Hello fellow musicians
I'm posting this application in its very first incarnation.
Some of you may have seen my other two little applications, SNPIDer and NICNT Creator, elsewhere on this form. Well, this application are both of those rolled into one, on steroids ! The application is a complete rewrite in a much slicker wrapping .
For those of you who didn't see those other apps, well, in short, this is very much what its name suggests, a utility program for Kontakt libraries, allowing you to see and debug problems in your Kontakt libraries, create and replace nicnt files, handle wallpapers (both embedded and external), install and uninstall libraries, etc. Oh yes ! And it runs natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2) !
As with my other apps, it contains no viruses, or Trojan horses or any other known or as yet unknown nasties and it is (hopefully!) bug free to the best of my knowledge. There is nothing in it that could harm your computer in any way. You do, however, acknowledge by downloading this application, you do so at your own risk, and I can accept no responsibility for any damage that may occur to your computer whilst using it.
Well, for those of you who didn't have a "KLU" about Kontakt libraries; now you have !
I always welcome feedback and comments. If you should find any bugs or have suggestions for improvements, please let me know. I will do my best to sort out bugs rapidly. Improvements could take longer ! I have spent a good while writing a document for the application and you should find the answer to all your questions in there. Please do read it before posting questions here .
You can download the disk image containing the application and documents here :
Version 1.0.0
Initial version
• Intel only
Oooops !! The above is an Intel version !! Here is a universal one for Apple Silicon AND Intel :
Version 1.0.1
First universal version
• Universal
Version 1.0.2
• Recompiled on an English (UK) system to hopefully fix the mysterious French ghost menus !
• Created new more visible padlock icons for Dark Mode.
• Added the version number in the "About" dialogue.
Version 1.0.3
https://workupload.com/file/5LYYZHTajjn
• New option to create unique 3 character snpids for those who don't like 4
• New quick links to various folders in NICNT window.
• New nicnt file structure increasing installation reliability.
• Display bugs corrected both in pdf files (strange quotes appearing) and anomaly search result tabs.
• Dark mode bugs corrected in NICNT Utilities window.
• Divers other presentation/interface tweaks…
Version 1.0.4.1
https://workupload.com/file/4N4NrMtdX2x
• New Kontakt 7 secondary browser wallpaper display
• Scrolling is back on the anomalies window
• Fixed the first load crash bug, when creating the inital preference file
• Rearranged the NICNT window to acommodate the K7 browser secondary window

Version 1.1.0
https://workupload.com/file/BEt8ZTyEbVC
• SNPIDs of up to 6 characters are now supported
• Change a library SNPID number without changing the NICNT file. Even works on an installed library.
• Many changes under the hood, optimisations and added error checking (too many to list !)

Version 1.2.0
• Library installation and removal done entirely with my proprietary routines (no more Kitty scripts!)
• Performance improvements and tweaks
• Many additional checks and bug fixes

Version 1.2.1
• Removed "Service Center*" from the default exceptions (thanks @Indivism)
https://workupload.com/file/9c67BCcDzdf
Version 1.2.2
• Beefed up initial launch routines to attempt crushing those "Out of Bounds error bugs !
REMOVED ! Awaiting V1.2.3…
Version 1.2.3
• As 1.2.2 but with bugs in 1.2.2 corrected hopefully !
https://workupload.com/file/RSuVGmee9r2
Version 1.2.4
https://workupload.com/file/UwhQw6dSJSZ
• Removed support for old "com.bloggs.snpider.plist" preferences.

Version 2.0.0ß is here…
https://audiosex.pro/threads/klu-kontakt-library-utility-version-2.72857/
______________________________________________________________________________
Have fun, make music, be safe…
Fred

 

Last edited: Nov 26, 2023

Sorry people. I posted an Intel only version. You will find a new universal version link below it. It is not a very big application anyway and even the universal version is less than 29 MB. In the future, I will certainly only maintain the universal one…

 

bump

 

Bump ?? Both my links are OK. First link Intel version, second link Universal.

 

Cool .. if it would for Windows also.

 

Thanks
I actually thought about Windows, but it would be quite a big learning curve for me as I don't know how Kontakt libraries are installed on Windows, at all ! Maybe…

 

Fred this looks great.

I've just tried adding a couple of third party libraries with no luck. I'm trying to create an NICNT file for libraries with only .nkr/.nkc/.nki so they're visible in the browser - is that not possible with this tool? I'm sure I used your old creator to do the same.

The only issue I've noticed is my finder window is in French when it opens through the app.

 

Yes. As I said in the docs, adding libraries sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, same as the Kitty scripts now.
What happens when you click the "Replace/Create NICNT" button ? Also, if you drop a library with no nicnt file, the app will propose to create one for you. Do note though that some installers do install libraries with no nicnt files at all !
As to the French issue, that's really weird !? The app is programmed entirely in English. I didn't do a French language version for this one ! It was however programmed on a French System but the compiler is entirely English as well. What exactly are you seeing in French, in your Finder window ?

 

Screenshot'd the French. I've never seen anything like it in 20 years of using Macs. It's like the OS is set to French for *just* that window. Bizarre!

It creates the NICNT fine, all looks well (no anomalies) but doesn't show up in the library.

I did read somewhere a while back that a 4 digit SNPID can cause issues - all the working libraries I have do have 3 digits. I can't seem to adjust the SNPID ID manually when creating the NICNT. Is there a way of doing that?

Cheers

 

Yup ! Choose a number, enter it in the SNPID field and lock the padlock. The nicnt will be created using your number. I did notice that if the Mac is in night mode, the padlock isn't very visible, so I'll probably change the colour in a future update.
I'll have to try running it on an English Mac OS to see if I can reproduce the french window phenomenum. I'm still not sure when you're getting it. Your screenshot looks like a contextual menu or maybe the sidebar. You didn't say what system you are running either. I'm on Monterey Intel i9.

 

Awesome job Fred Bloggs! Thanks a lot for your time and effort put in to this great app I'm sorry to report thou that I haven't had any luck creating a .nicnt file that Kontakt actually recognises for any library so far. I've tried on 5 various different libraries, including the latest Aaron Venture Infinite Woodwinds libray, but no luck for me unfortunately. I'm on an Intel Mac running Monterey 12.6.2. The app works great and creates the .nicnt file as well as a wallpaper file. I double check that the .nicnt number is the same as the generated .xml file in the Service Center, which it is, but Kontakt still doesn't show the library? I've tried installing thru your app directly, and also tried simply creating the .nicnt file and a wallpaper and using the Kitty script to install the library, but it still doesn't who up in Kontakt? I also get the weird French language as the other user reported, even thou I use english. I've also tried manually entering a .nicnt number with 3 digits, but that made no difference for me and no library is recognised by Kontakt for me. I've tried using both Kontakt 6 and Kontakt 7, but no luck.

I'm sure it's user error on my part and I'm doing something wrong, but I'm following all the steps and can't figure out what I might be doing wrong.. However, I've tried on 5 different libraries so far, but nothing works for me unfortunately. Sorry if I'm stupid and simply just don't understand how the use the software, but I thought I'd just report my findings in case you have any use for it or if anyone else is in the same boat as me, or if some kind soul out there can point me in the right direction to get this working

 

Oh, and by the way, if there's anything I can do to help, take screenshots or do a screen recording or anything to show you how it behaves on my system, I'd be happy to help of course

 

steeth2: it is not you.
Problem is all known tools like Kitti's script and Fred's for some unknown reason aren't working in Monterey.
Use Kontakt 5.6 standalone to add libraries ;-)

 

Ah, ok, thanks for letting me know. I'll try to add it with 5.6 standalone instead and see if that works, thanks for the tip. The weird thing thou is that I've been on Monterey and Kontakt 7 since release, and have used the Kitty script without a problem to add all libraries that contains a .nicnt file. But I'll try the 5.6 standalone route and see how that goes

 

I just tried making a .nicnt file and wallpaper in the app and using 5.6 standalone instead to try and add it, but that unfortunately didn't work either. I see the corresponding .xml file in application support/Native Instruments/Service Center, and it has the same SNPID number as the generated .nicnt file, but it still doesn't show up in Kontakt 7, 6 or 5 for that matter for me. Again, I've tried 6 libraries now, but none of them gets added when making a .nicnt file, and I've tried changing the SNPID number manually to a three digit code instead of the one that the software provides me with, but no luck there either. So I'm stuck and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong nor get it to work for me unfortunately..

Oh, and I also get menus in French in various places in the app for some reason? This time some of the options and names in the pop up window that pops up after clicking the "Select/Change Library" button was in French..

 

.

For the French appearing… I'm still looking into it ! I haven't been able to reproduce it yet, but I'll try re-compiling the App on an English system… I'm on it, be reassured !
The nicnt files my application generates ARE valid, and rhe problem is not coming from there. I DID say in the documentation that the Kitty scripts (which are built in to my application) were failing in MacOS Monterey as @belalugosi confirms above.
I think I also mentioned falling back on Kontakt 5.6 if all else failed. Since writing that, I have, like you, fallen on a "stubborn" library that wouldn't install with 5.6 either. I accidentally fell on a solution that worked for me, but it is definitely not THE solution! I installed it with my application first and then repeated the installation with K5.6, without uninstalling it beforehand with my application… a sort of double install. It worked. I have NO idea why !
I have a gut feeling it's to do with Monterey's new security measures, but haven't pinned it down yet. Any ideas from folks out there are always welcome .
Thanks for the offer of help. I really need to reproduce the problem myself in order to get to the bottom of it, but I'll let you know if there's anything you can do

 

OK. I've posted Version 1.0.2.
Changes :
I have recompiled the application on an English (UK) system to hopefully fix the mysterious French ghost menus ! Please let me know if that has fixed it. If not, I would appreciate screenshots and details of the exact moment this is happening. Thanks
I have created new more visible padlock icons for Dark Mode. The app will use those when (and if!) it goes into dark mode .I also added the version number in the "About" dialogue to help keep track of what version of the app you're on. If there is no version number, you're on 1.0.0 or 1.0.1, the initial releases.
Note that this is a universal application, so it runs natively on Intel and on Apple Silicon.
Happy Holidays people and stay safe !

 

Thanks a lot Fred! I'll download the latest version and try it again and see how it works And thank you once again for all your hard work and for doing these updates. I'll report back how it worked for me once I've tested it

 

Hi again. Just tested the 1.0.2 update and now I don't get any French menus and names anywhere that I can find, so that's awesome! Great job However, I still can't get Kontakt to recognise any of the libraries I create a .nicnt file for.. I tried three libraries again, but none worked, including the Infinite Woodwinds library by Aaron Venture that was just released on audioz.

I tried installing the library with the included installer in the Kontakt Library Utility 1.0.2, and I tried installing with the Kitty script, and tried using Kontakt 5.6.0 standalone, but none of them worked. The Kitty script works fine for me on Monterey thou as I just downloaded and tried the Chroma library released today that came with a .nicnt file, and kontakt (both 6 and 7) sees that library without any issues. So it doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the Kitty script for me. I just can't get Kontakt to see any of the libraries I try to add the same way that I've used this app to create a .nicnt for.. I do not in any way shape or form blame the Kontakt Library Utility of course as I'm sure it's user error on my part and I'm messing something up and doing something wrong. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong as there aren't that many steps involved, and I follow them to the letter, but still, nothing shows up in Kontakt for me. But libraries that comes with a .nicnt file shows up instantly after adding them with the Kitty script..

 

I don't think you're doing anything wrong, as there's not much you can do wrong ! There is definitely SOMETHING going on then if you managed to install the Chroma library with the Kitty scripts, and that is an interesting bit oof information ! I'll get it myself and do some more tests…