Accessibility Improvements wishlist

Multi-Instrument support, requested since around 2015

 

NI need to listen to their customers or they will lose them. That's how commerce works.

 

As we all know: there are some components that are not accessible for blind musicians, as most of the vst plugins out there, but also apps like Native Access.
At the other hand, the currently existing accessibility of some DAWS together with the accessibility of the current Komplete Kontrol KK Hardware and software and the NKS "standard" is a big enrichement in the life of blind musicians. It fundamentally enables us to use virtual instruments and the factory presets of them.
But: the current version of KK Software is "just" accessible for some of the whole functionality and not enough accessible for a creative and musically workflow. So, In my oppinion, Most important is the enhancement of the accessibility of KK. Primarely for the efficiency dayly usage of KK, some aspects are not or not enough accessible:
- That beginns by the MIDI and Audio configuration of KK stand alone and the installation and update process of instruments, libraries and fx plugins to be able using them within KK
- and continues by the possibilities to save edited factory presets as user presets
- in that context the organisation and structuring of user presets
- further the automation of plugins loaded in KK are just possible in slot 1 of KKs chain. Because FX plugins can not be loaded into slot 1, blind users are not able to automate FX plugins (just zapping around with factory presets if availleable as NKS presets)

Below the line and beforehand:
- The main front end of KKs user interface can stay as it is, no changes needed
- the preferences user interface and the dialog window "Save As..." have to be redeveloped to successfully solve the not or not enough aspects of KK. And "simply" this two sections can be accessible, if the user controlls as textfields, checkboxes, dropdowns and buttons (and the register tabs within preferences), if these controls are replaced with the OS own user controls (Win and OSX).
(hint for developers: the property "name" of each user interface control should be used to programmatically access the content (text, value, ...) of the control, to read and write values. The property "label" or "caption" to provide the displayed "user friendly" title of each user interface control. This is the property that the blind users screenreader is watching for and therefore is used automatically to anounce it. Normally, there is nothing more to do beside developers to make shure a user interface is accessible (especially if the order of the controls within the declaration is the same order as in the displayed layout of the dialog.))

* Configuration of the MIDI and Audio Setup within KK
If the drivers, services and the KK software are successfull installed,, the user have to configure the Midi and Audio setup within KK. Blind users can enter the preferences dialog by select menu "edit" and the entry "preferences" with the computer keyboard.
But inside the preferences window, blind users can do exactly nothing. We have to waiting for a seeing, kindly person that is willing help us to setup the midi inputs and outputs and the audio outputs. Wether the current configuration can be elected with a screenreader nor is it possible to change any settings without seeing help.

At the minimum, it should be possible to:
- the "register tabs" of KK preferences window must be selectable with the keyboard (typically ctrl + TAB / CTRL + SHIFT + TAB). If an other register is selected, the screenreader of the user (not the KK speach) have to anounce the name of the current register tab.
- In the section "midi": The displayed and availleable inputs and outputs must be reachable with the keyboard (typically TAB / SHIFT + TAB), the item wich became focus have to be anounced. The checkbox of each item have to be changeable (typically with the SPACE key to toggle).
- in the section "audio": the sample rate, bit depth and buffer size resp. the button to open the ASIO driver window have to be reach- and changeable, selectable. The audio outputs have to be reachable and editeable: the selected output have to be anounced and the dropdown list with the availleable audio outputs must be expandable, the item have to be reachable to select with keyboard.

And principally, the "close" button in the preferences dialog must be reachable with the keyboard or with a shortcut to close the preferences dialog.


This are the requirements, that the initial configuration of KK can be done by a screen reader user without waiting to a seeing, kindly person. And that all just to get KK ready, KK firstly beginns to make sound, make music with a blind KK user...
The section to configure a connected pedal and the section to add and remove third party controllers are still completely inaccessible. The technically effort to replace also the user controls of these sections is not realy big or very ressources hungry, could be done in the same development process and in a similiar way...

* Setup and update of instruments, libraries and fx plugins within KK
if we found a trick to get its nose, to install and activate a instrument, library or FX plugin with Native Access, KK *normally* will update their database if we start KK stand alone app next time. For most products that are not to be installed with Native Access, it is not ensured, that KK recognize a new ore changed product while KK startup automatically.
Especially third party plugins, that firstly have to be added manually to KK preferences, plugins with a fallowing menu "file", "save as" and saving at minimum one user preset to make the product reachable while using KK. This requires a bunch of steps, manually configuration within KK and: all these steps are currently not accessible within KK.
After "simply" update an existing product with changed or additional NKS Presets or if we install a additional soundset, a preset library of an successfull installed, KK known product, the automated recognition do not work every time successfull. In this case, the user have to manually initialize the "rescan" process to update the KK DB.

In KK preferences section "libraries" and "plugins", the fallowing aspects must be accessibility optimized:
- The displayed products / paths of user and factory libraries and plugins have to be reachable with keyboard, the currently selected entry have to be anounced. The checkboxes to activate/inactivate an item have to be anounced in his current state (checked/unchecked) and the user must be able to toggle the checkbox.
- The buttons to add a product/path and the possibility to remove an entry are to be reachable and executable. The dialog to select a File System path is allready accessible.
- The buttons to rescan the availlable items must be reachable and executable.

* Main Output Volume in KK stand alone
The main output volume of the currently active instrument in KK stand alone and the main output volume of the loaded instrument of each KK instance inside a host application can be changed with activated speach of NI Hardware by hold down the shift button (top left) and rotate the big knob (top right). While the main output volume setting of each KK Instance can be saved with the hosts project file, the main output volume of KK stand alone is lost after closing KK.
Each time KK is started, the main output volume is reset to factory default.

Please, please NI:
- Technically it is very simple to make it possible, that the value of the main out volume is saved for example if KK stand alone is closed and reloaded if KK is opened... (for example, the prehear volume value is implemented like this)
- or: to add a option in preferences, where the user can define if he wants that KK remember the last main out volume value or not.


* Edit and save user presets in KK
Currently it is possible to reach and open the "save as..." dialog with the keyboard (menu "file", "save as...".
Without a mouse pointer (therefore all blind users), wether the textfield to enter the name of a user preset nor the save/close button of that dialog are reachable.
Luckely we are able to change the parameters of a factory preset by rotate the hardware knobs or toggle and press the hardware buttons of a NI Instrument. This give a great usability for live performance sessions and while reccording, editing or mixing our musically work within a host application. Also, to record the automation of availlable parameter value changes of the active instrument.
We (blind users) are currently not able to save edited factory presets as our own user presets to use them later. And in this context, we are not able to organize or structurize our own preferred user presets to use them for example in a live performance. This, because we can not assign any banks, subbanks, types, subtypes or characters to any existing or new created user preset.
So currently we sadly "have to take" factory presets each time we want to create a own sound. The only way to hold an idea or a sound is to save it within a DAW project file. And: to organize own sounds to use them in a musically creative manner, the organisation with DAW Project files is very tedious and realy not intuitive.
For blind users, there is currently no principle way in KK to create and organize own sounds

* To appropriate save edited factory presets as user presets in KK and to use them later as a blind user:
- all user controls of the "save as..." dialog have to be reachable with the keyboard only (witout mouse). The control with current focus have to be anounced.
- The text of the Preset name must be editable (currently the textfield have to be clicked once with mouse pointer), the buttons to assign banks, types and characters must be selectable and executable. The Button "save/close" and "cancel" must be selectable and executable.
- The user must be able to assign and to define user defined banks, subbanks, types, subtypes and characters.

If the whole save as dialog is redeveloped in that manner, this will be a big step in the optimisation of the accessibility of the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol Software!
If this optimization have been done for KK stand alone, it is just a small effort to provide this functionality also in the KK plugin variant.


* Automation with KK
Actually the automation of parameters of the current instrument loaded in slot 1 of KK plugin is possible (Slot 1 of KK own chain). The last changed parameter is provided by KK plugin , inside the DAW host, blind users can assign this last changed parameter to a MIDI CC or any other availlable controller. So it is also possible to record an assigned parameters value changes within the DAW.
But: just for the product loaded in slot 1! As NI knows, products loaded in slots other than the first one are currently not automatable.
And: because FX plugins can not be loaded in slot 1 of KK chain, blind users are not able to automate any FX plugin params. (Seeing mouse clicker can do, if the fx plugin provide own functionallity to assign automation params with drag and drop as often possible in VST plugins (?))

For an accessible possibility to automate fx plugins in KK:
- Also the plugins loaded in slot 2, 3, ... have to reach the relevant informations to the host to be able executing the last changed param of plugins in slots other than slot 1.
- or: make shure that also FX plugins can be loaded in slot 1 of KK chain (currently just instruments possible). But: the currently usage of KK chain is a bit no sense, to be honest...


So, that's all *smile* for the moment
A large list of ToDos - that can be done with a bit OS relevant interface design knowledge and a bit of time (and money) to "transpher" KK to a really accessible tool.
Would be great - currently a dream - if Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol will be realy accessible in a manner, that not just seeing, but also blind musicians can use KK within the creative workflow of making music.

 

Please fix interface which really, really sucks !
IT is unreadable on HD screens and on 4K screens (which I use) it is a nightmare !
KK interface is definitely the worst interface for music I have ever seen. Period.

 

The whole pullout menu within kk (small downward triangle knob beneath the searching glass symbol) should be accessible. Most important the possibility to load third party plugins is not accessible yet. Maybe it is a small effort to add the functions of that menu to the "native" menu of the stand alone kk (this menu is accessible per se).

 

As someone who is waiting to pull the trigger on Komplete Ultimate and possibly an S61, I totally agree re: interface.I started learning to use Komplete Kontrol yesterday and had to give up after 10 mins as it was too much of a strain on the eyes. I spend hours in the studio, literally every day, and we all know that Native stuff sounds amazing, but it's got to look good too, and be legible, or people will look for alternatives.

 

Hello togehter,



my name is Daniel Graf-Eisen. I’m from Germany.

I use my complete controll keyboard together with a macbook pro with Catalina and voice over.



My problem is, that I think that many of the libraries I use have much more features than are available on the keyboard.

Let’s take for example the session horns:

On the keyboard you have got control over the animator, reverb, etc. But I read in the documentation of the session horns that you also can have control over different articulation types, that you can ajust the velocity switches and that you can choose which instruments of the session horns are played when you press a key.

For me this features would be much more interesting than the features you can use on the keyboard.

Is there any workaround available to use all of this features?

As I said, it referes not only to the session horns but also for example to your amazing Stradivari library.

What can I do to get ful access to all my libraries?



Sincerely



Daniel Graf-Eisen.

 

Dear NI team!
Above all, the KK keyboard, of which I am the owner, is an immeasurable joy.
The s88 and the kk software are amazing.
My suggestions would be:
It should be possible to adjust the keyboard, such as velocity, to adjust the pedals with a screen reader.
I know the amount of nks mapping is limited to how many pages it can be. That is why it would be a pity if we could customize the mapping of ourselves, we should definitely improve it so that we can solve it alone, without visual aid.
Because it may not be a problem for us, if more pages are available, it might be for the viewers. But if we can map our own nks or edit existing ones, that would be a good solution.
The accessibility of the kontakt player should be significantly improved, especially with regard to the parameters of the nki files, because they do not always match the nks mappings.
If we could blindly add nks parameters, this would be best for the existing one.
This keyboard is incredibly good and I don’t think I want to buy another midi keyboard for a long time. I am currently working on a mac and now I will switch to using the reaper because it is much more accessible than logic.

 

Komplete Kontrol accessibility is a dream come true. With the ability to map all parameters, voice feedback, it's great. So important, not a lot of companies care about it. So, thank you for all that.
My suggestions:
- Being able to add third party plugins.
- Being able to use Maschine 2 FX vst browser like KK when adding it to an FX chain. When accessibility is enabled, it can automatically route Ins and outs to the standard 1+2 out.
- One dream: Maschine 2 accessible. I'm partially sighted, using Maschine JAM, the on-screen display in Maschine can be accessible, it sould help a lot.
Once again, I think it's difficult for someone without visual impairment to understand the gift of accessibility. People at Native Instruments did.
(Sorry for my awkward english)

 

It's been nearly four years since I wrote this post. I still wish that some kind of variation of my suggestion was implemented inside the Komplete Kontrol hardware spoken interface. The issue I described below is further aggravated by the fact that many plugin developers do not expose intermediate steps for the knobs. For example, the knob may speak "reverb", however, no messages are spoken as the knob is turned. I understand that spoken messages may not be a desirable option since it may interfere with the musician's workflow, hence was my suggestion to introduce clicks instead.
I am curious what NI folks think of this?

Thanks.
Vic

 

Guitar Rig 6 accessibility
I hope NI team would consider taking a look at the Guitar Rig 6 from the accessibility point of view, specifically for users of screen readers.
I noticed that the new UI adopted a QT widget toolkit and lot of the controls suddenly became visible to VoiceOver on Mac OS, for example. I was actually able to adjust preferences independently and choose some presets.
Many of the buttons and checkboxes do not have accessibility labels. This means that VoiceOver only says the word "button" or "checkbox" when such controls gain focus. For a totally blind user this means very little as it is very difficult to guess what purpose these controls represent.

I hope NI team would consider making these tiny adjustments to the UI to make Guitar Rig 6 stand-alone app more accessible.
Thanks for reading!
Vic


PS I would be happy to record a demo (audio and/or video). Just let me know!

 

The issue with this is plugins don't really have a good standard to handle parameter labelling and info when connected to a host and in many cases, you simply get a value of 0-127 that reflects a setting so when you twist a knob you get no indication from the plugin back to the host what reverb setting has been selected and there isn't anything NI can do about that, the plugin developer needs to have this info sent too the software. Then there is the case of which parameters do you have this voice feedback for and which do you not? I assume you do not want a high resolution parameter announce every number from 0 to 10,000 as it is twisted?

It's not a bad idea at all, just not really possible with how things have been programmed out there.

 

Ah, yeah I thought you wanted the actual parameter read back by KK so if you touch Reverb it would speak the name of each reverb preset which would technically be possible I would figure and some plugins offer this info as feedback but many don't. A click sound (optional of course) when a knob is twisted could work to let you know it is moving or has reached the max/min position which is I assume more what you mean?

 

I don't think many users, including myself, would enjoy hearing spoken feedback for each knob turn, say, when changing the reverb value (1% to 100%), optional clicks would be less intrusive in such cases, IMHO.
On the flip side though, there are situations where knob turns trigger presets, for example, changing from hall reverb to a plate one. In those cases I'm sure users would like to know that they've switched to a new reverb type.
But as you said, this is not something that the software can guarantee, so we can table this dsicussion for now.

So, do you feel optional clicks is a possibility?
Thanks so much for reading and discussing this!

 

Does KK expose names of automation parameters from loaded plugins?
When I open KK as a plugin in, say, Reaper, and then query the list of automation parameters, exposed by both KK as well as the plugin loaded into it, KK's automation parameters have names, but not the ones from the plugin.
For example, if I loaded one of the Sonic Couture's plugins and listed the automation parameters inside Reaper, I see KK's ones with names, whereas the Sonic Couture's ones only have numbers.
I wanted to confirm here because I don't know whether it's KK not displaying names or SC not providing them.
Could you please clarify?
The reason I am asking is as follows. Having access to names of automation parameters would allow me to assign MIDI controls to them, which would enhance accessibility where NKS parameters do not exist.

Hope this makes sense.

 

Since I have not seen any responses from NI to my message below, I wanted to nudge this thread

 

Hi,
I'm new and learning my way around the forum interface, so please forgive me if this is in the wrong place.

I'm unsure where to turn. I got my A61 keyboard unboxed yesterday, downloaded the installation app and could not get past the header at the top to start putting in my serial number and begin software installation. I have done many Google searches to attempt to turn up a way to do this without vision assistance.

It could be that I am not a hard-core Mac user. I've also done a lot of reading about using VoiceOver on Mac with mouse emulation, and may have missed a way to get down into the rest of the startup screen.

I went ahead and opened up an account on the Native Instruments site, hoping I might find another way to get started, but could not figure that out.

Finally, I attempted to chat, and found out, understandably because of the tough year, that the team is taking a well-deserved break.

So, I need help, and after installation, where do I go to get going on learning my away around the hardware and software.

Excited to see where this goes.

Thanks.

Jim

 

Hi Jim.
There are three major resources for you, which I will discuss quickly now. The quicker I post, the faster you can get going.

1. www.kk-access.com
Written tips, tricks and tutorials.

2. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLajmu-AM8Z8yP5pqJA_X0qvvrxb7mVlbq
My playlist of Native-Instruments-Related videos where I discuss uses, all from a blind person's perspective, including a short-cut list for the A Series Keyboards.

3. The Komplete Kontrol VI Users Email list, where all things Komplete Kontrol get answered by other blind musicians. To join that, send a message to:
komplete-kontrol-access+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Let me know if you need any further help.

Take care.

 

Hi Andre,
Thank you so much for those resources. Just 1 further question. Does it take sighted assistance to get NativeAccess to start installing everything?

Thanks.

Jim