I think there are several Kontakt users here and I have a Kontakt question I'm hoping someone can help me with!
I own Kontakt 6 and, along with the virtual instruments that come with it, I have purchased several others. And almost all of these instruments load and work quickly.
BUT, some of the Session Guitarist instruments take a long time to load and sometimes they even put Kontakt into that Windows "not responding" mode for a minute or longer.
I guess I should further clarify that the actual loading of the instruments is not the main problem. When I try to preview the built-in patterns that is when it comes to a standstill. For example, when I have loaded Picked Acoustic (or Picked Nylon), turned on the Auto Chords feature, and changed the pattern library, it can take 30 seconds or more for the new library to become available for preview. Obviously this is way too long to wait when trying to preview libraries for consideration.
Any thoughts on what might be wrong or how I might tune this up to improve it?
I have a very fast computer and, as I said, it is only with certain virtual instruments that I have this problem. All Kontakt instruments are located on the same fast hard drive.
Good advice thus far. I will add make sure your anti-stuff is not operating during your loading. When I work on my music computer I make sure nothing is working in the background, including my anti-virus; note that I disable my Ethernet card also.
Also you mentioned that you are using a fast hard drive. There was a huge difference in Kontakt patch loading times when I went to an SSD. I mean from minutes to seconds on my large patches. Also with a SSD you can purge the patches and run straight from the SSD. This saves CPU power and I have noticed no difference in RAM or SSD in latency, i.e. no latency.
{edit} - An after thought. If you are running Kontakt and the patches on the same drive you are really taking a hit in load times. Kontakt should be on one drive and the patches on another drive, preferably a SSD.
Last edited by MarioD; 12/29/2201:47 PM.
Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer. It's called the Heineken Maneuver.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Google - Optimize Loading Time with Batch Re-Save in Kontakt. Here are two of my favorites:
First review this:
Then review this:
Re-save is a feature in Kontakt to rebuild the entire library. There are some good videos if you need.
Thanks Dan! That first video seemed interesting but I use Avast so his instructions did not work and I jumped to the second video.
That second video did not help the specific problem I was having but it sure did resolve another having to do with the initial loading of a virtual instrument! So that will be extremely helpful!
After all of this I noticed some strange behavior in the Session Guitarist instruments. My problem is in the auto chord feature where a tiny keyboard is displayed and you can click the keys to play a pattern using that chord (for example click a C to play a C chord with the active pattern). After demoing a pattern being played and then switching to a different pattern that is when the whole thing just bogs down like crazy. BUT, I found that, after I switch patterns, if I click a different key on the mini keyboard, it tends to start much faster and never goes into Not Responding mode! I think this points to some sort of Kontakt bug.
After this I decided to figure out how to exclude Kontakt from Avast and after doing so I found improvements to the specific problem I was having. It ain't perfect but it is a LOT better!
So Thanks a Bunch for these suggestions, both of which improved my Kontakt workflow!
Good advice thus far. I will add make sure your anti-stuff is not operating during your loading. When I work on my music computer I make sure nothing is working in the background, including my anti-virus; note that I disable my Ethernet card also.
Also you mentioned that you are using a fast hard drive. There was a huge difference in Kontakt patch loading times when I went to an SSD. I mean from minutes to seconds on my large patches. Also with a SSD you can purge the patches and run straight from the SSD. This saves CPU power and I have noticed no difference in RAM or SSD in latency, i.e. no latency.
{edit} - An after thought. If you are running Kontakt and the patches on the same drive you are really taking a hit in load times. Kontakt should be on one drive and the patches on another drive, preferably a SSD.
Thanks Mario! I managed to add an exclusion for Kontakt to my Avast and that improved the situation. Although I don't yet have a SSD big enough for all my samples, I do have Kontakt on one SSD drive and the samples on a different drive.
Others advice above is probably better than this, but
Sometimes certain apps load new previews from the internet If that is the case, I've noticed Kontakt servers being mighty slow this holiday season.
I'm not sure if those particular previews do this or not, just a thought
Thanks rharv! Great suggestion but didn't seem to be the issue here. I've had this problem with these specific libraries for over a year and have tried them at all times of the year, day and night, etc.
It's also worth mentioning that fast SSDs can slow down as they become full (easy to do with music samples and plugins). And not all SSDs are the same (DRAM-less, QLC, SATA ones on the slower end and NVME SLC/TLC on the premium end).
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll also keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac with savings of up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special—available until July 31, 2025! Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
2025 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
We've packed our Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK with some incredible Add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is automatically included with most Band-in-a-Box® for Mac 2025 packages, but for even more Add-ons (including 20 Unreleased RealTracks!) upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49. You can see the full lists of items in each package, and listen to demos here.
If you have any questions, feel free to connect with us directly—we’re here to help!
Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.
Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music
Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:
Band-in-a-Box 2025 für Windows Deutsch ist verfügbar!
Die deutsche Version Band-in-a-Box® 2025 für Windows ist ab sofort verfügbar!
Alle die bereits die englische Version von Band-in-a-Box und RealBand 2024 installiert haben, finden hier die Installationsdateien für das Sprachenupdate:
Update Your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 to Build 1128 for Windows Today!
Already using Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Windows®? Download Build 1128 now from our Support Page to enjoy the latest enhancements and improvements from our team.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean