Someone made a quick mockup of a maschine keyboard on their forums in 2014
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Possibly true, but how often do you get to use the term “haphazardly”.
By features alone, the thing is cool. I like Novation. They make quality controllers. I love the feel of the pads on my LPm. CV/Midi/USB* Sequencer in one controller?! That’s really cool- there’s no other controller that does that.
I really feel that they missed the opportunity to take it to the next level by being more efficient with the layout of the controller, though.
Perhaps I’m just spoiled by the layout efficiency of the Elektron boxes, though
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Yeah pretty much my sentiments. I’m surprised no one makes controllers with a synth style fold up front panel. The amount of controls would justify it. The thing about midi controllers with so many controls is that I spend more time trying to map the thing than using it, that’s why KK seems like such a godsend for me as a heavy NI user. Not such a problem for people with mostly hardware rigs
nice one but,… these midi controllers are overpriced, always…
but ymmv (as always too)
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If i’d been paying attention LAST WEEK i would have notice that the SL MkIII was time-warped into the new Sweetwater Catalogue. (Big full page ad on page 232.) That’s one of those science fiction tropes – that by some freak occurrence you get tomorrows newspaper.
And to v00d00ppl
If i’d been paying attention i might have noticed you put a thread up a few minutes before this one. Jinx – I owe you a candy bar!
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Funny how all these NEW controllers come along at almost the same time – Native Instruments has the S88 and the three A series controllers, there are two new Nektars the T4 and T6, and Arturia has the new Keylab MkII. (Is there a new Elektron keyboard/controller on the way too? – Maybe! Maybe not.)
I differ with a lot of people who have posted here who want something smaller. I am looking for something large enough. The SL MkIII by allowing separate zones on the keyboard, linked into a mixture of computer controllers, hardware controllers and CV for Eurorack gear, makes the controller real-estate very valuable. The 61 key unit would have a lot of use for me.
The 88 keys on the NI S88 would give even more space and a nice piano feel, but it requires a computer and weighs more; and i like the smarts that are in the SL MkIII controller.
But with all the new stuff i need to look at the competition … again.
New Nektar T4
New Arturia Keylab 49
ADDED: Watch in this video at 15:35 in, as the interviewer, tongue in check, roasts the Arturia rep about the “delightful 1990s style LCD display.”
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I had on “the list” the Arturia Minibrute 2S to use with a couple of semi-modular synths and Eurorack gear – but i’m thinking now that the SL MkIII (or something like it), with the multiple channel sequencers, will probably be a better place to land – likely with an additional CV interface, maybe the Polyend Poly or something from Expert Sleepers.
The SL MkIII would really be the centerpiece for a table top and rack of gear. All this along with the added midi controlled hardware synths and synths in the box too.
Is there a midi-controlled mixer that could be paired with this?
I’ve got to think that Bitwig which may have the most complete set of supported hardware is going to pick this up pretty quickly.
I’d hope too that Spectrasonics with the Omnisphere hardware support they do would include this too.
I still hope someone make something like the Nord Modular G2 key (midi side).
I think the G2 is still the best midi controller ever made. (though the key is so so and there is no sysex support)
-You can build sequencers the way you want : for example you can have 4 sequencers running in parallel with different patterns and each variations (8) can store a different pattern midi cc assignment etc.
You have those 8 rotary encoders for visual feedback.
-Midi modulators : LFO , ENV , Env follower if you want to use audio as a modulator, sequencer of course, random pattern generator etc.
-Custom arpeggiators
-Morphing between parameters
-Macros : so with one knob, mod wheel etc you can adjust several midi CC at once.
-Key split , no zone limit.
-send multiples program change using foot pedal, knobs etc
I use mine for my live setup so when i change a variation on the G2 it send all the program change for each of my synths at once, I have knobs assign to midi CC to control different synth. I also use sequencer that i control with my foot. Its like a super midi hub for all my gears.
Please someone make a Modular Midi controller !! 
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The G2 is god for sure… I owned the original and a G2 rack (still miss them both). Never had the cash for a G2 key, but if I ever saw one at a reasonable price…I would jump at the opportunity. These days though, I use Reaktor for my modular needs and USB midi to trigger vst synths and other Ableton built in synths. I already own that stuff.
But, damn…I do miss my Nord.
These don’t use automap now do they?
That was nasty stuff in their older controllers
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Of course using Max is even better if you dont mind using a laptop
What i like about the G2 is the visual feedback. All those rotary encoders with led ring and the LCD.
Though if i was not playing live i would simply use Max or my Axoloti.
Auromap was a nightmare. Sounded great on paper until actually using it
I’m not in the market for these keyboards but this is one of the nicest official promo songs I’ve ever heard, props to Novation.
Yeah it single handedly destroyed my computer a while back.
Had to reformat my whole computer
Evil 
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yeah it was pretty irritating but I used it on a Mac without many problems. Only way to get values from Nocturn in & out of Max. Great controller poor implementation
So dope
its getting pretty good for hardware these days innit
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Gaz on Sonic Talk #553 at 41:34, talks about how much he likes the feel and the quality of the SL MkIII, that “Novation has really stepped up their quality.”
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No USB Host port?
I’m pretty sure of this, but haven’t found documentation that states this explicitly, so please correct me if i’m wrong.
I think the USB port on the SL MkIII is peripheral only. It would be nice if they had two USB ports, one of them a host port, or even a USB On-The-Go (OTG) port. That would allow you to plug in USB only controller hardware, i’m thinking in particular of the new USB only Expressive E Touché, and output in DIN MIDI or CV or USB MIDI.
There is a technical catch too to doing this as USB MIDI can be so much faster, that there exists the potential of over-runs on a DIN MIDI pipe. The way that you deal with this typically is with MIDI message filtering.
I put together a list of devices that allow you to do USB host mode without a computer, but it would be nice if the SL MkIII could do this internally too. There are several ways to work around this, but i think Novation missed a trick here.
The Waldorf Quantum, as for instance, can be used as a controller and has two USB ports for this. I know there are others too, but they are all synths as well, so being able to do USB hosting makes even more sense. I’m not aware of any other controller (exclusively so) that has a USB Host port.
Video SL MKIII