How to Check Your Kontakt Version and Extract RAR Archives in Windows

Are you a music producer looking to create your own sample libraries using Kontakt? If so, it's essential to know which version of Kontakt you're running, as well as how to extract compressed files. In this article, we'll cover both topics and provide some helpful tips for getting the most out of your sample libraries.

Checking Your Kontakt Version

The quickest way to check which version of Kontakt you are using is to click on the Kontakt logo at the top left of Kontakt's window. This will pop up an information box in the middle of the screen which will show the version number you have installed.

Extracting RAR Archives

When you purchase a sample library from Xtant Audio, and most other developers, the files you receive are in a compressed format. This is to speed up the download process. At Xtant Audio, we use RAR compression because it provides the smallest file size.

To access the files inside a RAR archive, you need to extract them using one of several freely available utilities. We recommend using the latest version of WinRAR on Windows and The Unarchiver on Mac. Once you've installed a RAR extracting utility, you can decompress the archive by right-clicking on it and selecting one of the options from the pop-up context menu. The menu layout might be slightly different on your system to the one shown in the image.

Alternative Method for Extracting RAR Archives

Another way to access the files inside a RAR archive is to double click on it, and it will open up like a folder. From here, you'll be able to drag the files straight out of the archive.

Large File Sizes

Some sample libraries have a very large file size, even when compressed into a RAR archive. To prevent you from having to download one massive file, it is common to split the download into multiple parts, usually about a gigabyte each.

By following these simple steps and tips, you'll be well on your way to creating your own sample libraries using Kontakt. Happy producing!

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