Kontrol 2024 outlook: what was, what now, what next?
Comments
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Maschine + is an actively supported product with no plans to change this. Though this is a Kontrol thread, I've alluded to the fact that Maschine things are happening - expect some updates from that side in due course.
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- We're working as fast as we can. We can't go any faster. If that's not fast enough for some, so be it. But things are happening.
- Several hitherto unmentioned ideas are outlined in the roadmap above.
- This is a Kontrol thread... don't tempt me with a good time, but there are things happening in the Maschine world.
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Kontrol S MK3 already has traction. There are infinitely more people getting on using it for the things it does do than there are people taking issue in the forums for the things it doesn't. Direct Connection to Kontakt has been particularly huge. Whilst we're grateful for the adoption we've seen, it doesn't mean job done. Indeed, this thread is evidence of many familiar faces with excellent feedback to share. In terms of jobs to be done: what we plan to do is outlined in the roadmap update above. I sense that you're not all that enthused about the roadmap as is, perhaps?
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I don’t understand why so many of my fellow users expect some great next-gen Maschine.
I didn't say "great". Nor did I say "next-gen".
I'm just saying that I would expect the new Maschine to be a move toward the same thing that the current KK MK3 is trying to be. So why would I buy a MK3 Maschine when it's obvious (to me anyway) that a new Maschine will eventually come along and supplant the old one? The answer is, "I wouldn't buy an old one just to have it become obsolete by Christmas (or whenever).
I'll sign on just for the bigger screen. To me, the bigger screen and a tougher chassis would qualify as "great next-gen", so maybe you're not wrong after all.
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"And unlike you @BIF - I should not need 5 very good reasons to upgrade. What I should be feeling is - if I am NOT on a MK III board right now (with KKv3) - I am totally missing out on something awesome."
Well, in my post I said 5 reasons to ADD to my existing MK3. Not to upgrade from a MK1 or 2 to a 3. So technically, I'm not looking for a reason to "upgrade". I'm looking for a reason to expand with a second unit for another room.
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@BIF that is how I understood your comment. Makes sense.
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My priorities once drag and drop is back would be:
Usable FX support - ie FX plugin version, FX automation in both versions, saveable FX chains in both
Better NKS editing functionality- in particular the ability to move user page order, insert new user pages into an existing mapping at any point, and create NKS banks
Wider support for modern tuning and micro tuning standards with user import and editing of alternative scales eg MTS-ESP and Scala support
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"and will see some progress on the latter before too much longer" - the reason why I am in this forum. Fingers crossed for better stuff.
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"I sense that you're not all that enthused about the roadmap as is, perhaps?
Matt - lets be clear - I am a Mark II user and intend to stay there until such time that the MKIII makes sense to me. The only part of the roadmap that matters to me right now is what you intend to do (or not do) with Komplete Kontrol v3 - as it applies to my situation - nothing more.
And I am sorry that you do not "get" the sense of "non-traction" that is out there for the MK III. This is real and deserved in the many hundreds of discussions that occur across the net on the Mark III.
From here to KVR to VI-Control to Reddit - there is no such thing as a thread that generates any (positive) real excitement for this product combo. No one has ever posted going - "Game Changer! Have you tried this? or "Where has this been all my composing life?"
Sure - there are pockets of fans here and there (almost always new users) - but there is a huge difference between "Gotta have it" and "there it is". NI remains squarely in the "there it is" phase and I am simply hoping you step it up a notch (or three).
The comments already taking shape in this thread - while much more controlled than the last few threads like like - continue to show that the inmates are (and continue to be) restless.
Continued success with the 2024 roadmap - I will remain focused on your updates etc.
VP
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"Well, in my post I said 5 reasons to ADD to my existing MK3. "
My apologies - I must have read through that.
But whether you are adding another or I am considering my first - the reasons still need to be compelling for the both of us it seems.
VP
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Just a big thanks from my side for being so open and giving insight to your workflows and teams! Highly appreciated.
I am looking forward to Maschine(+) developement and also hope that the MKII keyboards get an update on the screen content as well.
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I really appreciate this info. Priorities look OK to me.
Personally, I have 3 reasons for KKS: Led Guide/Smart Play, NKS (Browsing and auto mapping mostly) & integration with Maschine. I'd love at some point for the led/assistive play to get some love, not sure folks over there at the office are aware of the popularity of tools like Scaler, not that I expect KKS to ever be that powerful but at least custom chord sets and fancier arp methods would be cool it also seems a logical to me that a keyboard with a led guide should be usable for theory learning purposes.
Maschine integration. Since very few users used this and it was confusing to everyone else, it wasn’t something we were willing to prioritize at the expense of other features. Basic Transport integration may return at some point, but not to the prior depth.
Having few users is sort of understandable but the idea that things can just vanish in newer versions because newbies aren't smart enough to use google or do a quick manual check to see what a button does is a scary philosophy. I mean what's the % of people actually using Poly AT, I doubt it's more than 5% but it shouldn't be removed because of that.
I don't want to beat a dead horse but it's sad to hear that even simple basic transport integration might never return and then also see the following for 3rd party DAW's:
Deeper DAW control (Undo, Redo, Quantize, etc).
A more powerful production experience, with deeper DAW integrations. We’d love to improve the DAW integrations beyond basic transport functions and improve the way we interface with stock Browsers, Instruments and Channel-strips in general.
I understand DAW's are a priority and the above interests me aswell but this reasoning that it's OK that products from the same company's ecosystem not to work with each other is (again)... scary. Also, extra buttons could came in handy for the fancy features described above, perhaps dual-function buttons for DAW or Maschine but I guess that ship has sailed already.
IDK if you have any influence on what happens on Maschine side but these KKS decisions should encourage Maschine to have customizable/mappable transport, at least this way simple transport would be more likely to happen.
Sorry to be "that guy" who brings this up again but it's a very hard pill to swallow.
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Yes, the reasons need to be compelling. And truth be told, I don't necessarily need FIVE good reasons. Four really good ones and a found coupon for a discounted pizza might get me there, lol! Or one really good reason and we get 5 minutes of world peace during a lunar eclipse; that might work too. But I'm kind of leaning toward the pizza right now. What's for lunch today? 😁
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Yeah, I don't feel the need to insert myself into the process of selecting what gets worked from the backlog and so forth. I'm just a manager, probably barely better than the pointy-haired manager in the Dilbert comics, lol! But anyway, in this day and age of agile teams, I'm happy to let the technical team make backlog priority decisions based on all the things.
I'm more concerned about having enough people to work the math problem presented by the sheer SIZE of the backlog. I'm also concerned about the rate we do or don't go through said backlog. These are the things that keep me up at night as a manager, and I can't really let go of my worldview just because I'm not a manager for NI.
Anyhow, if we're always working on the 3 worst pains in the butt and 2 to 4 "easy other things", that's good progress. If we're addressing some power-user issues from time to time, THAT will prevent disinterest from festering among our most important free resources. Native Instruments will ALWAYS need to have an enthusiastic source of volunteers who provide those free resources.
Losing those resources would be catastrophic, and not "just" for Komplete Kontrol! The fact is, there's not going to be another Jester doing all the things that Jester does. Because of that, we have to stop getting new releases of software that STILL have bugs and broken features that were reported 2 or 3 or more versions and three US presidents ago. That just kills it for so many people, because it feels like they're not being listened to.
Good governance and leadership changes have happened for NI in 2023 and here in 2024. Unfortunately, that didn't percolate down to the product level. So now everybody needs time to make those good decisions manifest in better products with continued frequent and timely updates.
If it sounds like I'm rooting for NI, well I am.
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Oh I just saw this. LOL, good times, good times!
Thanks @Matthew_NI !
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