Will the new KK Mk3 keyboards support Machine

Raoul French · 2023-09-14T11:04:55+00:00

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Hello can you please confirm whats going on with this ? Im seeing lots of reviews on line saying the new mk3 keyboards don't support Maschine. This is a very serious fundamental flaw if true. I use my mk2 alot with Maschine software within Logic. It's main part of my work flow & work template.

Can you please let me know as i can't upgrade if this is the case.

Thanks Raoul.

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Jeremy_NI

@Raoul French We published an article in our Knowledge base: Does Kontrol S MK3 Integrate with Maschine?

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Percivale

*Whips out a digital dictionary* to find nuance between "Integration" vs "Working Connectivity".

Milkman

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/94330#Comment_94330

Its helpful to be mindful of when we go from facts to opinions, and this is clearly opinion. My own, yours, etc.

My OPINION is that this is a step forward 1) because I dont like the maschine integration and find it cumbersome and an added cost to an ecosystem that could benefit from other investments, 2) I find current integration (internal integration) to be suitable, functional, and powerful enough 3) I find DAW-facing integration to be in need of updates and I see KK mk3 as movement in this direction.

Ive spent years looking at precisely all of this(integration, workflow), across multiple DAWs, and I also have vast experience with other brands. I understand what some people say is missing, versus what I think is missing, and I understand that NI has to find a way to try to make both kinds of people happy-- on TOP of the "EVERYTHING MUST BE DAWLESS AND BASICALLY REEL TO REEL" people who drove the M+, and on TOP of the "M1 and M2 and anything else Apple makes must be supported instantly" people, on TOP of the "this brand is horrible because this high DPI mode isnt high DPI enough" people, on top of the people who just have ground loops and blame every vendor for it. Etc etc.

I hope there can be balance between these ideas, preferences, techniques, etc.

R_E_D

It's actually not difficult: if you press the dedicated Play button and the timeline doesn't move, it's quite safe to assume an integration was not being provided. There is of course much more missing from what used to be an integration (let's call it a two way communication if you will), but let's stop here.

Milkman, I think you made it very clear how much the existence of something that was never in your way bothers you. Spending all these years looking for a perfect workflow that fits your need should be incentive enough for you to respect other's people workflows and needs. It's clear, you don't want it. Let's move on.

Jeremy_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/94233#Comment_94233

It doesn't change anything to the MK2 functionality with Maschine. It will continue to work exactly as it does today. AFAIK The reasoning behind was user data. It could be something to ask in the coming AMA!

nightjar

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/94440#Comment_94440

And there will be plenty of used MK2 generation controllers out there for those who want the old Maschine integration happening for their desires.

2023 is proving to be a great turn-around year for NI.. cleaning up legacy code and fixing some missteps to the vision of refined & elegant workflow.

D-One

Dont want to be rude but this new idea that basic generic midi support is "integration" is the crazyest thing I've seen in a while, to be honest.

By this logic anything that sends MIDI is "integrated" with everything else capable of receiving it, heck Maschine/KKS-HW is integrated with iPads then, any HW synth, etc, etc... M-Audio's 100$ MIDI Keyboards are also 'integrated' with Maschine? Should M-Audio use that in their marketing? No.

There is no integration just plain old MIDI support, there's always a bit of subjectivity to these terms but come on...

R_E_D

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/94440#Comment_94440

I hope to never find out that my keyboard is capable of sending usage data, while I still have to reach behind it and yank the USB cable just to switch MIDI modes. I just prefer to not know.

Otherwise, October will be a very interesting month for keyboard players and personally looking forward to it!

D-One

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/94635#Comment_94635

It's the software that collects usage data, you can turn it off in the preferences. Both for KK and MAS.

MawaCiN

Hello,

I thought for a long time whether I should write something here too.

But after I've somewhat digested my initial shock from the encapsulation of the KK keyboard from Maschine.

Unfortunately, great disappointment is now spreading.

I use KK SL61 MK exclusively with the machine and its integration.

I worked with other DAWs for years and just couldn't be creative anymore.

Too much mouse clicking and complicated operation in the DAWs.

Until I got to Maschinen MK3 and KK MK2. Since then I have been totally creative and have found more joy in producing my projects again.

Now there is the MK3 with so many improvements that would have been useful to me if it had only been compatible with the machine.

I love the integration of both devices. My entire workflow is based on it. I also work mainly with Machine 2 and I was really impressed with how it worked back then.

And yes ! I've also been wanting aftertouch for so long...

And I've also been wanting better automation in Machine 2 for sooooo long!

The ability to draw automation curves manually like in any other DAW.

Oh, yes Machine is not a real DAW. What difference does it make?

Few more features to make a lot of customers happy.

We are waiting in vain for small functional enhancements that would have triggered a positive purchase decision for many customers. But instead they use an evaluation of usage as a benchmark without questioning why customers don't use the integration together.

Here comes my answer:

Because so many “small” important functions were missing.

I am deeply depressed.

MK2 is discontinued... at some point there will hardly be any usable MK2 left.

If they are still compatible at all, since they are no longer actively developed.

From now on there will probably be even less support than before.

I am disappointed with this design decision.

JesterMgee

MK2 is discontinued... at some point there will hardly be any usable MK2 left. If they are still compatible at all, since they are no longer actively developed. From now on there will probably be even less support than before.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the MK2 going the way of the dinosaur just yet. Would be easily 10+ years before that would even be a danger and just because a new version has released does not mean the MK2 is not going to be supported, any issues that arise will still be fixed, support will be maintained.... just the same as the fact we still have very good support for the MK1 which many people out there still use today.

If you have an MK2 and use it with Maschine at the moment, nothing has changed for you, you can still have everything today you had yesterday and it will still be there for you tomorrow so don't depress yourself with what is not a problem.

When a shiny new toy is placed in front of us we all act like kids again and want...want....want but I always strongly suggest to people who have gear lust, take a step back, consider that the product will launch with issues and will need some time to figure out and give it at least 6 months after release and then see if you still want it. By that stage the initial teething issues will be resolved and maybe development starts with Maschine integration.

Baer

Integration between KK S Series Mk2 and Maschine has been (and still is) great and extremely useful. Dropping it with the KK Mk3 is a big blunder in my mind. The combination of Maschine Mikro + KK S-Mk2 is one of the most versatile and efficient setups possible, especially when paired with a DAW that integrates well with the Keyboard. The keyboard screens double up for visual feedback from Maschine, browsing and manipulating sounds, using the piano roll together with pads... almost perfect. The older Mikro Mk2 even fits on the empty plastic space of the KK S-88 Mk2 next to the control buttons, makes it even ergonomically pleasing. Almost like a combined keyboard & drum machine controller with integrated pads. I figure the devs/management fear the complexity and cost of carrying over the integration they had achieved for the Mk2 with NI's proprietary and quirky DAW control protocol running over MIDI in combination with the IPC protocol going from their different SW applications to the keyboard driver ("NI Hardware Integration Agent").

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