Komplete Keyboard Compatible?

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Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

That is an excellent question. :lol:

Certainly multiple colors wouldn't work (though it'd be cool to add support for them). Multi-colored lights would be fun! Otherwise, if they respond the usual way like other lighted keyboards, a single color of light should work just fine. Hopefully.


2016-05-11 EDIT: Native Instruments has told us the light colors can't be controlled by Synthesia yet. "Hello Nicholas, thanks for the explanation, we fully understand your request but we don’t have any simple way of supporting this at the moment, if it becomes possible we will definitely let you know. That said, we have your request on a list of improvements and you're the first to know as soon something gets done here."
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Laserbeak43
Posts: 102

Post by Laserbeak43 »

Not sure if I could justify buying one, even though I do own Komplete. But it would definitely be taken into consideration. If it were supportable!! :)
nnngrach
Posts: 4

Post by nnngrach »

How to use KOMPLETE KONTROL lighting in the Synthesia?


First of all you need to open a standalone Komplete Kontrol application!

Then open Synthesia and launch Settings.

Music Devices -> Music output -> KOMPLETE KONTROL VIRTUAL INPUT

(you will see it only when Komplete Kontrol app launched)

Use this device.

Turn off My notes, Background instruments, Percussion and Metronome.

Turn on Key Lights on the Channel 1.



If all correct you will see dancing lights on your keyboard.

Enjoy!
nnngrach
Posts: 4

Post by nnngrach »

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Laserbeak43
Posts: 102

Post by Laserbeak43 »

Awesome!!
Cause I did end up buying a Komplete Kontrol keyboard (but only the 25 key, it wasn't for learning piano)
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Laserbeak43
Posts: 102

Post by Laserbeak43 »

Hi,
I've finally gotten a chance to try this. I've installed Synthesia on my personal PC. It doesn't seem to be working for me. I have Komplete Kontrol open, but I have no Komplete Kontrol Virtual Input.

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Pantheist
Posts: 2

Post by Pantheist »

Has anyone else managed to get this working? I'm surprised there isn't far bigger userbase wanting Synthesia and Komplete Kontrol linked up, it makes so much sense.
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Laserbeak43
Posts: 102

Post by Laserbeak43 »

I agree. Can't wait to see something happen.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Like I mentioned in my edit in the 2nd post, we actually got in touch with Native Instruments to ask them about proper S Series keyboard light support.

After an NDA, digging through some API docs, and a few emails back and forth they replied that the light colors can't be controlled by Synthesia yet. Even after a plea along the lines of "We don't mind if it's unsupported or a moving target: Synthesia's users really want to use your keyboards; anything you can give us would be helpful!" I received "Hello Nicholas, thanks for the explanation, we fully understand your request but we don’t have any simple way of supporting this at the moment, if it becomes possible we will definitely let you know. That said, we have your request on a list of improvements and you're the first to know as soon something gets done here."

So the best we can do at the moment is wait. I wish I had a better answer. If I had the availability for it, I'd try to reverse the USB protocol ( :D )... but it would be using unsupported methods (subject to change with any given firmware update) and I don't have that kind of time in the first place.
Pantheist
Posts: 2

Post by Pantheist »

Thanks for the super quick response guys.

Nicholas - Really appreciate the input and your probing NI. I did spot your earlier post but also saw nnngrach post a guide which I thought may provide some kind of functionality. I'm guessing not then.

Would it help if more people requested this feature? I spotted this KK 'features request' thread.

thought it may be an idea to direct people there? There's a Komplete facebook group and I reckon some Synthesia enthusiasts may want to encourage NI.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Pantheist wrote:Would it help if more people requested this feature?
Maybe. That thread looks like it's a few years old though.

When I first contacted NI, they mentioned that they'd also been hearing from quite a few Synthesia users already. So even before the our email correspondence, this was probably already on their radar. Although, a few more users nudging them to try and bump the priority a few items higher on their list probably wouldn't hurt.
anykey
Posts: 9

Post by anykey »

Hi Everyone,

So after reading all this, I did take the risk to buy a Komplete Kontrol S61 for using it with Synthesia.

IT WORKS!!! :-)

So how did I got this to work.
- I installed a free virtual midi app (LoopBe1), this allows synthesia to push the light midi messages (use channel 1) to Komplete Kontrol or Machine 2 (Both support the lights).

I did not want to use the build in sounds of synthesia, so this is how I have it configured.

For light control:
- I run Machine2 (and turn off it volume)
- For midi input I select the LoopBe1 midi device (which I have set upo in synthesia to just use for the lights)

For sound:
- I run Komplete Control
- select for midi input directly my komplete kontrol s61 keyboard
- select a nice piano instrument. (I am using Alicia Keys)
aquaboy
Posts: 2

Post by aquaboy »

Thanks for your guide, it worked a treat.

anykey
Posts: 9

Post by anykey »

Hi Everyone,

I have a Komplete Kontrol S61 and really wanted to use this with Synthesia. I did find a complicated way a while back to, but it would turn on all the lights and highlight the key that need to be played. I wanted something better, so I reversed engineered the Komplete Kontrol USB protocol to control the lights (was much easier then I thought) and wrote a simple python program to receive the MIDI keys from Synthesia and based on that control the Lights on the Komplete Kontrol.

You can found the program/code here:
https://github.com/AnykeyNL/SynthesiaKomplete

As the Komplete Kontrol supports multiple colors, it would be nice if Synthesia would indicate in the midi commands if something is left hand or right hand, I could then easily make the keyboard lit up 2 seperate colors for the left and right hand.

Enjoy,
Richard
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Answer for the two-hand question, here. :)
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