Install Guide - Kontakt Full Instruments
Step 1 - Install Pulse Downloader
Install Pulse Downloader if you haven't already done so.
If you don't already have an account set up (you're given an option to do this at checkout), you will need to do so (keep in mind that your Pulse account is separate to your Impact Soundworks account).
Step 2 - Redeem and download instrument in Pulse Downloader
In Pulse, use the serial key for your Kontakt product to redeem your instrument. If you keep the "Install Now" checkbox checked, Pulse will immediately install the instrument once you click the "Redeem" button.
If, during this process, you get an error, there are a few possible causes:
Your instrument has already been redeemed in Pulse. This might be because you are attempting to redeem the instrument to another account, or because something went wrong on our end; first double-check if you might have redeemed the instrument to a different Pulse account, and if you're unable to find it, let us know.
Pulse does not accept your install location. This often happens when you're attempting to install to what Pulse considers a "not safe" location or places it doesn't have access to through system permissions. If this happens, select a different location and try again. You can always manually move the instrument folder later if you want to (but you will need to use Pulse to reconnect to it so it can "see" where the folder is).
- Something might be blocking Pulse from downloading. Check your firewall settings and make sure that it allows Pulse to download. If you're unable to do this, contact us and we will help you out.
Step 3: Open the Instrument in Kontakt
For Kontakt full version libraries, these are not activated in Native Access, and do not load from the Libraries tab. Load up one of the instrument NKIs in Kontakt via the Files browser. You can also click on the .nki file itself from your computer's file browser (File Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac), and Kontakt will open it automatically.
In addition to Quick Load, for re-opening .nki instruments quickly is the Load Recent menu, as well as saving the instrument to a default Multi or template.
Additionally, if you have Kontakt 7, those instruments should start appearing in the Modern browser view if you have loaded them previously.
Please note that non-Player library support in this view is a recent addition - if your version of Kontakt 7 is too old, this doesn't work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When I load the instrument in Kontakt, it shows a red DEMO warning, and playback stops after a while!
A: You're attempting to load a non-Player instrument inside of the free Kontakt Player. A good way to confirm this on Kontakt versions 6 and up is to look in the top-left corner of the Kontakt window; if it says "Kontakt Player" you are using the free Kontakt Player and will need to upgrade to Kontakt Full in order to use this instrument.
Q: The serial I have doesn't fit in Native Access!
A: You are trying to register an instrument that is not compatible with Kontakt Player. As long as you have the full version of Kontakt (not the free Player), all you need to do is load the instrument through the Files tab in Kontakt; no registration required!
Q: I'm trying to download from Pulse, but it's asking for more space than I thought it would!
A: Please note that Pulse requires you to have twice the library size available to install. The reason for this is to ensure there is extra space for SSDs / OS drives - for example, if a product takes 20GB to download and install but the user has only 21GB on their drive, it can cause issues if the drive gets too close to 100% capacity. Once the library is installed, the final folder size should be identical to the product information on our website.
Q: Can I use this library with Komplete Kontrol?
A: While these libraries may successfully load inside of Komplete Kontrol, they are NOT NKS compatible and will have certain limitations.
Q: Do I need to make a new account / re-register each time I switch computers?
A: No. In fact, once you create a login, that is the login you should use for any system you install your products onto. Pulse will keep track of all your registered products for you so that you can immediately download.
- WARNING: Product codes can only be redeemed in Pulse once, so if you lose your login credentials, creating a new account will not fix the problem. If you cannot find your login credentials, you can contact ISW support - if you provide an order #, we should be able to find your account.
Q: I downloaded the library but now I don't know where it is! What do I do?
A: Go to the Library tab and click on the product icon to view more info. Pulse keeps track of what version you're on, the location your folder is downloaded to, and even lets you open this location.
If you still run into issues, let us know and we can look into it further.
You can contact our support team here, or by clicking Get Help in the Orders page of your ISW account.