Ableton Forum

Which one is better for Ableton Live?

I don't care much about Novation sequencer.
Is Komplete Kontrol as good as it seems with plugins?

I can say I just returned a komplete kontrol A61 to the store because the pitch-bend and mod wheels don't work properly... Few other people posted about the same issue and NI support is basically non existent: no phone support, only a forum, and the staff don't really reply regularly

that said, I thought the keys felt really great, and if you like the Komplete Kontrol vibe it seems like a good solution. (why can't you resize the plugin window of komplete kontrol though!!???)

I had positive experience with NI support a few years ago.

Anyway, if let's imagine both keyboards arrive in my studio in perfect conditions.
Which one should I keep to work with Ableton and plugins ?
Kontrol S mk2 or Novation SL mk3 ?

I already own Push 2 so I don't need the pads on the Novation SL.

With my own money I would get the Novation one, but gotta say, it is really close.

For pure Live integration it is definitely better, it's got sliders for 8 tracks with on/off and Arm buttons, with color LEDs helping show which track is being controlled.

The NI one seems great with NI's own stuff and NKS stuff, but average with the rest.

The Novation one has better Live integration, and also with other MIDI hardware (it has MIDI mappings you can change realtime so MIDI CC fits the mapping of other hardware, and also CV out).

Seems to me the Novation one can be the main controller of a whole studio (software and hardware), while NI's feels like it is mostly for NI software (which is not really that bad, since there is a LOT of cool NI and NKS stuff).

I feel the NI could more instantly rewarding short term (with NI plugins/NKS), but more frustrating long term (more limited with non-NI stuff and hardware).

Also, don't sleep on the Novation sequencer, because it is not only notes, it is similar to Circuit, it can sequence parameters and MIDI CC (and hence macros), recording realtime or "parameter-lock" style.

Novation all the way. If you can find a SLMK1 even better. Novation Automap is dead except for it’s absolutely fantastic Ableton support, all of your VST plug in parameter that you have confured in Live show up on the LED screens, everything is plug and play, No Komplete Control
plug in needed, no automapped plug ins needed. I would say besides Push2 The Remote MK1 and MKII are the most compatible with Live devices out there.

I don't need faders (I have Launchcontrol XL when I need them).

Is NKS good ?
It seems all the plugins I have support NKS.

I'm really not interested in the sequencer of the Novation.
When in the studio I use only one sequencer, and that is Ableton Live.

Please don't suggest other keyboards, thanks.

Komplete Kontrol now allows 3rd party controllers (for 8 macros, presets, plugins, paging). My X-touch Mini was setup in seconds for that.

Knowing that, the Novation over the NI seems like a no-brainer, unless one really wants to see the images on the controller itself.

I had a look at Komplete Kontrol and I'm not very keen on using a plugin to load other plugins. It seems a big can of worms. This is also valid for automap (which I used with Nocturn).

I'm probably going for the Novation SL mk3, or a very simple 88 keys keyboard + Nob control.

Thank you.

Yeah, if you don't ever need to quickly browse/tweek NI presets, then I can't think of much use for KK.

I wish Ableton had similar browsing.

You can also use the NI komplete kontrol smart features such as the scales/arp within Ableton.

Dr. Zoiberg wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 01, 2019 12:46 pm

I had a look at Komplete Kontrol and I'm not very keen on using a plugin to load other plugins. It seems a big can of worms. This is also valid for automap (which I used with Nocturn).

I'm probably going for the Novation SL mk3, or a very simple 88 keys keyboard + Nob control.

Thank you.

KK is solid plugin within Ableton, and you can use the scale/arp function within Ableton as well.