Composing/Ideation tip -- Layering SW/HW from S-Series with Kontakt

iamadan

To ideate or just to chill and play, I enjoy using my S88 with Komplete Kontrol in my DAW and simultaneously layering sounds with my hardware synths. For those working in-the-box and out-of-the-box, the S88 (or any of the Kontrol keyboards) works fantastically to control everything else around you. I'll often flip between midi-mode and Komplete Kontrol for simple controls when I've routed things to the right Midi CC on my hardware.

In my case, the S88 is connected via USB, and the DAW routes the MIDI out to my MIDI hub and onward to whatever piece of gear is around me.

Some ideas I personally love:

1. Overlaying plucks/keys on an analog synth with some of the lush organic pads you'll find in some of the Kontakt libraries like Lores or Fables.
2. Play a rhythmic patch from Kontakt (e.g. Arkhis, Sequis, etc.) with a hardware FM synth
3. Stack 4-5 hardware synth sounds underneath an orchestral solo patch like those in the Cremona Quartet
4. Create a Wavetable-based patch in Massive X that augments a traditional analog patch from an outboard piece of hardware.

Really, though, the point is to inspire or enjoy. Sometimes, these exercises can trigger an idea that leads to a pullable thread, and sometimes I just let the day fade into the background while I make music. Personally, I rarely record the sessions and instead separate that into a follow-up exercise if there's a thread (and if a thread is there, I'll wait until I'm done and simply record the themes, note the patches/synths, and possibly jot down some notes and chords).

Enjoy!