Any future Komplete Kontrol S88 mk2 firmware update ?
Dear Native Instruments
Will the firmware ever be updated on the Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2? The firmware is ancient and the keyboard is clearly not developed to its full potential e.g. the light guide not working with Kontakt - the main reason that I bought the keyboard. This is a constant frustration.
Do you really expect me to sell my mk2 and buy a mk3 - which seems to work like the mk2 should have done in the first place?
Please respond. Thank you.
Comments
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You should not expect the firmware on the S-Series to receive further updates !
And yes ! , if you want what the S-Series MK3 offers then you will have to buy a S-Series MK3 keyboard !
Some people though are complaining that certain features and compatibility with some DAWs are not arriving fast enough and also a few among the many buyers have had problems connecting the keyboard to the computer due to some computer USB-C ports not performing within specifications all the time due to issues with the chips set and/or the drivers ! (I am not privy to the exact details) (should you experience that then I am sure that support will assist you with advice !).
So unless you are patient with the S-Series MK3 then you might want to hold onto your S-Series MK2 a little longer !
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It is over for us MKII users as Poorfellow noted.
NI clearly laid out these facts on the MKII series back in October 2023.
Our hardware does not support things like the Light Guide in Kontakt etc etc due to technical and physical limitations.
While no one "expects" you to do anything - if you want the latest - you will need to buy your way there.
VP
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Obviously you can still use the lightguide with Kontakt while inside Komplete Kontrol, so that is how you would do that.
signed, Captain Obvious :)
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Exactly.
Since I got my S61 MKII and Komplete Kontrol - I cannot remember the last time I used Kontakt "old school" where I would drag an actual instance of it to a track in a session - there is simply no point to it when it loads in 2ms in Studio One via Komplete Kontrol.
Granted - I am using this "as designed" - as a NKS compliant tool with my stuff. For those folks that use Kontakt in a myraid of other ways (like designing instruments) I cannot speak to that.
But if Light Guide (or lack thereof) is a concern - its a non starter when using any NKS compliant Kontakt instruments within Komplete Kontrol.
VP
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I purchased my S61 MK2 mid 2022 so not even 2 years old and to learn that it's no longer going to receive any further firmware updates to make it fully compatible with the latest KK updates is pretty alarming to say the least. Great business ethics NI.
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What you bought in 2022 was a 2018 model keyboard. As did I in 2020.
This board was long past its before date before you and I got there.
Everything moves forward in this business. I am hoping to be able to use KKv3 with a close feature parity to KK v2 as much as possible sometime in 2024.
NI was very clear on what was to come in many communications in Oct 2023.
Our hardware is what it is and we can use it or upgrade. No more firmware updates are coming and even if we did get another - our boards do not have the tech to make full use of NKS 2.0 anyway.
We can complain or get on with creating with what we have.
VP
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In my opinion a products support life span should last longer than 18 months if it's still being sold as the current model at the time of purchase. NI's decision to no longer release updates to firmware because their current software isn't fully compatible on this keyboard almost sounds like it's reaching end of life without them actually saying as such. A products life span should start from when it's no longer available to purchase not end less than 2 years after purchase. Not all of us have bottomless pockets to throw money at expensive hardware every 2 years or less just to have full integration. I'm all for progress but the end user should also be given some consideration when moving forward. NI may well have announced their strategy regarding the future of MK2 S series keyboards in Oct 23 but that was a little late for me.
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I agree that product should have a certain life span after the unit model has ceased being sold per standard.
I do however have a completely different take on the expectations in connection with that.
I have the S61 MK2 myself. But what I expect when buying something like that is not a commitment to develop and add features that were neither available nor promised at the time of purchase. But I would expect N.I. to fix any issues with the keyboard that prevented me from using it for what it were sold as being able to do ! And call me naive but while I might be wrong , I don't know , then I for one thinks that if there were any real issues with the S-Series MK2 keyboards that needed fixing then Native Instruments would have fixed it, at least if having been brought to light within what could be considered a reasonably expected life time. (not necessarily counting issues arriving due to e.g. major OS or DAW changes beyond the control of Native Instruments)
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"NI's decision to no longer release updates to firmware because their current software isn't fully compatible on this keyboard almost sounds like it's reaching end of life without them actually saying as such"
Firstly - I suggest a correction to your stance on this:
"because their current software isn't fully compatible"
NI choosing to cease "firmware" updates for the S61 MKII has nothing to do with KKv3 (or it's compatibility) KKv3 is fully compatible with the MKII series but only to the extent of the hardware tech that is onboard the MKII. Nothing more and nothing less.
Secondly - on firmware updates - (for me and you and any other MK II owner) - if it's not clear - it really should be.
I knew exactly what I was getting into back in Fall 2020. I also knew that any firmware updates (and I believe there were only ever 2 for this board) had long since come and gone and no more where forthcoming.
I will echo PoorFellow - this board has been outstanding and quite frankly - in the overall "hardware value" category - this one is a keeper.
Now - should my purchase in Fall of 2020 - of a device that was born in September 2017 (correction on the date BTW) instantly guarantee me full access to all future tech? No it should not.
There is no difference between you and I and Poorfellow - we all own an awesome board that quite frankly does not need any firmware updates to correct any current defects - because there are none.
Where we differ is our understanding about buying one thing and then watching another newer/faster/better model of that thing suddenly appear and feel like we have been wronged in some way.
To me - anyone who had an opportunity to score this specific board at ANY time during it's lifespan has a winner in my opinion. The S61 MKII works perfectly, uses the far superior KK v2.9.6 to it's full potential and is thankfully devoid of any of the hassle factor of all that is "uncomfortable" and "unfinished" surrounding the S-Series MK III.
I am 100% satisfied with what I have - all I really want is to be able to use KKv3 with it at some point in the future.
VP
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"I am 100% satisfied with what I have - all I really want is to be able to use KKv3 with it at some point in the future."
This is my biggest worry. KK3 seems to be designed around the MK3 keyboards and NKS2 so how long will a MK2 keyboard function at all. How long will I be able to use KK2 before NI see fit to no longer support that too? Not something I was ever expecting to worry about using hardware less than 2 years old from new.
Other than these concerns I'm also very happy with my S61 MK2 using KK2.
Can someone from NI confirm that KK2 will continue to be made available to S series MK2 owners at least until it's officially reached end of life or will continue to function inside KK3 as all future updates arrive?
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"Can someone from NI confirm that KK2 will continue to be made available to S series MK2 owners at least until it's officially reached end of life or will continue to function inside KK3 as all future updates arrive?"
This was already confirmed in Oct 2023.
KK v2.9.6 is the last version of KKv2 (so EOL effectively arrived 6 months ago) but it will remain supported (and available) for the go forward. All you need to do is download a copy and you are good to go forever with an S-Series MKII board.
Hopefully - if/when KKv3 reaches a reasonable feature parity (and/or) usability parity with KKv2 - I will move over to it with no issue. But we are quite a ways from that as of today.
VP
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KK v2.9.6 is the last version of KKv2 (so EOL effectively arrived 6 months ago) but it will remain supported (and available) for the go forward. All you need to do is download a copy and you are good to go forever with an S-Series MKII board.
So that's my point. With a keyboard like the S61 MK2 which was designed to integrate heavily with the Komplete Kontrol software and now can't do so with the current version and the last supported version now being EOL. Doesn't that also go someway in making the hardware EOL?
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"With a keyboard like the S61 MK2 which was designed to integrate heavily with the Komplete Kontrol software and now can't do so with the current version"
Never said that. (or implied that)
MKII series boards can be used with KKv2 AND KKv3.
However - using a Mark II series board with KKv3 is a lame exercise - since KKv3 is so devoid of many useful features that KKv2 already had/has.
So we (MK II) users - have it both ways. It's your choice.
For me - KKv2 is my goto - until such time that KKv3 gains enough feature parity to make it worthwhile.
VP
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I agree totally if they have in fact stopped support for the mk2
Sure things progress, but companies that rely on repeat customers should look after their existing ones. Even windows, when they release a new version, they keep supporting the old version until they announce a date when that support ends, and it’s usually a long way off.
I don’t care how long they’ve been released for, NI should give us a long warning before support for a particular model is stopped, in the case of the mk1 that hasn’t been sold for a while, there’s no reason why a year before they stopped they couldn’t have given a years warning, they must have known by then.
I’m a bit confused with the mk2 because they’ve only said they’re stopping support for the mk1?
I very nearly bought a brand new mk2 a few weeks before the mk3 announcement, and was only due to being in hospital for a month and then at home recovering that the mk3 was announced and I bought that instead.
Had I bought the mk2 and support for it had stopped, I wouldn’t be a happy man. For a product to be sold new by the usual outlets and NI stopping support a couple of months later (if I’ve understood you correctly, I’m sure they only stopped it for the mk1)), to me that’s totally immoral. If they are saying they are still supporting it but don’t see any further firmware updates being needed, that’s a bit of a different thing.
Mind you, even if they don’t intend to add any new features to the mk2 in firmware updates, as they should still be supporting the mk2, if a problem arises that’s affecting many users and a firmware update can solve it, in my opinion they should do so.
Otherwise as you say, they are effectively saying the mk2 is also end of life and if someone bought it new say September last year, that’s a kick in the teeth.
All that said, I do really like my NI software and am happy enough with my mk3 although not enough things make use of its features yet, I have high hopes in the coming months, this will change.
Edit: I responded straight after reading your post, I’ve since read what both @PoorFellow and @Vocalpoint and agree with them totally.
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I received brand new KK S61 mk2 today for extremely good deal I couldn't pass. All I have to say is Damn native instrument the fatar keybed is amazing! I'm very late to the game but had Maschine mk3 since mid 2022 and I loved it. Now with keyboard and Maschine, I'm loading sound - record - next track, repeat. Very fast, I couldn't do it in ableton because I have to load multiple instance of KK which is possible but not as good as maschine integration.
My wishlist is addressed in mk3 which is NKS2 and hardware settings and standalone PlayAssist (not yet available). Keep in mind that this thing is much cheaper than iPhone which they make a new one every year so don't be very stingy. Samsung support their devices for 2 years of update only. I think NI did very well even though I will be happier if we got standalone Lightguide/Scale control and NKS2 but it is what it is. It was launched 2017 we are in 2024 and it is still working and it does work with Apple silicon.
you made really long post just because you ignored reality and lived on hope because rumors has been circling for awhile and it is expected to get mk3 long overdue. Sell your mk2 and buy mk3 there you go problem solved.
Anyway enjoy your mk2 and I hope soon you can replace it with mk3.
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