Komplete Kontrol S-Series Sales

Kevbo
Kevbo Member Posts: 12 Member
edited October 22 in Komplete General

I see the S-series keyboards are currently on sale. Any reason for this?

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  • Gee_Flat
    Gee_Flat Member Posts: 906 Guru

    I have a theory with zero intel... 😃

    A. The competition has cheaper boards that do more, and this is what most companies do when they're clearing out old inventory to make way for something new. I'm a genius.

    B. There's a change in culture and demographic, and the new target market can't play a C scale on a keyboard. So this targeted cult doesn't buy keyboards, but the sales of Traktor and Maschine have skyrocketed in comparison. Conspiracy theory!

    I would love to know the numbers.

  • chk071
    chk071 Member Posts: 550 Pro
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/12468/komplete-kontrol-s-series-sales

    Any reason not do do it? NI have sales quite frequently, for hardware and software.

  • nightjar
    nightjar Member Posts: 1,322 Guru
    edited April 2023

    It does seem like an inventory purge before new product release. However the current state of Komplete Kontrol doesn't seem ready for any "too" new.

    I am hoping for a dramatic change in how NI conceptualizes the feature set of their controller keyboards.

    I think trying to shoe-horn a display with patch browsing capability needs to be abandoned. Trying to maintain such a function on a controller has stunted the growth of the overall NI creative ecosystem.

    Controllers should focus on creating performance data from a users physical movements.

  • Kevbo
    Kevbo Member Posts: 12 Member
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66101#Comment_66101

    And here I thought that most people like these keyboards because of the patching browsing display, along with the light guide for key switches and range of playability?

  • nightjar
    nightjar Member Posts: 1,322 Guru
    edited April 2023
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66103#Comment_66103

    I like them because of NKS and the assigned encoders and transport controls. I own an S88 Mk2, S49 Mk2, an A25 and a M32.

    Patch browsing is much better accomplished on a computer monitor.

    And trying to accommodate the limitations of the controller display has held back browsing development in general.

    Having controls to select patches & parameters shown on computer screen is fine.

    Light guide is fine.

  • Kevbo
    Kevbo Member Posts: 12 Member
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66105#Comment_66105

    And that's what I'm trying to determine. I am half-tempted to jump on the sale this time, as it would be cheaper than Guitar Center's military discount prior to the sale. I think the light guide would be beneficial because I get annoyed when I'm playing an instrument and go beyond the playability of the VST without knowing ahead of time. I know I can look up at my monitor and try and remember, but it doesn't always work. :-)

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,067 Expert

    I like lightguide on NI keyboards. It is not only that one knows which keys are playable. One also sees the switches and their state and so on....

    My bet is, MK3 keyboards might hit the market soon. But hey, I still use S88 MK1 and do not regret or feel need to switch to newer one. And I have bought MK1 at time when MK2 already existed. Guy who bought MK2 was selling MK1 for good price...

  • nightjar
    nightjar Member Posts: 1,322 Guru

    The biggest problem with NI keyboards is the KK software.

    The hardware itself is excellent.

  • Kevbo
    Kevbo Member Posts: 12 Member
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66147#Comment_66147

    If there is the slightest change an MKIII is on the way, I'd assume we wouldn't see it until Fall. That will give them time to clear inventory and make better deals for themselves come Summer of Sales.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,067 Expert

    Well, if I remember well. Such clear outs used to come few months before new HW release. So, I would target it to roughly to June.

    But it is just wild guess. Maybe there is not MK3 keyboard comming in near future.....

  • chk071
    chk071 Member Posts: 550 Pro

    Have there really never been sales on the Komplete Kontrol S keyboards? There were quite a few on the Komplete Kontrol A and M series keyboards.

  • Kubrak
    Kubrak Member Posts: 3,067 Expert

    Not sure, if there were (and were not associated with new models comming) maybe once, twice in past 7 years. At most.

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,466 Expert
    edited April 2023
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66101#Comment_66101

    Like “when I leave the studio to go to the toilet don’t do anything genial or I’ll miss it”? 😂

  • nightjar
    nightjar Member Posts: 1,322 Guru
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/66322#Comment_66322

    New AI-88, AI-61, AI-49 keyboards will be able to generate performance data based on text prompts...🙃

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,466 Expert

    For me the screens on NI hardwares (specifically Maschine and KK) are all about forgetting the computer and feeling the hardware like an instrument.

    In the case of keyboards anyway buttons like Scene/Pattern/Track are really useful only if you use Maschine software, and not all KK owners use it like this

    08074E8A-274D-4471-BA58-10C3DA75631B.jpeg
    A8D65694-E906-4F4D-9EC2-6C6641EC4425.jpeg
    9383EC9F-4BC1-474B-9924-E5B8E70B2430.jpeg
    508131B9-618E-489B-A422-E6DCB6DD15EB.jpeg

    But having a Maschine sitting just under the keyboard, I already have the screens (and more buttons to access them), so I don’t really need a duplicate of those screens

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