Hello there,

I would like to ask if anyone has experienced the following:

I currently have Kontakt 5.5.0 installed and working fine, then a few days ago I wanted to test out the new Kontakt 5.6.6 Portable that it is available on Audio WareZ and I found out that even though it is working very well, when I want to have inside Cubase both 5.5.0 and the 5.6.6 Portable version, only the normally installed 5.5.0 is present.

I have tried for example with Reaper and another VST host called Cantabile and in both applications I have available both the 5.5.0 and 5.6.6 Portable.

I am wondering if Cubase doesn't like the 5.6.6 portable .dll files or there may be some conflicts with the actual .dll files of the two versions.

If anyone has the same issue and maybe found a work around I'd be very grateful to know about it.

Thanks a lot in advance for any help/feedback...

 

I dont think its a Cubase problem, buddy.

 

Uhmmmmm... I just wondered, considering that other DAW allows this two versions to coexist.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

works same as the exe thing...

 

Sorry, what do you mean? :-(

 

Hi. This is because those versions of Kontakt share the same VST ID!
Cubase's plugins recognition is only based on their unique VST ID not on the filename itself (Only renaming DLL of one the version won't have any effect).
There is a really tricky way to change VST ID by editing the DLLs content itself.
I managed to have both version side by side in Cubase (to be able to run newest libraries), but it's kind a long story...

 

Hi Ingbro,

Thanks a lot for your kind feedback!! I had a feeling that was something to do with what you well described.

I am willing to make you a donation to share how you did it;-) If you like. I am computer savvy, not at programmer level though and be willing to try in modifying the .dll files. Cheers...

 

Hi Vega, I don't mind sharing the trick: (here for 5.6.6 and 5.6.8 cohabitation, just translate to your Kontakt version)

Upon a working Kontakt 5.6.6 installation carefully follow this procedure.
Work in a folder of your choice and on copies of original dll's:

1. Download the 3 Kontakt 5.6.8 dll's we are going to operate and an Hex editor.

2. Rename the 3 Kontakt 5.6.8 dll's with names of the same size as originals.
Both 8out an 16out dll's call the main Kontakt 5.dll and changing the
filename size will also change dll file itself witch might be risky.

Let's say: Kontakt68.dll / Kontakt68 8out.dll / Kontakt68 16out.dll
(those names will appear in you DAW)

Now we have to change VST ID's.

Original ID for Kontakt 5.dll is "NiO5"
Original ID for Kontakt 5 8out.dll is "NiO6"
Original ID for Kontakt 5 16out.dll is "NiO7"

But ID's are coded in reverse mode in the files. "NiO5" = "5OiN" and so on...

3. Launch the Hex editor and load your new Kontakt68.dll

Search for the string "5OiN" (without quote and "O" not zero)
Replace the 2 occurrences with a 4 letter ID of your choice.
Be sure not to borrow ID from one of your other plugin or you will replicate the exact same problem.
I personally only changed the "O" letter and kept the number (5,6,7) increment.
Save the file.

4. Load the Kontakt68 8out.dll into the hex editor.

Search for "6OiN" and change ID as above. (a different one)
There is only one occurrence.

5. Now we have to make this dll call our new Kontakt68.dll instead of the previous Kontakt 5.dll.

Still in the hex editor, search for the "Kontakt 5" string
the 1st found instance must be next to the string "NICreatePlugInInstance"
Replace this "Kontakt 5" string by your new dll name, here "Kontakt68"
Save the file.

6. The same way, Load the "Kontakt68 16out.dll" into the hex editor.

But now search for "7OiN" and change ID as above. (a different one)
There is only one occurrence.

7. Now we also have to prevent this dll from calling the previous Kontakt 5.dll

Still in the hex editor, search for the "Kontakt 5" string
the 1st found instance must be next to the string "NICreatePlugInInstance"
Replace this "Kontakt 5" string by your new dll name "Kontakt68"
Save the file.

8. Copy those 3 new Kontakt68 dll's in your VST folder aside the Kontakt 5.6.6 ones.
Rescan plugins in your DAW and voilà, both versions are now available.

Cheers.

 

Thanks so much IgBro, you are the Man! I also noticed that you posted this solution on the Kontak section where I originally mentioned my Cubase-Kontak versions issue and I really appreciate this very much. I am going to go through your explanation right away and let you know how I got on... Take care..

 

Long time ago I asked the same thing and no one was able to respond and help - if I become willing to try this I promise to report if it worked for me (Cubase 8). Cheers and thanks!

 

Hi Igbro,

Thanks a million again for your very generous and kind help, I have just followed your instructions and now everything works perfectly!

I just would like to point out a few things that perhaps other people may like to know when it comes to edit the .dll files of the Kontakt 5.6.8 Portable version.

For the Hex editor I have used the freeware HxD. BTW, it may be obvious to some people but at first I was very confused where to find the right ID strings to edit in the Hex editor as there are hundreds of strings... then I realized that a 'search' function is available (shortcut Ctrl+F)

I apologize for repeating some of what IgBro has already mentioned above, but for clarity sake, I will give the .dll file names, corresponding ID that I have found during the editing process and my changes that worked well for me. Be aware that in the Hex editor you would need to change the ID name for every .dll file three times and not just one as IgBro has mentioned, maybe this is a particular situation with the Kontakt 5.6.8 Portable version.

Rename the three .dll file as follow:

Kontakt 68 8out.dll
Kontakt 68 16out.dll
Kontakt 68 64out.dll

Corresponding ID's to search and change in the Hex editor (3 occurrences per each .dll):

6OiN ----> for Kontakt 68 8out.dll
7OiN ----> for Kontakt 68 16out.dll
5OiN ----> for Kontakt 68 64out.dll

As you can see the numbers are not progressive but the '64out' has the smallest ID number.

I have changed the original ID's to:

6OiN ----> 6XiN
7OiN ----> 7XiN
5OiN ----> 5XiN

When it comes to change in the Hex editor from 'Kontakt 5' to 'Kontakt 68' (without quotes) as explained by IgBro, I have found 3 occurrences per each .dll where to change this, not only one. Again, this may be particularly related to this Portable version, in any case I have changed all the 3 occurrences with Kontakt 68.

In the portable version VST folder, you will notice that there is a fourth file called Kontakt 5. Do not edit or rename that, leave it as is.

This is everything I'd like to point out. I have noticed that it is not allowed to upload files here on this forum otherwise I would have been willing to upload the three edited .dll files for people that may not like to do the work and fuss around with the Hex editor and stuff. It is straight forward though, nothing too complicated.

All the very best to all...

 

I understand your feelings... the great news is that the process described by IgBro works

 

Glad it worked for you!
The 5.6.8 release I patched was the Simlink one, that's why maybe you found a few differences.
In any case, it is safe to use the search function of your hex editor till the end of the file to make sure you're not missing any ID or Kontakt 5.dll call.
Cheers.

 

Blue Cat's PatchWork can be very useful in this case .

 

Thanks again for your great workaround!
All the very best.

 

Oh well, if it works, it works! Other methods include using wrappers (VEP, Patchworx etcs) but weirdly, it just worked for me using bridged strangeness. Just keeping the new (568) Kontakt as "main" (Kontakt 568.32) Kontakt, and (bridging from different dir) replacing the Kontakt 568 16out.32 w/ (566) Kontakt dll. I'm still not sure how (why?) it works, but it doesn't involve hex editing, just making two directories & keeping .dll files hanging around...