Native instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2

Native Instruments is a leading hardware and computer software audio manufacturer founded in 1996.

The central HQ is in Berlin. Native Instruments employs around 500 people in their offices in LA, Toronto, Tokyo, London, Paris and Shenzhen.

For more info, visit the NI website: www.native-instruments.com

VT: Brian from Native Instruments.

The Keyboard

Fully weighted hammer action key-bed with aftertouch. Guide lights above each key illuminate to highlight drum cells, key switches, chords, scales and key splits.

FATAR is an Italian supplier of high-quality professional keyboards. They were founded in 1956 by Lino Ragni. In 1989 the company patented its Hammer-action prototype. Today they produce their brand Studiologic. They also supply Hammer-action keyboards to third-party manufacturers such as Native Instruments.

FATAR released the Numa keyboard controller In 2008. This Numa keyboard is constructed entirely from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; this allows the user to define their velocity curves.

The aftertouch modifies the sound when you apply pressure after pressing the key, hence “Aftertouch”.

The dynamic range of the keyboard is impressive. I can play softly or loudly, and it responds so well.

When you play the keyboard and listen to it without sound from your speakers, the key-bed is so quiet, the sign of a top-quality key-bed! I like the feel of this keyboard; it’s just like playing an acoustic piano. It’s responsive, and it’s just a joy to play!

OS: Windows 10 Intel Core i5 or equivalent
mac0S 10.12, 10.13 (latest update), Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM
RAM: 2GB
USB: USB 2.0 or higher the USB cable is included with the keyboard.
Graphic Card: Graphics card which supports OpenGL 2.1 or higher.

All S series Native Instrument keyboards have two high-resolution colour displays on the keyboard’s top panel. The displays give a great visual indication when navigating presets and modifying the patches and sounds. The display can also be used as a mixer, connecting directly with your DAW.

You can start and stop playback and record your DAW (digital audio workstation) from the keyboard transport control built into the Midi keyboard’s front panel. You can also control the tempo, metronome and loops for the board in front of you while sitting at the S88 keyboard!

Navigating your DAW space is easy with the convenient Nav-Wheel on the righthand side of the main window panel. Over time, and with some practice, using these DAW controls on the keyboard means you don’t need to keep reaching for your computer mouse. You can sit at your midi keyboard and create!

You can then add instruments from the control window, and what’s neat is you get a demo of the sound you are hunting for. Very nice touch!

You can filter your selection into specific sound attributes. If you’re looking for a bass sound with an analogue sound, you can filter the list and get analogue bass sounds! Scrolling through the instrument list, you hear the instrument’s sound; you don’t need to press a key; it will automatically give you a sample of the sound! Very useful!

You have a ‘favourite list’, making choosing your patch easy. I have sounds that just fit with the type of music I’m producing; I like compiling a list of those favourite sounds and labelling a folder to put them in! Once you have the sound you require, press LOAD; it is ready to use there.

Hit the record button on the keyboard’s transport section on the control panel, and it will record it on your DAW.

You even get a QUANTISE button on the panel to lock the notes to the grid! Then, if you want to record a filter, say a cut-off filter, press the automation button and turn the filter control, conveniently situated on the same control panel right there in front of you! No need to touch the DAW. It’s all there on the panel!

If I want to record some pads, don’t reach for your computer mouse, no need, the keyboard has a switch that allows you to change the tracks on the DAW! Just click down or up on the encoder, and the instrument track on your DAW will come into play!

This Native instrument S88 MK2 has smart play installed. What is smart play? Well, it helps you play the right notes in your composing scale. Press the “SCALE Edit” key on the control pad and then the shift + scale to edit.

Let’s say the song is in the key of G minor; we now need to set Gm as our root note. The main window on the control panel has a Scale parameter. Set the first parameter to the root note, in this case, G. You can then set the Chord Mode; this sets the chord type and the Position.

You can use the knobs and controls on your keyboard’s panel to record different effects straight into your DAW!

Every instrument uses light guides in different ways. Say I want to add some sound effects to my mix. When I switch to an arpeggio or rounds type effect, the light guides illuminate to show me which keys represent the notes I can play. In this case, with the rounds effect, the turquoise keys represent the notes I can play with, and the pink lights mean the different sound settings I can switch to.

The light guides are helpful when using sample-based orchestral instruments to indicate the right register for the instrument. For example, if you load up a sample-based brass ensemble, the lights divide the keyboard depending on the brass sound or register. So your tubas will have red coloured guide lights above the keys down at the bottom end of your keyboard, then come to the trombones indicated by the yellow lights, then some horns, green lights, then the trumpets at the top with blue lights above the keys. Great stuff!

Light Guides for Your Scales

The light guides are very useful in the scale mode. If I choose a scale, say D, only the notes associated with that scale will light up! Great if you are starting as a keyboard player!

Mix your tracks from the instrument’s control panel by pressing the MIXER button! The panel knobs become volume controls, with a helpful dB reading for each track on the display panel! I can mute and solo from the control panel on the keyboard too!

I can even put this great midi controller into drum pad mode by turning on the -Key Mode-. As a keyboard player, I like this feature! I want to play my drum parts on my keyboard. Hi-Hats, snares and toms all played on the key bed!

The key bed feels excellent! The fully weighted FATAR keyboard is just like playing an acoustic piano. It’s responsive, and it’s just a joy to play!

I found the light guides useful, especially on sample-based orchestral instruments, to keep them in the right register, making them sound right. It’s handy in the scale mode for those new to music theory.

The Native Instruments S88 delivers a great deal of value for the price. When buying a Native Instruments product, you are buying into the Native Instruments universe of sounds and control. This review is just for the S88 keyboard, but you can buy the complete, or ‘Komplete’, keyboard and software package.

I personally really like the fantastic feel of the FATAR keyboard, and I have to say, that’s very important to me. I’m more of a guitarist than a keyboard player, so the feel and responsiveness of a good key bed are essential, and this Native Instrument S88 gives me just that! Love it!

Bekki Williams

Bekki Williams

Soundtrack composers such as Danny Elfman, Gramham Revelle and Nathan McCree – the musical genius behind many Tomb Raider games – have all inspired Bekki Williams. Bekki has composed music for video games, film scores, library music and solo albums.

She was born in Nottingham in 1972 and performed her first solo concert when she was eight – she won a music scholarship at eleven. Bekki studied flute, saxophone and piano at the South Nottingham School of Music. She is an award-winning flautist and multi-instrumentalist, playing in several orchestras and working as a session musician.

Bekki’s solo albums are melodic, passionate and full of rich symphonic string sounds. Her music has been compared to Hans Zimmer and Thomas Newman. Her first solo album, Elysian Fields, has recently been remastered and re-released by Bekki’s recording label AD Music.

Bekki was among the first artists to be signed to AD Music in 1995. Her debut album Elysian Fields was released in 1996, followed by Shadow of the Wind (1997), Innersense (2005) and Edge of Human (2007).

Elysian Fields is a thematic album based on Greek mythology. It is considered one of Bekki’s finest works containing emotive music that can make you happy and sad. The latest remastering technics enhance the re-released version (2015) and has a new track Aphrodite’s Lament, co-written with David Barker. Plus, a new album cover.

Bekki’s next album release was Shadow of the Wind (1997). Ashley Franklin from BBC Radio Derby wrote, “Here is music that is rich, melodious and soaringly soulful with a warmth and sensitivity that could only come from a woman”. Ashley had previously commissioned Bekki to compose the score for the Valentino silent classic The Son of the Sheikh.

Bekki’s third album Innersense (2005), is a personal project that contains some of her most intense and poignant compositions. In the years after the release of Shadow of the Wind, Bekki suffered illness, injury and the breakdown of her marriage.

Bekki was commissioned to compose a film score for the Tomb Raiders fan film Tears of the Dragon and a collection of soundtracks written for game designers entitled Entombed. Bekki went on to write a film score for Arena (2007) and game scores for PlanetCute (2007) and Callsign (2007).

Edge of Human received tremendous critical acclaim when released in 2007. As well as synths, Bekki plays flute. The album also features guitarist Paul Barraclough. The album crosses synth-pop with electronic and classical moods. This album is a warm, emotional instrumental composition; it is unsurprising why the critics loved it so much.

Bekki Williams is one of AD Music’s most commercially successful artists; with her wonderful romantic, emotional, classically styled music, it is easy to see why.

M-Audio Hammer 88

Buy From Gear4music

The Keyboard

The M-Audio keyboard is 88-note velocity-sensitive, fully weighted, and has hammer-action keys. It feels good, is amazingly responsive, and in no way feels like a budget keyboard.

Pitch Bend, Modulation & Volume Controls

The M-audio Hammer 88 has pitch bend, modulation wheels, two push buttons, and a volume Control, and that’s it! No LCD screen, no panels of knobs and faders, all the money you pay for this keyboard go straight to the key bed.

Robust Metal Case

It has a robust metal case with a wooden base. It's solid and significant for gigging and touring. It’s also pretty good for placing under your computer monitor and keyboard. The case has a lovely curve that fits under a desk well. However, if you want to use it, it does come with a music stand, which will not fit under your desk.

Connecting to Your DAW

This M-audio Hammer 88 is a Midi keyboard with no sound installed. It integrates with most DAWs without the need to install drivers. It also supports an Apple iPad Camera Connection kit (not included).

Software

The Hammer 88 has a premium software suite, including high-quality VSTs. You get the AIR Mini Grand Acoustic Grand Piano, AIR DB-33 Tone-wheel Organ, AIR Velvet Electronic Piano, and the SONiVOX Eight-Eight Ensemble—all great-sounding soft synths! And a copy of Ableton Lite Live DAW software is included!

The Back Panel

USB and 5-Pin MIDI output to trigger external MIDI devices. Inputs for Sustain, Expression and Soft pedals.

What I liked

The M-Audio keyboard is impressive, velocity-sensitive, fully-weighted and has hammer-action keys. Great value!

Pitch bend and modulation wheels are things I prefer to joysticks.

The sleek and robust design of the Hammer 88 makes it ideal for live and studio use.

The premium software suite includes Ableton Lite Live, one of the market's most popular performance and production DAWs.

No drivers are required, and it supports plug-and-play connectivity to your Mac or PC!

What I Didn’t Like

The USB connection is weak, and you must take care when plugging the cable in. Friends of mine have had problems after a couple of months of use and had to have the USB unit replaced.

Conclusions

This keyboard is excellent value for money! The keyboard is a joy to play.