Native Instruments Kontakt 8 is the latest iteration of the industry-standard sampling platform, featuring significant workflow enhancements like the Leap performance sampler and new MIDI for creative sequencing. Native Instruments Key New Features Leap Performance Sampler
While the price tag ($399 full / $99 upgrade) is steep, the included Factory Selection and Conflux add enough value to justify it. It is a professional tool. It is stable on Windows. And it will continue to power the next decade of sample-based music. Native Instruments Kontakt 8 -WiN-
Kontakt 8 revamps the user experience on Windows with a modern, high-DPI interface that addresses long-standing visibility issues. New in Kontakt 8 - Native Instruments Native Instruments Kontakt 8 is the latest iteration
2 GB for application; ~52 GB for the full Factory Library installation Formats Standalone, VST3, and AAX GPU Support for Direct 3D 11.1 (Feature Level 11_0) or higher User Experience & Performance It is stable on Windows
Leap: Described as a "sampler within a sampler," Leap is an ultra-fast performance engine for loops and one-shots. It maps samples to white keys and assigns expressive performance effects to black keys, allowing for immediate rhythmic improvisation.
Testing a typical scoring template (32 tracks, 16x buffer) yields interesting results: