Native Instruments Session Horns Pro May 2026

As of 2025, Native Instruments has shifted focus to their "Play Series" and iZotope integration, but Session Horns Pro remains a gold standard for a simple reason: It solves a musical problem, not a technical one.

It doesn't have the most samples (Chris Hein wins there). It doesn't have the most fluid expression (SWAM wins). But it has the Smart Voice Split, and for a producer sitting at a keyboard trying to write a chorus, that feature saves hours of tedious MIDI editing.

| Keyswitch (MIDI note) | Function | |----------------------|-----------| | C0 (12) | Sustain | | C#0 (13) | Staccato | | D0 (14) | Marcato | | D#0 (15) | Fall | | E0 (16) | Scoop / Rip | | F0 (17) | Trill (half) | | F#0 (18) | Trill (whole) |

Assign keyswitches to pad buttons on MIDI controller for quick changes. native instruments session horns pro

Session Horns Pro includes four individually sampled instruments, designed to cover the full spectrum of the standard horn section:

Each instrument was recorded in a dry studio environment (at Native Instruments’ in-house recording facility in Berlin) with multiple dynamic layers and round-robins. The dry signal is crucial: it allows producers to place the horns in any acoustic space using reverb, from a tight 1960s club to a sprawling Hollywood scoring stage.

A trumpet isn't just loud or soft. Session Horns Pro includes a robust articulation set: As of 2025, Native Instruments has shifted focus

Each section offers:

Keyswitches (default): C0 to G#0 toggle articulations. Check bottom of keyboard in Kontakt.

The standout feature of Session Horns Pro is the Smart Voice Split. Each instrument was recorded in a dry studio

If you don't have a breath controller (like TEControl), map your Mod Wheel to Volume (CC11) rather than Dynamics (CC1). Volume controls the master level; Dynamics controls the timbre brightness. Moving CC11 slightly before every downbeat mimics a horn player inhaling.

Session Horns Pro is a versatile virtual instrument designed to provide arrangers and producers with professional-sounding brass sections. Unlike orchestral brass libraries (which focus on cinematic or symphonic textures), Session Horns Pro is tailored for Pop, Funk, Jazz, R&B, Reggae, and Indie Rock. It focuses on playable articulation, realistic voice leading, and a "studio session" sound.