The integration between S Series Mk II keyboards and Komplete Kontrol software is on point, and colourful. Nevertheless, they are solid and brightly backlit. The buttons are loud and clicky as opposed to the softer rubber buttons on the S Series. The sparse centre panel has a single row of eight touch sensitive endless encoders (the same as the S Series). The puny OLED screen is a far cry from the big ’n’ bold counterparts of the S Series but it’s actually very functional - more on that later. I’d have liked a deeper indent but the rubber finish is grippy enough. There’s a healthy resistance to the mod wheel that works a treat when adding delicate expressiveness to orchestral sections and synth leads. Pitch and modulation wheels are the real deal, rather than the flat ribbon sliders used on Maschine. I enjoyed the fast action of the keybed which is both heavier and springier than the Arturia KeyLab Mk II we checked out last issue. We received the middle child A49 for review. The smallest 25-key A Series board goes for just over $200. They’re bus-powered via USB and have a semi-weighted keybed and basic DAW transport controls. That’s why the new A Series makes perfect sense - a range of keyboards with obvious cost cuts compared to the S Series yet with the same Komplete Kontrol modus operandi we know and love.Ī Series is available in 25-, 49- and 61-key versions. The problem is, hardware features come at a cost.
What’s not to love about a controller with two hi-res colour screens and deep pre-mapped integration with your favourite VIs? Native Instruments’ S Series keyboards are the bees’ knees.
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