Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 Reviews

As far as quality goes there is no better interface than the AK1. I had an M-Audio and it didn't even come close! Unless you want to run Pro Tools this is the interface to have, anything else would be a waste of money.

You get a FREE SYNTH from Native Instruments AND a
discounted SOUNDPACK (both coupons) in the box!!!

I got Absynth 5...(they give you 3 to pick from) which sells for $200!!! and it was FREE which just about paid for the Interface!!! (and Absynth just won THREE
of the Computer Music Industry's highest awards!!! )

AND there is also a coupon for a $29.00 discount on the soundpack
of your choice for the KORE player...

The Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 comes with Cubase LE 4 as the recording program, Guitar Rig LE, Kore Player, and
Traktor LE. It also comes with a bunch of soundpacks, and a lot of
templates for using the interface with DAW's like Cubase, ProTools, and just about any program
you can think of...as well as being completely user programmable!!!

It records up to a sample rate of 192 Khz!! Twice what most USB audio
interfaces will record ( most only go to 48 or at the most 96 Khz AND it uses Cirrus Logic High End AD/DA converters which are usually only found in interfaces costing 4 times as much! This is definately THE BEST USB Audio Interface for the money out there!!!!

Oh yeah....AND it seems to be working fine under Windows 7 64 bit!!!! Hopefully they will have the Windows 7 actual software update soon!

Just got this interface last week and it sounds much better for guitar than my Presonus Firebox. I have not had a chance to record vocals through it, but using the it with the software it comes with is outstandingT the Vox AC30 models so far have me completely blown away. The Xpress Keyboards are a little on the light side for presets, but if you are looking for crystal clear and inexpensive all in one package for hardware and guitar modeling software, then call up Sweetwater and order one before the rush has them back ordered. Other features that are very handy for recording guitar are the MIDI funtion knob and buttons (3) on top that you can use as as transport functions (start stop play/record) without having to click a mouse. You can stand back 6 feet from your monitors and really dial in you tone and then just click the button on the Kontrol 1 and start to record. I will be following up with more in the near future. Can't wait to get some vocals down. I have just about every type of software you can use for recording guitar that the average guy in a project studio can afford and this is the best buy out there. THANK YOU SWEETWATER REP JOSEPH SECU for all the help over the years and for getting this in my hands so quickly. Lastly, this interface is smaller than it looks, so easy to pack in a laptop bag. Well back to my new favorite studio toy!

Got this for live performance, running DP and PT. Installation needed a call to tech support(package didn't have authorization codes) and was a bit cryptic. Once installed, worked like a charm on Mac laptop and Mac Mini. Included bundles software great, didn't use the Cubase LE, but all others were great, plus you get a free softsynth, great deal! Sound quality way better than my Digi Mbox2 and easier to use, and converters seem great for the price:,. Would have liked to see a digital in/out, but bang for buck? A clear winner!!!

This is continued from my earlier review of the AK1. I returned the unit due to SERIOUS driver issues / incompatibility with my system, and got an E-MU 1616m for a replacement. It's solid and stable, but something about the sound quality just made me have to come back here and write a review.

After comparing the sound quality of the 1616m with tracks that I'd done critical listening on with the AK1, I'd say I definitely love the AK1's sound more. Mids and Highs-wise there is essentially not much difference; the AK1 is noticeably more pronounced, but the 1616m's are more balanced and refined. It's the BASS response that makes a huge difference. The AK1's bass is MUCH more refined than the 1616m; which in comparison is not as strong and more muddy. Pretty astonishing difference considering the 1616m boasts "Mastering Grade" AD/DA converters.

Mic preamps wise, the 1616m's are noticeably cleaner; but there's a price to pay for that.

NI didn't over-market the Audio Kontrol 1. It is indeed a high-end audio interface with pristine high end converters. For the price, it is now my recommended audio interface for anyone requiring a minimal amount of I/Os, MIDI connectivity, Simple MIDI controller functions, as well as uncompromising sound quality. If your mixes sound good on the AK1, they will sound almost the same in consumer audio products. The 1616m's however, showed a stark difference in quality.

The ONLY reasons why I don't own one now is because of poor tech support as well as known unresolvable issues with certain computer systems.

After the demise of my Tapco Link Firewire, I needed a new interface that used the more popular USB architecture and fast, since I was on a deadline to finish a church choir recording. I settled my sights on NI's Audio Kontrol since I have have been customer of their software for some time.

All I can say is that it is a great interface. I'm running it at 48Khz (DAW limited) and the sound quality is noticeable from what I had before.

The unit is very rugged and heavy, looks like is more than capable of holding the rough and tumble of mobile recording.

My only gripe is that it is a little complicated to program the buttons to work on my DAW, but this does not detract from the sound quality and the quantity of outputs this little box has.

I'm very satisfied with the purchase and very much looking forward to keep exploring what the Audio Kontrol can do for me.

PS: Sweetwater = Awesome

I have it working with Windows 7 64 Bit and use it with Reason, Record FL9, Soundforge and various other pieces of music software.. Every once in a while I will get distortion on Itunes playback when i try and do some other activity at the same time. Re-starting itunes solves this. I had the same problem with the AK1 on Vista 64.

This interface does NOT work with pro-tools 9 as Protools will ask you to load settings in the AK1 that cannot be loaded and then exit
Never used the big knob for anything but as a sound card it works fine with above exceptions..

Believe the hype; the AK1 is all its supposed to deliver in a compact but powerful mobile sound card with high-fidelity audio.

The 192kHz resolution sample rate is quite redundant now as most audio applications do not support sample rates that high as of yet. However, even at 24 bit 44.1KHz, the sound is very clear and crisp. It definitely brought my music tracks to life.

The only thing that disappoints me is the poor support from Native Instruments on their hardware. Getting the AK1 to work for your system can be a very frustrating and tedious process. The AK1 is known to have serious incompatibility issues with certain computer configurations.

I would highly recommend this product over other competitors except maybe for the Edirol FA-66; first check with NI to make 100% sure your computer or laptop is compatible with the AK1 before buying to save yourself some frustration.

Great output quality
fabulous bass
distinctive stereo seperation
latency is a little high for software synthy
no digital I/O

Great for the best quality playback, even mp3s.
Accurate 2 channel recording
for guitarists.

When I first bought this product, it sounded great, had solid construction and the price was too hard to beat...however...
I found the drivers on the Mac side to be very unstable. And when using it as your output for programs like iTunes or other non-DAW apps, it would either act strangely, lose it's connection to the software or you hear interruptions or skipped audio when simple tasks like reading your email while playing a track off of iTunes. Seems like something very basic, and when I sent my unit back to NI, it came back just in the same shape as it left.
Overall I found this product to be not worth the hassle. Especially if you plan on using it as a general audio interface for playing music, as well.
I also found NI support to be very unhelpful, so I'm planning on getting another interface to replace it, like the Apogee, MOTU or Digidesign which have a much better track record...

I had researched this product for a while and was pretty excited about its specs. My OS is Windows 7 x64 and I could never to get it to install properly. I'm not new to computers or audio interfaces and I still could not get it to work. I was having many of the same issues that other x64 users, including OSX. Definitely a good looking piece of gear though. Mac at sweetwater, however, made the process very painless. Love these guys at sweetwater.