Opinions on the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2
- 06/07/2024
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If you’re a music producer, keyboard enthusiast or tech-savvy musician, you probably already know that Native Instruments is an essential reference in the world of musical instruments and software. Today we’re taking a closer look at the Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2, a master keyboard designed to offer seamless integration with Komplete software and instruments. Let’s see if this keyboard lives up to its promise.
Meticulous, functional design
The Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 is distinguished by its elegant design and robust construction. Featuring a semi-weighted FATAR key mechanism, this keyboard offers a pleasant, professional playing feel. The two high-resolution screens allow intuitive navigation through parameters and presets, greatly simplifying workflow.
State-of-the-art features
Light guide and Touchstrip
The Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 features Light Guide technology, which illuminates the keys to indicate various functions such as scales, chords and arpeggios. This feature is particularly useful for live performances and composition sessions. What’s more, the Touchstrip lets you modulate pitch and effects by touch, adding an extra dimension to your playing.
Knobs and potentiometers
With 38 touch-sensitive buttons and 8 potentiometers, the Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 offers total control over your music production software. Integrated transport controls make it easy to manage playback, recording and navigation functions within your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
Game modes
The keyboard features different playing modes such as Guide, Mapped, Easy, Harmonize and Chord set, offering great flexibility to adapt to different styles of music production. The Scale and Arp modes available in Komplete Kontrol LE software add even more creative possibilities.
Software integration
DAW compatibility
The Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 is designed for use with all major digital audio sequencers (DAWs) such as Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, GarageBand, Cubase and Nuendo. This extensive compatibility means that users benefit from a seamless, integrated experience, whatever their production environment.
Komplete 13 Select
The keyboard comes with Komplete 13 Select software, a suite of high-quality instruments and effects. This suite includes a vast sound bank covering all musical styles, ideal for producers, musicians and composers. Integration with Komplete enables unified navigation and automatic parameter mapping, greatly simplifying the creation process.
Advanced features
Pre-listen and presets
The Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 makes sound selection easy, thanks to its pre-listening function. You can hear the sounds as you navigate through the presets, which speeds up the composition and arrangement process considerably. What’s more, the intuitive interface lets you search for sounds by keyword among all Komplete and NKS instruments (third-party content from Arturia, Spitfire Audio, Output and others).
Ergonomic controls
Ergonomic knurled pitch and modulation controls, together with an assignable intelligent touch strip, offer precise, intuitive parameter control. The Mixer button gives you direct access to essential settings such as volume and panning in your DAW.
Connectivity and compatibility
The Komplete Kontrol S49 MK2 is equipped with a USB 2.0 port for power and communication with your computer, as well as a double pair of MIDI sockets for connecting external equipment. What’s more, two inputs are available for adding expression and sustain pedals, further increasing the possibilities of control.
You can buy it from our partner Thomann for €398 with free delivery!
Eric, le capitaine du navire TechnoMag, est développeur web, consultant SEO, rédacteur de metier, et surtout fanatique de musique ! Depuis l’enfance, il est attiré par les basses et les kicks, passant des heures à écouter et jouer sur machines pour le plaisir, avec son frère et ses amis, depuis plus de dix ans. Globe-trotteur, il a exploré des free parties sauvages et illégales jusqu’aux plus grands festivals internationaux. Dans son passé, il a aussi été VJ et impliqué dans l’organisation de soirées pas toujours vraiment autorisées. Aujourd’hui, il aime capturer l’énergie des événements pour la retranscrire aux autres, que ce soit derrière l’appareil photo, la caméra, ou en rédigeant un article. Avec quelques missions bénévoles à son actif et une association toute neuve, il rêve d’un lieu autonome où chacun pourrait balancer son set sans craindre de perdre son matos.
