Will Kontakt 7 browser come to Komplete Kontrol in 2023?

nightjar

I really like the browser improvements happening in Kontakt 7.

I think this new UI design would work well for an update for Komplete Kontrol too.

Any chance this will happen in 2023?

Am I the only person wanting this change?

nightjar

I once again am reaching out and hoping that NI will consider sharing a Roadmap for KK similar to what is being shared about Traktor.

And it is the KK SOFTWARE more than the hardware that concerns me.

Some sort of timeframe when we can perhaps except some significant change to the browsing and selection experience. A rough guess when the browsing layout of Kontakt might find its way into KK.

Is is possible that the Kontakt-style browser will find it's way to KK this fall?

I dearly hope so.

MyStudioOne

Kontakt took the browser features from Komplete Kontrol (as you know) and I suspect that NI's focus is adding all the best features of KK to Kontakt. Light guide functionality must also be on the roadmap. That feature seems like a no brainer considering that KK only mimicks the virtual light guide built into Kontakt.

True that KK has many features that Kontakt does not and only time will tell how well NI will bridge that gap.

But NI hasn't meaningfully changed KK since day one and so why would they start now? No, Kontakt 7 suddenly having the browser showed their hand I think.

nightjar

The browser in Kontakt 7 VASTLY superior to the browser in Komplete Kontrol. I would NOT state that NI brought the KK browser to Kontakt. Instead, NI created a whole new browser for Kontakt 7 that also utilized some of the resources of NKS.

However Kontakt 7 is NOT a substitute for Komplete Kontrol SW. It doesn't not encompass the broader range of NI software products that owners of Komplete want to use.

Kymeia

The browser in Kontakt 7 VASTLY superior to the browser in Komplete Kontrol

Actually I am using the Komplete Kontrol browser to browse my Kontakt 7 libraries because I don't like the K7 behaviour of making you either have the browser open OR the instrument - I want them alongside each other as KK enables. What is superior about the Kontakt 7 browser is primarily just the fact that it is resizable and when in browser mode it gives you a better list of presets - but this switching between browser and instrument is a PITA. Also they both l still lack decent tagging and editing capabilities - any improved Komplete Kontrol browser I'm sure should include what is good about the Kontakt 7 browser but it also needs to address its limitations and be better than both currently are in relation to editing of NKS patches and param mappings. Kontakt 7 really hides away the editing functionality and is even more clunky in some ways than it is in Komplete Kontrol.

nightjar

What is superior about the Kontakt 7 browser is primarily just the fact that it is resizable and when in browser mode it gives you a better list of presets - but this switching between browser and instrument is a PITA.

I agree that this switching between browser and instrument in Kontakt 7 is a point of failure in user experience.

Clicking on a resulting preset in a KK/Kontackt 7 "merged app" should bring up a minimized browser area, the results list and a new, scalable minimized version of the instrument panel (narrow + horizontal).

Under this new instrument panel would be simultaneously viewable scalable horizontal panels for:

Plugin chain, Macros, Scales+ARP

Only when you again clicked on the new minimized instrument panel would it bring up the old legacy instrument panel that has full editing and the wasteful use of screen space with oversized artwork.

JesterMgee

TBH, the Kontakt browser is (IMO) would just be an eye candy update and offers no better browsing / functionality at all. I personally still use K6 and choose not to use any new instruments because I don't like how the browser works.

If it was a direct copy of the Kontakt browser it would be a step backwards since in Kontakt you cannot browse for presets AND control the GUI of an instrument, you have to switch back and forth which is worse than having a side browser that is open all the time like in Kontakt 6. So if that is what you personally want, I would have to say most others will not want this. Would also make editing details in NKS files harder than it already is.

nightjar

As I said, I DO agree with Kymeia that needing to switch between browser and instrument views.

The "merged app" (browser layout of Kontakt 7 + simultaneous instrument view of Komplete Kontrol) would bring the best of each together.

And as I described, there would be a new "mimimized" version of the instrument that is scalable and would be displayed along with 3 other horizontal panels. Basic performance editing would be immediate via the "macro" horizontal panel prefilled with NKS assignments.

You want deeper editing?.. click on the new "minimized instrument panel" to bring up the legacy instrument panel with its crippling bit-mapped images.

This would GREATLY speed up NI being able to offer a fully scalable solution for the all of the NKS enabled instruments.

JesterMgee

Well all I can say is if anything were to be pulled from Kontakt, it would be how Kontakt basically works as it is and (IMO) is not as streamlined as how KK works as it adds in far more clicks for the same purpose, I prefer Kontakt 6 TBH since i'm interested in simply finding sounds fast, not eye candy layouts. Then of course you have Maschine which would then not fit the same design and would also need to be changed, however it works just fine as it is and I couldn't see it working there either.

Kaiwan_NI

I can maybe share that hardware is a prio at the moment so to answer your question, a complete overhaul of Komplete Kontrol Software's UI probably won't happen in 2023...

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/88262#Comment_88262

Well this does raise concern for me. I am of the strong opinion that a critical point has been reached in the design philosophy of the hardware/software relationship: The KK software user experience should determine the hardware design rather than the old approach of the hardware making the software user experience determinations.

I will keep an open mind until I see the new hardware product.

nightjar

In addition to NI looking at Kontakt 7 for inspiration to improve the KK browsing user experience, Massive X has some better ideas to borrow.

Putting the macros strip across the top is excellent.. plus the large presets results columns.

Kymeia

Again though Massive X browser needs to learn some things from Komplete Kontrol. You can't even tag more than one preset at a time in Massive X (and that was only added recently because so many people were fed up with the slow progress). I have to go into the old KK to get any serious tagging and organisation done for Massive X. Kontakt 7 and Massive X may look better cosmetically but they are lagging behind Komplete Kontrol for editing, tagging and preset management, which is saying a lot considering how poor all of that is in Komplete Kontrol as well. So really they all need a good shake up.

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/88385#Comment_88385

Well, despite what Kainwan stated about a "complete overhaul" for KK not being likely this year.. I DO think we will see something significant happen with KK as it may hit version 3 this fall with new hardware.

Not a complete overhaul.. but ??

nightjar

Another example of a preset browser that lets you see persistent lists of search results and a simultaneous playable "mini" version of the selected preset is the new MONA skin for DIVA.

See the macros in the right hand column? Having these to actually play each preset lets you get the feel of a presets usability more than just an audio preview like in current NKS.

KK needs to borrow inspiration from this too.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/88390#Comment_88390

Well - if what Kaiwan_NI indicated is any clue - just because their "prio" is hardware - does not mean their "prio" is Fall 2023 (like in 6-12 weeks).

Could be Spring 24 or Summer 25 for all we know.

If I were NI AND I was prepping new hardware AND had a deadline (as everyone always does) - it would make more sense to ensure that any new hardware works - with 100% backwards compatibility - with what we all have right now - which is KK 2.9.x. rather than delaying things even further by tackling a whole "new" KK with a whole new menu of issues, compatibility challenges, bugs and so on.

I do agree totally that a v3.0.0 of KK is warranted but if that were to pass - I would not be surprised to see it look and perform identically to what we have now.

VP