So I figured I ask this question of the frequent Kontakt users. I recently bought a single instrument (Wavefactory Ukulele Strum) and it comes with the .nki as well as the EXS24 file for Logic. Now, I use logic along with Kontakt daily but I can't figure out which is best to use. Should I use the .nki via Kontakt, (which makes its way to Logic anyway) or use the EXS24 option directly in Logic. I don't know enough to weigh the pros & cons.

Anyone have this issue or an opinion?

(BTW, PM me for access to the newly purchased instrument if you'd like, or someone show me how to get it over to our sister site. I have Uk..strum and Uk..fingered)

 

if you are going to play the instrument as is, it doesn't matter. if you want to edit and tweak it than no question you want to use kontakt.

kontakt is a much more powerful sampler and can do some amazing things. exs24 can't even compete.

here are just some of things that kontakt can do that exs24 can only dream of
-mapping editor is easier to use and more powerful
-same for the group editor
-wave editor...exs24 can't even come close
-zone envelopes
-flexible envelopes
-fx inserts at the group, instrument and buss level
-16 busses
-routing matrix
-automation and modulation
-kontakt scripting <--this right here ends the discussion

 

compare yourself, watch especially the cpu load on multiple exs vs multitimbral kontakt instance. imo kontakt turned into frankensampler something. if you just need a sampler its an total overkill and its updating madness suxx big time. im not aware of any other piece of software except ios that pushes users so much to update on every possible occasion. why i cant load a v5 patch with v1 when absolutely no v5 specific functions were used?? once it was a lightweight goto sampler, meanwhile its mainly interesting for commercial 3rd party sample content creators. How often i had to force quit the shit beacause of the missing "skip all errors" button on incompatible stuff... the development isnt user oriented but solely profit oriented.

 

franknitty69 and HPF, I'd say you're both correct. EXS24 can beat Kontakt in terms of performance, but one should always have a close look on Kontakt's settings. Resampling quality and FX especially.
Unfortunately, we often don't have the EXS/Kontakt choice with many of today's libraries.
Paying hundreds of bucks for "samples" that I can only use with Kontakt really lets me hesitate to buy any of these locked libraries, and most libs don't even use the depths of the scripting engine.
Man, I'd even live completely without the Macro/Scripting stuff after conversion, but if anyone knows how to convert Kontakt instruments into EXS for libs newer than Kontakt 4.2.0, please tell me.