Guidance please for using S61 mk3 in Logic

bufordosullivan · 2025-05-01T14:23:16+00:00

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Hello! I'm a newbie, I guess. I want my S61N Mk3 to control plugins in Logic, as well as in KK. Are there any templates that I could/should use, or am I barking up the wrong tree? OR, is there any guidance on programming it myself? I don't use the DAW window, I mix with my mouse…

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bufordosullivan

Hello all! A query: I love my new kks61, but its faders and knobs seem imperfectly constrained by Native Instruments - even Reaktor seems somewhat left out. I don't want the DAW controls to run the Logic mixer, I want them to control other functions like plugins and such. What are my options? Are there templates to use? Can I dig deep and program these things to work together?

BIF

Are you using Komplete Kontrol? And what version?

It should work. Knobs and faders control things in the plugins and not in the mixer.

How do you have the MK3 set up?

Vocalpoint

Have to agree with @BIF

Komplete Kontrol is designed to control NKS specific instruments and plugins exclusively.

Some DAWs (like Logic, Studio One etc) also allow KK to assume transport control from the keyboard like Start, Stop, Record etc.

But KK will not assume control of some stock Logic plugin or its mixer for example.

JesterMgee

Not a logic user but KK is not a DAW controller, it offers some (basic) DAW control (transport and mixer) and NI have no real interest to extend this further.

With Ableton Live it is possible to add further DAW control of devices, what is called "blue hand" control of a selected device, a compatible control surface (or in the case of KK, a user script device) can auto assign the first 8 parameters to the keyboard and with a little know how you can make it extend via 4 banks to 32 parameters. This is done by creating a second custom user script that works with the KK keyboard when you switch to MIDI mode.

In Logic, no idea if that would be possible but the only real solution would be to use the MIDI mode of the keyboard and map those to things, just wouldn't be automated.

Ideally the KK keyboard would incorporate a second layer MCU protocol that could allow it to talk to selected devices in the same way an MCU controller does, but wouldn't hold your breath for anything like that.

bufordosullivan

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224376#Comment_224376

Yeah, I'm not wanting to use it to control Logic. I want it to control the instruments and compressors and such, and I have been PARTIALLY successful… but it's wonky as $&%#…

bufordosullivan

… I notice that I answered my own question, when I meant to do another post. oops…

Anyway, I've been partially successful, but it isn't easy.

JesterMgee

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224420#Comment_224420

That's what I ment when I said to control Logic tho, controlling the native plugins. With ABleton using the method I described I am able to access all the parameters (or most) of any native live device I select such as an EQ, compressor or a synth/sampler, however since I have an MCU and a Push controller I use these to control the native stuff and KK to control plugins. In my few decades it's just never been possible to have a single controller that "does it all" which is why most people use a few.

Maciej Repetowski

In Logic, KK Mk3 controls mixer and transport. If you want it to control plugins (except for Komplete Kontrol and Kontakt), you need to create midi template for each plugin and midi learn the controls. It’s quite flexible but a lot of work.

bufordosullivan

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224423#Comment_224423

It is a lot of work. Do I want to do it? Hmm, or are there already lots of templates made by people more inclined than I?

PK The DJ

Maybe some people here do have templates, but you will need to specify exactly which plugins you want to control…

JesterMgee

The issue with templates for devices will be there are only so many channels and CC controls you can map, other issue is of course would be even with templates you would also have to then midi map every parameter from every template to each device. Just not really efficient especially since you would manually have to do that for every project. It's a reason I chose to work within Ableton 15 years back, because it had that control surface feature where supported controllers could control the selected device automatically where most other DAWs had no such feature. A huge reason I also opted for KK was it could then offer the same auto-mapping for VST plugins. Something tells me tho, Logic being an Apple product, it's not as open or flexible as something like Live. May pay to research if there is any way out there to control devices easily in Logic as a benchmark on how it is done.

Vocalpoint

This guy needs an actual control surface that works with Logic - not trying force Komplete Kontrol to be one - because it is not.

Maciej Repetowski

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224499#Comment_224499

Well, it is. For mixer and transport 😉

Not many control surfaces can control plugins bidirectionally (some that can: original Mackie Control, Softube and SSL and the latest Nektar CS12), most of them cost more than KK Mk3 controller.

I usually map CCs to the same number in every plugin, but I use only a few (cutoff, resonance, etc.), so no problem here.

I agree that mapping the whole synth (all knobs and sliders) is a chore.

Vocalpoint

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224544#Comment_224544

Agreed. If you stay within the KK parameters and have a supported DAW - it's great.

But I am having a hard time understanding where he wants to go with any of this.

He already stated clearly that he "mixes with his mouse".

And he appears to want KK to be able to control EVERY plugin:

"I want my S61 Mk3 to control plugins in Logic"

Whether it is actually an NKS plugin that could be handled by KK to it sounds like some stock compressor that comes with Login - and everything in between.

That is the vibe I am getting.

Maciej Repetowski

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/224545#Comment_224545

I agree, I have thought the same.

He can control everything that is CCs controllable via MIDI learn, but it would be a huge amount of work. Not worth it, as you said - better to buy dedicated DAW controller.

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