Advice wanted, S-Series MK2 vs Mk1 ?

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moxe13
moxe13 Member Posts: 10 Newcomer
edited October 2024 in Tech Talks 
Complete control s49 mk2 is a controller with an arpeggiator and two screens?
 Is the difference from the old mk2 piano controllers without a screen much? 
 Having machine mk3...I would like to buy kontact 14 select but I don't have money 
 for both things, can you advise me? I WILL NOT FIND A NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TELEPHONE
  ADVISOR.

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  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 7,388 mod
    edited July 2024

    Komplete control s49 mk2 is a controller with an arpeggiator and two screens? Is the difference from the old mk2 piano controllers without a screen much?

    You must be referring to the difference between MK2 and MK1 ? (I am not aware of there ever having been an S-Series MK2 with no screen).

    I am sorry I don't know the differences in detail but if a model have no screen then you can not browse sounds directly on the keyboard as you can with the S-Series MK2 keyboards using the Komplete Kontrol app the computer.

    Reddit however says : Main differences I'm aware of:

    1. MK2 has fancy colour screens, Mk1 just has small displays above each of the control knobs. So MK2 is better for selecting presets without needing to look at your computer display
    2. MK2 has better DAW integration - think it has more options on what it can do
    3. MK2 has conventional wheels for mod and pitch whereas Mk1 has touch strips. I think the Mk2 also has an extra touch strip along the bottom

    I would like to buy kontact 14 select but I don't have money for both things

    If referring to not having money to buy both Komplete Select and Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 then don't be sad. You do not have to have the money to buy both because you actually get Komplete Select added to your account for free when you register a S-Series MK2 keyboard, even if buying a second hand keyboard. If buying a S-Series MK2 as new you just have to register the hardware serial. I buying second-hand then just make sure both that you are not being cheated in general and that seller request a license transfer of the hardware serial and gives you the transfer ID : Quote Matt_NI : All you need to know about License Transfer .

    I WILL NOT FIND A NATIVE INSTRUMENTS TELEPHONE ADVISOR.

    There is no end-user telephone support , if you want to contact N.I. then you will have to use the support system. : https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us

    P.S. if you are acquainted with the MK1 then here is some links for the MK2 manual and stuff :

    https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/komplete_kontrol/KOMPLETE_KONTROL_S-Series_MK2_Manual_English_04_2022.pdf

    https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/komplete_kontrol/KOMPLETE_KONTROL_S_Series_MK2_MASCHINE_Accessibility_Manual_English_10_03_2021.pdf

    https://www.native-instruments.com/fileadmin/ni_media/downloads/manuals/komplete_kontrol/KKS_DAW_SHORTCUT_SHEET_2023.pdf

    Also , you can watch Youtube videos such as e.g. : Komplete Kontrol S49 Mk2 full and in-depth review

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 3,382 Expert

    Ideally you want the MK2 keyboard simply because the MK1 is now discontinued and no longer supported. Thile this is no real issue for Windows users, it should work still basically as long as it holds together, macOS users may be in a spot of trouble in a few years due to Komplete Kontrol v2 not being maintained by NI anymore and that is required for the MK1 keyboard as it does not work with the latest V3 software.

    Just FYI, the keyboard does not have an appegiator either, the Komplete Kontrol software that you need to use to load the plugins into is what has the arp feature, the keyboard is kind of just a controller for the software with just basic MIDI features if you use it without the software. In terms of MIDI, my 25 year old Evolution MK-461C MIDI keyboard has far more MIDI functionality than even the latest MK3 version so standalone MIDI is not what these do well.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,154 Expert

    As Jester has mentioned. If you have Mac, Sxx Mk1 is out of question.

    If you are on Win… And consider S88. It might work, more or less. They are sold for about 300 EUR, here and there, secondhand. It will be fully usable for some time with NI ecosystem and later on as MIDI keyboard.

    Also, there is not buy KK S keyboard OR Komplete Select SW. S series keyboards come with Komplete Select SW. And, althought I am not 100% sure, I think, that if you get secondhand NI HW and seller transfers to you also HW "Licence", you get current version of bundled SW, not version that has seller. So, you should receive K14S, and if you wait few months you might get comming K15S.

    Mk1 has displays, but just tiny ones. One for each pot.

    —

    If you are in EU and S25 MK1 would be OK for you, I have one for sale. You would have keyboard and Komplete Select (most probably ver. 14). If we wait few months, you might get even K15S. (But as I have said, I am not sure, if NI still gives current version, as it did in past…)

  • moxe13
    moxe13 Member Posts: 10 Newcomer
    edited July 2024
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/164774#Comment_164774

    Thank you very much for your answers. I think that when you buy mk2 comes the basic kontact, (I do not know if it is the same as when you buy maschine mk3), which is the machine I have and I am very short of sounds, so I do not know what to buy first because it costs almost the same komplete 14 ultimate that Komplete kontrol s49 mk2.

    (Please use e.g. DeepL for translation : https://www.deepl.com/en/translator )

  • PoorFellow
    PoorFellow Moderator Posts: 7,388 mod
    edited July 2024
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/165101#Comment_165101

    I think that when you buy mk2 comes the basic kontact, (I do not know if it is the same as when you buy maschine mk3)

    Sorry , I am not entirely sure if I understand what you mean. But , yes, if you compare what software comes with Maschine with what comes with Komplete Select (a copy of which comes with S-Series keyboards registration) then you are right that it looks sort of the same at least at a glance. As for 'basic Kontakt' then also , yes , Maschine MK3 and S-Series MK2 both only comes with the Player version of Kontakt. The new S-Series MK3 keyboards at least at the moment comes with a full version of Kontakt 7 and a Kontakt instrument of your choice (only N.I.'s own) but then it does not have the Machine integration any more.

    I am very short of sounds, so I do not know what to buy first because it costs almost the same komplete 14 ultimate that Komplete kontrol s49 mk2.

    Sale is just over for this time , but sound/software wise then you get most for your money if buying a Komplete bundle or a keyboard with a Komplete bundle at one of N.I.'s sales 😉

    I have no knowledge of what will work with your present setup and what will not , but if you need sounds then the following is free , e.g. : N.I. Komplete Start , Arturia Analog Lab Play , IK Multimedia free CS versions (e.g. SampleTank 4 CS & Syntronik 2 CS) , SpitfireAudio (keep scrolling down beyond page end) , Crow Hill (it says : One Plugin. Multiple Sounds) and U-HE (scroll down to lower part of page until the free shows) . And you might find a lot more on the internet.

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