Native Instruments Kontrol S keyboards

mudgel
I'm particularly interested in the S88 but any feedback from fellow Sonar uses about how Sonar intergrates with the NI keyboards in general even if not the S88.

I'm not sure if Sonar has any other native support beyond the A-Pro series from Roland. I have an A-300PRO and the control surface plugin works well with Sonar.
 
In theory anything that supports Mackie Control protocol can be used with Sonar, but have heard that few manufacturers follow the spec exactly.  Probably the best info you will get on this topic will be from forum user azslow3.  Hopefully he sees your post and checks in here.
 
But if you are a heavy NI Komplete user, it looks like the Kontrol S is the way to roll as far as you main plugins go!

Thanks.

The controller apart from looking a bit as a general DAW controller was not thought to work as such:
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/210280325-Important-Notes-about-KOMPLETE-KONTROL-Host-Integration
 
So "the best" integration possible compare to "other hosts" just include track selection / automatic track selection. Sonar falls into "other hosts" category, so only transport buttons can be used. If default transport buttons behavior is limiting, AZ Controller can extend it: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,329.0.html (see the attachment at the very end of this thread). That is just "an example", it is possible to add "long press"/"double click"/"keep X pressed and press Y" to open more "slots" for possible actions.

azslow3
The controller apart from looking a bit as a general DAW controller was not thought to work as such:
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/210280325-Important-Notes-about-KOMPLETE-KONTROL-Host-Integration
 
So "the best" integration possible compare to "other hosts" just include track selection / automatic track selection. Sonar falls into "other hosts" category, so only transport buttons can be used. If default transport buttons behavior is limiting, AZ Controller can extend it: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,329.0.html (see the attachment at the very end of this thread). That is just "an example", it is possible to add "long press"/"double click"/"keep X pressed and press Y" to open more "slots" for possible actions.

Once I have the keyboard I'll be in touch about how your software might make intergration a bit better.

Dan. Thanks for sharing your experience. That's the sort of info I was after. I'm coming from a first generation CME UF8 and it's a very heavy touch keyboard with no finesse possible with the keyboards playing characteristics. It was never any type of controller keyboard as the driver was rubbish and promises of updates were never delivered.

mudgel

dcumpian
I love my S88. As azslow3 says above, the only thing that isn't integrated into Sonar is automatic track switching, which is, when you change tracks in Sonar, The Komplete Kontrol software detects the change and switches instruments (onscreen) to match. This would requires that Sonar transmit data to the KK software driver when the track changes. It isn't a huge deal (to me). Everything else works great.
 
FWIW, I love the keybed. The aftertouch sensors are where the "sponginess" comes from, but it is not a soft sponginess. More like a hard rubber mat.
 
Regards,
Dan

Dan, if you already had an 88 note keyboard would you still get the S88 or would you be happy with the S61.

$400 difference in price is not to be sneezed at but I don't want to end up regretting getting the smaller one. I've got a First version CME UF88 which is getting quite long in the tooth. It doesn't have any real working bells and whistles. Drivers were never updated and were rubbish to start, so any controller use is very poor.

If I had a fully weighted, 88-key midi controller that worked well and felt good to play, I probably would have looked at something without keys altogether that I could stack on top of my keyboard. I was coming from a smaller Triton and really wanted a full 88 keys, as well as aftertouch.
 
But since you are even looking, you likely aren't happy with yours. Not sure I would want two keyboards though.
 
I will say, the velocity curves on the S88 are so much better than what I had available with the Triton. I can play far more dynamically than I ever could with a synth keybed.
 
Regards,
Dan

mudgel
I put a deposit on my S88 today. Will have it by end of August. Now for the wait. I hate waiting.

I think you'll like it. Australia? Yeah, that's a long way to ship...
 
Make sure you follow all of the update procedures when you first set it up. Then, spend some time in the Controller Editor application to customize the rotary encoders so that the most common midi CC's are always available to you, even when you are not using the Komplete Kontrol software. I went ahead and setup all of them ;)
 
Finally, get azslow's plugin and the preset located here. It's attached to a post on the second page, but it's worth reading the thread. This will allow the transport control to operate correctly in Sonar.
 
Regards,
Dan
 
 

dcumpian

mudgel
I put a deposit on my S88 today. Will have it by end of August. Now for the wait. I hate waiting.

I think you'll like it. Australia? Yeah, that's a long way to ship...
 
Make sure you follow all of the update procedures when you first set it up. Then, spend some time in the Controller Editor application to customize the rotary encoders so that the most common midi CC's are always available to you, even when you are not using the Komplete Kontrol software. I went ahead and setup all of them ;)
 
Finally, get azslow's plugin and the preset located here. It's attached to a post on the second page, but it's worth reading the thread. This will allow the transport control to operate correctly in Sonar.
 
Regards,
Dan
 
 

Thanks for all the tips. The delay in getting the keyboard is a financial one. I can't afford it in one lump sum and my retailer is kindly hanging onto a unit for me and letting me make payments over a few months. There's plenty of stock arriving all the time, even way down here. Lol.although shipping adds significant costs to everything coming into Australia.

While I haven't had a chance to use the touch strips yet t seems so much more intuitive than wheels with the potential for much broader range of control. I'm really looking forward to getting it. About a month or so to go. I hate having to be patient.