These instrument creators represent a world of sample-based sound generation that’s also available on Plugin Boutique
On the Plugin Boutique website you’ll find far more than just plugins – alongside synth presets and sample packs, you’ll also find Kontakt instruments.
Kontakt gives you the power of any physical instrument right in your DAW. From expertly recorded and curated orchestral libraries to more experimental and unorthodox offerings.
In this article, we’ve gathered together eight of our favourite Kontakt developers – from those who have created industry standard horn libraries alongside those who have pushed the boundaries of what is expected from designers, visiting now abandoned sights of nuclear disasters to record samples.
Read on to discover some of the best and most exciting Kontakt instrument developers in the world right now.
Rigid Audio
Founded in 2015, Rigid Audio offers affordable and interesting Kontakt instruments for many different uses. They provide instruments for sound design and cinematic use as well as synthesisers and drum instruments.
A quick glance at the list of most popular Kontakt instruments on Plugin boutique reveals how well loved Rigid Audio’s instruments are.
Rigid also offers a range of bundles such as the Composer’s Dream Bundle and the Lofi Explorer Bundle, offering options for a wide range of producers.
Their instruments do require a full Kontakt subscription to use, however as mentioned before they are affordable. Check out Drum One, their totally free drum synthesiser and sampler.
Karanyi Sounds
Karanyi Sounds offer beautiful-looking instruments that also sound the part. Started by media composer and instrument designer Dan Karanyi, Karanyi sounds was founded with an understanding of what it takes to create truly innovative sounds and deliver high-quality instruments that everyone could enjoy – and it shows.
Karanyi Sounds have a wide range of instruments and bundles on offer with instruments coming in at around £10.
Particularly popular are their instruments Lofi Keys Pro, Cinema Pro, and Vapor Keys. If you fancy hearing what Karanyi Sounds have to offer then Budapest Abstract Marimba is a great place at only £6.50.
Soundiron
Soundiron is owned and run by two BAFTA nominated and Mix Foundation TEC Award winning sound designers and audio engineers. Mike Peaslee and Gregg Stephens started Soundiron together, and since founding the company have released a formidable number of Kontakt instruments.
The sheer size of Soundiron’s library, and the variation within it is reason enough to check out the company’s instruments – but it’s not the only reason.
Soundiron’s range of instruments is high in quality and, at times, impressively quirky.
Cube is a perfect example. Comprised of 521 glitchy, crunchy, office-supply percussive samples and FX designed using carefully selected sources like paper crunches, snapping pencils, fax machines, water coolers, paper cups, and all kinds of other office-related sounds – Cube is a representation of all that’s good about the world of creative sampling.
Keepforest
Keepforest makes professional instruments for trailer music and game scoring. Based in Minsk, the Belarusian team has made a name for themselves as providers of powerful Kontakt based sound-design tools.
For anyone interested in trailer or movie scoring, Keepforest’s AizerX - Classic Trailer Toolkit is a great place to start when building your instrument collection. Packed with trailer hits, whooshes, suckbacks, downfalls, downers, stutter, risers, braams and much more, this powerful sample instrument gives you a strong bass for movie sound design for less than £100.
You can get a taste of the Keepforest sound without spending a penny with their free sample packs. AizerX - Hybrid Cyberpunk Toolkit (Free Sample Pack), Evolution - Devastator Free Pack, Risenge Free Sample Pack and AizerX - Free Try Pack all sound powerful, and are totally free!
Vir2 Instruments
Made up of an international team of sound designers, musicians, and programmers, Vir2 Instruments specialise in creating the world's most advanced virtual instrument libraries.
They’re particularly well known for the highly lauded horn library MOJO 2: Horn Section. Perfect for writing horn parts for any genre or purpose this comprehensive instrument is the only horn library you will ever need.
MOJO2: Horn Section comes with 17 brass and reed instruments including multiple saxophones, clarinet, flugelhorns, trombone, trumpets and more.
Elsewhere in the Vir2 instrument catalogue you will find premium libraries of guitar, percussion, choir, effects and much more. The library is ever growing and covers a wide range of genres.
Elsewhere, Vir2’s comprehensive electric guitar instrument Electri6ity is another example of their exemplary instrument design, and – when compared to MOJO 2: Horn Section – their versatility. Built using samples of eight absolutely classic guitars this is a must have for anyone wanting authentic electric guitars in their library.
E-instruments
E-instruments specialise in piano, keys, strings and brass virtual instrument plugins for Kontakt and they excel at it.
Examples of their exemplary instruments include Session Keys Grand Y, a masterfully sampled Yamaha CFIIIS Concert Grand Piano; Session Keys Electric R, E-Instruments’ take on the legendary E-Piano MK I; and Session Keys Electric W, a gorgeous sounding 1974 stage piano.
E-instruments’ Kontakt libraries are immaculately built. They are expertly sampled and a joy to use. If you are looking for some classic keys to add to your Kontakt library then look no further.
STRIX Instruments
STRIX instruments only have two instruments (and a bundle) as of writing, but those instruments are a unique joy and certainly worth checking out.
PRIPYAT Pianos is a concept instrument unlike any other. History buffs amongst you may recognise the name Pripyat. The Ukrainian city was founded in 1970 to serve the ill fated Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The pianos in PRIPYAT Pianos are real sampled instruments found in the city of Pripyat by STRIX’s team. Over seven years the team at STRIX visited Pripyat 25 times, recording every piano they could find.
The instruments were in various stages of degradation from both time, and radiation. This eerie instrument building methodology has resulted in a truly one of a kind Kontakt instrument.
On a lighter note, EMISYNTH is built from seven Soviet era children’s synth ranging in age from 30 to 50 years. This awesome instrument provides synth sounds not often heard in modern music production.
The in-built convolution reverb in EMISYNTH also includes some impulse responses recorded in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. This means that EMISYNTH not only gives you instruments from 1980s Soviet Russia, it also allows you to immerse yourself in the environment giving a unique musical experience and sound.
Sounds Of The Earth
In their own words, ‘Sounds of the Earth is the first audio company in the world focused in creating premium virtual ethnic instruments played by native people and connected to social causes.’
To date they have recorded traditional instruments played by the Amazonic people of South America. They have several tiers of instruments at different price points including a free option.
Most of the instruments played in this Kontakt library would be new to the majority of producers, and so to provide extra information Sounds Of The Earth have created a free digital booklet with over 100 pages of information.
The company will soon be releasing VIDA I, their second library. This time Sounds Of The Earth have worked with the people of Costa Rica to create another one of a kind instrument library.
To discover more amazing Kontakt instrument developers, check out the most popular Kontakt libraries on Plugin Boutique.
Some of our other favourite Kontakt instrument developers on Plugin Boutique include: Heavyocity with their cutting edge instruments designed for composers and sound designers; Muze with their comprehensive range of altered and otherworldly instruments; Output who have some of the funnest to use Kontakt instruments around; and Loot Audio who offer a range of more lightweight and affordable instruments.