Is it safe to upgrade KK2.9 to KK3 now?

Rikk Show
Rikk Show Member Posts: 109 Helper
edited November 2024 in Komplete Kontrol

I use Windows 10, KK 2.9, S49 MKII, Maschine Studio, Cubase Pro 13 (soon v14).

Can upgrade to the latest KK3, or are there still issues? Tried to scan the forum, but it is so much back-n-forth about issues, some Win, some Mac, I just don't know.

Please share if you know, NI too.

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Comments

  • Matthew_NI
    Matthew_NI Product Team Posts: 1,497 mod

    I would say yes.

    Unless you prefer the side panel browser vs the overlay browser, being able to drag+drop one shots or samples from your library into a sampler hosted in Komplete Kontrol, and being able to load KK as a VST2, which are the three features some remain on KK 2.9.6 for, I'd suggest KK 3.3.3 has a ton of bug and stability fixes as well as new features.

  • Rikk Show
    Rikk Show Member Posts: 109 Helper

    Thanks Matt, sounds great

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 2,987 Expert

    For what is fixed tho, there are new issues that we have to deal with (aside the reimagining of the browser) while it may work and improve a few things, based on my own experience and the Many comments around the subject, it may also cripple a lot of things for you too.

    Loss of being able to select sub-banks if you use the user browser for one, an issue that has been known since release but still not acknowledged.

    Seemingly slower scrolling of presets (overall less presets displayed on-screen due to increased space between preset lines) and less performance when fast scrolling

    Inability to control the OSD browser from the keyboard (some may say this is a feature but I think it would be nice to have the option to have these views linked to save having to look down at the keyboard when you are editing on-screen.

    You may find the improvements to foreshadowed by the losses.

  • DunedinDragon
    DunedinDragon Member Posts: 998 Guru
    edited November 2024

    I'm on Windows 10 and have been using KK almost exclusively since January with both my S49 MK2 and my S88MK3 in Ableton LIve 11 Standard. I never really had many problems other than initially getting my S88MK3 to initially load correctly, but that got resolved pretty quickly. I had a couple of minor glitches along the way but resolved easily and never slowed my work down.

    I think a lot of the reason it was pretty easy for me is I upgraded all my stuff including Native Access, Komplete Kontrol as well as the new Kontakt 8, so everything was in sync with the latest releases. Since I work on this stuff weekly creating new projects about every two or three weeks I would have been pretty vocal if I was really held up, but I wasn't…at all.

    For myself I think a lot was due to keeping my system well organized and maintained because I'm it's so vital to the work I do.

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 2,987 Expert

    Another reason you probably had a good run is you never owned a previous KK keyboard or used KK for years before using the latest. For anyone starting out you will be completely unaware of how efficient and fast things were, while you may feel it is quick and work fine with things, just imagine if in a few years the whole layout was changed on you and worked completely different and features you did enjoy went missing.

    I envy those who are fresh to KK and don't know what they missed, would certainly make things less depressing.

  • trusampler
    trusampler Member Posts: 266 Advisor
    edited November 2024

    I upgraded to a Kontrol s88 MK3, and wish I could use the older 2.9 software , but to my knowledge I can't go backwards, and I'm stuck on Komplete Kontrol 3.3, it's alot slower.

    I personally see no benefit of moving to 3.3. IMO it's all smoke and mirrors, just a new flashy screen, but the loss of actual workflow.

    You won't be able to pin the browser, and fly through sounds, to actually produce. The way it works now is just aggravating. The browser goes away each time you load a sound to test. I promise whoever made the choice's to change Komplete Kontrol 2.9 to 3.3, is not a musician.

    It's literally just a new screen without the workflow of 2.9 / and the MK2. I wouldn't recommend upgrading to anyone. No 3.3 is not better than 2.9 in anyway that I can tell, if you're actually used to using a better program like 2.9

  • Matthew_NI
    Matthew_NI Product Team Posts: 1,497 mod
    edited November 2024

    The browser in KK3 can be pinned - use the pin icon in the software (above the preset list).

    It can't be pinned on the keyboard, but it can in software.

  • trusampler
    trusampler Member Posts: 266 Advisor
    edited November 2024

    Exactly it works in the software yet not on the hardware which is the entire point of buying the hardware ! , It's half baked, and there's no more to say about it other than Native Instruments simply doesn't have the right developers, and or enough developers working for them writing code anymore. If this is the case, it should be made known, publicly.

    Why on earth would it work correct in the software, yet not work correct on the hardware, when the entire point of purchasing the hardware, is to actually browse and it act as the software can already do, and function like the older software in version 2.

    We're going in circles here at this point. This is just as bad as NI taking almost a year to get Kontakt 7 to launch faster, and then in v8 they lost it's speed again. It's obvious what's going on here.

    The problem is the NI Management, and Development. Period, oh and their tech support isn't very good either. Do you see the trend here ? We need real solutions to these issues.

    My question is, how is that a company that was given over 50 million dollars to invest in new technologies stopped short on the whole key to their success, and felt they could skimp on the developers ?

  • Matthew_NI
    Matthew_NI Product Team Posts: 1,497 mod
    edited November 2024

    The workflow we've designed was: users tend to keep the Brower pinned on the computer (and tend to browse here, particularly for large collections), and tend to want to immediately manipulate parameters on the hardware. So, they can do this - flip through presets quickly, and immediately adjust parameters as they flip. Desktop is best suited for browsing, and Hardware for manipulation.

  • Matthew_NI
    Matthew_NI Product Team Posts: 1,497 mod

    I'd also encourage @Rikk Show to read the release notes in Native Access - that will help you see if any of the fixes are interesting or relevant to you, and therefore something you'd want to upgrade for.

    As shown above, it comes down to personal taste, and whether those specific features of 2.9 are features you use.

  • DunedinDragon
    DunedinDragon Member Posts: 998 Guru

    The new software hasn't really been much of an impairment for me at all. The workflow changed, but I adapted to it fine. Speedwise some things are faster and some things like saving are a bit slower, but overall everything continues to work efficiently, and I'm working on new and old projects every week using both Kontakt 8, KK 3.3.3 on both an S88MK3 and a S49MK2.

    I can't say I've completely mastered the changes in the workflow entirely on Kontakt 8, but what I have begun using works quite well and efficiently.

  • Kymeia
    Kymeia NKS User Library Mod Posts: 5,139 mod

    I think it's good to have the option though - I think there is a case for browsing from the keyboard with the plugin view pinned in the software version, I would do that more if it was possible

  • JesterMgee
    JesterMgee Member Posts: 2,987 Expert

    IN KK V2 tho, it is possible to browse from BOTH software and hardware just as easy without forcing the user to fit into a way of working.

    Having the side browser on-screen following your keyboard browser position ment you could easily use the keyboard to browse while looking or use your PC keyboard to scroll while using another hand to do controls on the keyboard and you could then also manipulate the controls of a loaded preset on the keyboard (without leaving browsing) or on-screen via mouse (again without leaving browsing or having to switch panels).

    This is what I keep driving at, the response is to call lack of function a feature. Bring back the old way of browsing!

  • Beatsandmore
    Beatsandmore Member Posts: 154 Advisor

    Hi and thank you for interacting with us here. Browsing in Cubase 14 is no different than 13.. also in standalone extremely slow I'm on win 11 with Intel I9 10 th edition processor and 64GB of ram.. I kills your workflow.. I was hoping that was addressed in the last update and it wasn't. Not be slapped in the face again to say it won't be fixed on the next update but the focus was on other features that should have been released last year..

  • trusampler
    trusampler Member Posts: 266 Advisor
    edited November 2024

    So you had part in the design in v 3.3 ? Well to be straight up with you, that was a stupid design choice.Native Instruments is paying artists to say this starting at > 2:23 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9PSXRQ6uA0&t=1s

    What your now making known to the public, is that this was a design choice to now require the cpu for the actual workflow to properly browse and audition sounds, lose functionality of kk 2.9 , and vs what these paid artists are saying. By not needing to focus on the cpu.

    Why would you pitch the hardware as if you don't need to focus on having the cpu in front of you , yet now you're claiming something entirely different from your marketing ! MAKE UP YOUR MIND. How about you stop making excuses for the lackluster development of v3 and start representing the will of the customers who you're luring into a design that works as these artists above are saying, as it once worked..

    We're going in circles yet once again, instead of NI just saying, hey we're working on a fix ! Now it's oh we meant to have it require the cpu as part of it's main workflow ??? I call ******

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