Komplete Kontrol Master Volume

SuperTRev
SuperTRev Member Posts: 33 Newcomer
edited November 2022 in Komplete Kontrol

The master volume for KK is a tiny needle five pixels wide that I have to stop what I'm doing, grab the mouse and adjust it.

Every preset has a different average volume output, so on one preset it's too loud and the next I can barely hear it. I have to adjust the volume almost every time I change the preset.

Most plugins don't utilize the KK keyboard's touch strip at all, but Native Instruments didn't see fit to link the touchstrip to the KK plugin's master volume. ? The slider has no way of being linked to a controller for some unknown reason. It's adjusted with the mouse on the computer screen, so the only way to adjust volume output is to hunt down the current plugin's volume knob, if it has one at all. Instead of just providing a master volume MIDI link for the slider.

The KK setup and the NKS Standard revolves around preset management, and being hands-on the keyboard without having to touch the mouse. But the presets' volume levels are all over the ice. This glaring issue has never been addressed?

You're telling me I have ten pages of knob control over my plugins, most of them being superfluous parameters, yet my $1k keyboard can't even control the volume? REALLY?


So I try and link the touchstrip to a plugin's internal volume knob; manually, using the 'Learn MIDI Link' right click option. It will link but every time I use the preset - + buttons, it FORGETS THE LINK! You got to be kidding me with this.

I'm just trying to do manually what NI should have already taken care of. Yet it won't even remember the link; even when I have to manually set it up every single frikkin time I want to use it. To make things worse, that AAS MIDI light still blinks when moving the touchstrip, so it knows exactly what address it's receiving from. But NI's plugins from NI's own keyboard doesn't.

When the keyboard is in 'Plugin' mode, the endless encoder isn't used for anything. How come it isn't set to be the master volume? Where each tick is 1 dB? And button press is panic/mute toggle? (That would at least be better than nothing)

Why does the most popular MIDI hardware manufacturer completely disregard the MOST FOUNDATIONAL AND IMPORTANT ASPECT of music production, namely VOLUME CONTROL!?

Like what the hell is this?

Comments

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 2,129 Expert

    Quite the rant there, Maybe you should try RTFM


  • trusampler
    trusampler Member Posts: 55 Member

    Both Maschine and Komplete Kontrol use the SHIFT button for secondary features. Personally I think NI definitely could have made it more obvious. There's also times when Volume won't work, when in Browser mode for example. Which is a poor design.

  • MyStudioOne
    MyStudioOne Member Posts: 138 Advisor

    And you CAN map Kontakt's master volume to any controller if that is what you desire.

  • Nico_NI
    Nico_NI Administrator Posts: 1,134 admin

    Pressing SHIFT to access secondary features is pretty much common practice in the hardware industry as far as I know.

  • trusampler
    trusampler Member Posts: 55 Member

    Correct, that or actually put dedicated Knobs + Faders on the hardware for dedicated features, for example my MPC X has dedicated knobs / buttons for most things vs the MPC Live which uses the Shift option.

    In the case of Komplete Kontrol, NI went the cheapest route and left ton's of real estate with Shift as their answer to save money on a knob or fader? I get it, but I can totally agree with the OP above. Seems rather cheap of NI to not have more hardware knobs+faders on a controller they ask a premium price for.

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