Play assist on Komplete Kontrol MK3 still do not record MIDI correctly

MLARS

Native Instruments just released a big MIDI firmware update for Komplete Kontrol MK3 Keyboards.

Just tested it. It still has no working PlayAssist with DAWs like Logic from what I can tell. The Play Assist Midi do not record correctly in Logic - the DAW records what you pressed on the keys, not what Play Assist adjusted for.

It has been almost a year since the hardware wasa release and you still cannot use Play Assist correctly which is pretty bad for hardware which has been marketed as having on device processing.

Shouldn't the local midi hardware be able to reprocess this before it communicates with Logic?

I thought it would be addressed with the latest big MIDI firmware update. It did not. Please escalate this on the backlog and release a fix fast.

Matthew_NI

Thank you for your question!

Wherever possible, we have been clear and transparent about:

• …what we're working on
• …why we're working on it
• …what we'll work on next

In this case, we have regularly communicated in the forums as follows:

• What now:
  • We had been working on implementing the ability to create, edit, save, browse, load, import and export custom MIDI Templates
• Why:
  • Because this was the most requested feature, particularly by power users, since launch
• What next:
  • Having had to focus specifically on, and only on, MIDI Templates, whereas before we were spread thin across multiple priorities, now that it has shipped, we have a number of priorities on which we're next focused, in order as follows:
    • 1) Play Assist running on device
    • 2) Continued MIDI Template improvements
    • 3) Accessibility
    • 4) Other features and improvements*

As such, the plan I think aligns with your wishes - it was already our plan, and continues to be. I hope that helps!

*Frequent forum users will know that I've previously authored a "Kontrol 2024 roadmap/outlook" thread, that has recently closed for comments, as I'm soon to launch an updated thread that will offer more details on the above next steps.

______

With the latest versions of Logic, it is already possible to do what you're seeking (have MIDI out from Komplete Kontrol's Play Assist into the timeline). A user elsewhere in the forum describes the following workflow:

Using the example of the Action Strings plug-in

Load Action Strings

Select Chord Sets e.g. Min 6

Click on the small piano symbol at the top right of Action Strings 2 plugin (in komplete kontrol) to start the monitoring mode

then start Play in Logic and 

Play sequence, stop logic

in Action String it appears that the recorded sequence can be dragged and dropped into logic, see screenshot below

If you drag this, then the chords from Play Assist are available in the midi region in logic

PS

If you only press record or play and record instead of play in logic, Action Strings Recording appears and individual notes are recorded in Logic, but... after the stop, Action Strings 2 Plugin shows that you can drag the midi region into logic and you have the same chord material from Play Assist plus the previously recorded notes. 

Skijumptoes

There's a much better way, that allows you to play live and record into the timeline and into any other instruments, too.

Just create a second track and set it's MIDI Input as 'off' (Yellow highlighted), And set the Internal 'MIDI In' as the output from Komplete Kontrol track (Green highlighted) as per screenshot:

That track will now only receive the processed MIDI data coming out of Komplete Kontrol.

If you then set the Komplete Kontrol track to input monitor (not record), and the second track to record (Pink highlighted). The play assist processed notes will record into the second track live.

So if there was an instrument on that second track it would play live with the pre-processed notes being recorded. You could also set up the second track to have no instrument and simply drag the processed MIDI back up to Komplete Kontrol track if you wanted it on there.

(Just remember to disable Play Assist in Komplete Kontrol if you're dragging it back, or else it will get double processed)

As @Matthew_NI has said above, when this is available on the device itself it will be much better. But for now, Komplete Kontrol is processing it within the plugin so we have to use such workarounds.

MLARS

Not very nice for large templates with that workaround. But it is a working workaround.
I'll wait for the proper thing, hopefully it will arrive in a firmware update soon.

mark1307

Does anyone have the steps on how to do this for Studio One?

I get working through priorities but hoping this gets released soon as this is a huge gap currently.

Skijumptoes

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/172389#Comment_172389

If you create a Komplete Kontrol track and set it's MIDI output as the MIDI Input on another instrument track it will send the play assisted notes from Komplete into the new track.

Make sure that you monitor the KK track, and record enable the one where you want the notes to be recorded to.

i.e.:

Green box = the MIDI Input selection on the second track (Set input as 'Komplete Kontrol' plugin)

Orange box = If you're on the second track but want your controller light guide to follow the first, then just enable it by clicking here (on the keyboard icon). It will work without the light guide too.

MLARS

Any new progress status on this one? Will we see a release in October? Or is this a next year thing?

Matthew_NI

It's a this year, and soon thing.

MLARS

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/179820#Comment_179820

Happy to hear. Looking forward to the release.

MLARS

Onboard Chords Play Assist is now available. Good. Still waiting on Onboard Arp Play Assist.

MLARS

Still no news on Play Assist Arp?

Update: Middle of November - over a year since release and still no in the box MIDI ARP.

MLARS

Btw, please add a probability function. Seems like everyone has this now.