Understanding custom templates and MIDI devices

Foldyman

Hi,

Wondered if anyone has any knowledge about the following, can't get anything quite definitive out of the manual...

If I've understood correctly, the external MIDI ports will ONLY work if the USB cable is unplugged (hence needing a PSU)? I did wonder if i could use a powered USB hub without a host connection, and hence get power and have the external ports working, but this doesn't appear to work?

In any case, if the keyboard is powered by USB with no host, then the only control template that appears to be available is "Default", as opposed to the "Template 1" (or any of other custom templates) you see when you go into MIDI mode with a host attached. Is there any way to select my custom templates with no host attached? Does the keyboard behave any differntly than this if it's powered with a PSU?

For the custom template I've setup, I've got the buttons across the top sending out various triggers to switch sounds on another keyboard. Once they've been pressed once, they stay lit, which doesn't reflect what's really going on my controlled keyboard (a Yamaha Reface CP), and even despite that it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for them to behave in the way they do. Is there any way to make the button feedback do anything different than what it sees fit, or otherwise get it to respond to incoming CC from the controlled keyboard?

Related, I'm not 100% what each of the availble MIDI devices is for:

Komplete Kontrol - 1: This is the only one that seems to do anything in my DAW (Reaper).

Komplete Kontrol EXT - 1: I gather this is the External MIDI ports, but if they don't work unless the USB is unplugged, then why is it made available in the host?

Komplete Kontrol DAW - 1: I'd have assumed this is what I need to use in my DAW, but I can only get the KK plugin to work using "Komplete Kontrol - 1" (which is fine btw, I just don't fully understand what the DAW MIDI device is really for). The only instance where I've I think needed to use this one is when I've setup external control so the KK's transport buttons work my DAW transport.

Am I understanding/using these MIDI devices correctly?

Am soon going to have a look at ReaKontrol, which is apprently a Reaper plugin to get tighter integration and KK track focus.

Cheers,

A

D-One

If I've understood correctly, the external MIDI ports will ONLY work if the USB cable is unplugged (hence needing a PSU)? I did wonder if i could use a powered USB hub without a host connection, and hence get power and have the external ports working, but this doesn't appear to work?

I don't have any MIDI DYN to test but AFAIK the KK series is dependent on SW background service that runs on the computer, so without a host with the drivers installed I doubt it would work but not 100% sure.

In any case, if the keyboard is powered by USB with no host, then the only control template that appears to be available is "Default", as opposed to the "Template 1" (or any of other custom templates) you see when you go into MIDI mode with a host attached. Is there any way to select my custom templates with no host attached? Does the keyboard behave any differntly than this if it's powered with a PSU?

Same as above but in case this I can confirm by experience, MIDI templates are a SW feature, the mappings are stored in the computer not on the keyboard, even "Template 1", if you edit it then use the keyboard on another computer it won't be there... So no, it's not possible to use custom templates without a supported host.

Is there any way to make the button feedback do anything different than what it sees fit, or otherwise get it to respond to incoming CC from the controlled keyboard?

Nop, in a scenario where you use a button to turn something on/off and can also do it from another device you better off configuring the button to be a Trigger instead of a Toggle because using the same CC on another device will not change the button state.

Komplete Kontrol EXT - 1: I gather this is the External MIDI ports, but if they don't work unless the USB is unplugged, then why is it made available in the host?

Yes. To control an external HW that has no USB MIDI IN for example, or to do that as well as sending separate stuff thru the regular MIDI USB Port.

Komplete Kontrol DAW - 1: I'd have assumed this is what I need to use in my DAW, but I can only get the KK plugin to work using "Komplete Kontrol - 1" (which is fine btw, I just don't fully understand what the DAW MIDI device is really for). The only instance where I've I think needed to use this one is when I've setup external control so the KK's transport buttons work my DAW transport.

That's for "DAW Control" or "Advanced integration" (NI keeps interchangeably using 2 or terms to describe the same thing). It's a mode where you get a fancy-looking Mixer on the screens (if your keyboard has them) that controls the DAW mixer and also provides visual feedback on supported DAW's; it also relates to Transport controls without having to manually map them in the DAW and other control functionality, like undo, change track, solos, mutes etc... Full cheat sheet here:

https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/komplete_kontrol/KOMPLETE_KONTROL_S-Series_MK2_DAW_Shortcut_Sheet_English_28_10_2021.pdf

Looks like this:

How to set it up here:

https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406832231441-How-to-Integrate-KOMPLETE-KONTROL-with-Your-DAW

D-One

If I've understood correctly, the external MIDI ports will ONLY work if the USB cable is unplugged (hence needing a PSU)? I did wonder if i could use a powered USB hub without a host connection, and hence get power and have the external ports working, but this doesn't appear to work?

I don't have any MIDI DYN to test but AFAIK the KK series is dependent on SW background service that runs on the computer, so without a host with the drivers installed I doubt it would work but not 100% sure.

In any case, if the keyboard is powered by USB with no host, then the only control template that appears to be available is "Default", as opposed to the "Template 1" (or any of other custom templates) you see when you go into MIDI mode with a host attached. Is there any way to select my custom templates with no host attached? Does the keyboard behave any differntly than this if it's powered with a PSU?

Same as above but in case this I can confirm by experience, MIDI templates are a SW feature, the mappings are stored in the computer not on the keyboard, even "Template 1", if you edit it then use the keyboard on another computer it won't be there... So no, it's not possible to use custom templates without a supported host.

Is there any way to make the button feedback do anything different than what it sees fit, or otherwise get it to respond to incoming CC from the controlled keyboard?

Nop, in a scenario where you use a button to turn something on/off and can also do it from another device you better off configuring the button to be a Trigger instead of a Toggle because using the same CC on another device will not change the button state.

Komplete Kontrol EXT - 1: I gather this is the External MIDI ports, but if they don't work unless the USB is unplugged, then why is it made available in the host?

Yes. To control an external HW that has no USB MIDI IN for example, or to do that as well as sending separate stuff thru the regular MIDI USB Port.

Komplete Kontrol DAW - 1: I'd have assumed this is what I need to use in my DAW, but I can only get the KK plugin to work using "Komplete Kontrol - 1" (which is fine btw, I just don't fully understand what the DAW MIDI device is really for). The only instance where I've I think needed to use this one is when I've setup external control so the KK's transport buttons work my DAW transport.

That's for "DAW Control" or "Advanced integration" (NI keeps interchangeably using 2 or terms to describe the same thing). It's a mode where you get a fancy-looking Mixer on the screens (if your keyboard has them) that controls the DAW mixer and also provides visual feedback on supported DAW's; it also relates to Transport controls without having to manually map them in the DAW and other control functionality, like undo, change track, solos, mutes etc... Full cheat sheet here:

https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/komplete_kontrol/KOMPLETE_KONTROL_S-Series_MK2_DAW_Shortcut_Sheet_English_28_10_2021.pdf

Looks like this:

How to set it up here:

https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406832231441-How-to-Integrate-KOMPLETE-KONTROL-with-Your-DAW

Foldyman

Perfect, thanks @D-One!