![]() ![]() Here again the large screen makes feedback very helpful, showing mixer levels and the like.Ī big new feature is polyphonic aftertouch, which can be switched on or off as you prefer. DAW transport controls are available on the keyboards too, with Logic, Cubase, Live, Bitwig, Digital Performer and Studio One supported, with FL Studio and Pro Tools coming soon. It’s backwards compatible with NKS 1 instruments of course, and where a plugin isn’t NKS compatible you can create custom MIDI mappings and labels in the software, then save and load these as user presets. The software also allows you to load individual loops and samples and includes a sample player and editor – a welcome bonus. This basically makes them available to the keyboard’s browser and controls. Registering your hardware also unlocks the new Komplete Kontrol software, a wrapper that again can run standalone or in a DAW and into which you can load any plugins including third-party instruments and effects. You can stack instruments, browse and edit them all from the hardware, making it an excellent solution for building ensembles and live performance. ![]() The MK3 now has a direct connection into Kontakt 7, which means all its browsing and tweaking features can work with Kontakt running standalone or in a DAW. So many of an instrument’s controls are available directly, with multiple pages available where required. Workflow is facilitated by navigation buttons on the controller, though thanks to the advanced screen and four-way knob controller, fewer of these are required for deep-dive interaction. The result is precisely what NI has set out to achieve – that you feel like you are really playing the instrument as if it’s on board the keyboard, rather than running on your computer. ![]() Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3 encoder. This is partly thanks to the excellent graphical feedback on the screens, with NKS 2 instruments displaying custom graphics and colour schemes on the controller as well as properly-formatted parameter labels. While that has always been the goal of pretty much any controller, the implementation here feels a real step forward. The idea is that you spend less time looking at your computer when playing or producing. Essentially the new system makes more parameters map directly to the keyboard’s screen and controls as well as integrating more deeply with the browsing system. NI has updated its NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) format to version 2, allowing much deeper integration with instruments that have been updated to work with it, including a plethora of NI’s own, plus an ever-growing list from developers such as Arturia and U-he. Separate USB ports are available for data and power, and there are four TRS pedal inputs on the rear for sustain, expression and two assignable ports. In this instance, you need to power using your own USB-C PSU, but since the units only require 7.5w – a remarkably low wattage – it’s easy to achieve. Normally, you’d connect to your Mac or PC over the supplied USB-C cable – which also provides power – but it also works as a standalone MIDI device thanks to its full-size MIDI sockets. ![]() Having more brain power of its own is handy when working in standalone mode without a computer. Sound is still generated on your computer, of course, but the new system allows lightning-fast reaction to your input on the controller itself. Where previous models required your computer to process the screen graphics, now it’s all done on the controller’s onboard CPU, as are the play assist modes. The build quality is superb, with a new unibody aluminium construction plus capacitive metal knobs boasting a premium feel.Īlso new is the large colour screen – the MK2 had dual screens like Maschine – offering excellent clarity. The controller comes in three sizes – 49 and 61 keys with semi-weighted keybeds (our review model is a 61), and an 88-key model with fully-weighted hammer action, all from Italian keybed maker Fatar. Image: Simon Vinall Look and feel of the Kontrol S-Series ![]()
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