The instrument is playable with a variety of controllable parameters such as dynamics, expression and vibrato that can be mapped to a MIDI controller and automated.

But this refers to each note being sampled with various velocities, articulations, playing techniques, round robins, various mic choices & positioning, etc.

The instrument is “deep-sampled,” a term that might be used a bit often lately.

If applicable, the instrument has a wide assortment of articulations, including standard and extended playing techniques.

Orchestral instruments and ensembles are the most challenging and expensive libraries to produce, hence the associated prices.

The sounds sound real (if they are intended to, that is).

I base these recommendations on 12 criteria: But what is here I can strongly vouch for. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to play everything available on the market, and there are many I hope to try in the future that are not on this list.

I have assembled a list below of my current favorite Kontakt instruments. But if you want access to the largest variety of 3rd party libraries you really need to get Kontakt. Check out my article “The Fundamentals of Sampling Instruments and Libraries” for information on samplers in general. If you choose to make your own sampling instruments these are great choices and are definitely more user friendly. There are of course many other options for sampling instruments and libraries including Sampler & Simpler from Ableton and Sampler (formerly EXS24) & Quick Sampler from Logic Pro. The full version also comes with their entry-level bundle, Komplete 13, currently selling at $599.

There is a free version that has limited functionality and the full version which sells for $399. Kontakt, the sampling instrument from Native Instruments, is arguably the most used sampling platform on the market with hundreds of 3rd party sample libraries available.

Free libraries for kontakt 6 player