt library will keep you busy for days.

Analog Dreams comes “free” with a purchase of Kontakt 7. Alternatively, you can buy it separately here for US$ 49.

The Gentleman

The Gentleman was one of the first Kontakt libraries I purchased. And I still use it to this day!

The Gentleman Kontakt library is sampled from a vintage upright built in 1908. It provides a wide dynamic range, with multiple customizable parameters. Let’s give it a listen:

Let’s go over some of its main features. On the left-hand side are the “Tone” and “Anatomy” controls:

“Tone” lets you adjust the harshness of notes, from “soft” to “hard”. Under “Anatomy”, the “Dynamic Range” knob acts like a sort of compression.

But there’s more to it.

Click on the arrows next to “Tone” or “Anatomy”, and you get a lot more to play with:

Here you can adjust things like the pedal and hammer sound, stereo image, and more. Here is an extreme example to give you an idea:

Finally on the right-hand side is your reverb section. You get a choice of 26 different reverb models. Each one can then be further adjusted through the “Amount”, “Size” and “Distance” knobs.

Personally, I use the Gentleman Kontakt library for 90% of my piano sounds.

I can get most sounds I want, from radio-friendly and super-compressed to muffled and dirty.

If you’re looking for free VST synths, check out our full list over here!

Buy the Kontakt Libray “The Gentleman” here (US$ 99)

Retro Machines MK2

Retro Machines MK2 is a Kontakt library gathering 16 different analog synthesizers and keyboards:

I’ll be the first to admit it’s not the sexiest look. But the range of sounds you get well make up for it:

One of the coolest features of this Kontakt library is the “Sound Variations” section.

Here you can store 8 different variations of the same sound. Each variation contains its own OSC, Filter, AMP, and LFO settings.

Moving the “Morph” will then morph the sound between those variations.

Here’s an example:

Another cool feature is the ARP/CHORD section:

Here you can activate the arpeggiator to create cool motifs:

Looking for way to make more interesting arps? Check out our video:

You can also activate “Chord” mode to add harmonies:

In this example, I am triggering a Minor 2nd chord on every note I play. This results in beautiful chord progressions, even when playing single notes:

This Kontakt library also features a ton of presets to play with, from bass to pads to leads.

Buy the Kontakt Libray “Retro Machines MK2” here (US$ 69)

Substance by Output

Substance is a bass instrument combining both acoustic and synthesized recordings.

All samples have been heavily processed, resulting in powerful, earth-shattering sounds:

The Kontakt library is composed of 3 different layers: sub, synth, and bass guitar. It also features a ton of customizable options such as filters, EQs, and FX for each layer:

But you can also dive right in with one of the 300 presets available.

In my opinion, substance perfectly blends customization with interface simplicity.

You never feel lost, yet you’re always discovering new ways to warp sounds. Substance doesn’t come cheap, but it might just be the last instrument you need for bass sounds.

Looking to design your own bass sounds? Have a look at our in-depth tutorial here!

Buy the Kontakt Libray “Substance” here (US$ 199)

My 5 Favorite Free Kontakt Libraries 🤩

Sometimes we need to be careful with our budget… So here’s my list of the top free Kontakt libraries out there!

Note: free Kontakt libraries often provide less customization. This is why I will be skimming over some of these more quickly.

Gombulator by Fine Cut Bodies

Starting off this list with a weirdly-named Kontakt library…

Gombulator is a free Kontakt instrument based on a rare portable synth from the early ’80s. The Yamaha PSR-15 has six banks of sound plus a drumkit.

At first, there seems to be no settings at all…

But tweak the moon and the water and you’ll hear the sound change:

For some reason, this Kontakt library reminds me of my childhood 😇

Download the free Gombulator Kontakt Library here (free)

Bigcat’s Sketching Chamber Orchestra

In need of something a bit more… Hans-Zimmer-esque?

This Kontakt library features over two dozen instruments such as the oboe, concert harp, contrabass, and more:

The instrument features controls such as reverb, ADSR, EQ, and more. Here’s a little taste of what it sounds like:

You have more than 20 types of reverb at your disposal, from intimate to majestic. You also have different arpeggiator modes for fast melodies.

For a free Kontakt library, Sketching Chamber Orchestra delivers a stunning number of controls.

Download the free Sketching Chamber Orchestra Kontakt Library here (free)

Ancient Voices by Embertone

Staying in the orchestral world, you need to take a look at this Kontakt library:

With the tagline “Party like it’s 1339”, my curiosity was immediately piqued.

Ancient Voices is a beautiful, all-male virtual choir. Parameters include reverb, poly, and legato mode, and different microphone options:

Combining them with some trance-gating gives some cool results:

This is a sound effect massively popular in techno at the moment. For a guide on how to achieve it, check out my noise gate tutorial!

Download the free Ancient Voices Kontakt Library here (free)

Dark Drones by Sun.io

Looking for something more… eerie? Check out the Dark Drones Kontakt Library;

Your controls however are a bit limited. Turning the “scream” or “crunch” will quickly send the sound into overdrive. So make sure you put a limiter on your FX chain.

This is not the most “instrumental” Kontakt library for sure. But if you need something to set a creepy mood, look no further.

Download the free Dark Drones Kontakt Library here (free)

AcousticGuitar by Pettinhouse

Rounding things off with something a bit more relaxing: AcousticGuitar by Pettinhouse!

Don’t be fooled by the lack of a pretty interface, however…

Because the quality of the samples is breathtaking.

Yes, this was played with my MIDI keyboard! The Kontakt interface allows you to adjust the finger noise, release and fret noise.

You don’t get any other fancy settings such as ADSR or reverb. However, you can easily add them afterward to your FX chain.

For a free guitar Kontakt library, nothing tops this in my opinion.

Download the free AcousticGuitar Kontakt Library here (free)

One Last Kontakt Tip for The Road ✨

Did you know that you can layer different Kontakt libraries together? That’s right! You can load up several instruments in the same instance of Kontakt:

For this to work, make sure the MIDI channel for each instrument is set to “Omni”:

Now you can play a single MIDI score, which will trigger multiple instruments:

Final Words

That’s it for this guide! Hopefully, you’ve discovered some new Kontakt libraries, and were inspired to lay down some new ideas!

Did I miss out on anything? What are some of your favorite Kontakt libraries? Let me know at [email protected].