Any advantage to using Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol keyboards over another brand w/MASCHINE+?

Swisher Sweet
Swisher Sweet Member Posts: 23 Member
edited September 2022 in Maschine

Is there an any advantage, such as tighter integration, premapping of controls, etc to using the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol line of keyboard controllers with MASCHINE+ compared to another brand such as Navation or Arturia?

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Best Answers

  • Blindeddie
    Blindeddie Member Posts: 1,559 Expert
    Answer ✓

    according to the FAQ...


    1. Can I use MASCHINE+ with a MIDI keyboard?

    +

    Yes. All class-compliant MIDI devices can be connected and powered via USB. (Note that performance and feature availability may vary depending on the interface.) MASCHINE+ fully integrates with our KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series Mk2, A-Series, and M32 keyboards.

  • Jeremy_NI
    Jeremy_NI Customer Care Posts: 9,670 mod
    Answer ✓

    Also, here you can have an idea of how the integration works:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXKDnJpfLM

    Also from a non NI affiliate:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNthQiUalJE

    One important thing to note is that both the Maschine controller and keyboard will play the instrument in focus, so you can't play a beat on the Maschine + pads and play another instrument on the keyboard.

Answers

  • Blindeddie
    Blindeddie Member Posts: 1,559 Expert
    Answer ✓

    according to the FAQ...


    1. Can I use MASCHINE+ with a MIDI keyboard?

    +

    Yes. All class-compliant MIDI devices can be connected and powered via USB. (Note that performance and feature availability may vary depending on the interface.) MASCHINE+ fully integrates with our KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series Mk2, A-Series, and M32 keyboards.

  • Jeremy_NI
    Jeremy_NI Customer Care Posts: 9,670 mod
    Answer ✓

    Also, here you can have an idea of how the integration works:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CXKDnJpfLM

    Also from a non NI affiliate:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNthQiUalJE

    One important thing to note is that both the Maschine controller and keyboard will play the instrument in focus, so you can't play a beat on the Maschine + pads and play another instrument on the keyboard.

  • tribepop
    tribepop Member Posts: 160 Advisor

    Yes, you can use whatever controller you want. It really depends on how you’re gonna be using the M+ though, are you going to be composing entirely within Maschine or sometimes use it as a plug-in within Ableton live or something? If you’re not composing entirely within Maschine then the Kontrol keyboard might be ideal because you’ll probably be using more NI plugins instead of Maschine and will want to take advantage of the integration the controller has with the plugins.

    Personally, I use the Novation LaunchKey MK2 with my M+ because it has some pretty cool generative note features and is about a 1/3 of the price of a Kontrol keyboard. Also, to use the Kontrol, you have to load up some plug-in in every project that allows you to use it which is kinda weird.

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,884 mod

    Yes. KK keyboards give you access to Maschine's dedicated function's, things like Pre Mapped stuff, Smart Play, Arps, Color Guides, Patterns, Ideias View, Chords the Mixer, Browser etc... All those things cant be MIDI mapped and used with a generic 3rd party Keyboard. KKS can also focus on a Maschine menu while the M+ is on another one, for example M+ in Pad Mode while KKS is on the Mixer... that kind of stuff.

    If all that is worth it or not is quite subjective but I'd say if I only used MAS+ in standalone mode I would definitively get a KKS MK2 with screens.

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