Sad state of Native Instruments

[EvilDragon]

Ach, still no great semi-weighted 88 note keyboard.

Unfortunately those wouldn't ever sell by the boatloads since they're such a niche, so I just don't see it ever happening...

[Echoes in the Attic]

Is there a list of NKS2 improvements over NKS?

OK lemme see if I can list it succintly:

* Direct page jumps as already mentioned
* There actually are no pages, you can just use left-right arrows to shift by parameter, it's a continuum (it's called parameter group now, not a page)
* There is a performance page that shows up by default (up to 16 parameters), then Edit button allows you subpages with deeper editing
* Controller pages can be generated by KSP from Kontakt, ergo they can be dynamic and contextual
* The above also means that the same parameter can be found on multiple parameter groups
* Parameters can show as a toggle switch (and the encoder changes its behavior so that switches are toggled way faster than was the case before), as just a value, as an enumerated list, as a unipolar or bipolar knob, or the two iconized special cases (waveforms and filter types). More icons will likely be coming in future updates.

I may have missed something but in a nutshell, these are the major departures from NKS1.

Cool, thanks. The 16 control performance page sounds like a good addition. And it makes me wonder if they will finally add exposed parameters in Massive X for editing on these. Otherwise they basically have the 16 performance controls and then hitting editing would show nothing addition, which is weird.

[EvilDragon]

I got nothing to share regarding MX, apols.

[rod_zero]

Still only 8 encoders and a lot of wasted space for a high markup.

[m-ac]

Having the SL88 MKII I'm just happy that they're giving developers reasons to still code NKS in general. Maybe some of the Apple Silicon mess will get fixed.

What kinds of silicon issues?

[nanostream]

I got nothing to share regarding MX, apols.

Massive X 2 incoming, you heard it here first

[noiseboyuk]

Ach, still no great semi-weighted 88 note keyboard.

Unfortunately those wouldn't ever sell by the boatloads since they're such a niche, so I just don't see it ever happening...

I accept this is true, though it makes no sense to me. Feels like a piano - great. But composers end up spending 90% of their time playing synths, flutes, violins and glockenspiels with inappropriate horrible heavy weighted keys. And given you could just swap the key beds, change nothing else and have it cost half, it seems doubly ridiculous.

[EvilDragon]

It's not "just", it's never "just", everything needs to have a very solid business justification. This one doesn't seem to cut it.

[machinesworking]

Having the SL88 MKII I'm just happy that they're giving developers reasons to still code NKS in general. Maybe some of the Apple Silicon mess will get fixed.

What kinds of silicon issues?

NKS was based on VST2, which is being heavily deprecated on Apple Silicon because Steinberg are not allowing new licenses for VST2, and plenty of plugin manufacturers have not updated their NKS compatibility for VST3. So NKS is working fine on Intel Macs and Windows machines, but it's a bit of a mess on Apple Silicon as developers take their sweet time to support NKS with VST3.

This begs the question, is NKS2 backward compatible with "old" Komplete Control hardware like my SL88 MKII? I really hope that isn't an issue.

[chk071]

This begs the question, is NKS2 backward compatible with "old" Komplete Control hardware like my SL88 MKII?

That's what I was wondering. Especially as the mk2 keyboards are being sold for a very nice price now, and probably sell like hot cakes.

My "common sense" guess would be yes, but, what do I know.

[EvilDragon]

NKS1 products will work just fine with mk3 keyboards. NKS2 products won't show the NKS2 benefits on mk1 and mk2 keyboards, since their hardware platform is not compatible with what mk3 keyboards are using (mk3s basically have a whole computer that renders stuff on the displays, this wasn't the case for mk1 or mk2 which just had some microcontroller and were shoveling pixels sent from your computer onto the display - very different approach).

[nightjar]

Is there a list of NKS2 improvements over NKS?

* There is a performance page that shows up by default (up to 16 parameters), then Edit button allows you subpages with deeper editing

Performance Page with Edit subpages is the HUGE thing for me.

Something I've suggested conceptually as a "stepping stone" for faster development of scalable GUI for the desktop NI software.

Clicking on a preset from the new Kontakt browser brings up a new standard sized "Performance Page" instead of legacy art.

[pinki]

Will there be a way to mark some parameters as 'favorites', and group them into some...sort of a custom Easy Page for a plugin?

You mean like they implemented in Kore 2 in 2008?
That would be great.

[Digivolt]

Still only 8 encoders and a lot of wasted space for a high markup.

You'd think by Mk3 they would have finally decided to use some of that empty retail estate for some nice faders and pads

[Tobi MM]

Still only 8 encoders and a lot of wasted space for a high markup.

You'd think by Mk3 they would have finally decided to use some of that empty retail estate for some nice faders and pads

Capitalism says no, Maschine MK4.