For nearly three decades, Berlin-based Native Instruments (NI) has remained at the forefront of musical innovation, masterminding groundbreaking technologies that have unequivocally elevated the physical and virtual realms of making music. Their flagship MIDI keyboard controllers, the Kontrol S Series MK3 controllers, have continuously evolved with a singular, powerful mission: to expand creative horizons by reimagining how we interface with sound. Brimming with state-of-the-art performance tools, the Kontrol S Series MK3 is a gateway to next-level production and composition for musicians of every style and level, while the Kontrol A Series and Kontrol M32 controllers further expand your capacity to experience the full scope of NI’s Komplete, Kontakt, Maschine, and NKS ecosystems.
NI Keyboards: An Introduction
From studio staples to portable powerhouses, Native Instruments crafts their MIDI keyboard controllers to facilitate the multiplicity of musicianship; each entry across multiple series is methodically honed to meet your distinct creative needs. Each controller is an instrument unto itself. S, A, and M Series keyboards offer a balanced blend of power and price. Every controller is built to an exacting standard of quality with plug-and-play priority that makes for speedy, seamless integration with nearly any DAW (digital audio workstation) or virtual instrument (VI), from NI to the industry’s leading sound-design minds, supporting a vast array of artistic and workflow arrangements.
Unlock a Constellation of Sounds, Ready to Play by the Thousands
Thanks to the multidimensional capabilities of the Kontrol S Series MK3 keyboards, it’s never been easier to seize your sound, and Native Instruments’ NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) plug-in protocol elevates your creative control to unbridled echelons of aural exploration. The NKS protocol is revered for its distinct capacity to map the parameters of your virtual instruments, effects, and dynamics tools quickly, accurately, and intuitively to your Kontrol S Series MK3 controller. Arturia, Heavyocity, Korg, Output, and u-he are among the hundreds of sonic innovators developing NKS plug-ins, adding to the growing sea of synthesis possibilities.
Diving Deep: What Makes the Kontrol S Series MK3 Controllers a Cut Above the Rest
In a word, Kontrol keyboards are immersive. As the latest generation of Native Instruments MIDI keyboard controllers, the trifecta of Kontrol S Series MK3 models represents the cutting edge of aural interfacing, blending a suite of tools and technology into a comprehensive machine that’s equally formidable in the studio as it is on the stage. Virtual instruments, effects, and dynamics are seamlessly integrated into your controller’s UI. Three sizes are available, 49-, 61-, and 88-key options, designed to meet a slew of performance needs. Each entry in the series features a state-of-the-art Fatar keybed developed in exclusive collaboration with Native Instruments. Across the Kontrol S Series MK3 array, polyphonic aftertouch offers immense expressive possibilities on both the S49 and S61 models’ semi-weighted keys as well as the S88’s fully weighted hammer-action keybed — making it one of the world’s first widely available controllers to feature this blend of performance capabilities.
No matter your preference, each S Series MK3 controller features Native Instruments’ best-in-class interactivity, including the Light Guide, Play Assist, and multimode 4-D encoder. Moreover, every controller includes an expansive suite of software supplements, from their trailblazing Kontakt 7 sampling platform to a virtual instrument voucher that’s valued up to $499.99 — you’re set with everything you need on day one.
Polyphonic Aftertouch: Multidimensional Expression and Sonic Contouring
While the Kontrol S Series MK3 controllers contain no shortage of expressive tools, a singular yet substantial element of their design elevates them to an exhilarating echelon of expressivity: polyphonic aftertouch. Rather than mapping pitch, vibrato, cutoff values, or plug-in-specific parameters to additional wheels or encoders, polyphonic aftertouch lets you customize your control of a nearly endless number of expressive tools with the nuanced sensitivity of the slightest changes in pressure on each individual key.
Because Native Instruments leads the pack in form-and-function design, they’ve spared no effort to provide all the right support to suit your sonic stylings. Beyond the included polyphonic aftertouch, dedicated pitch and modulation wheels bring time-tested interfacing and control back into the fray while a nearby touch strip introduces an additional dimension of customizable control.
Seeing Is Believing: Real-time Interactivity and Vivid Visual Feedback
Front and center, every Kontrol S Series MK3 controller includes a full-color, high-definition display adorned with a constellation of backlit transport controls, as well as color-assignable encoders and soft switches, easily tailored to your workflow. Furthermore, Native Instruments’ intelligent Light Guide utilizes vivid but unobtrusive lights above every key to indicate scales, key zones, and more all in real time. Performance potential goes even further with the series’s Chord Mode, allowing you to create chord progressions and activate each chord with a single key, while Easy Mode accommodates a slew of accessibility needs, mapping the controller’s white keys to any desired scale.
