S61 MK3 not playing sound

oliverson · 2023-12-27T16:10:57+00:00

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Posted a newbie discussion yesterday and read through all possible related threads, raised a support ticket yesterday and nothing. Just ****** is going on here?

Brand new S61 Mk3 and a fresh install on my Mac and I haven't even been able to play a single note from this so called 'controller' keyboard, either in NI software or even Garageband on my Mac. (other controller keyboard works fine with GB in my setup).

This product clearly isn't fit for purpose and the fact I've had nothing from support other than an auto-generated reply sucks.

It was a 50/50 decision to go with this over the Arturia. Deeply regretting my decision right now.

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J1V4

Bro, they all are - if u read the community - there are like 95% of unsatisfied customers. i have issues with my komplete shet aswell - to the point where i m trying to exchange it for at least something in the store - its been a week and a half already - never it worked normally. and still u ll find it nowhere in reviews when u buy - ****** kompany. thought better of them

oliverson

Lost sight of my requirements. I only wanted to learn the piano and got sidetracked into thinking a controller keyboard plus VST's would offer me more options than say a Roland RD-88. Big mistake.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/120158#Comment_120158

I do not really see the compare between the units. The S61 MK3 does not have 'weighted' keys (as opposed to the S88 MK3) and are also only 61 keys. Also midi controllers such as the S61 MK3 can not make any sounds by itself.

If you just want to learn and use as a stand-alone unit then you can do that using any cheap home-keyboard like e.g. Startone MK-201 and the Casio CT-S100 which both got midi via USB to host (so ought to be able to do VST also) and built in speakers. So really no need to go as far as the Roland RD-88 just for learning ! Also , personally I would go with the Yamaha MODX8+ before the Roland RD-88 , just saying !

Anyway , the N.I. keyboard and software combo are really great (I got the S61 MK2 myself) and since you bought the S61 MK3 then you ought not let a few problems get you down. Surely the learning curve can be a bit steep in-between but the reward is also great once it is all up and running. But as it is implied in my answer to you in the other thread then of course it must all be compatible. Also , N.I. have had some initial problems with the S - Series MK3 keyboards which of course is annoying if hit by one of them. However then look on the bright side, N.I. does offer support and also have the will to help with your problems (Jeremy_NI ought to arrive to help you in the other thread probably already tomorrow !) .

oliverson

I looked at the S8 MK3 but my home office/music studio lacked the space for an 88 key keyboard without significant change and so I concluded the S61 would be sufficient. Better than my 49 key Sequential OB-6 and mini key Akai MPK Mini Plus for sure.

Fingers crossed for Jeremy_NI.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/120247#Comment_120247

Yes , let's hope that Jeremy_NI can help 🙂

With respect to the 61 keys versus the 88 keys then I personally find the type of keys to be much more important than the size of the keyboard. Not having had that much money to invest and always wanted to also have a real piano then when I finally allowed myself to invest in a 88 keys keyboard, which also had the weighted keys, then I found out that while the 88 keys instrument were able to sort of give a piano feel when using then while I liked that a lot for piano emulation then I also didn't really like it in most other play situations anyway. And it turned out that I much preferred the more 'Synth' like play feeling that the semi-weighted keys of the S61 gave in most play situations. So my advice in general would be that if not having sufficient actual experience then one ought not buy any type of keyboard without having tested it or an instrument with a similar key-bed. In that then my own problem were also that the music stores near my place of living didn't have a wide enough selection of instruments that I thought that they may actually have had stocked what I specifically wanted , but that is where the 'similar' comes in , even if the store does not necessarily stock what you want then you might be able to at least be presented to something with an at least somewhat similar key-bed !

JesterMgee

Unsure why no one has attempted to help you on the basics yet but:

Can you open the Komplete Kontrol application (standalone, not within a DAW), open the Preferences screen, select the MIDI tab then check that your keyboard is detected and also, the MIDI Input port for the keyboard is selected?

Load up a basic instrument in Komplete Kontrol and test. Post a screenshot of the MIDI page if still nothing works. Also, just check the Audio tab in KK and make sure the correct audio output is selected. Confirm the keyboard is working in KK first, then move onto your DAW

Kymeia

Unsure why no one has attempted to help you on the basics yet but:

That's because we did all that in the first thread they asked about this ;)

mykejb

Just to add, the MIDI device names on a S61 MK3 are slightly different to those above, but the general idea is the same. Pretty sure the port should be called "Kontrol S61 MK3" on a Mac.

-- Mike

Ojustaboo

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/120286#Comment_120286

This is a problem I’m currently facing. I can’t really have two synths on my studio desk, one would be too high to play for hrs at a time.

I also have a digital piano in a separate room.

Currently I have a S61 mk2 which pulls out from under my desk and is the perfect height.

Using the computer keyboard on my desk is also the perfect height.

Placing my S61 on the desk, it’s about 15cm high and that height makes playing for long periods very uncomfortable. It also means I can’t reach the PC keyboard, so that would have to be raised somehow making that uncomfortable to use.

I love having 88 notes, coming from playing my piano to creating music on my 61 note, I’m constantly missing the extra length.

However, as you say, while weighted keys are brilliant for playing pianos, they’re pretty much useless for most other things, synth and organ especially.

So that leaves me stuck. I could buy an S88 (if I did, not sure whether I’d go for the mk3 or the mk2 yet) but then I wouldn’t be happy playing organ sounds etc.

I’ve been pondering the idea of getting the s88, selling my s61 and get say an Arturia keylab essential as it’s 10cm high rather than my s61 15cm, hoping that’s more comfortable, there are less high options out there but I don’t really want something without full sized keys, and as I own Arturia v collection, I’d then have the best of both worlds from the point of view of controlling the software.

I should add that my home studio is at the back end of my living room so whatever goes on the desk is all that I can have, plus health issues mean I have to be sitting hence standing to play my other keyboard is out.

88 note s61 style keyboard I could live with, there’s probably something out there somewhere, but I really love the NI, Daw and Arturia integration that the s series mk2/mk3 give so don’t want to get another make.

So it’s hard to know what to do.

I’m sure I’ll eventually find something that works for me.

BIF

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/120546#Comment_120546

We sure did.

BIF

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/120247#Comment_120247

Everybody is quite probably on holiday break, except for maybe a skeleton crew. Maybe some folks will come online next week. Or maybe not...some folks will be out until after all-Kings' Day.

In the meantime, there are LOTS of great controller keyboards out there, maybe even one or two you could get for an affordable price and for fast enough shipping that you can start learning before you might need to go back to work at your regular job.

There are even some very good piano keyboards available for under $500 USD, and even some super economical models for under $100.

If you're looking to learn piano, you can make this start to happen very quickly. Who knows how long it might take for NI to fix the KK MK3 issues?

Matt_NI

@oliverson I want to try and help but I don't really know what the issue is when reading your post. Following the recommendation from @JesterMgee would be a good start for everyone to understand what's happening.

ps : changing the title of this thread because this one isn't helping

Matt_NI

Oups, realised this is a duplicate and the other thread is already far further.

Closing this one.

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