Native Introduces Komplete Kontrol S-Series

[yizzle]

Native Instruments has announced the Komplete Kontrol S-Series control keyboards – a new line of controllers designed to provide tight integration with Komplete 10.

The Kontrol S-Series keyboards are available with 25, 49 or 61 keys, featuring Fatar keybeds.

Here’s the official intro video:

Key Features:

• The Komplete Browser unifies the instruments in Komplete, delivering tag-based access to all Instrument presets from one plug-in interface. Instead of browsing by instrument, users can now search by sound.

• Native Map technology automatically maps all key parameters for each Instrument to the touch-sensitive controller knobs – all clearly visible on the keyboards’ Clear View display. Each instrument was carefully mapped by NI sound designers to arrange the most relevant parameters on pages laid out on the keyboard’s display.

• The Light Guide shows key switches, zones, and more on multi-color LEDs positioned just above the keys. For example, key switches for Kontakt Instruments such as Action Strikes are illuminated in one color, while keys used for performance are lit with another. This puts the instrument’s layout on the keyboard at a glance without having to look at the software. The lights also provide performance feedback – scales, chords, and arpeggios light up across the keyboard as they are played.

• The keyboards also offer Smart Play features, designed to accelerate workflow and stimulate new ideas. Chord mode lets producers play complex chords with single keys. Chord Set mode provides ready-to-play progressions that can inspire and augment original compositions or add new flavor to remixes. The integrated scale mapping features deliver fast access to new melodic possibilities – notes of the currently selected scale light up on the Light Guide. Many widely-used musical scales can also be mapped to the white keys. ‘Wrong’ notes can be automatically re-mapped so melodies are always in tune. The arpeggiator works seamlessly with every Komplete Instrument. And the eight controller knobs manage parameters such as direction, rate, rhythm, patterns, and variations.

• Two touch-sensitive Touch Kontrols can mimic the behavior of pitch and mod wheels, or physical objects like springs and bouncing balls, for interesting modulation curves.

• Keyboard functionality such as key splits and Touch Kontrol behavior also function when using the keyboards as a standard MIDI controller, opening these control innovations to instruments outside the Komplete universe.

Pricing and Availability:

Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboards are available online and in retailers October 1, 2014. Preorder is also available.

• Komplete Kontrol S25 is available for $499 USD/499 EUR.

• Komplete Kontrol S49 is available for $599 USD/599 EUR.

• Komplete Kontrol S61 is available for $699 USD/699 EUR.

Source

[Mitch]

Looks dope. A little exxy though

Also I only just got komplete 9

[LabRat]

Time to upgrade Mitch

I don't think I'm gonna upgrade to k10 straight away. The controller looks alright but I won't be getting one

[OxyKon]

and here i am still using Komplete 8

[russell]

The new instruments sound pretty tidy so I may upgrade. Not right away though. Don't really see the need just now.

and apart from the zone lighting for the keys there's not much that attracts me to the hardware either.

[LabRat]

here's a hands on demo

[Mitch]

End of video it says works with Komplete 9 too which is pretty cool.

Looks pretty good, but I don't need one and won't be buying one anytime soon

[Mitch]

Also just read - they are updating maschine software to integrate with these keyboards, and also add some of the new features of these keyboards into maschine (e.g. scale/chord mode)

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