Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A61 Review
Heather Mitchell
Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol range of keyboards are targeted mainly at users who already own the Komplete 9/10 packages. Competing heavily with the Akai Advance the features have been ramped up with VST support being recently added in the latest 1.5 software update. So how does it perform and what value does one get for their investment?
I will be reviewing the S61 version of the keyboard which offers the same options/controls as the 25/49 key versions. The 88 key version has the same controls again but a different keybed aimed more at the piano players. I am also reviewing the 1.5 version of software which now adds the ability to load and control VST instruments.
To start with plain and simple this is a good looking keyboard! Forget the flashy light guide or fancy touch strips, the keyboard looks quality in all the images you see and I was just as impressed when I first pulled it out of the box. The build quality is excellent with glossy soft keys, brushed aluminium top and a minimal appearance leaving the keyboard looking simple and inviting.
The keyboard is well packaged in the box with support foam under the keys and sturdy foam ends able to protect the device well during shipping. Removing it from the box the appearance is black with the display silent with a mirror black "piano" finish and the keys a gleaming pearl white. Almost instantly by looking at the available controls you can see how to use it and it works in practice just as you think it would from the available controls.
Komplete Kontrol was initially launched with the requirement for users to already own Komplete 9 or 10 with bundles available to purchase both Komplete and the keyboard. Basically if you did not already own a Komplete bundle this keyboard really was not for you unless you were prepared to sink another $1K into software. Not long after Akai introduced the Advance keyboard with a bundled package and ability to integrate with your own VSTs, Native Instruments then released their "Komplete Select" bundle free with every keyboard purchase. The big standouts in this bundle are of course Massive and Monark with The Gentleman being a very nice piano and Retro Machines offering some neat classic synth sounds. This package only adds value to non Komplete bundle owners as all the titles are covered in the Komplete Ultimate bundles.
To get these and also the Komplete Kontrol software you are required to first register the keyboard (and an account if you do not already have one) and then download the Service Centre software which manages the download and installation of all your software. For existing users of Komplete 9/10 you just need to add the keyboard serial to your account and then download the Komplete software.
Installation was a little confusing for a simple fact that everything in NIs range is called "Komplete... Something" I was not sure what was reference to the Komplete Kontrol keyboard, what referred to the Komplete Kontrol software and where I could get the software without installing "Komplete Select" since I already had Komplete 10 Ultimate. For a while I was Kompletely lost and it's not normal for me to be lost at the installation end.
I finally found out that you needed to download the "Komplete Select Installer" and then choose within that the products to install. I also saw on the NI website that as an owner of Komplete 10 I could apparently download the KK software without using the select installer but I could not find out how so I simply selected only to install Komplete Kontrol. Once the software and drivers were installed I was able to then power on the keyboard where I discovered firstly that the keyboard does not power up off just USB. This was a shame since almost every other controller I have does so that is worth noting that you need to allow for a plug pack. With plug pack connected I switched on the keyboard and was greeted with a splash of colour from the LightGuide and then all the controls and VFD sprang to life.
Once I powered on and the drivers installed themselves I proceeded to start the Komplete Kontrol standalone software (which is required when first getting started) where it scanned and loaded my entire Komplete library. I immediately decided to just load up a preset only to find that every plugin said "Plugin not found". This was due to the fact I had moved my VST.dlls into different folders since I had installed Komplete years ago and NI have a tool to help address this issue which can reset the registry paths to the new locations (look for NI VST Tool) since most of us move those DLLs around into sub folders.
After installation I then needed to follow some steps to get the keyboard working with Ableton Live correctly which was all straight forward stuff for someone with a little experience in control surfaces but the steps are well explained.
In both cases I was able to get the software and drivers installed and running within about an hour and without any headaches. Installation may take longer if you do not have Komplete 9/10 and have to download and install the Select bundle.
The Komplete Kontrol software manages both presets and controller mapping and has 2 components to it. The first component is the main browser software pictured above. This allows you to use your computer keyboard and mouse to sort through the content, select tag filters, setup keyboard parameters and map and change controls. The second component to this software is the OSD popup browser that allows the KK keyboard to browse the same content and basically it looks almost the same except is a larger display and even more streamlined appearance.
For some of the older users Komplete Kontrol may seem like an updated version of the old Kore product that has helped divide Native Instrument users. While I was never a Kore user I can certainly see the similarities between what Kore attempted to offer and what is now possible but the design and technology has come a long way and Komplete feels like it has been built off a lot of experience and design.
One of the best things about both the keyboard and software is the fact that a manual is almost not needed at all. Even a novice should be able to spend 10 minutes clicking through the controls and menus to see how it all goes together and since I always love to read the manual anyway by the time I did flick through it there was little left to discover after a week.
Browsing is accomplished by either selecting an instrument or sound tag and filtering down or optionally you can browse by plugin/library. The browser window allows comprehensive filtering and enough information to help find instruments or presets quickly without overloading you with useless controls and information. The uncluttered look is very easy to understand and it really only takes a few minutes to understand how the browser works.
There are 2 libraries that you can select to browse through: The Native library which consists of the Komplete instruments and any NKS enabled VST plugins, and the User library that is for user saved presets and all other 3rd party VSTs.
Upon loading a preset a "Mini Instrument" is loaded into the window which is a scaled down interface for the full plugin. I thought this was quite neat as it simplifies some of the instruments. The full interface can be opened by pressing the + button at the top and this expands the window to display the full plugin.
New in KK 1.5 is the ability to edit control assignments for Komplete instruments. This same editor is also used to map controls to VST instruments too. At the top of the software the little dial button opens a control edit window. You need to click the Unlock button in the top right to open the edit options and they you can create and label pages, change and rename controls, Add section tags and delete unused controls.
The ability to leave spaces and spread controls over 16 pages is brilliant. What is NOT is the fact you cannot change the order of pages or controls once created which seems an oversight but I am sure this will be added in a future update.
Driving the software and editing controls is simple which is the way it needs to be. No one likes spending hours creating mappings so this gets you up and running quickly and without the need to pick up a manual.
Pressing the Browse button will bring up an OSD popup browser on your computer screen which closely resembles the KK software but just has the browser features and not the control/edit features and also is a bigger display. This does mean you need to have a screen in front of you and it doesn't really allow you to move from your PC in this case so this may be a big thing for you.
I was pleased that it works with multi-display monitor setups and I was able to shift the browser to the display that is close to my keyboards. You can easily select plugins and tags to help narrow your search and the use of the menu knob and arrow keys to get you around the interface is quick and simple to master.
To access VSTs you need to first save a VST preset to have it appear in your User library. This separates the komplete browser from your own Presets and 3rd party instruments which kind of slows down the browsing experience. And then there is the issue of browsing 3rd party presets. There isn't a way easily.
All versions of the Komplete Keyboard have the same control panel and same keybed. There is no difference between either of the models except the number of keys. The 88 key version apparently has hammer action keys so the keybed is different (more aimed at piano players) but the controls are all the same. The layout is clean and clutter free which personally I prefer over a panel full of buttons and controls.
Firstly looking interestingly at the Pitch Bend and Mod controls we see these are replaced with Touch ribbons for the controls. I was initially put off by this because my Push controller has a touch strip and I found it not all that smooth to operate. However I was very surprised at how smooth and responsive both the pitch and mod controls were and the illuminated bars really helped feedback the controllers state. Then there is the customisation of these!
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