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Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings for PC: How to Download & Install on Windows

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Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings for PC: How to Download & Install on Windows

Need a realistic acoustic guitar in your track but have no guitarist in the room? This orange tree samples evolution steel strings download for pc guide shows you how to get the library on Windows and set it up on Windows 10 and Windows 11. One thing to know first: Evolution Steel Strings is a sample library, not a standalone program. It runs inside Native Instruments Kontakt Player, which is free, so you install Kontakt Player first and then add the library to it.

Evolution Steel Strings is a Kontakt library from Orange Tree Samples that reproduces the sound of an iconic Martin D16R steel-string acoustic guitar, recorded in stereo at 24-bit and 48 kHz. Built on the Evolution guitar engine, version 1.3.5, it captures fingered and picked playing with individually sampled strings, a proprietary resonance engine, and thousands of samples, so strummed chords and picked melodies sound like a real performance.

1. What Is Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings?

Evolution Steel Strings is a virtual acoustic guitar library for the free Kontakt Player. Instead of a synthesised guitar sound, it plays back real recordings of a steel-string acoustic guitar, with multiple dynamics and round-robin variations, so repeated notes do not sound identical. The result is a guitar part that can sit in a folk, pop, country or singer-songwriter mix and sound like a real performance.

The library is built on Orange Tree Samples’ Evolution guitar engine, with a strumming pattern editor, automatic chord detection and a built-in effects engine. It includes alternate tunings and a monophonic and polyphonic hybrid mode, so legato lead lines and chords can be played from the same patch. Because it is a library, it needs Kontakt Player (free) to run, and the full paid version of Kontakt is not required.

2. Key Features

  • Realistic steel-string tone: an iconic Martin D16R acoustic guitar, recorded in stereo at 24-bit and 48 kHz, with fingered and picked articulations.
  • Individually sampled strings: each string was recorded separately, with performance-modelled string and fret selection for realistic playing.
  • Proprietary resonance engine: models the natural resonance of the guitar body for a fuller, more lifelike sound.
  • Evolution guitar engine: a strumming pattern editor and automatic chord detection for building rhythm parts quickly.
  • Alternate tunings: change the tuning of the guitar without re-recording, for open tunings and dropped tunings.
  • Built-in effects: a full effects section with factory presets, including more than 4,900 samples, 3 dynamics, and down and up pick directions.

Tip: use the strumming pattern editor for rhythm parts and play picked melodies by hand on a MIDI keyboard. The combination of programmed strums and played leads sounds far more human than either one alone.

3. System Requirements

  • Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
  • Host software: Native Instruments Kontakt Player 5.5.2 (free) or the full version of Kontakt — the library does not run on its own
  • Processor: a modern multi-core processor, since sample streaming and effects add work on top of your DAW
  • RAM: 8 GB minimum, with 16 GB or more recommended for large projects with several libraries loaded
  • Storage: 7.58 GB of free disk space to download and install the library (3.79 GB download, 3.79 GB installed)
  • DAW: any DAW that hosts VST, AAX or AU plug-ins, or use Kontakt Player in standalone mode

4. Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings Download for PC: Official Method

Always get the library from the official source so you receive the genuine, untouched files. Follow these steps:

  1. Open your browser and go to the Download Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings from the official website.
  2. On the official product page, buy the library and download the installer files to your computer.
  3. Install the free Kontakt Player first, if you do not already have it, from the Native Instruments website.
  4. Run the Evolution Steel Strings installer and point it at a folder with enough free space.
  5. Add the library to Kontakt Player so it appears in the libraries tab.

Important: avoid third-party download sites that repackage installers or bundle extra software. The official website above is the only source you need, and Kontakt Player itself is free from Native Instruments.

5. Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings Download for PC: Step-by-Step Installation

  1. Download and install the free Kontakt Player, then open it once so it finishes its own setup.
  2. Open your Downloads folder and run the Evolution Steel Strings installer.
  3. Choose the folder where the 3.79 GB of samples will live, and wait for the installation to finish.
  4. Open Kontakt Player and add the library through the libraries tab, using the folder you installed it to.
  5. Open the library from the libraries tab to confirm it loads, then open it inside your DAW as a plug-in.

Warning: install Kontakt Player before the library, and do not move the sample folder after installation. If the folder moves, Kontakt Player will ask you to locate the samples again before the library will play.

6. How to Play Your First Acoustic Chord Progression in Evolution Steel Strings

Pick a simple chord progression you already know, such as G, C and D, and play it slowly first. A short, clean take tells you more about the library than a fast, messy one.

  1. Open Kontakt Player, or your DAW, and load Evolution Steel Strings from the libraries tab.
  2. Choose a factory preset that fits your song, such as a warm fingerpicked tone.
  3. Play the chord progression on your MIDI keyboard, or draw the chords in your DAW’s piano roll.
  4. Try a picked articulation on the melody notes to give the part its acoustic feel.
  5. Open the strumming pattern editor and build a rhythm pattern for the verse, then record it.

7. Is Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings Free? The Price Explained

No, the library itself is paid, but the software it runs in is free. Kontakt Player costs nothing, so the only purchase is the Evolution Steel Strings library itself. There is no free edition of the library, though Orange Tree Samples sells it in bundles and runs sales from time to time.

  • Free edition: none — the library is a paid product.
  • Kontakt Player: free from Native Instruments, and the full paid version of Kontakt is not required.
  • Evolution Steel Strings: listed at $179 on the official store.
  • Bundles: the library is also sold in Evolution bundles with other guitars and basses, which cost less per library.

Prices are listed on the official Orange Tree Samples store and can change, so check the live page before you buy.

8. Orange Tree Samples Evolution Steel Strings Download for PC: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is Evolution Steel Strings a standalone program?

No. It is a sample library that runs inside the free Kontakt Player. You install Kontakt Player first, then add the library to it.

Q2. Do I need the full paid version of Kontakt?

No. Evolution Steel Strings is licensed for Kontakt Player, so it works without limitations in the free player, and it appears in the Kontakt libraries tab.

Q3. How big is the download?

The download is 3.79 GB, and you need 7.58 GB of free disk space to download and install it. The installed library occupies 3.79 GB, from 6.5 GB of uncompressed samples.

Q4. Can I use it in my DAW?

Yes. It loads as a VST, AAX or AU plug-in inside Kontakt Player in any DAW that hosts those formats, and Kontakt Player can also run on its own.

Q5. What are the system requirements?

You need Windows 10 or 11, the free Kontakt Player 5.5.2 or later, at least 8 GB of RAM, and 7.58 GB of free disk space.

Q6. Does it work with Komplete Kontrol keyboards?

Yes. The library is NKS-ready, so it appears in the Native Browser and its parameters can be controlled from Komplete Kontrol hardware, including the Light Guide.

Q7. Can it play rhythm and lead parts?

Yes. The strumming pattern editor and automatic chord detection handle rhythm parts, while fingered and picked articulations cover lead playing, with a hybrid mode for both in one patch.

Q8. How much does it cost?

Evolution Steel Strings is listed at $179 on the official store. Kontakt Player itself is free. Check the live store page for the current price before you buy.

9. Conclusion

Evolution Steel Strings puts a convincing acoustic guitar into any Windows studio, with real sampled tone, a smart strumming engine and presets that sit in a mix straight away. Remember it is a Kontakt library, not a standalone app, so install the free Kontakt Player first. Get the library only from the official website linked in this guide, and your first chord progression will be playing today.

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