Video transcript: Using KOMPLETE KONTROL Accessibility Features
Hey Everyone, Brian here from Native Instruments. In this tutorial I'll be going over Komplete Kontrol’s accessibility features, how to set this up and basic functionality to get you up and running as quickly as possible. Komplete Kontrol offers a set of accessibility features for the visually impaired. These features work with all of the Komplete Kontrol keyboards by using Komplete Kontrol software, which includes speech output via your computer. In order to activate the accessibility features from the Komplete Kontrol keyboard, you will need to have an instance of the plugin Komplete Kontrol loaded. I'll be doing this tutorial in Logic but any DAW that can load plugins, as long as you have Komplete Kontrol loaded, you'll be able to take advantage of the accessibility features. I have a new Logic project open and I will create my first instance of Komplete Kontrol. I'll first make sure that I'm selected on a software instrument and then in the drop down, where I can select my plugins I'll select AU instruments, Native Instruments, Komplete Kontro, and then stereo, then I'll click create.Iif Komplete Kontrol is not in your plugins list make sure that you've installed it via native access. After a couple seconds the Komplete Kontrol plugin window will open. To enable the accessibility features you will first hold the shift button which is the top corner button on the left side of the keyboard. You will then press the mixer button which is the farthest button on the upper right side of the keyboard. You'll know this feature is engaged when you hear the computer speak back, accessibility on. To first learn the button and knob layout of the keyboard, you can turn on training mode by double pressing the shift button again
Training mode makes it easy for you to understand the layout of the keyboard. When training mode is active, any button that I press the name or function of the button is spoken without actually triggering that action. This lets me learn where certain buttons are located like the mixer button, browser, quantize and more. I'll press a couple buttons on the keyboard so we can hear how this sounds. Double press the shift button again to turn off training mode. With accessibility turned on let's start creating some sounds. During this tutorial when I press buttons, touch knobs and adjust parameters, the computer will speak back the function or value. I'll first press the browser button which is the top left button of the collection of six buttons on the right side of the keyboard. While in browser mode the eight knobs below the display let me scroll through all of my instruments and my presets. Using the farthest knob on the left knob 1 I can first search through the different sound categories like drums and percussion or sampled instruments. All of the NI instruments are fully integrated with Komplete Kontrol and also hundreds of other plugins from different companies like Output, Spitfire and Heavyocity. Let's scroll down to sampled instruments. The next knob on the right, knob 2, lets me scroll through all of my different instruments from Native Instruments and each plugin name is spoken back as well. Let's select Hybrid Keys. Some plugins utilize knob3 for banks. For example if I have battery selected the bank knob lets me select different expansions I have installed and lets me load those kits into battery. Knobs five through eight let me further refine my presets list through filtering. Rather than scrolling through all of my presets and hybrid keys I can filter my presets based on the type of sound that I'm looking for. As I scroll through, the types attributes are spoken to me let's select synth lead
The next knob to the right are subtypes such as classic mono or classic poly. The next knob is the character attributes like digital or pads. The final knob on the far right lets me scroll through my presets. You can also rotate the large encoder on the right side of the keyboard to scroll up and down through the presets list. As I scroll through my presets, I hear audio previews so I know what the preset sounds like without actually having to load the instrument.
You can additionally turn on the option for Komplete Kontrol to speak the name of the preset by holding shift and pressing the fourth button from the left above the display. If you like a preset and want to save it for later you can do this by holding shift and pressing button 7. You can also push in the large encoder to load the selected preset. Now that the preset is loaded I can play my keys and will be able to hear some sound.
The knobs at the bottom let me adjust the parameters of the instrument. All of the knobs are touch capacitive so resting my finger on the top will speak back whatever parameter I'm controlling. As I turn the knobs, the parameter value is spoken. Many instruments have multiple pages of parameters to adjust so I can press the left or right arrow just to the right of the stop button. In addition to controlling the sound parameters using Komplete Kontrol, you are able to access scales, chords, and ARP mode. Directly to the right of the shift button is the scale button. When pressed this activates scale mode. Holding shift and then pressing the scale button lets you adjust the scale settings. You can change the root note of the scale using knob 1. Knob 2 lets you choose different scale Banks. And knob3 lets you choose the type of scale depending on what bank you have selected. I have main selected for my bank and I can now choose between scales such as major minor or harmonic. Using knob4 you can change between different key modes. The default map mode will set the keys so no matter what scale you have selected you will always be playing in key. If you press a note that's not in the scale the keyboard will automatically pitch the notes up or down so you're always playing in key. Easy mode makes it so that for every scale, you only need to play the white keys.
My favorite key mode is learn mode. Learn this is a great learning tool to learn different scales. Komplete Kontrol will only play back notes in the scale. If you press a wrong note you won't hear any sound.
Chords mode lets you play different chords using a single note. Knob 5 lets you choose between harmonizer mode or chord set. Harmonizer mode lets you play chords such as one three fives or sevenths. Knob 6 lets you adjust the type of chord and knob 7 lets you play different inversions of the chord.
The other chord mode is Chord sets Mode. Use knob 5 to change to chord sets mode. Knob 6 lets you choose between 8 major chord sets or 8 minor chord sets. You can play each note chromatically or jump around the keys to create different chord progressions.
Directly to the right of the scale button is Arp mode. Pressing the arp button enables arp mode and holding shift plus ARP lets you adjust the arpeggiator parameters. The knobs at the bottom let you adjust settings such as the rate, number of octaves, and Dynamics. Just like a sound parameter adjustment, what I'm controlling is spoken back. A cool feature are the arp presets. Using buttons 5 through 8 at the top, you have four ARP preset slots that you can quickly switch between and even record these switches is automation. Press one of the slots at the top and use knob 3 to adjust the rate. Select another slot and then change the rate again. You can now switch between the different ARP rates using the buttons at the top
Let's get back to the plugin Page by pressing the plugin button that's directly to the right of the browser button. You also have the ability to create an effects chain all within Komplete Kontrol. Using button 6 at the top of the keyboard, You can move over to the next empty slot in the chain and then press the browser button. Just like instruments, I'm now able to browse through all of my Komplete Kontrol supported effects. All the effects from NI are supported in Komplete Kontrol and also NKS effects such as Waves or iZotope. Knob 1 lets you filter by category and knob 2 lets you scroll through all of the different effects. You can also filter for a type of effect that you're looking for using knobs 5, 6 and 7.Knob 8 lets you scroll through the effects presets list and when you want to make a selection, press button 8 to load the effect.
Once the effect is loaded you can use knobs 1 through 8 to customize the effect parameters and use the left and right arrow to navigate through the different pages on the effect
If you hold the shift button, you can use button 7 to bypass the effect or button 8 to remove the effect from the chain.
Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of Komplete Kontrol's accessibility features. Thanks for watching.
Training mode makes it easy for you to understand the layout of the keyboard. When training mode is active, any button that I press the name or function of the button is spoken without actually triggering that action. This lets me learn where certain buttons are located like the mixer button, browser, quantize and more. I'll press a couple buttons on the keyboard so we can hear how this sounds. Double press the shift button again to turn off training mode. With accessibility turned on let's start creating some sounds. During this tutorial when I press buttons, touch knobs and adjust parameters, the computer will speak back the function or value. I'll first press the browser button which is the top left button of the collection of six buttons on the right side of the keyboard. While in browser mode the eight knobs below the display let me scroll through all of my instruments and my presets. Using the farthest knob on the left knob 1 I can first search through the different sound categories like drums and percussion or sampled instruments. All of the NI instruments are fully integrated with Komplete Kontrol and also hundreds of other plugins from different companies like Output, Spitfire and Heavyocity. Let's scroll down to sampled instruments. The next knob on the right, knob 2, lets me scroll through all of my different instruments from Native Instruments and each plugin name is spoken back as well. Let's select Hybrid Keys. Some plugins utilize knob3 for banks. For example if I have battery selected the bank knob lets me select different expansions I have installed and lets me load those kits into battery. Knobs five through eight let me further refine my presets list through filtering. Rather than scrolling through all of my presets and hybrid keys I can filter my presets based on the type of sound that I'm looking for. As I scroll through, the types attributes are spoken to me let's select synth lead
The next knob to the right are subtypes such as classic mono or classic poly. The next knob is the character attributes like digital or pads. The final knob on the far right lets me scroll through my presets. You can also rotate the large encoder on the right side of the keyboard to scroll up and down through the presets list. As I scroll through my presets, I hear audio previews so I know what the preset sounds like without actually having to load the instrument.
You can additionally turn on the option for Komplete Kontrol to speak the name of the preset by holding shift and pressing the fourth button from the left above the display. If you like a preset and want to save it for later you can do this by holding shift and pressing button 7. You can also push in the large encoder to load the selected preset. Now that the preset is loaded I can play my keys and will be able to hear some sound.
The knobs at the bottom let me adjust the parameters of the instrument. All of the knobs are touch capacitive so resting my finger on the top will speak back whatever parameter I'm controlling. As I turn the knobs, the parameter value is spoken. Many instruments have multiple pages of parameters to adjust so I can press the left or right arrow just to the right of the stop button. In addition to controlling the sound parameters using Komplete Kontrol, you are able to access scales, chords, and ARP mode. Directly to the right of the shift button is the scale button. When pressed this activates scale mode. Holding shift and then pressing the scale button lets you adjust the scale settings. You can change the root note of the scale using knob 1. Knob 2 lets you choose different scale Banks. And knob3 lets you choose the type of scale depending on what bank you have selected. I have main selected for my bank and I can now choose between scales such as major minor or harmonic. Using knob4 you can change between different key modes. The default map mode will set the keys so no matter what scale you have selected you will always be playing in key. If you press a note that's not in the scale the keyboard will automatically pitch the notes up or down so you're always playing in key. Easy mode makes it so that for every scale, you only need to play the white keys.
My favorite key mode is learn mode. Learn this is a great learning tool to learn different scales. Komplete Kontrol will only play back notes in the scale. If you press a wrong note you won't hear any sound.
Chords mode lets you play different chords using a single note. Knob 5 lets you choose between harmonizer mode or chord set. Harmonizer mode lets you play chords such as one three fives or sevenths. Knob 6 lets you adjust the type of chord and knob 7 lets you play different inversions of the chord.
The other chord mode is Chord sets Mode. Use knob 5 to change to chord sets mode. Knob 6 lets you choose between 8 major chord sets or 8 minor chord sets. You can play each note chromatically or jump around the keys to create different chord progressions.
Directly to the right of the scale button is Arp mode. Pressing the arp button enables arp mode and holding shift plus ARP lets you adjust the arpeggiator parameters. The knobs at the bottom let you adjust settings such as the rate, number of octaves, and Dynamics. Just like a sound parameter adjustment, what I'm controlling is spoken back. A cool feature are the arp presets. Using buttons 5 through 8 at the top, you have four ARP preset slots that you can quickly switch between and even record these switches is automation. Press one of the slots at the top and use knob 3 to adjust the rate. Select another slot and then change the rate again. You can now switch between the different ARP rates using the buttons at the top
Let's get back to the plugin Page by pressing the plugin button that's directly to the right of the browser button. You also have the ability to create an effects chain all within Komplete Kontrol. Using button 6 at the top of the keyboard, You can move over to the next empty slot in the chain and then press the browser button. Just like instruments, I'm now able to browse through all of my Komplete Kontrol supported effects. All the effects from NI are supported in Komplete Kontrol and also NKS effects such as Waves or iZotope. Knob 1 lets you filter by category and knob 2 lets you scroll through all of the different effects. You can also filter for a type of effect that you're looking for using knobs 5, 6 and 7.Knob 8 lets you scroll through the effects presets list and when you want to make a selection, press button 8 to load the effect.
Once the effect is loaded you can use knobs 1 through 8 to customize the effect parameters and use the left and right arrow to navigate through the different pages on the effect
If you hold the shift button, you can use button 7 to bypass the effect or button 8 to remove the effect from the chain.
Hopefully this gives you a better understanding of Komplete Kontrol's accessibility features. Thanks for watching.