Recording Virtual Instruments with SampleRobot Part 2: Virtual Audio Cable with Windows Audio

This is Part 2 of a 6-part series. Make sure to check out Part 1 for the introduction.

Method One of Four: Virtual Audio Cable with Windows Audio

This is the simplest method I'll describe in this series, and it involves simply sending virtual instrument audio directly to SampleRobot via a virtual audio cable. The instrument I recorded while making the screenshots below was Native Instruments Maschine . The exact MIDI and audio options in your instrument or plugin host might have different names from what you see in the pictures.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Advantages: Cheap and easy to do. Suitable for any edition of SampleRobot.
• Disadvantages: Limited to only 16-bit audio depth.
• Software Required: VB-CABLE, LoopBe1, SampleRobot (any edition)

How to do it:

1. Install VB-CABLE if you haven't already. These instructions assume you're using the single "VB-CABLE Driver" version, not the "hi-fi" one.
2. Install LoopBe1 if you haven't already.
3. If you just installed either of the above programs, restart your computer before attempting to proceed with recording. Some applications don't "see" their devices until you've rebooted at least once.
4. Start up the instrument you would like to record. If it comes in a standalone EXE version, launch that. Otherwise, load the plugin into your VST host of choice. See part 1 of this series for steps on loading a plugin with VSTHost. Also, don't forget to load up the patch you intend to record!

   

   Here I've loaded the Aphasia kit from the Grey Forge Maschine expansion.

5. Locate your instrument's/host's MIDI input settings (in Maschine standalone, you go to File > Audio and MIDI Settings > MIDI > Inputs), and make sure that the option for LoopBe Internal MIDI is enabled. In Maschine you do this by setting the port's Status value to On.
   
   
   
6. Locate your instrument's/host's Audio device settings (in Maschine standalone, it's File > Audio and MIDI Settings > Audio) and make sure to select a Windows Audio driver type (it might be named WASAPI, Wave, WME, Windows Audio, or something similar) and select VB-Audio Virtual Cable as the audio device.
   
   
   
7. Depending on how your instrument or host works, you might also have to specify how audio from the instrument gets routed. For example, in Maschine, we have to select the Routing > Outputs tab and make sure the main outputs go to the CABLE Input L and R.
   
   
   
8. Launch SampleRobot and start a new project, either by clicking New in the Projects window or going to File > Project Wizard. Regardless of whether you use the wizard or set your options manually, make sure to choose the following options:
   
   Audio In Device: CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable)
   Audio Format: 44.1KHz, Stereo, 16bit (this is the maximum valid bit depth for this particular recording method)
   MIDI Out Device: LoopBe Internal MIDI
   
   Note
   You won't be able to use the control panel (CP button) or audio in device monitor (the tiny blue button) of SampleRobot with this method because those only work for ASIO devices.
9. In my screenshot below you can see I've also selected the following:
   
   Attack Vel: 127
   Note Length: 8 seconds
   Project Settings > Data Path: (a unique folder for this project)
   Note Range: 36/C1 through 51/D#2, 16 notes total, all notes in range selected. (This is the default note range for a Maschine kit.)
   
   
   
10. When your project is all ready to record, click Rec in the Projects window, and then click Start Recording. You probably won't hear anything while recording is in progress. When recording is complete, little waveforms will appear under the virtual keyboard. You can test the recorded samples by clicking (and holding down) the left mouse button on individual notes (or triggering notes with a MIDI keyboard if you have one specified in the MIDI In Device field- remember to hold down keys to hear the samples ring out).
    
11. If your samples seem to have completed successfully, go to the Import/Export menu to export the samples into your desired target format. If you're using the default settings, your exported samples will be trimmed down to only contain actual audio (which is good!). I like to save my exported files into a new folder called Exports inside my SampleRobot's Data Path folder. Here's a look at the resulting samples I got after exporting the above project. I am using Resonic Player to preview my samples.
    

NEXT TUTORIAL

• Part 3: Virtual Audio Cable with ASIO

Recording Virtual Instruments with SampleRobot Part 1: Getting Started

SKYLIFE's SampleRobot is an excellent tool for recording hardware MIDI instruments, but did you know that it can make multi-sample recordings of your softsynths as well? I've experimented with four different ways to use SampleRobot to record virtual instruments, whether they're VST plugins or standalone applications. Each different method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and some methods are more difficult than others. I'll walk you through all of them in the following articles.

Here's a quick index to the different tutorials:

• Part 1: Getting Started
• Part 2: Virtual Audio Cable with Windows Audio
• Part 3: Virtual Audio Cable with ASIO
• Part 4: Interface to Interface (Analog)
• Part 5: Interface to Interface (Digital)
• Part 6: Tips and Troubleshooting

WHY SAMPLE A VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT?

The benefits of sampling a hardware instrument are pretty obvious: You can build a compact and portable library of your not-so-compact, not-so-portable hardware synth's patches to take on the road. Or perhaps you could record patches designed on an extremely rare and expensive instrument to share with people who don't have access to such exotic hardware.

But virtual instruments are cheap, and you can fit literally thousands of them on a hard drive. Why bother sampling them? Well, I can think of plenty of reasons!

• If you use libraries or plugins that are protected by iLok or eLicenser dongles and you fear losing your dongles while on the road, you can multi-sample the sounds you need for your live sets and leave the dongles at home.
• If you like to build your own instruments in tools like MachFive, HALion , or Kontakt, you can mix and match patches you design with your arsenal of soft synths to create rich, layered soundscapes.
• Perhaps you're switching platforms (going from Windows to Mac, for example) and some of the plugins you rely on only have Windows versions. You could use SampleRobot to bring your favorite PC-only sounds with you into the Mac realm.
• Similarly if you're trying to switch plugin types (like going from 32-bit to 64-bit), and the instruments you use aren't available in the latest format, you can record the sounds you need with SampleRobot and then retire the plugins.
• And one reason that I personally have for recording my soft synths is that sometimes I really like the way a particular instrument sounds, but I don't like how it works. Maybe it's buggy or has a difficult workflow. By making sample-based versions of the sounds I like, I can use them in a tool and workflow that suits me best.

(MOSTLY) FREE SOFTWARE USED IN THESE TUTORIALS

Depending on which recording method you plan to use, you might need to download and install some additional software. The good news is that most of it is free! I'll tell you which specific tools you in the sections that follow, but here are the download links and some quick descriptions of the various tools I used.

Please note: While SampleRobot works on both Windows and Mac OS, this is a Windows-specific tutorial, and not all of this software is available (or perhaps even necessary) on Mac. Also, this tutorial is specifically on how to get virtual instruments to work with SampleRobot. It is not an all-purpose SampleRobot guide by any stretch; if you've never used SampleRobot before, I strongly recommend you get familiar with using the tool to record some hardware instruments first so you know how to navigate its interface and export your samples.

• SampleRobot (SKYLIFE). You'll need some version of SampleRobot for all methods, obviously. I use SampleRobot 4 Pro, but you can accomplish most of what I describe below with the Multi-X or Single-X versions. Just note that only the Pro and Sampling Suite versions of SampleRobot can record bit depths higher than 16-bits. This is the only piece of required software listed here that isn't free or donationware.
• LoopBe1 (Nerds.de). This is a virtual MIDI cable. It can send MIDI information from one music app on your computer to another.
• ASIO4ALL (Michael Tippach). This is a tool that translates Windows audio streams using the ASIO format that many professional Windows recording programs use. It offers some advantages over strict Windows audio, including the potential to record at bit depths greater than 16-bit.
• VB-CABLE (VB-Audio). This is a virtual audio cable that can send Windows audio streams from one audio application to another application that supports recording Windows audio. Note: Get the version just called VB-CABLE Driver, not the "hi-fi" version.
• VSTHost (Hermann Seib). If the virtual instrument you wish to sample is a VST plugin that doesn't come with its own "standalone" version, you will need to load the plugin into a DAW or plugin host in able to record it. VSTHost is small and reliable, and it comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. But you can use any plugin host you're comfortable with. All you need is something that can load plugins, receive MIDI, and output audio.
  
  Note
  VSTHost can seem a little daunting at first, but I've written some quick, easy steps for loading a plugin with it for use with SampleRobot in the next section.

SETTING UP VSTHOST

You can skip this section if the virtual instrument you're planning to record has a standalone mode, or if you already have a VST plugin host that you're comfortable with.

1. Download the appropriate version of VSTHost for your operating system and plugin type. (Get vsthostx86.zip if you're running on 32-bit Windows, or if you're on 64-bit Windows but need to host a 32-bit-only plugin. Get vsthostx64.zip if you are on 64-bit Windows and you need to host a 64-bit plugin.)
2. Extract the ZIP contents to your local drive and then launch vsthost.exe. This is what you'll see:
   
3. The first time you run VSTHost you'll have to tell it where to locate your plugins. Go to File > Set PlugIn Path and click the ... button, then browse to the folder containing your plugins. Remember to choose the right location depending on whether you're running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of VSTHost. You can add multiple folders if you need to. Here I've selected my 64-bit plugin folder location.
   
4. When you've added the necessary paths to this list, click OK to trigger VSTHost to scan your plugin folders. Note: It may take VSTHost a couple of minutes to do this, but it won't show any alerts or dialog boxes that this is what is happening. The program will probably seem unresponsive until the scan is complete.
5. After the plugin scan is finished, you should now be able to go to File > Plugins and see a list of your installed plugins.
   
6. Select the plugin you would like to load. I chose to load reFX Nexus, and this is what it looks like:
   
7. Click the little knob icon in the plugin node to see the plugin's interface.
   
8. To set the MIDI input device, you first have to go to Device > MIDI > MIDI Input Devices and make sure that the MIDI device you want to listen to is both listed and selected. The tutorials that follow will indicate exactly which devices to select, but this is where you do it.
   
9. Next, click the MIDI port icon on the left side of your plugin node and choose the desired MIDI port in the list of MIDI Input Devices. Again, the port you need to select here will vary depending on which tutorial you're following.
   
10. To set the audio output device, go to Devices > Wave and choose the appropriate device for Output Port. The exact device you select depends on which tutorial you're following.
    
    Tip
    I strongly recommend using a high sample buffer setting. I have found that the default buffer of 4410 samples isn't always high enough to prevent glitching while recording. Here I have 6300 samples selected for Buffer, and this setting has worked well for me at 44.1kHz sample rate. Don't worry about latency times or whatever; SampleRobot takes care of all that in the recording and exporting process.
    
    
    
11.  If you'd like to save the current VSTHost configuration for future use, go to Performance > Save As and select an empty entry in the performance list. Enter a descriptive name in the Name field, and click OK.
    
12. Now that you've created a custom performance, you can select it any time from the drop-down menu.
    

NEXT STEPS

Ready to start recording? Move on to the tutorials about different recording methods.

• Part 2: Virtual Audio Cable with Windows Audio
• Part 3: Virtual Audio Cable with ASIO
• Part 4: Interface to Interface (Analog)
• Part 5: Interface to Interface (Digital)
• Part 6: Tips and Troubleshooting

Video Tutorials: Fixing Maschine, Reaktor, and Komplete Kontrol Problems with UltimatePluginTool

I've just updated UltimatePluginTool to version 9.0.0.2 (you can check the release notes in the latest installer for details), and I made a couple of tutorial videos that demonstrate how to fix a number of common problems with Native Instruments Maschine, Kontakt, Reaktor (and other products).

Using UltimatePluginTool to Fix Problems with Kontakt and Reaktor

Fixing Problems in NI Maschine and Komplete Kontrol with UltimatePluginTool

Support UltimatePluginTool

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If you wish to help out, you can enter a donation amount below and then click on the Donate button. You do not need a PayPal account in order to donate! Just click the "Don't have a PayPal account" option on the page that comes up after you click the Donate button. The donation amount is in U.S. Dollars (USD).

Amount: $

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SOLUTION: Fixing Problems with Missing Sounds and Plugins in HALion 5 and HALion Sonic 2

In February 2014, I took advantage of Steinberg's upgrade pricing to buy the Absolute VST Instrument Collection and HALion 5 . (If you already own a recent version of Cubase Pro or Cubase Artist , you get a discount on the VST collection, and if you already own the VST collection, you can get a discount on HALion 5.) These download-only upgrades were attractively priced, but I had some significant issues with both products once they were installed, and it took a fair amount of time to troubleshoot and fix them. Here's a rundown of the issues I had, and what I had to do to get things working properly.

Locating the Installers

After you order these upgrades from the Steinberg Shop and Steinberg processes your payment, you receive an Order Confirmation email from the Steinberg Online Shop that contains the activation code and download link for your product. The link goes to the download page of the Steinberg Shop and requires you to sign in with your Steinberg Shop credentials. These may be different from what you use to log in to your My Steinberg account.

This is really important to know, because if you happen to lose your email, you may be startled to find that unlike other Steinberg software you may own, you won't find installers for HALion 5 or the VST Instrument Collection listed either on the main Steinberg Downloads page or the Downloads tab of your MySteinberg account.

Another thing to note is that at least when I purchased my copies, the files Steinberg made available to me were a single EXE file for Absolute VST Instrument collection, and a single ZIP file for HALion 5. (I am a Windows user, obviously. There were also DMG files for the Mac versions of those products.)

Restoring Missing Sound Files

I am very familiar with Steinberg's software product line and many of the installation-related issues people commonly encounter with their products. Some of the most popular articles on this blog are about how to restore VST presets for a number of Cubase plugins, for example. But I was really stumped by this problem for several days. Basically, once I had installed both Absolute VST Instrument Collection and HALion 5, I found that a large number of the presets wouldn't load due to missing sample files.

In HALion Sonic 2, frequently when I attempted to load a patch I'd be greeted with an error message that said, "Some audio files are missing. Please check installation."

With the same patches that didn't work in HALion Sonic, HALion 5 would display errors that said: "Missing sound archive (double click to register)."

Sometimes a problem patch would appear to load (I wouldn't be prompted with an error message), but no sound would come out when I tried to audition the patch. Here are the names of some specific patches I had problems with, but there were many others: 12 String Acoustic, Xylophone, Zed Leppelin Kit.

I am very familiar with Steinberg's software products, and I spent a couple of days scanning my hard drive for extra VSTSOUND files and importing them into HALion's library, but it did no good. I was simply missing a whole lot of content.

To solve this problem I had to log in to my MySteinberg account and open a support ticket with Steinberg by clicking My Support > Create support request. When Steinberg responded to me, they sent me links to ISO files (these are copies of the disc images used to create the install discs for the boxed copies of the products). Upon downloading them, I immediately noticed how much larger the ISO images were than the installers available in my Steinberg Online Shop account:

•  Absolute VST Collection EXE: 1.9GB, ISO image: 3.5GB (1.6GB difference)
• HALion 5 ZIP: 2.0GB, ISO images (combined): 12.8 GB (10.8GB difference)

So clearly, a fair amount of content simply was not present in those first installers. Anyway, I was able to use the ISO files to successfully re-install both products. Here's a quick run-down of the steps I followed:

1. Download the ISO files for the product you need to re-install. I do not think these are secret links, so I am providing the ones that Steinberg Support sent me here. If the links don't work, you will have to create a support request in your MySteinberg account and request new links.
   
   Absolute VST Instrument Collection disc.
   
   HALion 5 Installer disc.
   HALion 5 Content disc.
    
2. You have a choice of either burning disc images from the ISOs or mounting them directly using a third-party utility when it is time to install. I used the free tool SlySoft Virtual CloneDrive.
3. Go to the Programs and Features control panel on Windows and uninstall the existing product(s). You might actually have to uninstall a lot of stuff to completely remove Absolute VST Instrument Collection. I found it helpful to sort the list of programs by Installed On, and I just uninstalled every Steinberg product from that day.
4. Using discs you made from the ISO images, or by mounting/unmounting the ISO files as needed with a virtual drive program, install your products again.
   
   Important note
   Even after I had uninstalled all my old software (and even rebooted my computer), when I ran the installers from the ISOs, the setup programs seemed to think some of the content was already on my computer. For all of these options, I manually selected the item in question and chose Reinstall to make sure that all of the correct content actually did get copied to my system. Below you can see that I had to choose HALion Content and select Reinstall when re-installing Halion 5.
   
   
   
5. After installation is complete, and depending on which products you just installed, launch either HALion Sonic or HALion 5 in Standalone mode and don't quit the application until it has a chance to scan your computer for presets. This may take several minutes. You will know the scan is complete when you no longer see an animated cube in the field where the number of presets is displayed:
   
   

   

   Do not exit if you see this animation.

6. Quit the application once the library's finished importing and repeat step 6 for the other product if you have both HALion Sonic and HALion 5.

No HALion Plugins in Ableton Live

While the versions of Steinberg plugins that ship with Cubase are often designed to only work inside of Cubase or Nuendo, the standalone VST packages Steinberg sells at the online shop are designed to work with third-party DAWs with VST support, including Ableton Live .

When I first launched my copy of Ableton Live 9 Suite , neither HALion 5 nor HALion Sonic appeared in Live's Plug-ins browser. I quickly realized why: Neither of the installers for HALion 5 or the Absolute VST Instrument Collection had prompted me for an install directory, so their plugins must have been placed in a default location outside of the VST Plug-in Custom Folder specified in Live's Preferences > File / Folder tab.

After a quick search, I located the Steinberg plugins. Here's where you will probably find them on your system:

If you're running 32-bit Windows, the 32-bit plugins will be located here: C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins

If you're running 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit plugins will be in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steinberg\VstPlugins and the 64-bit plugins will be in: C:\Program Files\Steinberg\VstPlugins

The Absolute VST Collection is a bundle of individual products, so here are all the folders I found in the default location: Dark Planet, HALion 5, HALion Sonic, Hypnotic Dance, Padshop, Retrologue, and Triebwerk.

I moved all of these folders to the VST Plug-in Custom Folder specified in my Live preferences. (In my case that was C:\Program Files\Vstplugins.

After re-starting Ableton Live, I was now able to use all of my Steinberg plugins.

Note: At this time Ableton Live only supports VST 2.x plugins, and those are the ones described above. The current versions of all Steinberg VST products also install VST 3.x versions under the Common Files\VST3\Steinberg folder in your Program Files directory. These files end with a VST3 filename extension, and you shouldn't move those.

Two Methods for Snapping Automation to Grid in Ableton Live

Ableton Live supports two different methods of editing automation envelopes:

Draw Mode creates stepped automation envelopes that snap to the current grid setting.

Breakpoint Mode creates smooth lines and curves, but does not follow the grid.

A long-standing feature request of Ableton Live users is the ability to snap breakpoints to the grid in Breakpoint Mode. While I agree that having some kind of key modifier to enable snapping while you're using Breakpoint Mode would be ideal, there are two pretty easy methods to snap/quantize breakpoints in Live's automation envelopes that you can use right now.

The screenshots in this post show me editing automation in a Session view clip (which is only possible in Live 9), but these same steps also apply to automation in Arrangement view, in both Live 8 and all versions of Live 9: Ableton Live 9 Intro , Ableton Live 9 Standard , and Ableton Live 9 Suite .

The Hybrid Method

This is probably the most common method people use, although it usually requires more clicks.

1. If you are using Breakpoint Mode but you need a specific part of your envelope to snap to the grid, press B to toggle into Draw Mode.

   

   In this picture I've already switched into Draw Mode and drawn a downward slope with the pencil tool.

2. You can optionally select an appropriate grid setting to determine how many segments draw mode creates while you edit. For example, if you know you need to snap over the length of a quarter note, selecting 1/4 will minimize the number of breakpoints you have to remove later.
   
3. Once you have the general shape drawn, press B again to toggle back into Breakpoint Mode, then delete any extra breakpoints by drag-selecting them and pressing DELETE, or by clicking them one-by-one to remove them from the envelope.
   
   

   

   We've selected a region to clean up.

   
   

   

   After pressing DELETE.

   
   

   

   After individually disabling the extra breakpoints.

This lets you benefit from Draw Mode's automatic snapping behavior while preserving the smooth lines and curves that only Breakpoint Mode provides.

The Line-drag Method

This method uses a feature of Breakpoint Mode that is so subtle I think a lot of Live users don't notice it.

1. Form the general shape of your automation envelope in Breakpoint mode and then drag-select in the envelope's timeline to select the region where you would like to snap automation points. The selection should snap to the currently-selected grid setting.
2. With the region selected, move your mouse pointer so that it is close to, but NOT on top of the line automation line in the selected region. The line segment should change color when your mouse is close enough.
   
   
   
   
3. Making sure not to actually click the line itself, drag the highlighted segment up or down to where you'd like this portion of the curve to be. When you release the mouse button, breakpoints will be created at the start and end of the selected region on the timeline.
   

Troubleshooting Native Instruments Problems with UltimatePluginTool

There are a number of common problems people encounter with Native Instruments products that are easy to fix once you discover the root cause. Unfortunately, some of the error messages you get when the problems occur are vague or misleading. I wrote UltimatePluginTool to help folks identify and correct these issues. In this article I'll walk you through how to fix the following errors:

• "Loading Issue: Could not load plug-in" (Komplete Kontrol)
• "Error: Unable to load Slot" (Maschine)
• "Load Plug-in: Could not load 1 or more plug-ins!" (Maschine)
• "Error while reading file: This file was saved with a newer version of Reaktor!" (Reaktor)
• "This patch was generated by a newer version of the application. Please upgrade your copy to load the patch." (Kontakt)
• "Loading Issue: Plug-in failed loading. The plug-in is likely too old and needs updating." (Komplete Kontrol)

Note: While this article and UltimatePluginTool are specifically for VST plugins on Windows operating systems, some of the information here may apply to other plugin formats and platforms.

1. Download and install all your Service Center updates

Before we get started with UltimatePluginTool, it will help to make sure that all of your Native Instruments products are activated and up-to-date. Launch the Native Instruments Service Center and make sure you see the "All products are activated" message on the Activate tab. If you don't, go to the Update tab and download/install any pending updates.

Note: It is still possible to get errors about Reaktor and Kontakt instruments being saved with newer versions of those products even after you've installed all your updates. UltimatePluginTool will help you fix those errors if you perform the following steps. You should just be sure you've installed the updates before you proceed.

2. Install and launch UltimatePluginTool

Download and install UltimatePluginTool from the Ultimate Outsider downloads page. If you accept the default installation options, UltimatePluginTool will launch automatically once setup is complete. (Otherwise you should find shortcuts for it on your desktop and your Start menu.)

You should also make sure to quit any DAWs, plugin hosts, or Native Instruments software before you continue.

3. Scan for duplicate plugins

If you have multiple copies of different versions of plugins scattered about your various plugin search paths, DAWs and plugin hosts can get confused, loading an outdated version of the plugin even after you've installed updates. On the UltimatePluginTool Start page, select Find duplicate VST plugins and click Next.

If you are running 64-bit Windows, you'll have a choice of whether to search for 32-bit or 64-bit plugins, since those files are normally installed in different locations. Choose which plugin type you'd like to check for first, and then make sure your desired plugin paths are listed under Plugin folders.

The first time you run this wizard, UltimatePluginTool tries to detect some common plugin locations on your system. If you use different folders than those that UltimatePluginTool finds, you can make the appropriate changes now with the Add New and Remove buttons. The program maintains different folder lists for 32-bit and 64-bit plugins.

The program discovered some plugin folders on this computer. If you keep folders in other locations, use Add New to locate and include them in the search.

Click Next. UltimatePluginTool will search your plugin folders for any duplicate files, or for unsupported files (for example, 64-bit plugins in your 32-bit plugins folder). Once the scan is complete, some statistics will appear in the Search status portion of the screen, and if any duplicates or unsupported files are found, their names will appear in the Duplicate files and Unexpected files lists below.

The results of a scan for 32-bit duplicates. Since 'show duplicates' is unchecked, only files with duplicates are displayed at the moment.

1. Select a filename in the Duplicate files list to see more information about the specific files discovered.
2. In the above example we can tell that the first file in the details list is the older one by its Date and Version number. Selecting a file in the details list enables the three action buttons on the right.
3. To remove the outdated file, click Delete, then click Yes when asked whether you would like to proceed.

Remember to re-run this wizard if you are running 64-bit Windows, in case you still need to scan for 32-bit or 64-bit plugins. See the included user guide for more information about the Find Duplicate VST Plugins wizard.

4. Look for wrong or broken file paths

Once you're sure there aren't any duplicate copies of your 32-bit or 64-bit plugins in your various plugin folders, re-launch UltimatePluginTool or navigate back to the Start page. Select Manage installed Native Instruments products, and then click Next.

Note: If you have a large number of Native Instruments products installed, or if you have some very old 32-bit-only products installed, the product scan might take a minute or two the first time you run it. Once the scan is complete, it will populate the "Product information" list with all products discovered on your system.

To check for file location problems, make to check the options to show apps and plugins, content libraries, bundles, drivers and utilities, and broken folder items. Also make sure to uncheck Show valid folder items, like in the following screenshot:

The above settings will display only products with detected file path problems.

In the above example, UltimatePluginTool discovered that it couldn't find the Kontakt 5 plugin in the folder where it's supposed to reside. This happened because we just used the duplicates finder to delete the outdated version of the plugin that had been located in that folder. Even though we know there is a recent version of Kontakt 5 in our plugin search paths, if the plugin isn't located in the exact folder specified on this screen, then Komplete Kontrol and Maschine won't be able to find the plugin if you try to load any Kontakt instruments with them.

To select the correct folder, click the Options button next to the folder you need to change. This opens the Change Folder dialog:

This dialog lists all the folders that all currently installed Native Instruments products (including the current one) are already using. If you see the folder you want already listed, just select it and then click the Use for (product) only button. In our case, the folder we need isn't listed, so we need to click Select Another Folder and locate the folder. Once the folder's selected, we can click Use for (product) only to continue.

After you select a different folder, UltimatePluginTool re-checks the paths. As we can see here, we selected the correct path, and we have the latest versions specified for the application, 32-bit plugin, and 64-bit plugin files.

5. Check product bundle associations (Komplete Kontrol)

The Komplete Kontrol software is explicitly designed to only work with Komplete 9 or Komplete 10, and this requirement has some side-effects that surprise some Komplete 9 and 10 owners.

Consider this example: Reaktor 5 is available as a standalone product, and has also been in every Komplete release since 2005- however if you didn't use a Komplete 9 or 10 installer to install or update Reaktor 5 on your PC, Komplete Kontrol will not work with your existing copy.

You can encounter this problem even if you are a legitimate Komplete 9 or 10 owner and you've used the Komplete installer to install other products on the same PC. Many Komplete owners who already have previous versions installed on their PCs choose not to install the pre-existing products when installing a new Komplete version. Up until the release of Komplete Kontrol, this was the fastest way to safely install new versions of Komplete. (And sometimes the ONLY way, due to the way the Komplete installers calculate disk space required before allowing you to proceed with setup.)

Unfortunately, it is now necessary to perform a complete installation of Komplete 9 or 10 in order to make sure all your applications and libraries are recognized by Komplete Kontrol as belonging to the supported bundles. This is because the Komplete installers are special. Even though the Reaktor 5 you bought in 2005 is technically exactly the same program as the version included in Komplete 10 (assuming you've kept up with your Service Center updates), the Komplete 10 installer associates any product it installs or upgrades with that specific bundle. All Komplete installers do this, but it wasn't until the release of Komplete Kontrol that this fact actually mattered.

Anyway, here's how you can use UltimatePluginTool to determine if this is what's happening on your computer.

On the Start page, select Manage installed Native Instruments products, and then click Next.

Once the product scan is complete, make sure to select the options to show apps and plugins, content libraries, valid path items, and broken path items. Now any products you select items in the Product information list that are associated with a Native Instruments bundle will show some information in the Bundle field, like this:

Beginning with Komplete 8, there is some overlap between the "Ultimate" bundles and the regular Komplete releases. For example, as shown in the screenshot above, Abbey Road 50s Drummer is only available in Komplete 10 Ultimate, so that's what appears in the Bundle field in UltimatePluginTool. However, if we had selected Battery 4- which is included in both Komplete 10 and Komplete 10 Ultimate, then the Bundle field would just read "Komplete 10" even though this computer has the full Komplete 10 Ultimate package installed. This shouldn't be an issue, though- it's the version number that matters to Komplete Kontrol.

If you have Komplete 9 or 10 (regular or Ultimate) installed, and a product you select on this screen is blank or is associated with an earlier version of Komplete, then you'll need to re-run the Komplete 9 or 10 installer to update your installation and associate it with your bundle in order to get it working properly in Komplete Kontrol.

Note: Misleading Warnings in Maschine and Komplete Kontrol

Both Komplete Kontrol and Maschine will report "could not load plug-in" even if the preset you tried to open isn't directly associated with a plugin. For example, Rise & Hit is not itself a plugin; it's a Kontakt instrument. But if there's something wrong with your Kontakt configuration, this is what happens when you try to open a Rise & Hit preset in Maschine:

To make it easier to troubleshoot, here's a list of all the products that appear in Maschine and Komplete Kontrol that aren't standalone products. So if you get an error while trying to launch one of them, remember to also check the settings of the actual plugin (Kontakt or Reaktor) they're associated with for problems:

Kontakt Instruments supported in Maschine and Komplete Kontrol

• Abbey Road 50s Drummer
• Abbey Road 60s Drummer/Drums
• Abbey Road 70s Drummer/Drums
• Abbey Road 80s Drummer/Drums
• Abbey Road Modern Drummer/Drums
• Abbey Road Vintage Drummer
• Action Strikes
• Action Strings
• Alicia's Keys
• Balinese Gamelan
• Berlin Grand
• Cuba
• Damage
• Drum Lab
• Evolve Mutations
• Evolve Mutations 2
• Evolve R2
• George Duke Soul Treasures
• Kinetic Metal
• Maschine Drum Selection
• NY Grand
• Retro Machines
• Rise and Hit
• Funk Guitarist
• Jay-Bass
• MM-Bass
• MM-Bass Amped
• Pre-Bass
• Pre-Bass Amped
• Rickenbacker
• Vintage Keys
• Session Horns
• Session Horns Pro
• Session Strings Pro
• Studio Drummer
• The Gentleman
• The Giant
• The Grandeur
• The Maverick
• Upright Piano
• Vienna Grand
• Vintage Organs
• West Africa

Reaktor Ensembles supported in Maschine and Komplete Kontrol

• Kontour
• Monark
• Polyplex
• Prism
• Razor
• Rounds
• Skanner XT
• Spark

Final Thoughts

I have some features in the works that should make solving these problems even simpler, so stay tuned. This should at least be enough to help you root-cause the various issues you're having and know what to do to fix them.

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