IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING NATIVE INSTRUMENTS DEALERS!!
Authorized Native Instruments Dealers: Unauthorized Dealers: Shipments outside the USA: BUYING DIRECT FROM DJDeals.com GUARANTEES A FULL WARRANTY FROM NATIVE INSTRUMENTS. WE ALSO GUARANTEE THE LOWEST PRICE IN THE WORLD ON EVERY NATIVE INSTRUMENTS PRODUCT, NO OTHER DEALER ON EARTH HAS EVER BEEN CAPABLE OF OFFERING A LOWER PRICE TO CONSUMERS, PERIOD. |
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS AUDIO KONTROL 1 INTERFACE
The new Audio Kontrol 1 is a high-end audio interface. Offering crystal-clear 192 kHz, 24 bit-quality, it is far more than just a sound card. Freely assignable buttons and controller knob combined with advanced MIDI and key command functionality grant full control of software applications -- setup files for popular programs ensure it's hassle-free. Audio Kontrol 1 merges innovation and quality and does so with an ear for practicality.
Universal Appeal
Audio Kontrol 1's adaptability makes it the perfect audio interface for musicians, producers and DJs. Versatile connection configurations, included controller assignment preset files as well as the full versions of Xpress Keyboards, Guitar Combos and Traktor 3 LE guarantee its universal appeal.
Features:
High-quality, portable audio interface with sturdy aluminium casing
24-bit / 192 KHz quality, high end Cirrus Logic A/D, D/A converters and 103 dB-A SNR
2 balanced inputs: 1 line/mic (XLR/1/4 in. TRS Neutrik, phantom power supplied) and 1 line/HiZ (TRS); individual gain controls with acitvity and clip LEDs
4 balanced outputs (1/4 in. TRS ) with 2 stereo level controls
Headphone output with A/B source switching and level control
Direct monitoring with mono switch and mix control
Low latency ASIO/Core Audio driver
USB 2 bus powered, MIDI I/O
3 freely-assignable buttons and 1 controller knob. MIDI and key commands support for control of professional audio software and other media applications such as iTunes, Winamp or Final Cut Pro
Includes full versions of Traktor 3 LE, Guitar Combos and Xpress Keyboards
The Audio Kontrol 1 ($299) is a compact USB 2.0 audio and MIDI interface with an integrated control surface. Weighing less than a pound, measuring 5.9 by 2 by 4.8 inches, and supporting 16- and 24-bit audio at 44.1, 48, 96, and 192 kHz sampling rates, the bus-powered Audio Kontrol is ideal for portable operation. The control surface, which occupies the top of the unit, consists of a large, continuous-rotary knob and three buttons that can function as modifiers or be configured to send commands. That flexibility makes the control surface quite useful despite its limited number of controls.
The Audio Kontrol 1's front and rear panels house all input and output jacks and trim pots. The top houses the control surface.
Installing the Audio Kontrol 1 is extremely easy. You load the software, which includes the USB 2.0 drivers and a mapping application for setting up and interfacing the control surface with other software on your computer. The mapping software must be running in order for you to use the control surface, but the audio and MIDI interfaces will work without it. Once the software is installed, you restart your computer and plug in the Audio Kontrol 1, and you're good to go.
I installed the interface on my dual 2 GHz Power Mac G5, and the audio quality was excellent at all bit and sampling rates. I used it with sequencing hosts Ableton Live 6, Apple Logic 7, Steinberg Cubase 4, and Propellerhead Reason 3 as well as with a variety of Native Instruments standalone virtual instruments, and I encountered no problems.
The Audio Kontrol 1’s audio inputs, headphones output, level controls, and mode buttons are arranged conveniently on the front panel for easy access. I found the knobs a bit hard to use because they're small and close together, but that's unavoidable given the number of controls Native Instruments has packed into a tight space.
For inputs, you get a combo jack (XLR and ¼-inch TRS) for a balanced, mono mic or line input, and a second ¼-inch TRS jack for balanced, mono low-impedance line or high-impedance instrument input. For each jack, buttons switch input types and separate knobs control the mic and line input levels. The one drawback is that if the combo jack is used for line input, it shares the level control with the other input.
Four additional front-panel knobs control the four main outputs (in stereo pairs) on the rear panel, the headphones output level, and the monitoring level when direct monitoring is activated. Direct monitoring mixes the input signals directly with one of the stereo outputs, bypassing the A/D and D/A converters. The Mono button mixes the inputs to mono for monitoring, which is handy when only one input is in use. The stereo output used for monitoring is determined by the driver settings, which are accessed from the mapping application and cannot be changed directly on the hardware. A front-panel button toggles the output sent to the headphones jack.
The rear panel houses four balanced ¼-inch TRS mono output jacks, MIDI In and Out jacks, the USB 2.0 port, and a 48V phantom power switch for the XLR mic input. In addition to the aforementioned control surface, the top panel hosts status LEDs for phantom power, signals at each of the audio and MIDI inputs and outputs, USB power, and monitoring status.
The control-surface mapping application's control panel has two modes: Display, to indicate what each control does, and Assign, for setting up the controls. In a very nice touch, controls can send either single-keystroke computer-keyboard messages or MIDI messages. In the latter case, you can configure the controls to send short strings for multiple-command MIDI sequences and SysEx messages. Keystrokes are typed in, whereas MIDI messages may be typed in or learned from incoming MIDI.
When a button is configured as a modifier, pressing it changes the messages sent by the rotary control as well as the other buttons (unless they're also configured as modifiers). Unfortunately, only one modifier applies at a time. When not used as modifiers, buttons can either trigger or toggle messages. In both cases (press-release or press-press), the button is assigned two independent messages. For example, you could configure a button to increase MIDI Volume by ten each time it is pressed, or to send a Note On when pressed and a Note Off when released. Messages can be assigned a specific MIDI channel, or each button press can send 16 messages, one for each channel. Although the knob rotates continuously, you can set it up to function as a standard MIDI controller (with a value range of 0 to 127) or as a rotary encoder (clockwise to increment, counterclockwise to decrement).
The Audio Kontrol 1 is an excellent portable USB audio interface. Despite its compact size, all the necessary controls and jacks are conveniently located. It comes bundled with Steinberg Cubase LE and Native Instruments Traktor 3 LE, Guitar Combos, and Keyboard Collection. That, along with the control surface, sets this unit apart from its peers.
Technical Info
Import and Compatibility
ASIO,Core Audio,DirectSound
System Requirements
Mac OSX 10.4.x, G4 1.4 GHz, 512 MB RAM
Win XP, Pentium / Athlon 1.4 GHz, 512 MB RAM
Windows systems must have Service Pack 2 installed.
USB 2.0 Interface
*Guitar Combos and Traktor 3 LE require registration/activation.
- High-quality, portable audio interface with sturdy aluminium casing
- 24-bit / 192 KHz quality, high end Cirrus Logic® A/D, D/A converters and 103 dB-A SNR
- 2 balanced inputs: 1 line/mic (XLR/1/4" TRS Neutrik, phantom power supplied) and 1 line/HiZ (TRS); individual gain controls with acitvity and clip LEDs
- 4 balanced outputs (1/4" TRS ) with two stereo level controls
- Headphone output with A/B source switching and level control
- Direct monitoring with mono switch and mix control
- Low latency ASIO/Core Audio driver
- USB 2 bus powered, MIDI I/O
- 3 freely-assignable buttons and 1 controller knob. MIDI and key commands support for control of professional audio software and other media applications such as iTunes, Winamp or Final Cut Pro
- Includes full versions of TRAKTOR 3 LE, GUITAR COMBOS and KEYBOARD COLLECTION, plus CUBASE LE 4
The Audio Kontrol 1 is a compact USB 2.0 audio and MIDI interface with an integrated control surface. Weighing less than a pound, measuring 5.9 by 2 by 4.8 inches, and supporting 16- and 24-bit audio at 44.1, 48, 96, and 192 kHz sampling rates, the bus-powered Audio Kontrol is ideal for portable operation. The control surface, which occupies the top of the unit, consists of a large, continuous-rotary knob and three buttons that can function as modifiers or be configured to send commands. That flexibility makes the control surface quite useful despite its limited number of controls.
The Audio Kontrol 1's front and rear panels house all input and output jacks and trim pots. The top houses the control surface.
Installing the Audio Kontrol 1 is extremely easy. You load the software, which includes the USB 2.0 drivers and a mapping application for setting up and interfacing the control surface with other software on your computer. The mapping software must be running in order for you to use the control surface, but the audio and MIDI interfaces will work without it. Once the software is installed, you restart your computer and plug in the Audio Kontrol 1, and you're good to go.
I installed the interface on my dual 2 GHz Power Mac G5, and the audio quality was excellent at all bit and sampling rates. I used it with sequencing hosts Ableton Live 6, Apple Logic 7, Steinberg Cubase 4, and Propellerhead Reason 3 as well as with a variety of Native Instruments standalone virtual instruments, and I encountered no problems.
Ins and Outs
The Audio Kontrol 1’s audio inputs, headphones output, level controls, and mode buttons are arranged conveniently on the front panel for easy access. I found the knobs a bit hard to use because they're small and close together, but that's unavoidable given the number of controls Native Instruments has packed into a tight space.
For inputs, you get a combo jack (XLR and ¼-inch TRS) for a balanced, mono mic or line input, and a second ¼-inch TRS jack for balanced, mono low-impedance line or high-impedance instrument input. For each jack, buttons switch input types and separate knobs control the mic and line input levels. The one drawback is that if the combo jack is used for line input, it shares the level control with the other input.
Four additional front-panel knobs control the four main outputs (in stereo pairs) on the rear panel, the headphones output level, and the monitoring level when direct monitoring is activated. Direct monitoring mixes the input signals directly with one of the stereo outputs, bypassing the A/D and D/A converters. The Mono button mixes the inputs to mono for monitoring, which is handy when only one input is in use. The stereo output used for monitoring is determined by the driver settings, which are accessed from the mapping application and cannot be changed directly on the hardware. A front-panel button toggles the output sent to the headphones jack.
The rear panel houses four balanced ¼-inch TRS mono output jacks, MIDI In and Out jacks, the USB 2.0 port, and a 48V phantom power switch for the XLR mic input. In addition to the aforementioned control surface, the top panel hosts status LEDs for phantom power, signals at each of the audio and MIDI inputs and outputs, USB power, and monitoring status.
In Control
The control-surface mapping application's control panel has two modes: Display, to indicate what each control does, and Assign, for setting up the controls. In a very nice touch, controls can send either single-keystroke computer-keyboard messages or MIDI messages. In the latter case, you can configure the controls to send short strings for multiple-command MIDI sequences and SysEx messages. Keystrokes are typed in, whereas MIDI messages may be typed in or learned from incoming MIDI.
When a button is configured as a modifier, pressing it changes the messages sent by the rotary control as well as the other buttons (unless they're also configured as modifiers). Unfortunately, only one modifier applies at a time. When not used as modifiers, buttons can either trigger or toggle messages. In both cases (press-release or press-press), the button is assigned two independent messages. For example, you could configure a button to increase MIDI Volume by ten each time it is pressed, or to send a Note On when pressed and a Note Off when released. Messages can be assigned a specific MIDI channel, or each button press can send 16 messages, one for each channel. Although the knob rotates continuously, you can set it up to function as a standard MIDI controller (with a value range of 0 to 127) or as a rotary encoder (clockwise to increment, counterclockwise to decrement).
The Audio Kontrol 1 is an excellent portable USB audio interface. Despite its compact size, all the necessary controls and jacks are conveniently located. It comes bundled with Steinberg Cubase LE and Native Instruments Traktor 3 LE, Guitar Combos, and Keyboard Collection. That, along with the control surface, sets this unit apart from its peers.
Value (1 through 5): 4
About Native Instruments
Native Instruments is the pioneer and market leader in the field of
software instruments, and one of the key players in the market of
computer-based audio production technology. The company’s mission is
to develop outstanding musical tools for all styles and genres. The
resulting products regularly push technological boundaries and open up
new creative horizons for professionals and amateurs alike.
Native Instruments opened up the fascinating world of real-time sound
synthesis on standard computers in 1996, and today offers an extensive
product range for the Instruments, Guitar and DJ markets, designed and
developed by three corresponding divisions within the company. Native
Instruments currently employs more than 150 people in its two offices in
Berlin and Los Angeles, and works closely with more than 40
international distribution partners to ensure its future growth and
success.
Native Instruments products cannot be returned once the manufacturer's seal has been broken. Any defective merchandise must be dealt with directly through Native Instruments. If a product is found to be defective, you must contact Native Instruments customer support at 866-556-6487 for service.
