# How to set up Korg NanoKONTROL 2 MIDI controller on Mac & Logic Pro: Detailed Install Guide



## gh0stwrit3r (Feb 25, 2021)

I have seen many posts about how to set up a Korg NanoKontrol 2. Many people run into problems and can't get this MIDI controller working on a Mac and in Logic Pro. I promised to make a detailed install guide how I have done it myself. So here it is. You can watch the video in which I take you through the process step by step. Or you can go through the steps which I have written out underneath the video.

Hope it helps!

Timestamps of this video​
00:00 – Introduction
00:43 – Step 1: remove old Korg Nanokontrol 2 drivers, settings and files
02:56 – Step 2: fresh install of the Nanokontrol 2 on your Mac
05:30 – Step 3: Set up your Nanokontrol in Logic Pro
08:20 – Ending



I use the Korg Nanokontrol 2 on my iMac with Logic Pro. It’s my MIDI controller for manipulating dynamics, expression, vibrato, mic settings and much more. But I also use the buttons for stop, play, record etcetera. So for me this is a very convenient small and affordable MIDI controller. How to set it up on your Mac just like I did, is what I’m going to show you in this video.

Step 1: remove old Korg Nanokontrol 2 drivers, settings and files​Before we start, disconnect your Nanokontrol 2 from your Mac.

I’m on MacOS Catalina 10.15.7!​First we make sure that we delete all old drivers, files and settings from the Korg Nanokontrol 2. If you never used or installed it before, you can skip this step and continue straight away with step number 2.

I need to say that I’m on Catalina. So if you’re on a different OSX version, please check the Korg website first if you need to do these deletion steps too.

Remove Nanokontrol 2 driver, Editor and device​Go to the Korg website and download the Driver Uninstaller: Downloads | KORG USB-MIDI Driver – KORG USB-MIDI Driver Uninstaller | KORG (USA)

Run it and complete it.

If you have a KORG KONTROL Editor installed on your Mac, remove it. Go to the applications folder and drag the folder into your bin. Empty it.

Now go to Utilities and open Audio MIDI Setup. Click Window in the upper menu and select Show MIDI Studio. If you see a Nanokontrol as an Interface or External Device, remove it. You can simply do that by selecting the Nanokontrol and hit the minus sign.

Remove Nanokontrol 2 in Logic Pro​Now fire up Logic Pro. You can open a new project if you will. Go to Preferences in the upper menu which is positioned under Logic Pro and select MIDI. Check under the tab Inputs if you see a greyed out Nanokontrol. If it’s there, select it and delete it with a backspace command.

Now click Control Surfaces in the same window and select the tab MIDI Controllers. If you see a greyed out Nanokontrol, select it and delete it with a backspace command on your keyboard.

Click Setup in the same window and check if there is a Nanokontrol. If it’s there, remove it. Now you can close and quit Logic Pro.

Remove other related software​One final step to complete the deletion.

Delete the following file and folder if you have them on your Mac.


/Applications/KORG/nanoKONTROL2 Control Surface plug-in
/Library/Application Support/MIDI Device Plug-ins/nanoKONTROL2. bundle
We’re done! You can restart your Mac.

Step 2: fresh install of the Nanokontrol 2 on your Mac​Let’s continue with a fresh install of the Nanokontrol 2 and set it up again to make it work with Logic Pro.

Download new software from the KORG website​First we download and install two packages from the Korg website.


The KORG KONTROL Editor. Make sure that you grab the latest version which is 1.8.0 when creating this video. https://www.korg.com/us/support/download/software/1/133/1355/
The Nanokontrol 2 Control Surface plug-in for Logic and Garageband. Latest version of this plug-in is 1.0.1 when creating this video. https://www.korg.com/us/support/download/software/0/159/1472/
The KORG KONTROL Editor​Now let’s check if the KORG KONTROL Editor is able to see your Nanokontrol 2. Let’s fire it up.

Connect your Nanokontrol 2 to your Mac. It should be automatically marked as connected in the Editor. Click ok.

You should see the same set up as me right now. If you have other CC settings, then make sure to reset your Nanokontrol 2 to fabric settings. You can do that by disconnecting it, press Cycle and the two Track arrows at same time and reconnect it. You will see some flashing lights and the reset has been done. Fire up The Editor again and you should be fine!

Let’s check if we can write some new CC settings to the Nanokontrol. Select the third slider with a current CC setting of 2. Change that to 11, the default Expression CC setting in most libraries. Go to Communication in the upper menu and select Write Scene Data. Confirm by clicking ok. The data is now written to the device. Works like a charm so far!

Ok. So the Nanokontrol 2 can be set up in the KORG KONTROL Editor for any specific CC needs. I will do that right now for the first three sliders. I want to use these for vibrato, expression and dynamics.

Now let’s set up the device in Logic.

Step 3: Set up your Nanokontrol in Logic Pro​You can start up Logic Pro. When you do, you will immediately get this message:



> “Do you want to automatically assign the controls of the KORG INC “nanoKONTROL2”?
> Click ‘Auto Assign’ to automatically assign the buttons, knobs and other controls on the nanoKONTROL2 to Smart Controls and other functions in Logic Pro. Click ’No’ to keep the controls unassigned.
> You can change this later in Logic Pro > Control Surfaces > Preferences… > MIDI Controllers.”


Click no. We don’t want Logic to auto-assign the controls.

MIDI CC settings in Logic Pro​Create a new empty project or open an existing one. I will do the first in the video and activate an instance of Kontakt with the Spitfire Audio Symphonic Strings. This library has dynamics, expression and vibrato. So I can check easily if the Nanokontrol works correctly with those. And it does! Lovely!

Let’s run another check. I will assign the sliders 4, 5 and 6 to the mic settings. So in the KORG KONTROL Editor I have given slider 4 the CC setting of 22. Slider 5 has CC setting 23 and slider 6 has CC setting 24. Go to Communication in the upper menu and select Write Scene Data. Click ok and the data is written to the device. And when using the sliders 4, 5, and 6 on your Nanokontrol you will change your microphone settings in the Spitfire Audio Patch in Kontakt. Great!

I guess this will be enough explanation about setting up the CC settings as you would like to use them. It works pretty straightforward. So go crazy with the sliders and the knobs!

How to set up buttons like Play, Stop and Record on the Nanokontrol?​But what about the buttons like stop, play and record? How do you assign these while maintaining the CC settings of your sliders? Well, I did it like this.

Click Play in Logic. Let the Playhead run. Then click COMMAND L. That will open a window called Learned Assignment for Play. Now press the Play button on your Nanokontrol device. Close the window.

Now click Stop in Logic to make sure that the Playhead stops running. Then click COMMAND L again. This will open a similar window as before, but now for the Assignment for Stop. Press the Stop button on your Nanokontrol. Close the window.

Let’s check if it worked. Press Play on the Nanokontrol. The Playhead should start running right now. When you press the Stop button on the Nanokontrol, the Playhead will stop. Awesome!

You can assign with the same procedure buttons like Record, Rewind, Forward, Previous Track, Next Track, Cycle etcetera!

Well, that’s it! This is all you need to know and do to make your Korg NanoKontrol 2 to work on your Mac with Logic.

*Good luck and enjoy!*


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## Eloy (Feb 25, 2021)

This is fantastic- Thank you!


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## jbuhler (Feb 25, 2021)

Thank you for doing this! I'll take a look later and see if everything works on my end.


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## Codetronx (Feb 26, 2021)

Thank you very much. Works like a charm !!!


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## RudyS (Dec 27, 2021)

Thanks gh0stwrit3er, for this elaborate video. Somehow I can't get it to work. Following all steps, but in Step 3, I don't get the " auto assign message". I have the feeling Logic does the Auto assign by default and I don't know how to turn it off. Any help?
​EDIT: apparently I should not install the plugin for Garageband/Logic. Now it works as in the video.


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## AndrevanHaren (Mar 4, 2022)

I did all the steps for my NanoKontrol Studio device, but it didn't work. The only difference is that it now can read from the device, but it cannot write still. I am using Cubase 12 on Catalina. Any advice to make it work? Thanks!


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