How is it looking now? Would it be worth an upgrade from komplete 9? I think I only want some of the new synths. The keyboard looks nice for like convince, and if I had one I'd personally just use it for generic rap beats for generic dudes. I doubt I'd use it for my music personally.

Where did you get that deal. That is just what I am looking for! a good action controller and I was gonna buy the xpand set anyway - to use outside of Protools

Alesis is having a pretty significant sale on all their new V-series and VI-series controllers. Don't know how long it's going to last. Even Amazon has good prices.

Caveat: I bought the Alesis V25 on Black Friday and its sustain support is upside down. The board comes with an editor where you're supposed to be able to set your own Sustain settings, however the editor doesn't successfully update/change Sustain, although it works for other keyboard settings.

I've seen another V25 user complain about this and a V61 user too, I think. Alesis Support, so far, hasn't been very helpful...

EDIT: The V25 also came with licenses for Air Xpand!2 and Ableton Live Lite. I would have just shipped this thing back, but I want to keep the Xpand!2 license, so I'm trying to work with Support.

One word: overpriced, the Kontrol keyboard

Guitar center, I'm still living the VI61 no issues at all.

After having been a user for nearly 10 years, I must say that Native Instruments are about to lose me.

First the ridiculously high-cost upgrade from Ultimate 9 to Ultimate 10, and then these keyboards.... the interface already didn't look promising, but I had high hopes that these would at least be finally a good keybed on that market - but no, no and no. Just the same as your average keyboard controller keybed. And then, that price.

The more NI release, the less do I feel like my money is well spent as it just all became so random.
If it wasn't for Kontakt and partially Reaktor, I'd sell my whole NI account including Machine and Kore. But I seriously won't ever upgrade Komplete anymore, it became a joke.

I'm still on Komplete 7, havent seen any reason to upgrade since. Massive, Kontakt, Reaktor and FM8 are the only good NI products, anyway.

I am not sure what exactly went into what Komplete version, but I find the RC24 and RC48 reverb really outstanding as well as the compressors and the later additions to the Abbey Road Drummer series that I think came along in K8 or K9.

I agree, i passed on K10 as well. I think it has to do with their focus on products like Maschine and Traktor (at least 9 out of 10 their promo mails I receive are always about these products). So their other instruments are a bit neglected.

For the price, it's a pretty stripped-down UI ... (other than the new lightshow, which I'm sure has uses other than 'vegas')

So are there major features missing? Online reviews don't really seem to focus on that ...

Yeah... I use UAD for reverbs and SSD for drums so neither apply to my needs

Battery 3 and for are good too

I completely agree. From my perspective NI has changed their course. It happened about the time they dumped Kore. Stephen Schmidt also left NI at that time. IMO there has been very little innovation since that time.

What has changed since then? More emphasis on Maschine and the Maschine libraries, more sample libraries, and now Komplete Kontrol, which is a complete joke as a browser when compared to Kore, not to mention only being able to control NI products.

I doubt I will even upgrade from K9 to K10 next summer. For me it's just not worth it any longer.

Hey

I'm considering the s49. I don't have Maschine or Kontrol. Would there be any reason the have both?

Also by now everyone knows that this keyboard controller can only control parameters of NI instruments and FX but you can still trigger any Logic instruments or or other 3rd party FX and sounds with it right? It's not like you can only program midi with NI stuff right?

IMO save your money and buy something else UNLESS you are using komplete 9-10. However, to be honest the features you get for the money aren't worth it as many have said. Dont be fooled by the hype of the chord and arp functions as they are limited compared to Push.

What's PUSH?

I'm using Komplete 9 and soon 10 so it doesn't look that bad.

Look up Ableton Push on YouTube. A Kontrol would be fine for you since you do use komplete 9. For those of us that only use certain things from NI it is a waste of money especially when we have Maschine Studio that does most of the same stuff as kontrol S. Good luck.

Yea NI dropped the ball on the S series keyboards. Hopefully they will drop the price and add some nice drum pads. Other wise my VI61 is better in my studio.

I can see these controller making more and more sense as time goes by ...

IF NI can create a system from end-to-end, I wouldn't be averse to considering it ... I don't think anybody else is capable at this time ...

I'm going to try that VI61 out I think it is the one that's like $279.

True. I think they should put more effort into incorporating keys into the Maschine studio to give users the best of both worlds. As far as DAW is concerned I'm not sure if they can actually pull it off in a successful way.

Yea and it comes with Xpand!2

Just bought the KK S61. Made me a bit ill parting with that much cash, but I’ll tell you why... the keybed, pure and simple.

I own the Novation SL mkii 61, and I trialled them side-by-side. I also tried, at the same time: Arturia Keylab 61, Akai MPK61, Roland A800 Pro, Nektar Panorama 61, Axiom 61 (2nd Gen), Impulse 61 etc. Pretty much every 61 key controller you can name.

I have to say that while Novation SLmkii definitely came in at an easy 2nd place, the keys just weren’t quite as nice as the KK. They lacked the same sensitivity at lower velocities, and didn’t have as responsive a dynamic range as you increased pressure on the bed.

The KK has the best keys on the market for a midi-controller, inn my view - although I haven’t tried Studiologic...

Is it worth the extra £100 above the Novation? For me, as a heavy Komplete and Maschine Studio user... yes. If I wasn’t such a Native Instruments glutton, then, no. I’d go with the Novation.

I agree. If they lowered the price a bit, I think they will dominate the midi controller market. Once they start rolling with the new hardware (audio interfaces), and more effects look out.

Damn this video has made the Kontrol S mandatory for me! I did not want one now I have to own one! I have a Maschine Mk2 and Komplete 9, this thing makes perfect sense.

A quickie if you don't mind: is komplet still not able to output harp/ chord midi received from these Keybeds to the outside world (others vst or hardware) ? No workaround available ?
Thanks !

If you use the keyboard in maschine software yes it controls vsti and midi gear ,but not if u use the keyboard without maschine

Thank you, it sounds "kool" then, I thought arp/chord were only available thought Komplete (seems they updated Maschine ) i will search a bit more

Do you have to own Komplete for these to work with say Reaktor or Absynth? What level of integrated control would you get with such complex instruments?

how did it not make "perfect sense" from the first announcement almost a year ago?