The best thing about the whole Komplete Kontrol/NKS concept, though, is the automatic mapping of plugin parameters to the A-Series’ eight knobs, across an unlimited number of button-accessed pages. Take Logic Pro X as an example: the knobs control the volume faders and - with the Shift button held - pan for eight tracks at a time the Previous/Next buttons (with Shift held, oddly) handle mute and solo for the selected track while the 4D Encoder acts as a playhead jogwheel when twisted, and is used to navigate through tracks and regions thereon when clicked up/down and left/right.Īt the time of writing, A-Series Host Integration was up and running with Logic Pro X and GarageBand, with Ableton Live in the pipeline. The transport buttons - Play, Record, Stop, Loop, etc - hook in just as you’d expect, while pushing the Track button switches the 4D Encoder, all eight parameter knobs and the Previous/ Next buttons over from Komplete Kontrol to DAW control (switch them back with the Plugin button). Once everything’s up and running, though, it works very well. Known as ‘Host Integration’, the specifics of this functionality vary from DAW to DAW, and involve some very brief faffing about in terms of initial setup in certain cases (we’re looking at you, Ableton Live). Also missing are the touchstrip and one of the two footpedal input jacks around the back, both of which are acceptable losses.Īlongside Komplete Kontrol integration, the A-Series (and S-Series) keyboards also serve a secondary role as DAW controllers. The screens have been substituted with a tiny OLED display for text-only visual feedback, but Light Guide is simply gone - although Smart Play itself still works, of course.
There are, however, two major cuts: the dual colour LED screens (or alphanumeric LEDs on the S25, which still languishes at Mk1), and the unique per-key Light Guide LEDs, which mirror Kontakt’s coloured key assignments and work with Komplete Kontrol’s Smart Play features to highlight the notes of selected scales and chords. Numbers gameĪvailable in 25-, 49- and 61-key versions (we received the A25 for review), the A-Series borrows many of the S-Series’ best features, including the 4D Encoder (a joystick/rotary control/button combo) for software navigation eight touch-sensitive knobs for plugin parameter control beefy pitch and mod wheels and most of the same backlit buttons, albeit laid out slightly differently. So, to open up that end of the market, NI has come up with the A-Series - a much cheaper, cut-down, bus-powered USB 2.0 controller keyboard that interfaces with the exact same Komplete Kontrol software.
As great as the S-Series is, however, with prices starting at £239 for the 25-key S25 and hitting £799 for the S88, it’s a bit of a reach for many novice producers.
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