NI Komplete Kontrol S61 MkII

NEW SCREENS The twin screens
offer high-resolution, real-time
feedback of sound lists, mixer
settings or whatever else you wish.
NKS READY Third-party libraries from
Sonic Couture, Spitfi re Audio, Output
and many others can also be accessed
directly from Komplete Kontrol.
BROWSI NG You can now audition
sounds directly from the hardware.
For some of Kontakt’s RAM-heavy
patches, this is particularly handy.
TOUCHSTRIP & MODULATION Real
pitch and mod wheels represent a
major upgrade, and the touch strip is
fun and offers creative options.
search via keywords. But now, once a
shortlist of sonic candidates is
presented, audio clips are triggered as
you scroll through the options, without
having to load an entire patch for it to
be auditioned. Brilliantly, this is part
of NKS (Native Kontrol Standard)
content too, so not only can you
audition sounds from NI’s own
instruments, third-party content from
Arturia, Spitfi re Audio, Output and
many others will also appear. This
means that you no longer have to
think ‘by manufacturer’ when you’re
looking for sounds to suit your track.
DAW integration has been
tightened too, with Komplete Kontrol
now much more ready and willing to
talk to Ableton Live, Logic Pro X,
GarageBand, Cubase and Nuendo.
Alongside the transport controls you’ll
fi nd on the left-hand side, the four-way
push encoder comes into its own
surprise that deeper integration with
Maschine is offered via Komplete
Kontrol as well. If you’re working with
the Maschine software, you’ll fi nd
driving this much more
straightforward in terms of an
arrangement, whilst the buttons
above the display make jumping from
one section of your Maschine
arrangement easier still. If you liked
the idea of Komplete Kontrol the fi rst
time around, the good news is that
there’s even more to like about it now.
You can do so much more from the
device itself, with better visual
feedback and much deeper levels of
integration front and centre of its
workfl ow. In particular, having
Browser access to NKS-ready content
is a great addition, whilst being able
to quantize and add automation
direct from the front panel (among
other DAW-specifi c controls like Tap
Tempo) really lets you make music on
the fl y. If you’re already wedded to a
Komplete software package, nothing
will help you work with it as musically
as Komplete Kontrol.
FM VERDICT
9.3
Komplete Kontrol MkII brings
a whole sonic universe under
your fi ngertips like never
before, with much deeper
DAW integration too
here. Here you can move between
tracks, record enable the template of
sounds you have up and running, or
move the Transport playback bar by
scrolling. Once you’ve used Browser
mode to target a sound you like,
Plug-In Mode (with its corresponding
button) lets you go further, providing
access to key parameters. If you want
to record those parameter changes
into your DAW, hit the Auto(mation)
button on the front panel and you can
tweak on the fl y. Very neat and tidy.
But things get better still. The Mixer
button will display your DAW’s Mixer
screen, with the surrounding controls
then able to grab hold of parameters
like Volume and Pan.
Integration with third-party DAWs
is one thing, but as so much of the
new functionality here is lifted from
Maschine (MkIII of its hardware
controller is out now too), it’s no
KOMPLETE 11 SELECT
With a purchase of one of the new Komplete Kontrol
keyboards, you’ll receive a download link to Komplete
11 Select, containing Massive, Monark, The Gentleman,
DrumLab, Reaktor Prism, Scarbee Mark 1, Retro
Machines, Vintage Organs, the West Africa percussion
library, Solid Bus Comp and Replika. Whilst it’s highly
likely that you’ll be most interested in the Komplete
Kontrol hardware if you’re already a Komplete 11 user,
this comprehensive bundle is a great starting point if
you’re not, with upgrade paths available to those who
want to step up at a later date.
THE ALTERNATIVES
Arturia Keylab
€429
Like Native
Instruments, Arturia
boast an impressive
collection of software
synth titles, and
Keylab provides a
neat solution to drive
them. It’s also
capable of controlling
DAW-specifi c
parameters aplenty.
arturia.com
Nektar
Panorama P6
£419
The P6 is a great
all-round keyboard
controller. At home
with numerous
workstations, its
panel is awash with
customisable sliders,
rotaries and pads.
nektartech.com
Novation
SL MkII 61 £460
Also available in 25-
and 49-key versions,
the SL is Novation’s
fl agship keyboard
controller range. In
tandem with
Automap, you can
target almost any
parameter with its
extensive control set.
uk.novationmusic.com
Reviews | NI Komplete Kontrol S61 MkII
84
FMU324.rev_ni_komplete.indd 84 10/4/17 12:17 PM