8.7Great
Kontakt 8 is Native Instruments' software sampler platform for hosting and building virtual instruments, available as a plugin or standalone app.
Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which sampler to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
Kontakt 8 is Native Instruments' software sampler platform for hosting and building virtual instruments, available as a plugin or standalone app.
Temecula DSP NIBBI is a free seven-voice sampler plugin that ports the open-sourced CHOMPI TAPE engine to the DAW, with factory MELO and HITKIT banks, a tape looper and single-knob effects.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Kontakt 8 | Temecula DSP NIBBI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | Free |
| Dubspot Score | 8.7 | — |
| Formats | Standalone, VST3, AU (macOS), AAX | VST3, AU, AAX |
| macOS formats (64-bit) | Standalone, VST3, AU, AAX | — |
| Windows formats (64-bit) | Standalone, VST3, AAX | — |
| Factory Library 2 | 40 GB ready-to-use instrument toolset included | — |
| CPU / RAM | Intel Core i5 or equivalent / Apple Silicon; 4 GB RAM (6 GB recommended) | — |
| Disk space | 2 GB free; 52 GB for complete installation | — |
| Free Player version | Kontakt 8 Player hosts NI and third-party Kontakt instruments at no cost | — |
| Type | — | Lo-fi character sampler (CHOMPI TAPE engine port) |
| Polyphony | — | Seven voices |
| Factory content | — | MELO and HITKIT banks (Banks A to C: 42 + 42 recordings), Banks D to E empty |
| Live buffer | — | Approximately 165 seconds |
| Effects | — | Space (delay + reverb), Saturation (drive + tape warble), Filter (LP/HP + resonance) |
| Playback | — | Varispeed, fixed start/end, forward/reverse, AD envelope, tape looper |
| Formats | — | macOS: AU, VST3, AAX; Windows: VST3, AAX |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.