[Feature Request] Make use of the Komplete Kontrol Light Guide

[Robert-K]

I'd like to start this issue off with a huge thank you, this repository alone makes the expensive brick I bought actually useable ❤

I've dabbled in reverse engineering the KK Mk2 before and was able to capture the and show the display data sent to the keyboard using Python. I also managed to create some light shows using the light guide.

IIRC controlling the light guide works pretty much the same way as controlling the button LEDs (Buttons have prefix 0x80, keys 0x81).

Have you considered making use of the light guide? I imagine it could significantly enhance the workflow, for example:

• light keyboard in current track color
• show the MIDI notes currently played (like KK software)
• incicate multisample area
• indicate playable drum machine notes

Some more experimental / advanced features could be:

• [while some button is held down] indicate playhead position and allow jumping anywhere by pressing a note
• play fancy light animations on start, save, etc
• VU meter

It would have to be optional so as not to conflict with the Komplete Kontrol software.

If that's something you'd consider possible and reasonable, I'd love to contribute!

[git-moss]

Up to my knowledge it is not possible to access the light guide with the standard protocol. I guess you did reengineer the USB protocol?

[Robert-K]

I wasn't aware you were using something else. With python and hidapi, it's pretty straightforward:

import hid

PID = 0x17CC  # Native Instruments
VID = 0x1630  # Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2

NUM_KEYS = 88

INIT = 0xA0
SET_BTNS = 0x80
SET_KEYS = 0x81

device = hid.device()
device.open(PID, VID)

device.write([INIT])

def color(hue, brightness=2):
    return hue * 4 + brightness

device.write([SET_KEYS] + [color(2)] * NUM_KEYS)

[git-moss]

If you do this you take over the full device, which means you cannot use the Komplete Kontrol plugin support anymore. Furthermore, you cannot open the ports so easily on all OSs since the NI drivers block it.