Suggested settings for leaving S88 MK3 on and active 24/7?

jdonnici

My new S88 MK3 is in a keyboard tray, which makes the power button on the back of the controller very difficult to access. I reached out to NI support and they suggested that there are no issues with leaving the unit on 24/7. I have it connected to a MacStudio running the latest macOS and it also has a separate USB-C power connection going to an older macbook power brick.

In my macOS settings, I have Low Power mode turned off. I have it set to prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off, wake for network access is on, and start automatically after a power failure is also on. The screensaver kicks on after 20 mins of inactivity and the display will turn itself off after 2hrs of inactivity. The computer itself appears to stay on (i.e., when I touch the mouse/keyboard, only the display has to turn on and I'm good to go.

However, after a period of inactivity (the display is on the screensaver but still turned on so <2hrs), the S88 is turning itself off. No screen, no lights, nothing. When I sit back down, it doesn't turn back on. I've hit every button, turned knobs, tried playing keys, etc. I went into Audio/MIDI Setup and used the "Refresh MIDI Setup" option, and I tried just unplugging/re-plugging it in the back of the MacStudio (which is much more accessible). I end up having to move things around and reach the S88's power button, which is a pain with the tray.

I've seen posts with people asking how to power it off after a while because the lights are annoying — in my case, I'm trying to get it to either stay ON 24/7, or to just turn itself back on without having to use the physical button. Any ideas?