When starting the Komplete Kontrol software, your keyboard doesn't react as expected. In this case, its display remains black or displays the Smart Keyboard Controller screensaver.
Click on the operating system you are using below to reveal the steps.
macOS
This behavior can be caused by different factors. Click the possible causes one by one to be redirected to the corresponding troubleshooting steps below in the article.
- The Komplete Kontrol software is not up to date
- Enable Full Disk Access for Komplete Kontrol
- The NIHardwareAgent or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are not running in the background
- The HAL plug-in directory in the System Library folder contains drivers which are not supported
- The computer's system drive is formatted in a case-sensitive format
- There is an issue with the USB connection
1. The Komplete Kontrol software is not up to date
Download and install the latest version of Komplete Kontrol from the Updates tab (or the Available tab if it hasn't been installed yet) in Native Access. If your operating system does not support the latest software update, you can download an earlier compatible version from here.
2. Enable Full Disk Access for Komplete Kontrol
It may be necessary to grant Full Disk Access to Komplete Kontrol in order for it to work correctly. More information on Full Disk Access can be found on the Apple website.
- Open your Mac's System Preferences and click Security & Privacy.
- Under the Privacy tab, choose Full Disk Access from the sidebar.
- Click the lock icon in the bottom left of the window and enter your macOS password.
- Ensure that Komplete Kontrol appears in the list.
If it does not appear in this list, click the + icon and add the location of Komplete Kontrol from Mac HD: Applications > Native Instruments > Komplete Kontrol > Komplete Kontrol.app. - Once completed, click the lock icon again.
3. The NIHardwareAgent or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are not running in the background
Make sure that both the NIHardwareAgent and the NIHostIntegrationAgent applications are set as startup items.
- Open your Mac's System Preferences and choose Users & Groups.
- Make sure your account is selected under Current User and go to the Login Items tab. Verify if both NIHardwareAgent and NIHostIntegrationAgent are listed in the login items.
- If any of these two items are missing from the list, add them by clicking the '+' icon.
- Navigate to the following location:
Macintosh HD > Library > Application Support > Native Instruments > Hardware - Select the missing service and click Add, as shown below.
Note: If the services are missing from the Hardware folder, please reinstall Komplete Kontrol from Native Access as per this article.
The NIHardwareAgent and NIHostIntegrationAgent services are now set as login items. Restart your computer, start the Komplete Kontrol software and check if your Komplete Kontrol keyboard starts as expected. If this is not the case, continue troubleshooting.
4. The HAL plug-in folder contains drivers which are not supported
Your Komplete Kontrol keyboard may not start when an outdated version of the AVID CoreAudio plug-in is installed under OS X 10.10.5 or higher. The solutions are as follows:
4.1. Update the AVID CoreAudio Driver
In most cases, the issue will be fixed after the installation of the latest update of the AVID CoreAudio Driver. If installing the latest update of the AVID CoreAudio Driver is not an option or the issue persists, please continue:
4.2. Removing the Avid CoreAudio Plug-in
Disclaimer: This procedure describes the manual uninstallation of a third-party manufacturer component. Native Instruments cannot be held responsible for any damages to your system caused by following these instructions.
- Open Finder and navigate to the folder:
macOS 10.14 (or older): Macintosh HD > Library > Audio > Plug-Ins > HAL
macOS 10.15: Macintosh HD > System > Library > Audio > Plug-ins > HAL - Copy the "Avid CoreAudio.plugin" to another location, for example the Desktop.
- Delete the "Avid CoreAudio.plugin" from the HAL Plug-in folder.
- Type in the admin password when prompted.
- Restart your computer.
While you can fully use Pro Tools without the Avid CoreAudio plug-in, it is not possible to monitor the audio output of any CoreAudio application using your Avid HD audio interface after removing the file. If you should require this functionality again, move the file back to its original location in the HAL folder and restart your computer.
4.3 Updating / Removing Other Plug-ins
If there are more ".plug-in" files in this folder, visit the manufacturer's website and install the latest updates for these plug-ins. Should the problem persist, try temporarily removing the ".plugin" files from the HAL folder as explained in step 2 above.
5. The computer's system drive is formatted in a case-sensitive format
Case-sensitive hard drive formats are not supported by Native Instruments products and will prevent the Komplete Kontrol keyboard to start as expected. This article explains how to find out if your hard drive's format is case-sensitive. If it is not, continue troubleshooting.
6. The USB cable or the USB hub is not supported
Use the original USB cable provided with your Komplete Kontrol keyboard. If not available anymore, this article contains information that will help you choose a suitable USB cable.
Use a different USB port on your system in case the one in use is damaged.
If possible, always connect your Komplete Kontrol keyboard directly to your computer's USB port. If you must use a USB hub, make sure it is powered by its own power supply. More information regarding USB hubs and docks is available in this article.
Windows
This behavior can be caused by different factors. Click the possible causes one by one to be redirected to the corresponding troubleshooting steps below in the article.
- The Komplete Kontrol software is not up to date
- Enable the software to run as administrator
- The firmware is not up to date
- The KOMPLETE KONTROL keyboard driver was not installed or is not installed properly (S-Series users only)
- The NIHardwareAgent or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are not running in the background
- There is an issue with the USB connection
1. The Komplete Kontrol software is not up to date
Download and install the latest version of Komplete Kontrol from the Updates tab (or the Available tab if it hasn't been installed yet) in Native Access. If your operating system does not support the latest software update, you can download the last supported version from here.
2. Enable the software to run as Administrator
- Ensure that your Komplete Kontrol keyboard is powered off and that neither the Komplete Kontrol software nor any other Native Instruments or audio applications are running.
- Right-click on the Komplete Kontrol app and select Properties.
- In the Properties window, click on Advanced in the Shortcut tab.
- Enable the option Run as administrator in the Advanced Properties menu and confirm with OK.
- Click on Apply and then OK to confirm and leave the Properties.
Note: Depending on your Windows Account Settings, you may receive a warning message. In this case, click on Continue to confirm the changes.
Now Komplete Kontrol will always start with administrator rights, ensuring that the connection between the hardware and the software is established.
3. The Firmware is not up to date
In order to ensure that your Komplete Kontrol keyboard functions as expected, it must be updated to its latest firmware. To do so, head over to the Drivers & Other Files page. Then, find the model of the Komplete Kontrol keyboard you are using (e.g. A, M, or S Series) in the list and download the latest version of the Firmware Updater appropriate for your keyboard.
Note: To make sure the firmware is installed correctly, follow the instructions in this article.
4. The Komplete Kontrol keyboard driver was not installed or is not installed properly (S-Series users only)
For S-Series users, download the appropriate Komplete Kontrol driver available on the Drivers & Other Files page, in the Komplete Kontrol S-Series category.
If the driver is already installed and the issue persists, go through the steps below to verify the hardware status of your Komplete Kontrol keyboard:
- Make sure your NI device is connected directly to your computer's USB port.
- Open the Start menu and type 'devmgmt.msc' in the search bar, then hit the Enter key on your keyboard to open the Windows Device Manager.
- Expand the entries Sound, video, and game controllers and Universal Serial Bus devices.
If an exclamation mark appears next to your device entry (as shown in the picture above), install the driver manually as explained below. - Right-click on the device entry and select Update Driver Software... from the menu that appears.
- In the window that opens, choose "Browse my computer for driver software".
- Browse to the following directory:
C: > Program Files > Native Instruments > *Device Name Driver* > Inf - Click OK to load the driver.
5. The NIHardwareAgent or NIHostIntegrationAgent services are not running in the background
Make sure that the services NIHardwareAgent and NIHostIntegrationAgent are running on your computer. Follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button, type Task Manager, and press the Enter key on your keyboard to open the Windows Task Manager. Choose the Services tab.
Note: If the Services tab is not directly available, expand the view by clicking 'More details' in the lower-left corner of the window.
- Search the list and check if the Status of the services NIHostIntegrationAgent and NIHardwareService is set to Running:
- If not, right-click the respective entry and choose Start from the context menu:
- Restart you computer
6. The USB cable or the USB hub is not supported
Make sure to connect your Komplete Kontrol keyboard using the provided USB cable directly to your system. Try different USB cables, as explained in this article, if the original cable is not available.
Use a different USB port on your system in case the one in use is damaged.
Also, avoid USB docks or hubs if at all possible. If you must use a USB hub, make, make sure it is powered by its own power supply. More information regarding USB hubs and docks is available in this article.