# NI Komplete Kontrol Keyboards A-61



## jjmmuir (Oct 29, 2018)

Hi - this are quite new but has anybody tried one? 
I was set to get the Mk2 61 with the dual screens but the A series seems to have much of the same functionality - perhaps only missing the screens and lights. Wondering about the key bed though? 
I have a Nektar LX61 and I'm looking for something a little more balanced. Also any thoughts or comparison between the A-series and more expensive s-series would be useful. Thanks.


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## webs (Oct 29, 2018)

Haven't tried the A-61 but I emailed NI support about the keybed before they launched and was told the keybeds are not the same between the A-61 and the S-61 Mk2.


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## jjmmuir (Oct 29, 2018)

webs said:


> Haven't tried the A-61 but I emailed NI support about the keybed before they launched and was told the keybeds are not the same between the A-61 and the S-61 Mk2.


Yes, I saw on the website the s series uses some sort of fatar bed, but the A series makes no mention of the type or the action. I'm guessing it's a light synth action which might not be ideal. If it were even semi-weighted I think the combination of price and NKS integration would be well worth it.
Wondering if anyone else here has info...


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## StillLife (Oct 30, 2018)

jjmmuir said:


> Hi - this are quite new but has anybody tried one?
> I was set to get the Mk2 61 with the dual screens but the A series seems to have much of the same functionality - perhaps only missing the screens and lights. Wondering about the key bed though?
> I have a Nektar LX61 and I'm looking for something a little more balanced. Also any thoughts or comparison between the A-series and more expensive s-series would be useful. Thanks.



I have a Mk2 s61 and I wouldn't say that screens and lights amount to minor differences in functionality between the S and A series. For me, together with the great keybed, those two aspects of the S-series give this keyboard its unique functionality. Wouldn't want to do without them anymore. This might have something to do with me working inside Maschine, though: the S-series gains a lot of functionality in Maschine. Also, the difference in price is huge... If you're just looking for a way to access and manipulate NKS-sounds, the A-series might just do the trick. But I cannot back this up from experience.


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## Mornats (Oct 30, 2018)

I have a MK1 S61 and had a go of the A series at a Native Meetup recently. I actually thought they used Fatar key beds after using it and was surprised to find they didn't. The action is good and a little firmer than the S61. I was impressed with it, especially for the price.


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## jjmmuir (Oct 30, 2018)

Mornats said:


> I have a MK1 S61 and had a go of the A series at a Native Meetup recently. I actually thought they used Fatar key beds after using it and was surprised to find they didn't. The action is good and a little firmer than the S61. I was impressed with it, especially for the price.


Thanks - this is helpful.


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## Virtuoso (Oct 31, 2018)

I just bought an A61 today.

I got the S61 when they first came out, sold it earlier this year and was planning to get the new S88 Mk2, but a few negative reviews made me hesitate. When the A61 was announced I was surprised by the price and assumed it would be pretty low quality, but when I tried one out first hand it was better than I had expected.

The action is very usable and not at all spongy. I've played many worse keyboards! I'd put it somewhere between a budget Korg and a decent Yamaha. The keybed is semi-weighted and not that far behind the S series, but note that it does NOT have aftertouch. The pitch and mod wheels have a good feel, but the buttons are quite loud and clicky. It does not have the touch strip or 5 pin MIDI I/O ports and it only has one pedal input. It is purely USB bus powered and there is no off switch.

I like that the case is quite shallow (only 10") - it fits in easily between my keyboard and monitor and I think the hardware is very good value - I paid $225, thanks to a 10% discount at Guitar Center.

However... 

The ugly part is the Komplete Kontrol software - it's usable, but it really needs a major overhaul. It has been out now for over 4 years and hasn't really improved much in that time, so I'm not sure how high a priority it is for NI.

The interface is still not retina compatible, so the tiny, fuzzy, aliased text is hard to read on a 5k screen. The large overlay screen that pops up when browsing with an S series keyboard does not appear on the A models. I don't know whether this is a coding error or a deliberate move to cripple the lower end of the range, but it makes working with the Kontrol software very cumbersome.

The browser is really frustrating - the window scales to the size of the currently loaded instrument and can't be resized, so if you have a library open with a small UI (as below), you can barely see any of its associated patches. The only information shown is the patch name so, unless you have focussed on a specific instrument, you can't tell which library the patch is from - the two 'Long CS' patches in the example below could be from either Spitfire Chamber or Symphonic Strings. Also, libraries like Sonokinetic that have both 16 and 24bit patches will just show as duplicate file names with no easy way to tell them apart.


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## scoringdreams (Oct 31, 2018)

Stick with Kontakt haha...


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## zvenx (Oct 31, 2018)

The A series unlike the S Mk2 series does not have Aftertouch, a second pedal input nor a touchstrip. You may miss not having those.
However although they are completely different keybeds (one Fatar, one made by NI)..they both feel really good to me and even though the A series has a slightly stiffer action, I like both of them.
(I have a S61mk2 and a A25)
rsp


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