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  • Kontrol Keyboard DAW Integration

Kontrol Keyboard DAW Integration

The S-series Mk3 Kontrol keyboards allow you to perform some common tasks in supported DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). Features like track navigation will generate speech in addition to any spoken feedback from any screen-reader that you may be using.

The supported DAWs that also provide accessibility features at the time of writing are:

  • Logic Pro (Mac-OS only).

  • Ableton Live V 12.2.5, beta 3 upwards (all versions, Windows and Mac-OS).

  • Reaper (Windows and Mac-OS) support is also in development and some unofficial and experimental initial support will be described later in this guide.

The following instructions are taken from the main Kontrol S-series manual that you can find at:

https://www.native-instruments.com/ni-tech-manuals/kontrol-s-mk3-manual/en/setting-up-your-keyboard#setting-up-daw-control

Setting Up DAW Integration with Logic Pro

Before you can control DAW functions in Apple Logic Pro from the keyboard, you must confirm its automatic configuration as a control surface.

To set up the keyboard for DAW control in Apple Logic Pro:

  1. Connect the Kontrol MK3 keyboard to the computer and make sure it is switched on.

  2. Launch the Apple Logic application on your computer.

  3. When asked for confirmation if you want to automatically assign controls of KONTROL S[xx] MK3, click Auto Assign.

    You can now use your keyboard to control DAW functions in Apple Logic Pro.

Setting Up DAW Integration with Ableton Live.

Before you can control DAW functions in Ableton Live from the keyboard, you must configure it as a control surface in the Ableton Live Preferences.

To set up the keyboard for DAW control in Ableton Live:

  1. Connect the Kontrol MK3 keyboard to the computer and make sure it is switched on.

  2. Launch the Ableton Live application on your computer.

  3. In Ableton Live, open the Preferences and go to the Link/MIDI tab.

  4. Select Kontrol MK3 from the Control Surface drop-down menu in an unused control surface slot.

  5. Select KONTROL S[xx] MK3 (DAW) (macOS) or KONTROL S[xx] MK3 (Port 2) (Windows) from the Input drop-down menu in the same control surface slot.

  6. Select KONTROL S[xx] MK3 (DAW) (macOS) or KONTROL S[xx] MK3 (Port 2) (Windows) from the Output drop-down menu in the same control surface slot.

Setting up the Unofficial DAW Integration with Reaper.

If you are a Reaper user, you can try the Reaper support for Kontrol S-series Mk3 created by James Teh and others, available from:

https://reakontrol.jantrid.net/

Official Reaper DAW integration is under development.