Native Instruments Session Horns Pro is a comprehensive, 30 GB horn library designed for professional-grade brass arrangements. It provides significantly more depth than the standard Session Horns, featuring a larger instrument selection and an expanded set of articulations for realistic performances in jazz, pop, and soul. Core Components & Instruments
The library features 10 meticulously sampled instruments that can be arranged into sections of up to six pieces. Trumpets: Three distinct trumpets plus a flugelhorn.
Saxophones: Three varieties including alto, tenor, and baritone sax. Trombones: Two trombones, including a bass trombone. Tuba: A dedicated tuba for low-end reinforcement. Performance & Control Modes
The instrument operates via three primary Kontakt .nki models to suit different workflows:
Performance Mode: Includes an "Animator" for playing back pre-programmed rhythmic phrases and a velocity switch to trigger different articulations based on how hard you play.
Keyswitch Model: Allows manual switching between articulations using specific keys on your MIDI controller.
Solo Instrument: Offers the highest level of detail for individual parts, ideal for lead lines with ultimate realism. Key Features for Realistic Arrangements
Smart Voice Split: Automatically distributes notes in a chord to the appropriate instruments (e.g., trumpets for high notes, trombones for low), mimicking a real arranger's workflow.
Deep Articulations: Features 34 articulations, including doits, falls, shakes, sforzando, and growls, with up to four round robins and velocity layers for organic variation.
Built-in Mixer & Effects: Includes a sound section with EQ, compression, and a "Drop" effect to add lower octaves, as well as global delay and reverb.
Pitch Wheel Integration: The pitch wheel can be specifically assigned to control expressive elements like doits and falls rather than just standard pitch bending. System Requirements Ed Reviews: Native Instruments Session Horns Pro
The midnight air in the studio was thick with the smell of stale coffee and the hum of an aging preamp. Elias sat at his workstation, staring at a MIDI arrangement that felt like a skeleton without a soul. It was a neo-soul track—smooth, but hollow. It needed the punch of a brass section that didn't just play notes, but breathed them. He reached for his library and loaded Session Horns Pro.
As he scrolled through the articulations, he bypassed the standard presets and went straight for the "Performance" section. He mapped out a four-piece section: two trumpets, a trombone, and a tenor sax. With a few clicks, he dialed in the "Tight" voicing—the kind of brass arrangement that feels like it’s being fired out of a cannon.
He started with the stabs. On the first beat of the chorus, he slammed a chord. The sound wasn't the thin, synthetic chirp of a synth; it was the visceral, metallic growl of real air moving through brass. He could hear the slight "rip" at the start of the note, the imperfections that made it feel human.
Elias leaned into the modulation wheel. As he pushed it forward, the section swelled from a soft, velvety hum into a fortissimo roar. He added "Doits" at the end of the phrases, letting the trumpets slide upward into the ether, and "Falls" that dropped like lead weights at the end of the bridge. native instruments session horns pro
By 3:00 AM, the track had transformed. The "Smart Voice Split" had automatically distributed his messy keyboard chords into harmonically perfect parts for each instrument. It sounded like he’d squeezed a world-class horn section into his ten-by-ten bedroom.
He hit play one last time. The horns didn't just sit on top of the mix; they drove it. They were arrogant, soulful, and alive. Elias leaned back, the blue light of the monitor reflecting in his tired eyes, and finally felt the track push back.
How does it stack up against the big players?
| Library | Price (approx) | Best For | Weakness | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Session Horns Pro | $199 | Pop, Funk, Smart Voice Split | Not for solo jazz ballad | | SWAM Horns | $400+ | Real-time expression (wind controllers) | CPU heavy, no ensemble voicing | | Chris Hein Horns | $450+ | Deep control (micro-details) | Overwhelming UI, dry sound | | Session Horns (Standard) | $99 | Quick stabs, low CPU | No legato, basic articulations | | Straight Ahead Jazz Horns | $179 | Big Band, Swing | Terrible for pop stabs |
The Verdict: Session Horns Pro is the best "instant gratification" library. SWAM is more expressive but harder to mix. Chris Hein is more detailed but slower to write with. If you need a horn section today that sounds like a record, buy Session Horns Pro.
Native Instruments Session Horns Pro is not a perfect emulation of a live brass section—no software can replace the chaotic, breathing energy of three or four jazz musicians in a room. But it is arguably the best practical solution for producers who need authentic, powerful, and flexible horn sections in their music.
Its genius lies in its user experience. By abstracting the complexity of horn arranging into the Smart Chord system, it opens up a world of brass textures to keyboardists, beatmakers, and composers who don't have the time or resources to hire a section. The sound is punchy, clean, and mix-ready. The articulation set covers 90% of what pop, funk, and R&B producers will ever need.
If you produce music in the realms of pop, hip-hop, rock, or electronic music and you have ever thought, "This track needs some horns, but I don't know how to write for them" — Session Horns Pro is your answer. It turns the impossible into the immediate. It’s not just a sample library; it’s a creative partner that lets you play the horn section you hear in your head.
Final Verdict: Highly Recommended for pop, funk, R&B, and hip-hop producers. A worthy addition to Komplete Ultimate. An example of smart software design that prioritizes musicality over technical complexity.
Native Instruments' Session Horns Pro is a comprehensive 30 GB virtual instrument library designed for contemporary pop, soul, funk, and jazz. Created in collaboration with e-instruments, it offers high-detail sampling of 10 individual instruments that can be played solo or as customizable sections of up to six players. Core Capabilities & Instruments
The library features 10 meticulously sampled instruments, a significant expansion over the standard version.
Three Trumpets, Mute Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trombone, and Bass Trombone. Woodwinds: Alto, Tenor, and Baritone Saxophones. Includes Tuba for low-end reinforcement in sections.
38 section presets offer common arrangements for popular music styles. Performance Features
These tools automate complex arranging tasks to create realistic performances without deep orchestration knowledge. Smart Voice Split: Native Instruments Session Horns Pro is a comprehensive,
Automatically assigns notes in a chord to the correct instruments based on their natural ranges (e.g., trombones low, trumpets high).
Provides over 200 ready-to-play, tempo-synced riffs and phrases that follow your MIDI chord changes. Smart Chord:
Generates full, professional-grade chord voicings from single keys, with black keys acting as modifiers for "color" or "tension" notes (7ths, 9ths, etc.). Legato Mode:
Includes true interval-legato samples for smooth, natural transitions in solo melodies.
Session Horns Pro – contemporary horns | Komplete - Native Instruments
Native Instruments Session Horns Pro is a 30 GB library designed for contemporary brass arrangements in genres like pop, jazz, and funk. This guide covers the essential workflows and features to get you started. Native Instruments 1. Choosing Your Instrument Type The library includes twelve separate files categorized into three main types: Performance:
The primary interface for real-time playing, featuring built-in riffs and voicing assistants. Key Switch:
Allows you to switch between different articulations (e.g., staccato, marcato, vibrato) on the fly using specific MIDI notes. Solo Instruments:
Ten individual instruments (including 3 saxophones, 2 trombones, 3 trumpets, tuba, and flugelhorn) for detailed solo lines. Native Instruments 2. Core Performance Features Smart Voice Split:
Automatically distributes notes in a chord across the section for authentic voicing. For example, if you play a 4-note chord, it assigns the lowest note to the trombone and the highest to the first trumpet.
A phrase library with over 200 pre-arranged riffs that stay in sync with your project tempo. One-Shot Mode: Plays the riff to the end with a single tap. Rhythm Mode:
Only plays the rhythm of the riff, allowing you to choose your own notes. Voicing Assistant:
Helps manage section harmony and unison modes, which can be controlled via the mod wheel. Native Instruments 3. Sound Shaping & Articulations Articulations:
Includes 34 different techniques like vibrato, sforzando, staccato, and growls. Pitch Wheel Control: Part 6: Session Horns Pro vs
Used to trigger "doits" and "falls," common brass techniques. Built-in Effects:
Accessible via the "Sound" button, offering a compressor, EQ, tape saturation, and twang effects to polish your mix. Custom Sections:
You can arrange up to six instruments into a custom section. Native Instruments 4. Setup Tips How to Effectively use Native Instruments Session Horns Pro
Native Instruments Session Horns Pro is a comprehensive 30GB brass library designed specifically for contemporary music producers who need punchy, realistic horn sections for pop, jazz, funk, and R&B. Key Features & Sound Quality Deep Instrument Selection
: Includes 10 meticulously sampled instruments: three trumpets (including a mute version), three saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone), two trombones (tenor, bass), a tuba, and a flugelhorn. Custom Ensemble Building
: You can arrange sections of up to six pieces using 38 pre-arranged presets or by manually assigning instruments to slots. Smart Arrangement Tools Smart Voice Split
: Automatically distributes notes from played chords to the appropriate horns for authentic voicing.
: A library of over 200 ready-to-play riffs and phrases that sync to your DAW's tempo. Smart Chord
: Allows you to play full, realistic horn chords with single keys based on your chosen musical key. Articulations
: Offers 34 distinct articulations, including true legato, rips, falls, and shakes, controlled via keyswitching. Pros and Cons Native Instruments Session Horns review - SoundsAndGear
Bottom line: Session Horns Pro is not designed for solo virtuoso brass sounds (use Symphony Series Brass for that). It excels at realistic, playable horn sections quickly. Learn chord memory and articulation mapping, and you’ll get pro-quality brass in minutes, not hours.
When you play a 4-note chord, the script intelligently decides which horn gets which note. It avoids unnatural octave jumps and keeps the voicing tight. You can even tell the engine to prioritize "Open voicings" (jazz) vs. "Closed voicings" (pop).
Session Horns Pro remains a "workhorse" library. While it may not have the hyper-realism of the newest sample libraries on the market for orchestral scoring, it is arguably one of the most musical tools available for commercial music production. If you need a brass section that plays stabs, falls, and melodic lines in a Pop or Funk context, this is a solid choice.
Verdict: Highly recommended for pop/funk producers; less essential for orchestral film composers.
Before diving into knobs and keyswitches, it’s vital to understand the guiding principle behind Session Horns Pro. Native Instruments recognized that most producers are not horn players. We know what a horn should sound like—think of the punch in a Bruno Mars track, the stabs in an old James Brown recording, or the cinematic swell in a movie score—but we don't necessarily know the physical limitations of a trumpet or the fingering patterns of a saxophone.
Session Horns Pro is built on the concept of "section-based performance." Instead of painstakingly programming four separate MIDI tracks (trumpet, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax) and trying to make them play in perfect human unison, Session Horns Pro allows you to play a three- or four-note chord on your MIDI keyboard. The software instantly arranges that chord across the four instruments in a realistic way, respecting the natural range and timbre of each horn. The result: instant, playable, and convincing horn section arrangements.