When can i expect Komplete Kontrol to revert back to old strengths?
Hello dear NI, since you released the 3.x version of Komplete Kontrol, i'm quite unhappy with it, and still use 2.x. Please, please give me information on whether I can expect an improvement - and when.
So here are my top 3 reasons, why Komplete Kontrol 3 Software is broken for me, and i would like you to tell me whether you will reverse this situation, which i consider to be REALLY bad.
- The hiding of either Browser or Performance View in the KK VST Plugin Window (opened in the DAW) is a catastrophic downgrade. Why would you force users to change views, in order to see the active instrument? The new layout is mind-bogglingly bad, from a UX perspective. It clearly was BETTER (=faster) before, and based on the old side-Browser, it could have been made even better (with a scaleable window, adjustable Browser-sub-category-sizes, etc). For big screens you could even allow users to open this new overly broad browser together with the instrument view. Let us customize and scale the window and any region of the windows. Let us decide, whether we want that fat Browser window at the bottom or a side-Browser. We users aren't too dumb for several views which show much more than currently possible, and to choose a default view out of them which suits us best.
- Restricting the ability to edit custom presets. This breaks the core of my current workflow, which is built around creating a huge custom library. I was hoping that instead of crippling down the Preset and Browsing functions of Komplete Kontrol, Native Instruments would actually improve the Browser and Preset-Editing functions! Like being able to edit TYPES and CHARACTERS! (instead of being forced to delete them and create a new name, then re-order EVERY SINGLE preset into this new name - Type/charakter).
- Loading Times out of Hell, worse performance than KK 2.8.1 when many instances are loaded, unneccessary re-scan of known plugins, forced usage of Kontakt 7.
The following changes to the Komplete Kontrol Keyboard Software are just as bad and mind-boggling - will they ever be reverted?
- The automatic default-hiding of parameter values in the Komplete Kontrol Display is insanely bad. [regression, bad like a bug]. It's absolutely essential to see exact values, and a severe downgrade from MK2.
- The hiding of active keyswitches in the Komplete Kontrol Display is insanely bad. It was one of my favorite features, because the quick overview for keyswitches is a lifesaver for liveperforming. [regression, bad like a bug]
If my post is a little bit too passionate in its wording, i'm sorry. But i really would LOVE to get an answer, so please HELP me out with your answer. I've built my whole (live) setup around Komplete Kontrol, and want to be sure that you (NI) will restore its former glory/smart functions.
Comments
-
There are already many threads about every point you state, one such thread ended up being closed after like 60 pages of discussions because of the over passionate people in it.
NI have a LOT of work to do to make this version of KK usable. Some are happy with it, many are not tho and it is existing users who had certain ways of working and liked the workflow they had for 10 years being the most upset. It is never a good thing to just completely change everything about an application and mess it up so badly, while also taking NONE of the suggestions from users for 10 years. Shows just how much they listen to user feedback.
There are a lot of buzz words of "new tech stacks" and "open possibilities for the future", marketing buzz words but fact is we have gone backwards, old bugs from years ago are still present and now we have at least 5-10 points of basic usability to even address before it could be considered an improvement. My score for KK v2 in usability and function was about 7, just a few things I wanted to see improved (short of full blown new features). Currently, my score for the new version is about 2, it is unusable outside a basic form which is why I just have to stick with v2 and why I suggest anyone who values sanity does the same at this stage.
Problem is it could be YEARS before we see improvements in these areas (if ever, likely most complaints will just fall on deaf ears like before). Sure, we have a resizable GUI now but that is absolutely useless given how terrible the layout of the new preset browser and the issue of all the names now being truncated.
Just boggles my mind how it ends up like this...
10 -
Jester makes a lot of very good points.
We are in a holding pattern right now, flying circles around the airport while waiting for clearance from the tower to land. But they're still building the runway that we need to use. Oh, and they're also building the tower, so there's that too!
How long will it take for NI to fix everything that doesn't work? Nobody knows, but I think it's safe to say it's going to take many months, and it's only going to happen little bits at a time. The real test is whether it will be materially better by March. And again by July. And yet AGAIN by October. I think it will be better at each of those quarterly milestones, but who knows for sure. I'm just some guy on the internet with an opinion! 😏
Oh, and pretty much NOBODY is going to agree with the priorities that the NI people set. Some people want the surface concrete to be poured first, while others know that the substrate needs to be leveled, packed, and properly prepared. Yet others just want to have the rebar laid, and some wish the terminal to be built first, complete with restrooms and food courts.
So should you stay or should you go? Haha, that just sounds like a Clash song. But the decision will ultimately be yours. How much fuel does your plane have left in its tanks? Mine has enough to wait this out for years if need be. And that's because I have scads of other keyboards that will still work fine as rudimentary controllers with some version of Komplete Kontrol.
Anyway, a happy new year to OP and to Jester!
6 -
i was originally one of the users who was very vocal and very dissaponted with v3. after the latest update i thought i would give it another go , resizing really helped and i have kind of come around to the new way of browsing, but.......
1 - v3.1 is just too slow at loading presets compared to v.2.9. it slows down my workflow and kills my creativity.
2 - having to jump back and fourth between browser and interface is never going work well. the browser should be detachable from the main interface if this is the route ni are going.
so after a few weeks of playing with 3.1 i can longer suffer these issues and have reverted back to 2.9 again.
in its current state, 3.1 is still unusable for me. its a tragedy because so many of komplete kontrols loyal long term users have it at the core of their workflow, almost as important as the daw itself.
4 -
Absolutely, the browser and interface should be able to be open at the same time. so much so I reverted back to 2.9 as well.
4 -
Thanks for sharing your experience, which mirrors my own exactly.
"Its a tragedy because so many of komplete kontrols loyal long term users have it at the core of their workflow" exactly! This update is breaking the very CORE of my workflow. NI might not be aware of losing customers over this. But IF i decide to leave Komplete Kontrol, this will also imply saying goodbye to the whole NI ecosystem. I will keep waiting for an answer / a proper update which fixes the mess, because i still love NI products too much and see much potential in a properly working Komplete Kontrol (which hopefully gets improved based on User Needs and Feedback)
I will probably wait a year also, but then make a definite decision, as i have a zero-tolerance-policy for getting the core of my workflow broken like this, especially long-term. Hard earned money is more well spent on companies which listen to its customers. I will wait for now, i like NI too much, still. But my patience will have an end in 1 year :D
Happy new year to you and everyone, too :D
Yes i agree with your "scoring system" of Komplete Kontrol, haha. I also was hoping for IMPROVEMENTS of Komplete Kontrol, so that it lives up to its full potential. Thus the desastrous 3.x update couldn't have been more disappointing. Moving from a solid 8/10 to 2/10 for me personally.
I really hope that you're wrong, and it won't take several years. Because if it will - i'm out.
Absolutely :)
2 -
i doubt ill ditch my whole ni ecosystem as i have spent somewhere between 5-10 thousand pounds on thrid party libraries and do not want to lose them, this is why im so angry about the decision to completely overhaul kk. its not just the investment i made into ni komplete ultimate collecters & hardware, im sitting on lots of libaries ive paid for from sonic couture, sound iron, emergence audio, teletone, cinesamples, e-instruments, skybox audio, strezov, etc, etc that all rely on either kk or kontakt. i wish the ni mods would take this into consideration when dealing with disgruntled customers and deleting their comments while claiming we are not aloud to be angry and that our crtitcisms are uncalled for. its an insult and condescending! instead of calling us names and censoring us they should be taking our feedback, our criticisms are justified, otherwise offer us all refunds!!!
however, i wont be investing in aything else ni in the future. saying that i did just buy 5 maschine libraries in the sale as i have maschine+ which does not rely on the kk system, i do love my maschine+
2 -
I agree, and i own the collectors edition, too. It's more like: keeping what works and what is loved (especially third party libraries, of course), but not supporting the Company any more with any further investments. Which comes very natural to me: If i don't feel supported - literally - i won't continue my financial support.
1 -
There as been some info shared by @Matthew_NI in late November in other threads about KK3..
He shared: "...once browser resizing is knocked off the list, some of the next-most pressing items on the KK side would include other browser features (such as Tag Editing, Sample Drag+Drop)."
I also think I remember him or another NI person mentioning some info on sub banks support returning.
1 -
My personal timetable is to come back in Summer 2024. By then - we should see some progress.
KKv3 is a mess and until NI puts some serious bench time into this - all the complaining in the world is not going to help (or make it move faster).
KKv2.9.6 is where any MKI or MKII user should remain to be productive.
If/when KKv3 gets to a point that it becomes the "go-to" (especially for us MKII users) - I am sure it will not take long to figure it out.
VP
1 -
I would also suggest that those interested in KK3's development, just keep watch on Kontakt 7.
Pretty much anything coming to KK3 will show up there first.
0 -
I think what might save KK is not KK..it will be a Midi 2.0 VST of some type, unless NI finds a way to keep everything proprietary. I;m sticking with my s61mk1 and kk2.9 as out dated as that is. (the software not the hardware). The hardware looks a lot like the brand new keystage from Korg and is still a very viable rig...works lots better than the brand new mk3...and does a lot more especially with the Moss Script.
I feel really bad for the professionals out there who rely on KK and the nks partners who must be fuming right now.
1 -
I feel really bad for the professionals out there who rely on KK and the nks partners who must be fuming right now.
So do I, but if I were a touring and recording professional, I would be VERY slow to adopt the new bling every time something new got released.
Oh sure, I might buy something new. But it would bet plugged into a sandbox recording rig; not my main money-making rig.
The same would be true for any computer or other keyboard workstations I had, whether they run Windows, Mac, or some form of Linux.
Generally, I would apply updates only at a time when I had no critical deliverables dates immediately looming. Or only when I was being affected by a particular bug.
Backups are critical. For years now I've had all of my computers backing up to local hard drives using Macrium Reflect. Sometime this year, I plan to implement additional backups to a NAS, but those won't replace the local backups. I even back up my workstation keyboards!
You never know when you'll need to recover some files because you stuck your foot in your mouth. I did that once; deleted my Native Instruments library folders when I was visiting family.
Luckily, I had also packed a recent backup drive with some older backups on it. Since I knew that my NI libraries had not changed for many months, I was able to just restore that directory and below from that old backup drive. After about 30 minutes, I was right back in business.
1 -
As I read more and more of the current threads I feel more and more anxiety that I made a terrible mistake and cannot return the MK3 Keyboard.
Please let us return products as they are not working as advertised.
Seeing that threads are getting deleted because people are realizing they arent alone is staggering to see. People are rightfully upset and heated because they are not being paid attention to, helping, and customers are stuck with a 1300 brick of a holiday package.
1 -
The longer KK3 will not be usable, the better. As, I as a user of KK S88 MK1 cannot use it... The best would be if KK3 is not usable till my loved keyboard passes away to silicon heaven. I give it 10 more years. ;-)
0 -
Just updated KK to 3.1.0 from 2.X...
NI invested a lot in the Browser usability (nice work there) but broke so many things along the way. Very disappointing. Can't they invest more resources in their QA team ....?
My appetite to NI products got hit with a bucket of icy water poured on it....
any way to roll back to KK v2.X ?
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 18 Welcome
- 962 Hangout
- 56 NI News
- 478 Tech Talks
- 2.5K Native Access
- 11.2K Komplete
- 1.4K Komplete General
- 3K Komplete Kontrol
- 4K Kontakt
- 848 Reaktor
- 300 Battery 4
- 624 Guitar Rig & FX
- 328 Massive X & Synths
- 773 Other Software & Hardware
- 4.1K Maschine
- 4.8K Traktor
- 4.8K Traktor Software & Hardware
- Check out everything you can do
- Create an account
- See member benefits
- Answer questions
- Ask the community
- See product news
- Connect with creators