Dynamic Coloured Pads without the Software???

I know, but I preffer to clarify so random users reading don't get the wrong ideia, it's not just in Live neither, its any DAW that allows advanced control via MIDI, Bitwig also has options for example + Pads can blink from any MIDI Input, theres also mackie emulation, etc… A big portion of Mikro users buy them just to have decent quality Pads for their DAW while having zero interest in Maschine SW. For Standalone/DAWless niche it's a while other conversation.

@Paully Bee

Thanks guys. You’ve confirmed my concerns. I think this is a stupid oversight, that NI assumes you only want the hardware with the software, and yet don’t include pads on the keyboard so you buy more their pads. ******?!

Thats valid, it's a matter of opinion I guess; personally I prefer things separate, specialised and focused, rather than do-it-all all devices, to fully explain it would take forever and require high knowledge of both MAS and KK, I'd just bore everyone. Anyway, theres tons of keyboards out there with Pads, Faders, Knobs, etc… and KK is very much MIDI Mappable so thats an option.

I think you have a bunch of assumptions on how things work or are designed for that need clearing up, I'll try:

The expansion kits available through Komplete really make it seem like they will run seamlessly with the pads.

A portion of Expansions offer only, samples. You lose Patterns, Projects, Presets for Maschine Stuff, all the FX, and the Kit's also have one-shot melodic stuff meant to be played chromatically, something Battery cannot do, etc, etc… Expansions on battery is more of an alternative way to use the Kits only for users who dont own Maschine. If you're cynical like me then you can say they just repurpose kits samples made for Maschine to add value to Battery — you can look this as a good thing, an extra, but it does add some confusion specially for Maschine newbies.

So, in Logic, would I need to insert an instance of Maschine, then insert Battery in that for the pads to react as expected?

I don't know what you consider "react as expected" but no, that would not be the best way to go about it. Battery is it's own Instrument Sampler, Maschine also has its own Sampler to which the Kit's are primarily designed for, if you load the "kit" in Maschine directly you get easy access to each Pad (cell in battery) parameters (tune, start, adsr, filter, etc, etc…) all pre-mapped the same way instruments are pre-mapped for the KKS knobs and screen + Insert FX, MIDI data, etc… This is what makes it feel integrated.

This is hard to explain to a non-Maschine user but the advantage of Expansion Kits is in it's Pad Mode, while Battery requires Keyboard Mode, since Battery is an instrument. So putting Battery inside Maschine-Plug inside a DAW is a lot of inception and pissibly you'd need to configure how those 3 things talk to each other.

Can I then ignore the Maschine software and record/operate Battery in the Logic space, where normal midi runs it as though Maschine was not in the picture?

Of course, that's what Battery is made for, to be used in a DAW like any other normal Plugin, it has no especial relation with Maschine whatsoever, if anything it's actually annoying to use it in Maschine, simple MIDi-Mode to Battery-Plug is the easy simple approach.

Now if you just load the Maschine plugin, and load the Maschine Kits directly (skipping Battery) you then have more advanced control, feedback, parameter mapping, etc… But then you can't record directly to Logic via the controller, you have to use MIDI Mode (This is a Logic only problem, no MIDI out from MAS-PLug, i all other DAW's it's possible)

Conclusion: If you just want to bang on Pads to record MIDI that goes to DAW and Battery just skip Maschine… Use it in MIDI Mode.