Native Instruments’ new Komplete Kontrol MK2 (available in $599 49-key and $699 61-key models) feels like an attempt to reframe the MIDI keyboard as an all-in-one production station like the Push or Maschine.

Like a computer, they’ve got screens too, but they’re focused on one task – and you can’t browse the internet or check your emails with them. Whether it’s the Push’s sequencer mode or Maschine Studio’s (and new Maschine MK3’s) dual screens for displaying a graphical representation of the software’s mixer, these controllers make it easier to see what’s going on in the software without having to look at your computer. But there are still plenty of people out there who use MIDI keyboards: there’s something reliable about working your way up and down the keys that will never be bettered by an 8 x 8 grid of rubber pads.Īnother reason why controllers like the Ableton Push and Native Instruments’ Maschine have slowly started to replace MIDI keyboard in the studio is visual feedback. Too big for most bedroom studios, it’s been pushed aside in recent years by grid-based controllers that let you play drums, sequence melodies and play chords on one space-saving box. Spare a thought for the humble MIDI keyboard. But are those screens enough to help keep our eyes off the laptop, or are they a distraction in themselves? Scott Wilson reviews the Komplete Kontrol MK2. The spotlight might be on Native Instruments’ new Maschine MK3, but the company has also updated its Komplete Kontrol keyboards with a host of new features, including two color screens.

Komplete kontrol s88 review