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Kontakt can work as a standalone app but it is most frequently utilized as a plugin audio gear in a DAW or sequencer.
Because it is compatible with VST, AU, and AAX practice, you can use it with any digital audio workstation and this includes Cubase, Logic, and Pro Tools DAWs.
KONTAKT is an open music app that can support Native Instruments and other third-party gears designed specifically for the software.
While a Kontakt is different from a Kontakt player, any gear designed for Kontakt player will operate in the complete Kontakt suite.
The best time to use Kontakt in a standalone mode is when they only music software you’re running on your PC is the KONTAKT PLAYER 2.
Like when you’re performing live and where you’ve previously loaded your tracks’ audio and MIDI hardware interfaces.
In this article we have provided you with factors you should consider when selecting the best audio interface for Kontakt and make our top five recommendations to make shopping around the market for a suitable brand and model easier.
Here is a related article I wrote on the top 5 best audio interface for gaming
Let’s quickly go through them:
Our Winner After Careful Research
- 36 total channels of audio
- USB 2.0 audio interface
- All professional connections needed for a studio environment
- Compact design
- 36 channels
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best Audio Interface for Kontakt – Comparison Table
| Image | Title | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| RME Audio Interface (FIREFACEUCX) | Buy Now | ||
| Presonus Audio Interface 2|4 | Buy Now | ||
| RME HDSPe AIO PCI express audio interface | Buy Now | ||
| BEHRINGER Audio Interface (UMC404HD) | Buy Now | ||
| Roland Duo-Capture: Usb Audio Interface | Buy Now |
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5 Best Audio Interface for Kontakt
1. RME Audio Interface (FIREFACEUCX)
- 36 total channels of audio
- USB 2.0 audio interface
- All professional connections needed for a studio environment
- Compact design
- 36 channels
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The RME Fireface ucx USB 2.0 audio interface is a word-class audio interface that comes with all the features you need to make all your connections possible as music professionals in a studio setting.
Despite its full-featured design, it comes in a sufficiently compact form that makes working on the go possible even with your mobile devices.
Featuring an extensive suite of 36 audio channels, you have all the connection options you have for your sounds.
It also comes with a double piece of the superior quality microphone and instrument preamps with additional digital I/O, USB 2.0, and FireWire connectivity.
The amazing part of it is that it got all the features neatly packed in a portable 19-inch case which means you can easily take along for mobile recording.
The 36 audio channels include balanced 18 inputs and outputs.
Besides, you can utilize all the 36 channels concurrently.
With the unit, you can record a maximum of eighteen different tracks including eight analog tracks and ten digitized tracks.
The entire output can be utilized for direct Asio drivers’ monitoring purposes.
It has 8 inputs at the back of the unit and four balanced inputs in front.
These are composed of two XLR inputs that feature mic/line preamps and a two- Hi-Z –based TRS line or input gears.
The backside of the unit is made up of eight outputs which include six balanced TRS outputs.
2. PreSonus Audio Interface 2
- Bus-powered USB 2.0 audio and MIDI interface
- Compatible with almost all recording software for Mac and Windows
- 24-bit resolution; 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz sampling rates
- 2 combo mic/instrument inputs with high-performance, low-noise, high-headroom mic preamplifiers
- Includes Studio One Artist DAW software and 6+ GB of third-party resources
- Includes the Studio Magic Plug-In Suite
- Frequency Response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This Presonus USB Audio interface is a perfect option for creating footages at home.
It is equally suitable for mobile music artists, guitar players, podcasters, and those who want to engage in live streaming.
The Studio is a USB 2.0 bus-powered audio interface for Mac and Windows.
It’s recording up to 192 kiloHertz and comes with 2 front-panel combination microphone input, line input, or other music gear input using a proprietary XMAX-L powerful microphone preamps; 2 back-panel, well-adjusted line outputs; and MIDI I/O.
With its Mixer control switch, you can blend analog input and PC playback to make low-latency instant monitoring possible.
It is a comprehensive one-unit recording system that features the Studio One Artist Digital Audio Workstation for Mac and PC users.
It also comes with a Studio Magic Plug-in Suite.
It is a reliable and top-quality audio interface compatible with logic, CV tools, and Silent Way. Besides, it is equally a DC designed audio interface.
3. RME HDSPe AIO PCI express audio interface
- 32-channel 24-bit/192kHz Audio Interface
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The HDSPe AIO, a comprehensive one suite analog and digital audio interface that works with every application.
It comes with the modern 192 kiloHertz AD converters.
You also get DA converters with this high-tech device.
All the inputs and outputs can work at the same time and this includes the SPIDIF AND XLR inputs and outputs.
It also comes with an extension board that will make it easy for you to integrate extra world-class antilog inputs and outputs.
However, you need to pay a little extra for this feature if you need it.
It comes with integrated TOTALmIX multipurpose mixer, clock technology which makes optimal suppression of jitter possible.
The HDSPe AIO is designed to help you attain satisfactory performance in multi-track audio settings.
You can equally enjoy zero latency with the unit.
With its flash technology updates, you can easily enhance or adjust your firmware and fix any bug issue any time you want.
It comes with an unmatched sound quality and rock-solid drivers that are regularly updated for OS X and Windows.
4. BEHRINGER Audio Interface (UMC404HD)
- 4x4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface for recording microphones and instruments
- Audiophile 24-Bit/192 kHz resolution for professional audio quality
- Compatible with popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools*, Ableton Live*, Steinberg Cubase*, etc.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Behringer UMC404HD is a USB Audio/MIDI Interface which features MIDAS Mic Preamplifiers and helps you to showcase your creativity to your fans.
It is a super-fast USB 2.0 audio interface that ensures you get your best creative masterpiece within minutes.
It comes with multiple connections that make connecting your gears like microphones, guitars, keyboards, and MIDI possible.
You can record your best vocal masterpiece straight into your PC-based Digital Audio Workstation with its four built-in high-quality MIDAS-structured microphone preamps that come with extra purity.
You equally have a +48V condense mics’ phantom power passing through a 24-Bit/192 kilo Hertz converters which ensure you produce extremely pure and great-sounding music.
It is suitable for both singer-songwriters and music producers who work while on the move.
It is also suitable for those looking for a well-built interface for playing backing tracks during live performance.
When used for your gig, you can trust the unit to perform.
Just connect it with your Mac or Windows PC, hook up your mics, music gears, or line-level sources using the device’s four XLR/TRS combo inputs for multi-purpose applications.
You can use it to hook up MIDI devices to help you to easily control your studio performances.
It also offers you zero-latency allowing getting a clear impression of your performance while eliminating all forms of delay or lag with the output signal.
5. Roland Duo-Capture: USB Audio Interface
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The Roland Duo capture is a multipurpose USB Audio Interface.
It features Audio I/O which makes it suitable for both Mac and PC.
The unit offers you 2 balanced audio inputs and 2 audio outputs.
The double headphone ¼” outputs are great for live music or engineering performances.
With this audio interface, you don’t require any extra form of mixing hardware.
The unit comes with highly stable and low-latency drivers that are suitable for Mac and PC OS.
It features a collection of multi-purpose I/O formats that makes connecting to multiple types of musical instruments possible.
The compact design and great stability make it a great audio interface option for recording while out and about.
Also, it has a direct monitoring technology that helps you to control live performance and band rehearsal for eventual assessment.
Thanks to its ASIO, you get low latency with this driver.
Choosing the best audio Interface for Kontakt
The best way to select the right audio interface for your Kontakt is to go for the unit that has the fastest driver which is compatible with your sound card.
If you’re using a PC, the best driver to look out for is ASIO driver but if you’re a mac user, your best option is CoreAudio drivers.
If you work with windows, don’t go for drivers that have “emulated,” listing tag on them.
They are the poorest performing drivers.
For instance, while DirectSound drivers come with better performance than the MME drivers, MME drivers will perform better than any DirectSound driver tagged as emulated.
ASIO’s key benefit for PC users is that they are faster and allow you to easily route audio inputs and outputs.
You can easily use them to transfer inputs and outputs straight into your DAW.
This helps you to avoid the costs of having to acquire consumer sound cards.
Besides, they help you to achieve a clearer sound with zero latency.
It is always advisable to use an external audio interface with your Kontakt but if you decide to use the audio chipset that comes you’re your system, it is better to go for ASIO or Core Audio drivers to get the best performance.
