What Do You All Think About Kontakt As To Esx24?, Compare soft samplers!! Options

[III777III]

••I like to TIME stretch per sample (like loops)
••I like to change the Pitch of a sample with out changing the time and leignth
••I like to have the best quality possible, accurate playback.
••I would like full automation on all p-rameters of filters etc.
••I would like more formts as possible, CD Xtract does it fo now.
••I would like a simple and easy interface, key zone layout and graphics.
••more instances ofcourse and multi outs.

I have used the esx24 for 2 years now, i created a excellent 12GIG library of sounds i use more then any sample cds i still try to get to improve it.
I have been sampling since PUBLIC ENEMY's Eric Shockly has been tweaking AKAIS S900 mono out samplers in the 80s and i swore by the esx24 and thought its future would intergrate emu and roland de emphesis but still no luck ; / .

Basically i have over 85 songs with esx24 sample instances and trapped if i never got a esx24 like lots of people that have to go threw the KeyCode gestapos in GERMANY.


AND NOW?; i waited for Kotakt mac and emagic moves to there new audio units, i got kontakt Mac finaly and ofcourse its a vst app, what the hell is going on in this biz next NO ONE KNOWS!!!

So what am i going to do next, learn kontakt????, seems like its a great sampler but not easy after getting used to a esx24.

Also i JUST heard the esx32/64 is around the corner in oct.2002 and it has been improved XTREAMLY to justify a KONTAKT corssgrade to this audio unit sampler.

So my question to those SAMPLE GARUS is?
What do you guys think about KONTAKT?,

Is it better off continuing with the esx24/32/64 whatever the next hype is, or is vst a bad investment, and if so please let me know why you think KONTAKT is so important to start loading a library and its chances of been the one and only sampler in the future?

Will KONTAKT support audio units?
Can KOTANKT do the ultimate JOB?

Thanks.