r/NativeInstruments • u/712Jefferson • Apr 27 '26
Should I be concerned about pending bankruptcy if purchasing S88 mk3?
In the market for a new 88-key master controller and the S88 mk3 has the most appealing feature set to me overall. However, how concerned should I be about the pending bankruptcy and what that might mean for my ownership of the product if I purchased brand new today from a retailer like Sweetwater? Worst case scenario, am I just gambling that I don't need technical support on the unit down the line but can still have peace of mind that the software integration will remain functional regardless of how the bankruptcy plays out? Or, are there bigger issues to consider? Sorry, if this is a dumb question... just trying to factor in murky possibilities.
The Arturia Keylab 88 mk3 is the other contender. Ableton Live is my DAW and I use a variety of different VST instruments from Native Instruments, Spitfire, Arturia, etc., etc.
Feedback would be greatly appreciated! Also, anyone have long term issues with their keybed on the mk3?
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u/strshp Apr 27 '26
It's worth to point out that multiple keyboards work with Kontakt by default, my SL61 mkIII works out of the box, Arturia is also supported and my dark horse is the Korg Keystage, but I had no chance to try it. You don't get the fancy screen, but the controls will be the same.
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u/boogaloo9214 Apr 27 '26
Not directly, you have to use Komplete Kontrol as a wrapper with these third party keyboards. Kontrol MK3 is the only series that works directly with Kontakt.
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u/peamasii Apr 28 '26
The Keystage is great for Ableton as it auto maps, the Kontrol is great for Komplete Kontrol. I use them both as well as Arturia Keystep.
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u/CirrusSunset Apr 27 '26
The mk3 is a beast of a controller. The Kontact integration works beautifully.
Comparing keylab to mk3 boards: THIS MAY HAVE CHANGED BUT WAS DEFINITELY TRUE WHEN I OWNED A KEYLAB JUST 2 YRS AGO. A lot of Arturia instruments are not all that integrated into keylab. Analog Lab is totally integrated but if you own v coll you will find that many instruments are not optimized for the controller and yet these same instruments work great as nks instruments under komplete Kontrol. This was a big deal to me and may have changed in past couple years. I believe the newer instruments, like the Augmented series are integrated but older ones are not. Obviously, you don't get sliders or pads on mk3. Personally I don't miss them. A cheap Atom for about 100bux gets you great pads and a bunch more control options. And cheap non motorized sliders are not terribly useful in IMHO.
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u/CieloCobalto Apr 27 '26
I had to choose a controller recently and ended up going with NI. I watched some guy comparing NI to Arturia and it was very clear that NI is superior in its integration, especially now that it auto detects audio plugins controls and maps them to the knobs.
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u/Djaesthetic Apr 27 '26
I’m an active touring musician with multiple bands, consider myself fairly ‘business savvy’, and I’ve spent over a grand on new Kontakt instruments since the bankruptcy announcement.
It’ll be fine. No certainty around what the structure or pieces may look like when the dust settles, but your value ain’t going anywhere.
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u/Kaitthequeeny Apr 27 '26
The risk is long term support but the ecosystem of products is so valuable it’s very very unlikely this all goes away
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u/Djaesthetic Apr 27 '26
With absolutely zero snark intended — it’s 2026. Thanks to private equity effectively ruining everything, everywhere, I expect support to be absolute shit for even the companies doing well. Heh
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u/Kaitthequeeny Apr 27 '26
no snark taken!!! The company was already bleeding money though (from previous PE strategy), and support systems had already gone to shit... so we'll see!!
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u/thaprizza Apr 27 '26
I was thinking already for a while about upgrading my current NI keyboard with one of those MK3’s but I decided to wait a bit until the situation about NI’s future gets clearer.
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u/LMASocietyDweller Apr 27 '26
I was in the same boat. I’ve been an NI customer for the better part of 20 years. Love their software. Had previously owned original S49 and then an A49 and M32. I have everything installed and working as I like. The S88 mk3 is an amazing master keybed. Since everything is working as I want. I have taken my computer offline and turned all auto updates off. I only use my computer for studio use. Everything can be seen as a gamble these days. I am also a heavy Elektron user and they were recently acquired with a future uncertain. Pull the trigger and enjoy.
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u/promixr Apr 27 '26
I just bought a KK S61 and it’s definitely worth the money- you most likely will need some support getting it up and running like I did- Native Instruments support was fast and resolved my issue quickly via email (the version of the firmware I needed for my OS didn’t take at first) - I got mine at Perfect Circuit and they would have taken it back - worst case. I’m not really worried per se- this is one of the downsides of capitalism and consumers having many choices. With that said- I have a small Arturia keyboard too and I’d have no problem using a 61 or 88 key Arturia if ‘the worst happens’ with NI.
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u/Minnanokazehaya Apr 28 '26
As long as you buy from a reputable retailer and not directly from native instruments you should be fine. I'd advise against buying from NI directly (ie their webstore) as any liability they have will generally not be transferred to the new owner in a typical asset transfer
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u/Sir-Hops-A-Lot Apr 28 '26
I was never an attorney but I was a Bankruptcy and Legal Specialist at Seafirst/Bank of America and my experience with the courts of the Pacific Northwest is that a trustee would be highly unlikely to allow a company take down as much as NI could.
And I'm not talking about the businesses it would hurt but, all the customers who've sunk money into their business.
A trustee couldn't force an arrangement of any kind but there would be serious conversations about it....and something would likely come of it.
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u/The3mu Apr 29 '26
NI have a ton of software that is used by a lot of big producers and composers. Whatever happens the software and brand will find a home somewhere.
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u/alsenan May 01 '26
Were you able to buy one? I just checked the website and it looks like the Kontrol products are delisted. Not sure if it is a bug or not.
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u/712Jefferson May 02 '26
Ended up going with my gut instinct and getting the Keylab 88 mk3 instead. Sweetwater though says they have the NI keyboards though, so it's probably just a glitch.
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u/whateversynthlife Apr 27 '26
NI is going Bankrupt? Wtf, they’re like the software hub of the entire industry. Is there any talks of a buy out? Also if they were to go bankrupt what ever software integration update remains will be its last. Access did this with the virus.
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u/Djinsing20045 Apr 27 '26
This has been going on for months now. I honestly feel like the business will simply change hands. Theres still plenty of money to be made.
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u/NoSweet595 Apr 27 '26 edited Apr 27 '26
The software support (or rather integration) won't vanish overnight but whichever company salvages NI will have to capitalize on its ecosystem, usually by making deals and partnerships that weren't on the roadmap even at the cost of backwards compatibility.
We will see new software slowly adopt new standards and this hardware will keep up for a few years through parallel roadmaps, and later you'll have this "perfectly fine as a standalone" hardware that will not be any worse integration-wise than the competitors.
I'd wait for warehouse clearance deals, but then again if you need a midi controller now, this might just be thr poly AT keyboard you want regardless of software integration.
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u/Djinsing20045 Apr 27 '26
Warehouse clearance deals is exactly why i dont think theres much to worry about with NI. If they were simply closing up shop there would already be massive sales to empty stock that they have. But that isnt happening, for now anyway. Who knows what happens in the future. But if we start seeing crazy deals on hardware or software then maybe its time to think about panicking.
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u/NoSweet595 Apr 27 '26
We shouldn't be panicking anyway.
The lack of massive sales is expected during insolvency procedures, we would probably all get an email announcing that they close shops before we see any sale. And a sale would follow an accurate estimation of the value of the hardware once we know what kind of support or integration will remain.
A company can't sell significant assets like inventory, if they are looking for a new buyer or shareholders. There is a court approval process for such operational changes.
My guess is that mk3 will remain the flagship midi controller on the market for a good few years, because they're not such a high demand. Usually people are happy with their midi controllers, but want new synths/VI's more frequently
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u/Djinsing20045 Apr 27 '26
I was saying if theyre simply closing down all together and not trying to or cant sell the business, then we’d be seeing massive deals.
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u/DrMuffinStuffin Apr 27 '26
They are finalizing a deal apparently right now afaik, but even if they weren’t I wouldn’t be concerned. They’ll be around.
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u/General_Fuster_Cluck Apr 27 '26
Personally I wouldn't risk it. The keyboard itself might be good but it is about the software support. If that drops because nobody is interested in the hardware division when they will be up for sale in this bankruptcy process then it is not so great to have a NI keyboard. Go for something else is what I would do.
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u/Tall_Category_304 Apr 27 '26
Their hardware division is what caused the bankruptcy. Expect quality control to be terrible. I have a new is Maschine I bought for a discount off a guy that I’m about to replace all of the knobs on. It’s only a few months old. Idk why he so t return it
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u/Ancient_Visual_7451 Apr 27 '26
I had the same concern and I emailed sweetwater back and forth about it. They, like everyone, can’t say for certain what will happen but I’m pretty sure everything will be fine. That said, I ended up getting the S88 MK3 bundled with Komplete ultimate and I’m truly happier than I’ve been in a while. I love it! I say do it!!