S88 MK3 "Looks like something went wrong" Error ruined my keyboard

Lutz Multimedia LLC · 2025-02-25T22:38:19+00:00

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The updater failed while updating my THIRD defective S88MK3 from Alto music and I couldn't get it to work. I read to try it on a wall socket (USB3 cable to the wall, instead of the computer) and the screen Zapped and went all white. I restarted it 500 times and all it does it stay white with glitchy lines. It fried out. Now I need a FOURTH S88 MK3. The first had a dead bank of 7 keys, the second one wouldn't sync with my computer and the third now fried the motherboard and on to my fourth. I think they all must have come out of a badf batch at Alto music cause how do you get three brand new defective S88's?!?!?!?! Worst part is I bought this for a Bethesda game cue score I won and I can't work. NI is killing me.

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Lutz Multimedia LLC

Seller on eBay asked I cancel the return and they'd send me another so now I have recourse to return this one. I can't believe how bad the QC is at NI on these. There's clearly a known issue here cause I am finding lots of other people that have had dead keys and 2 or 3 defective units in a row. How on earth did this happen???

Mark Oxley

I think after 3 defective units in a row I would be looking at an alternative, you've got more patience than I. Quality control on these latest S series models does seem to be pretty bad.

Lutz Multimedia LLC

Yea what in the world happened to NI? We have used their products to score some massive games for Bethesda, Bioware and Epic Games and are looking to get out of their entire product line over this. I can't fathom how this is even possible. I also have had great difficulty getting a hold of anyone over there to help.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/213298#Comment_213298

Please do NOT open duplicate discussions on same topic ! Your duplicate thread has been deleted.

Community Code of Conduct - Please read before posting : Keep It Tidy .Don’t cross-post the same thing in multiple topics.

Their customer support has been … nonexistent.

Did you contact N.I. Komplete Kontrol Support or N.I. Hardware Support ?

As a last resort then try the Power cycle the keyboard 5 times. At the 5th time, the recovery screen should appear and you can re-update the controller. In order to power cycle, turn on the device, wait 2-3 seconds and then turn it off again. Please repeat this 5 times. You can repeat this procedure a couple of times. Also then sometimes a keyboard will come to life again after having been left with no power for a couple of hours.

You most likely should contact N.I. Komplete Kontrol Support or N.I. Hardware Support and ask for assistance , but for what it is worth then here are the links to the troubleshooting pages :

Also be sure that you have installed the hardware service correctly using latest version of Native Access for your OS from here .

Kontrol S-Series MK3 Troubleshooting Guide

Kontrol S-Series MK3: Troubleshooting Firmware Update Issues (appropriate trouble shooter even if not at firmware update step)

My Komplete Kontrol Keyboard Does Not Start

Howto set up your Kontrol S-Series MK3

I will also add @Chris_NI here.

Lutz Multimedia LLC

The second thread you erroneously deleted was for a separate keyboard entirely, with a completely different set of issues so I'm not sure why you did that. I was asking about dead keys on ANOTHER mk3 keyboard and a separate fried white screen on THIS keyboard so you shouldn't have deleted the other thread. I guess you're just trying to do damage control, I get it. If I owned a company shipping a massive batch of defective products I'd feel sheepish and try to cover my tracks too.

Yes, I contacted NI three times and have left emails and voicemails in their inbox since I couldn't reach anyone. Cliona at NI eventually responded with the same links you provided which is of no help because the screen (motherboard?) is totally fried out and the board is unresponsive. I had already done everything listed on their troubleshooting pages and have updated all re-installed all drivers, installers, Kontact applications etc until the screen all of a sudden "zapped" and fried. My mac Studio is running Sequoia OS with 128GB of ram. The MK3 updater is what fried this one. The octave of dead keys from the thread you deleted arrived to me broken and the first MK3 I got simply would never sync or get past the now infamous "there seems to be something wrong" screen. Since NI didn't think to code a factory reset, there seems to be no recourse once this happens. I just ordered my fourth one. You can imagine my extreme frustration. I feel like they should send me a free one for all the work our studio is missing out on because of their abysmal QC. I've been without a controller for a month now. If this fourth one doesn't work I'm going to fly a bi-plane over Debrecen and throw it out of the window.

This is a known issue and NI doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. Except deleting my threads. I am loosing out on a huge work opportunity at our studio with a AAA game score while I sit here twiddling my thumbs waiting. I just can't believe they are still shipping these with these known errors.

Matthew_NI (on leave until November)

Clearly this is not a typical experience - this sucks and I'm sorry to see it happen.

Our support team can handle the issues as needed, and certainly physical problems need a return, but in terms of the technological issues you'd previously had, I strongly suspect the following, and would therefore advise the proposed solutions the next time you have a MK3 connected:

1. USB-C Connectivity Issue:

Problem:
Some computer chipsets made between 2020 and 2023 have a known USB-C error that can't be fixed. This can cause sporadic problems with USB-C peripherals like the Kontrol S MK3, including connection failures, freezing, or issues with firmware updates.

Solution:
If you experience these issues, try using a USB-C hub between your Kontrol S MK3 and your computer. This can help avoid the problem and ensure a stable connection. This is critically important during firmware updates, as data loss could cause broken firmware. Make sure the hub supports both power and data transfer.

2. USB Controller Issue:

Problem:
Even with a USB-C hub, you might occasionally see errors during firmware updates (error -2). This can happen if the USB Controller is overloaded, especially if other devices are connected and transferring data during the update.

Solution:
To fix this, power your keyboard using a wall charger, unplug any other USB devices from your computer, and then try the firmware update again.

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/213747#Comment_213747

you shouldn't have deleted the other thread. I guess you're just trying to do damage control,

Quote : "I guess you're just trying to do damage control" , Absolutely not so if what was deleted should not have been deleted then my apologies for the mistake. And obviously it was a mistake , nobody is trying to cover up anything here. Again , my apologies have I been in error when deleting.

Lutz Multimedia LLC

Just got the fourth S88 MK3. It seems to be working and communicating with my mac just fine so your proposal that my mac studio M1 may have defective USB-C ports has been eliminated. This proves the other issues have been an NI problem all along. However, this new S88 MK3 comes with its own inherent set of bizarre issues. The eight rotary knobs below the screen are lubricated with some kind of mechanical grease and make a loud sticky goopy sound when pressed. Even the lightest touch on the top of these touch-activated knobs make a syrupy sound like someone clicking their tongue off the roof of their mouth. It is extremely distracting and kind of gross if I'm being honest. Does this noise go away in time? It's driving me crazy while in session and once I pointed it out to my assistant, it's all we can hear. Most of the knobs make this weird sticky noise. I spoke to Alto and they said these should certainly not make that noise and I should return it for a FIFTH keyboard. I must be in a coma in a hospital bed somewhere and this is just a nightmare. Let's see how long this thread goes. Get your popcorn, here I go for S88 MK3 number five!

Lutz Multimedia LLC

So I returned the other one and got the fifth S88 MK3 (ugh). This time, only three of the encoder knobs make the gross syrupy, goopy lube sound when engaged but I can live with that… I guess. However, I have a new issue on this new one I need help with. I am getting a frozen glitched S88 UX error on the keyboard.

Komplete Kontrol opens fine in Protools but once I try to load a larger file like one of the high res pianos, it freezes upon loading say I have no recourse other than to hardboot the controller. After a few times of turning it on and off it (sometimes) finally syncs and works but not before a couple catastrophic freezes readsing, "Busy…Loading" on the keyboard screen forever. This is extremely frustrating and I certainly cannot work with an issue like this.

So what now? I am using the fastest thunderbolt 4 usb-c cable money can buy from Cablematters so it can't be connectivity. The Mac Studio is a $6K monster so it can't be my hardware (128GB of ram allocated to Protools 2024.10.2 on Sonoma 14.7.2, and a 2TB SSD drive). Any ideas how to fix this new issue on my FIFTH attempt at a NI S88 MK3? Seems like the cheap processor in the MK3 is not powerful enough to run their own software? What troubleshooting should I try to fix this? Or should I got for a sixth S88 MK3?

Matthew_NI (on leave until November)

I would strongly recommend using a USB hub - per my message above. I am not customer support, but this would be my very first troubleshooting tip.

Matthew_NI (on leave until November)

See here; another thread that resolved the issues by using a USB-C hub

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/215326#Comment_215326

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