I just got my Komplete Kontrol S61 MK2 two days ago and so far I have to say I'm pretty pleased.
First, I never had the MK1 to compare to. I'm also not a great keyboard player and while feel isn't as super-critical to me as it is to many pro players I do appreciate a nice key bed. Right now I bounce between a Motif XF6, DX-7II, Sub 37 and A-300 Pro for keyboard control. I like the MK2's keyboard better than them all.
The look and feel of the machine (no pun intended) is nice. It feels solid although a bit fragile. I think my Motif would survive a drop better than this would. The button and pot feel is solid enough and consistent.
The displays are really nice and easy to work with. I haven't found any screen controls for brightness / contrast but really haven't needed them yet. Working with the variety of Native Instruments products I own was a snap. Other products I have including Synth1, Sunrizer, Zebra2 were added and are easily accessible through both the onscreen interface and through the keyboards display/controls.
I also like the pitch and mod wheels. While I like touch-bars for effects I prefer the physical feel of a wheel for these two functions. I like that the wheels are large and comfortable for sausage-fingered players. They are also rubberized which provides excellent grip. The mod wheel does not have auto-centre which is the way I like it.
Losing transport control isn't a concern for me as I don't use my keyboard for transport control. The feature wasn't even on my radar. I can see, however, how it could have a huge negative effect on the workflow of artists utilizing this feature. It'd be nice to see an OSC interface.
Speaking of interface I wouldn't expect to see any deep integration with Reaper. I contacted NI about it and received the reply;
"We currently only have Logic, Garage Band, Ableton and Cubase / Nuendo fully integrated with our Komplete Kontrol. We don't have any information regarding Reaper at the moment. Please follow this link to have more information regarding host integration : https://support.native-instruments.c...st-Integration
Oh well... again, not a deal-breaker for me.
While I'm familiar with NI's software this was my first venture into the Komplete Kontrol package. I found it easy enough to use on both ends but as some have already said in this thread, it seems a bit rushed. That's not surprising though. It's easy to finish software later on. After all, it's only the customer that suffers, right? ; )
Seriously though, I'm sure with this platform they've laid a foundation for their next line of products and we'll likely see some great things in the future. At least I hope so.
Plus they got it out in time for the holiday season!
In the meantime.... I'm really loving this toy!