However, four years is a long time in the world of control – an area that’s been hotting up. I’ve since looked at the Akai Advance series which did its own successful take on giving you less computer-screen time and, more recently, Novation’s SL MkIII – another type of controller entirely and one that breaks down control barriers with both hardware and software. Assign a free Control Surface slot to Komplete Kontrol S MK2 by selecting it from the drop-down list. macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later: Older NI devices are no longer supported in macOS 10.12 or later and may therefore fail to be recognized. Please consult this article for more information on macOS compatibility.

In the System Information go to Software> Extensions. You may have to wait a few seconds until the Extensions list is populated. If your keyboard has not connected automatically, or if you are using an older version of Studio One, please follow the steps below. Integration of the keyboard as a MIDI controller Depending on which version of Live you use, the setup steps may differ. Follow the steps for your version of Live below:

Specifications

Note: Live's auto-selection may choose the Komplete Kontrol Mk2 instead of the Mk1 automatically. If it does, simply choose the Komplete Kontrol Mk1 from the Control Surface list. Get a smart and streamlined keyboard controller with custom NI keybed, NKS integration, Smart Play features, DAW control, OLED display, and more. Intuitive control over Logic Pro X, GarageBand, and Ableton Live. Cubase and Nuendo integration coming in a future update to the KOMPLETE KONTROL software. Tag-based browsing allows easy switching from patch to patch, and the smart-play function (as seen in the S-series Kontrol keyboards) offers a responsive and intuitive playing experience. Choose key, pattern, chord tonality and let the creativity flow! Here's What Native Instruments Say About the Komplete Kontrol A-Series Keyboards:

I use Logic Pro X and the controller ideally should work with it. Mine had some issues where the DAW controls Were not working and in over 15 days the Native Instruments team was still trying to figure out a solution. Plugin Alliance comes to KOMPLETE 14, bringing all-new effects including Unfiltered Audio’s LO-FI-AF, and Brainworx’s bx_crispytuner. PLAY SERIES ADDITIONS The latest version of the world’s favourite sampler, with a brand-new updated Factory Library, enhanced browsing, and improved instrument-building technology. PLAYBOXThe best-in-class, semi-weighted custom NI keybed features 49-notes. The semi-weighted keybed provides fluid playability, ideal for keyboard and piano players transitioning from each instrument. The ergonomic pitch and modulation wheels allows you to take a hands-on approach to manipulating the pitch and modulation of a selected sound. Eight touch sensitive knobs and push encoder Assign a free Control Surface slot to Komplete Kontrol MK2 by selecting it from the drop-down list. In addition to the mod and pitch wheels, the Komplete Kontrol A49 features 8 touch-sensitive controls knobs. These knobs can be highly useful when used with various VSTs ( Virtual Instrument Plugins) and DAWs ( Digital Audio Workstation). They can be used to control various parameters including volume, automation and other dedicated controls within your software.

My thoughts overall, are that Native Instruments put out a solid keyboard with the Kontrol A49. The real question here, is how well does this compare to the other controllers on the market that are similar in the price? I think it is right there with the best of them personally. I still think there are a few that are better though as you go up in price from here. At the time of writing, A-Series Host Integration was up and running with Logic Pro X and GarageBand, with Ableton Live in the pipeline. I am still unable to access the Sounds.com free library for some strange Error 403 message. NI team is still figuring out. Open again the unzipped Komplete Kontrol MK1 - Live 11.zip folder and navigate to Komplete Kontrol MK1 - Live 11 > Ableton Live 11.

Features

Try connecting the NI hardware via a powered USB hub or directly to your computer. This is especially important for hardware devices that do not operate with an external power supply (see next section). Warning: If you attempt to use another third-party power supply, make sure that it has the same specifications as the NI power supply (output wattage and current), otherwise there is a risk of voiding the device's warranty. Test the Device on a Different Computer The features described here require Apple Logic Pro 10.6 (or higher) as well as Komplete Kontrol 3.0 (or higher).