Ask me anything: Kontrol S-Series MK3
Comments
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32 is the minimal viable product size for a keyboard in this day and age.
37 is great also. I really do like my Arturia Keystep 37. Great size (and great quality keyboard I hope a 37 key version would get closer to than the M32)
- "More controllers - perhaps faders and/or pads? Just because such features do not always make sense for this product, perhaps they make sense for other versions."
Ok now we're talking.... MK3+ range please, but only if it can work alongside another MK3 keyboard (like the upcoming 32/37 one alongside an S61 or S88 MK3 (or MK1/2). Indeed, how many people don't necessarily have the space for the 88 keyboard under their desk (when one already has Push, Maschine, ICon/Mackie/Behringer32/SSL UF8 daw controller and a couple of other controllers like an S49/M32 etc
I know what you mean about the issues you may encounter in R&D trying to make 2 x KK devices work in parallel, but it has to be possible with the right amount of work and the benefits would be many more sales and a feeling by customers that their gear will work for them. To me, that's a much bigger deal than Maschine Integration on the MK3 (I can use Maschine for that). In the same way, a revised version of Maschine that allows to work better alongside a Kontrol keyboard would be appealing.
"Plus, we have ideas for hardware products unrelated to those we currently make, although those are less likely to see the light of day. The hardware lab is a very fun place. I would snap a pic today, but I'd have to comb through to make sure absolutely nothing confidential is shown :"
Or maybe lightly blur some of the innovations to wet our appetites :))
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Why not both with the 37 having a bigger screen/more controls/buttons and better mini keys than the 32, whose aim is primarily compactness?
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Sure - in my case it's mainly a question of what will fit ergonomically into the space beside my main keyboard and under the second monitor in my home studio set-up.
I guess I could cram an S49 in at a slightly awkward height and angle, but an S37 should fit comfortably.
I realise that my particular niche might be a bit too niche a niche for you cater to perfectly! But the S25 is such a good fit that I live in hope.
An S32 would probably still be a better bet for me than the S49, but it would seem to be more of design challenge to lose that much of the overall width without losing anything else other than those keys.
You've done a useful job already of shaving a few centimetres off the overall width, so I reckon the S37 mk3 stands more chance of pleasing both "camps" than a mk1 or mk2 would have done anyway.
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What's not so clear is switching to midi hardware mode to control external gear - very messy at the moment on MK2 with disconnecting the USB-cord. Would be nice if you could switch faster and use key assist in hardware midi mode. Hope to see vast improvements here.
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Genuinely curious about people's feelings on joysticks as appear on some Korg workstations, and would NI ever consider them? (LOL, I'd even like one on Maschine)...
Personally, I love them and wish all keyboards had them, but I'm interested to hear opinions both for and against.
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I love seeing user studio photos. If anyone else wants to share, please do! We've a day left in the AMA (ends by the 29th) so it would be a nice way to end things.
Also, I'm still available for questions, and I'll be in the forums after the AMA too.
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It would be really nice. This is on our backlog, but I can't confirm a timeline. Probably not this year though (there is other stuff we'll do first).
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We've a mix of opinions on joysticks even within the company. It tends not to be right or wrong, but two observable camps I see/hear are:
1) Users who love the performance expressiveness of using joystick for XY or WXYZ type parameter mappings
2) Users who find them gimmicky, or unpredictable or hard to easily repeat exact movements
In terms of why we don't have them on MK3, it goes back to the idea that we focussed on trying to make a streamlined experience, and not every form of input made sense to include.
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I've been told I have the first spot on Sweetwater's pre-order list. Hoping for mid-October too!
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They are so behind the curve, still thinking more is more... ;)
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Hey, where did my S88Mk2 go??
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One more thought on this - I imagine that if portability is important then you're probably happier to trade some of the other features (e.g. the big screen and wheel controls), and even full size keys in return for lightness and compactness. Presumably the M32 been a success for that camp, so they'll be hoping for a natural successor. Whereas if it's more a question of finding room for it at home, then you'll still want it to be as big and feature-packed as possible - just not quite as big as the S49. The S25 does feel an octave too short at times, hence an S37 seems like the ideal natural successor to that (to me).
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The faders and pads thing - you could make an extra product line, but then that needs to be managed in terms of production and sales and to some extent your products are competing with each other. So there's a limited number of things you could do.
The new ideas thing is fun though. Maybe you could tell us what you're definitely NOT going to do :D 96 channel mixing desk? Analog Moog-a-like? Theremin NKS controller?
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I started with the Korg X3, and moved on to the M3 and then the Kronos, and the joystick is pretty much exactly the same on all of them. Personally, I prefer using its X axis for pitch bend, over a wheel, but I'm not so keen on the Y axis as a replacement for a mod wheel - mainly because it snaps back to the centre when you release it - so I end up using it as switches (e.g. to turn effects on and off) more than for expression. I think I'd rather have an XY pad than a joystick for two-dimensional expression; the Kronos "vector" joystick works OK but feels very fragile.
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I could be convinced that a studio pup is a good thing. But I am trying to avoid bringing in any new creatures for whom I must track their bowel movements. I'm up to "here" with poo in the world, and my bandwidth just isn't that high!
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