Kontrol 2024 outlook: what was, what now, what next?
Comments
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I have an idea to improve KK:
Let there be a preference to stay in browser after loading a sound.
EDIT: I just found the pin button 😁
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@Matthew_NI Thanks for the very comprehensive run down. Having worked in software dev for a few years I can empathize with you and your fellow team members.
It was brought up in a thread a few months back, but I'll bring it up again here for "official" consideration. Several people, myself included, have expressed a desire to have the MIDI DIN connectors output MIDI when the keyboard is connected to a computer via USB-C.
For myself, it's not really a matter of wanting to use both MIDI DIN and MIDI USB at the same time, rather it's just not practical to disconnect my keyboard from my PC and switch it to USB-C power supply, every time I need to use the MIDI DIN connectors.
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Quite interesting to notice the gap between users and NI.
Users are still “wouldn’t it be nice if we had this and that new feature?”, while NI with its (now official) roadmap is “we missed/removed so many things that for the future we will have to work to bring them back”.
I mean…
Sonoma support? It’s due, not a feature
Midi templates? We already had them
Play Assist? Should had been improved from a long time…and with the things we already had
Property editing? We already had it
Drag & drop? We already had it
Deeper DAW integration (beyond basic transport functions)? We already had it
I find it really hard to call all of this “innovations”…
My suggestion is…stop dreaming of new things and find a way to be happy with this way of presenting as “you see? We are working on it” what in facts is “we missed it and now we have to recover”.
For the lucky ones that will see what they are missing recovered…since things like removed Maschine integration is still a “you won’t see it back”
Btw…seen what Komplete 3 and KK have become…I frankly hope we will NOT see a new Maschine. New (or improved) Maschine software functionalities working with our devices maybe. But I’m almost sure what we will see instead (IF we will see it) is a Maschine with the new big screen and the NKS2 things that will just try to force us to buy the new since what we have will be neglected in exchange of not really innovating things, like simply having the parameters in YZX order instead of XYZ (or, at best, Play Assist function being moved from computer to onboard…which is nice, but just a move of what we already have, not an innovation)
This is the maximum idea of “changing the game” that new NI has…
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@LostInFoundation perhaps some common ground on which we can agree is this:
I don't profess to believe that bringing back some of what didn't make the initial tech transition sets the world on fire. MIDI Templates are not innately innovative, for instance. To claim otherwise would be churlish.
Nevertheless, it's important to be clear about what we're doing, why we're doing it, and by when we intend to it. That's the baseline.
Now, the baseline absolutely includes some huge new features. Direct Connection to Kontakt 7 has been really big for Kontrol's largest audience, whilst Polyphonic Aftertouch reignited the conversation around a decades-old technology that I wish more had adopted sooner. NKS 2 and MIDI 2 are fantastic, but the value of both grow with time the more content adopts either. You're certainly welcome to your opinions, but know that some of these have literally changed the game for users.
But I hear you loud and clear. You also want to know what further innovations are coming, particularly once the near term roadmap is behind us. I could only loosely tease some, and am entirely unable to mention others. But that's not all that unusual for a company - it wouldn't be wise to disadvantage future plans by revealing them prematurely, not least in such a public forum open to collaborators and competitors alike.
"Trust us" is not a winnable argument. Nor is pitchforks for a product you perhaps don't care to own (yet). But I hope this helps you feel heard, and we can continue to move forward productively, together.
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You are correct in saying that I’m underlining the not so positive aspects omitting the (sadly few) new features that have been brought to the table.
In this case my criticism is not about the openness of the infos (which is more than welcome), but more about the decisions taken.
That said, your product is your product, and therefore you are more than entitled of doing of it whatever you want (accepting to take all the applauses that will come by people happy with the direction taken and also criticism by the ones not so enthusiast).
What I find more worrying is the regressions people not wanting to embrace this new direction with you have to suffer, with existing products being EOLed, forced to work in a more limited way or simply neglected. This, frankly, is something that I find not so correct With regard to the people who spent their money with your company. And also something dangerous, because summing the malcontent of people not happy with what’s new with people not happy because they see the products they own not usable anymore or even simply being made difficult to use or even only install is something that surely will not bring NI in a position where its name is regarded and talked about with respect
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Looking back at Kontrol in 2024, we've seen some significant developments in both hardware and software. The past year has been marked by advancements in controller technology, with companies pushing the boundaries of what's possible in terms of performance, features, and integration with software platforms.
In terms of software, we've witnessed a continued shift towards cloud-based solutions, allowing for seamless collaboration and access to resources from anywhere with an internet connection. This has opened up new opportunities for musicians, producers, and DJs to work together remotely and share their creations with a global audience.
Looking ahead to the future of Kontrol, I anticipate even greater integration between hardware and software, with controllers becoming more intuitive and versatile than ever before. We'll likely see advancements in AI and machine learning technology, enabling controllers to adapt and anticipate user preferences in real-time.
Additionally, as the music industry continues to evolve, I expect Kontrol to play a key role in shaping the way music is created, performed, and shared. Whether it's through innovative new controller designs, groundbreaking software features, or groundbreaking collaborations with artists, Kontrol will continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of music production and performance.
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Frankly… the guys who are voting down Tonikroos post should explain why…
Isn’t he entitled to his opinion even if it is different from yours or mine? (being the text written by an AI or not 😂)
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I don't disagree with this either. I think you make fair points about wanting to see more/better out of NI, and fair points about the decisions that introduced regressions for some users. I stand by/own the why behind those and also the path to re-implementation, but I also acknowledge the frustration for some.
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My problem is you can be deluded only by something you do really love…and therefore you would like to see just the best for it.
Sometimes I would really love to be more indifferent towards NI…
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Of course he is. But does that also mean that everyone has agree with it? (I did not vote this down BTW)
While I welcome anyone's opinion - FWIW - the last thing I need in my NI cornflakes right now is an AI angle. OR the cloud.
Work the existing problems and get the excitement back in this stuff.
VP
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@Matthew_NI I’ve been a user of NI since Reaktor 1.0. I’ve bought into the company’s software and hardware with over 15K investment over the years. Frankly what’s most frustrating for me at the moment is that I don’t have any reason to trust the roadmap provided. Q1 is all but gone and we’ve seen NOTHING.
You are giving us a new road map (sort of), and I find the delivery schedule confusing at best. You mention that some things MAY hit Beta in April but this is under the Q1 heading. Q1 ends in March! The new Q1 roadmap is numbered 1,2,1,2,3 and I'm not sure what to make of that numbering system (please read it again and clarify especially what 2 and 2-a mean). I compose music for a living and if I wouldn’t deliver consistently on schedule I would without any doubt lose my contracts. Period.
I and many others expect more from NI. Now, this is not your fault. You are responsive and gracious within the user community and we appreciate your input; however, please do pass on the frustrations we have to management. The development teams are not delivering to expectations. Managemnent should make some changes. Fire, hire, whatever, in order to bring development up to the standard we all expect.
For me, at the very least, I was hoping that by this time we’d see more than an embarrassing two banks of non-editable CC controllers within the default MIDI template in order to make this thing somewhat useable outside NKS... Even sub $100 budget controllers come with some kind of software to edit MIDI assignments. As it stands, I give the development team an -F. Let’s not kid ourselves, this is not good.
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@Matthew_NI hello hope all is well, I wanted to ask as I used to own an S61MK2 but sold it because N I took away the ability to change the midi channel directly from the keyboard, which was available on the MK1 Has this been changed in the MK3 version I know a lot of people who use these not only with software, but also external hardware and found it very frustrating that they couldn't change any of the channels without having to use the computer connected and then disconnect and change the template templates, this was very frustrating so I got rid of it. I'd like to buy an MK3 but if this is still not available and cumbersome then, unfortunately I will have to look elsewhere.
I would think this would be an easy thing to implement on the hardware side
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NI hasn’t even managed create a MIDI template for their flagship product and you are talking about AI implementation. It’s a nice thought my friend, but a company such as you are describing would need a highly capable team of developers, and forward thinkers/inovators. When Reaktor first came out, I would have thought it possible. Now… we’re lucky to get a marginally functional $1000 controller every 7 years.
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“actually browsing sounds with ability to better filter tagging such as ability to exclude a tag from a browse, maybe ability to save tag filters as a recall, ability to easily see what sounds belong to what plugins (popup on hover or something...”
@Matthew_NI very valid points there that require attention
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Hi all!
Can anyone recommend a controller keyboard that has at least 8 MIDI parts? I'm interested in the MK3 S61, but it seems that this is not possible at the moment (and I don't know if it will be possible in the future).
I have a Yamaha Montage and I want to be able to send 8 MIDI parts (9-16) to play them simultaneously on a controller keyboard.
Do you think this will be possible on the MK3 S61?
Thanks in advance!
Regards!
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