Which Folder Do You Add the New York Concert Grand Product In?

If you've just purchased or downloaded a virtual instrument like the New York Concert Grand — a sampled piano library commonly found in software like Native Instruments Kontakt, Apple Logic Pro's built-in library, or similar DAW ecosystems — one of the first things you'll encounter is a surprisingly confusing question: where exactly does this file go?

The answer isn't one-size-fits-all. It depends on your software platform, operating system, and how your sample library paths are configured. Here's what you actually need to know.

What the New York Concert Grand Actually Is

The New York Concert Grand is a high-quality sampled piano instrument. Depending on where you got it, it may exist as:

• A .nki file (Native Instruments Kontakt instrument)
• A bundled Logic Pro content package (Apple's built-in sound library)
• A standalone .vst or .au plugin with associated sample data
• A downloaded product from a store like Native Instruments, Spitfire Audio, or a third-party sample developer

Each of these formats has a different expected folder location, and placing files in the wrong directory means your software simply won't find them.

Default Folder Locations by Platform 🎹

Understanding the general conventions helps you narrow down where your specific version belongs.

Native Instruments / Kontakt

If your New York Concert Grand came through Native Access (Native Instruments' download manager), the install location is typically managed automatically. The default directories are:

The actual .nki instrument file and its associated sample folder usually land inside a named subfolder — something like /New York Concert Grand/ — within that Native Instruments directory.

If you're manually adding a product (for example, moving files from an external drive), Kontakt's Library browser needs to know where to look. You'd go to Kontakt → Files → Add Library or use the Options → Libraries tab and point it to the folder containing the .nicnt file.

Apple Logic Pro / GarageBand

Logic Pro's built-in piano instruments, including concert grand-style samples, are stored in Apple's Sound Library. The default path on macOS is:

/Library/Application Support/Logic/

or

~/Library/Application Support/Logic/ (user-level)

Apple manages these through Logic Pro → Sound Library → Download All Available Sounds. You don't typically drag files manually — the system handles placement. If something is missing, Logic will prompt you to re-download.

Third-Party Plugins (VST/AU/AAX)

For instruments that install as standalone plugins with their own sample engine, the folder structure varies by developer. Generally:

• Plugin files (.vst3, .component, .aax) go in system-level plugin folders
• Sample data goes wherever the installer specifies — often a folder you choose during setup

Many developers let you redirect sample data to an external drive during installation, which is worth doing if your system drive is limited in space. Concert grand libraries can run anywhere from a few gigabytes to well over 30 GB depending on sample depth and velocity layers.

Why the "Wrong Folder" Problem Happens

This confusion usually comes from one of a few scenarios:

Manual file moves. If you've copied files from a backup, external drive, or another computer, your software no longer knows where the samples live — even if the files exist. You need to re-point the library manager.

Custom install paths. During setup, if you redirected the install to a non-default folder (common with large libraries), the software's browser won't find it automatically.

Multiple library managers. Some users run Kontakt, Komplete Kontrol, a DAW's own library browser, and a plugin scanner simultaneously. Each has its own directory index — a file in the right place for one tool may be invisible to another.

OS-level permissions. On macOS especially, files in certain directories require explicit permission grants. If the folder is readable but not accessible to your DAW, it behaves as if the files aren't there.

The Variables That Change Your Answer 🗂️

Which folder is correct for you depends on several intersecting factors:

• Which software the instrument runs in (Kontakt, Logic, Ableton, etc.)
• Which version of that software — library paths have changed across major updates
• Your operating system and whether files live in system-level vs. user-level directories
• Whether you used an installer or manually copied files
• Whether your samples are on an internal or external drive
• Your DAW's plugin scan settings and which directories it watches

Common Troubleshooting Path

If your software isn't finding the instrument after installation, a reasonable sequence is:

1. Open your library manager (Native Access, Logic Sound Library, or equivalent)
2. Check if the product shows as installed — if not, re-download it
3. If it shows as installed but missing, look for a "Find Library" or "Relocate" option
4. Manually navigate to where you know the files exist and point the software there
5. Restart your DAW and rescan plugins if needed

The key file to look for is usually the instrument definition file — .nki for Kontakt, .logicx or .plist entries for Logic — rather than the raw audio samples themselves.

What Makes This More Complex Than It Looks

Even experienced producers regularly run into this. Sample libraries don't follow a single universal standard. A folder structure that's correct for one version of Kontakt may differ slightly in another, and macOS updates occasionally shift where user-level Library folders are visible in Finder.

The spectrum runs from users who let installers handle everything automatically and never think about folder structure, to those managing terabytes of samples across multiple drives with custom symlinks and carefully maintained directory trees. Where your setup falls on that spectrum — and which specific software and version you're running — is what determines the right answer for your situation.