Ethereal Earth
Key Features
- 100 presets covering ambience, pads, leads, drones, brass, strings, plucks, textures, and wind sounds
- Dual-layer engine with per-layer tuning, filtering, LFO, panning, and ADSR for deep sound shaping
- Six-slot FX chain with drag-and-drop ordering: reverb, delay, chorus, saturation, amp emulation, EQ
- Analog-style 16-step sequencer with six macro modulation lanes, latch mode, retrigger, and swing
- Macro Editor with up to six assignable controls mapped to any parameter with color-coded feedback
- Compatible with the free Kontakt 6 Player — no paid Kontakt license needed
- Part of the Play Series: performance-focused interface designed for fast workflow and real-time control
Description
Ethereal Earth is a cinematic hybrid Kontakt instrument that blends acoustic world instruments — sitars, gongs, brass, plucks, strings — with synthesized textures and custom effects processing. The result is a sound library capable of producing atmospheric pads, drones, ambient soundscapes, and evolving textures that feel simultaneously organic and electronic.
At its core, Ethereal Earth runs two independent sound layers (A and B), each with its own tuning, filtering, LFO, panning, and amplitude envelope. The Sound Editor gives you access to lo-fi effects and per-layer modulation controls, letting you dial in anything from lush, wide pads to gritty, distorted drones.
An FX chain with six assignable slots covers reverb, delay, chorus, saturation, amp emulation, and EQ — all reorderable by dragging. Both layers carry per-layer EQ that can be bypassed independently, and custom FX chains can be saved as presets.
The analog-style sequencer runs up to sixteen pitch steps alongside six parallel macro modulation lanes. Rate, direction, and swing control playback timing, while Latch mode sustains sequences from a single note trigger.
The Macro Editor lets you map up to six assignable controls to any parameter combination, with color-coded visual feedback for fast live performance.
Ethereal Earth ships with 100 ready-to-play presets across categories including ambience, bass, brass, drone, FX, lead, pad, pluck, string, texture, and wind. It is included in the free Komplete Start bundle and runs on the free Kontakt Player — no license purchase required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ethereal Earth require the full version of Kontakt, or does it work with the free Kontakt Player?
Ethereal Earth works with the free Kontakt Player (version 6 or higher) — you do not need to purchase full Kontakt. It is also part of the free Komplete Start bundle, available from the Native Instruments website.
How many presets does Ethereal Earth include, and can I create my own?
The library ships with 100 presets spanning ambience, pads, drones, brass, plucks, strings, leads, and wind sounds. You can build and save your own presets using the Sound Editor, FX Editor, and Macro Editor, and the Sequencer has its own preset system as well.
Is Ethereal Earth compatible with Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. Native Instruments lists Apple Silicon as officially supported. As with all Kontakt instruments, you will need to ensure you are running a compatible version of Native Access and Kontakt Player that supports Apple Silicon (ARM native).
Can Ethereal Earth produce rhythmic, sequenced patterns or is it purely for sustained pads?
Ethereal Earth has a built-in 16-step analog-style sequencer with six macro modulation lanes. The sequencer can create melodic phrases, arpeggiated patterns, and rhythmically modulated textures. Latch mode sustains sequences from a single key press, making it practical for live performance.
