Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1 Interface

Feature:
The balanced 2 in and 4 out plus the insane MIDI control capacity (which I haven't mastered) are great. I think an external power source might help take the load from the usb port. Otherwise no complaints. I haven't used the extra software bundle yet. I bought this for the sampling rate and the 4 balanced outs and am not disappointed.

Quality:
This is a fine and sturdy metal device. Well labeled and quality controls...nothing cheesy here. The lighting scheme and indicators are just plain cool. This thing is virtually noiseless. I use it with N-track (cheap but good) recording software on a modest Gateway PC and I can rival much more expensive studios.

Value:
Native Instruments are not for the weak of wallet. Again the sampling rate and features sold me. If they knocked off another $50 I think they'd gain a lot more potential customers.

Desirability:
This fit my criteria... External USB Interface 4 balanced outputs High sampling rate And it Didn't cost $300 or more to get these features

Sound:
This thing has a nice clean and fat sound (probably due to the sampling rate). Nothing is lost. You must have a decent PC with good usb ports because this unit seems to tax it pretty good. I compare to my friends Emu recordings and we both agree mine sounds better. The headphone could be louder but again mercy on the port. Great dynamics!

Ease of Use:
I had some audible unexplainable glitches when I first fired this up and like some others experienced some bad thoughts. I have since learned to go back and set a lot of the assignments and settings not changing them but clicking off and then back on again. This shouldn't be necessary but is now routine. I think it's mostly because of Vista incompatibility.

Support:
Haven't used support but their website is useful for FAQ's, downloads and upgrades.

Overall:
I've had mine about 8 months and use it mostly on weekends. It continues to amaze me with quality recordings of guitars, bass, vocals, drums and keybords. The more I use it the more I like it.

Feature:
Monitoring is no good. The inputs only have a clip indicator. There is no software monitoring. What I really don't like is the output activity LEDs, of which there is one for each stereo output. These LEDs indicate POST-FADER activity, not pre-fader. If you turn down the level knobs, the LEDs won't come on at all. I like to 'see' the sound before it comes out of my monitors, to protect my ears. Then I gradually turn knob to a comfortable level. Because most devices monitor input levels, rather than output levels, this feature is redundant. I have my Audio Kontrol connected to a Mackie Big Knob which, of course, has input monitoring, and that's what I look at, not the silly LED on the Audio Kontrol. I wish the unit had 4 buttons on the top, not 3. That way I could map set them up for Play, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward, and the knob for Volume. With three buttons I am pretty much stuffed. The best feature of the AK1, and the main reason why I bought it, are the audio drivers. I think this is the only audio interface on the market to offer such flexible ASIO multiclient functionality. This means you can have several DAWs, Winamp, Reason, stand-alone virtual instruments, etc, running simultaneously in sweet harmony. RME say that the Fireface 400/800 is ASIO multiclient; I own it and it is nowhere near as good as the AK1, be assured. The unit is bus-powered which is good for laptop use. Also, this unit does not get hot at all, unlike my Fireface 400 which is like a radiator.

Quality:
The product, for the most part, is made well but: - The PCB material has a strong smell. - The TRS sockets feel cheap, at least compared to those found on Mackie equipment (e.g. the Big Knob). They are not secured to the outer shell by a nut and so the wobble. In addition, the internal contacts make and break some times when you wobble the connector, which does not happen on my other gear. - I don't like the top panel because it is made of shiny plastic which can be easy to scratch wiping it with certain cloths. Some people will love this feature though because it looks beautiful. - The knobs are made of injection-moulded plastic, and on my unit they have not been manufactured particularly well because if you turn all knobs all the way to the right, the knob markers don't point in the same direction (e.g. one is pointing to 5 o'clock and another one to 5:30). In general, Mackie products are better built in my opinion and experience. The sound of the AK1 is beautiful though.

Value:
A little pricy. The Mackie Satellite offers more I/O at a lower price. However, mackie drivers are not ASIO multiclient.

Desirability:
I care about quality, not appearance.

Sound:
All outputs sound very clean. Overall, very high quality. My only gripe is that the TRS sockets are not the best out there, and if you waggle the headphones male TRS, for example, you will hear crackle as the ground contact makes and breaks. I am just surprised that NI used cheap connectors on a device with fine electronics and hardware. For only a few extra bucks they could have made possibly the best audio interface of its kind.

Ease of Use:
Very easy. The drivers are by far the best feature of this product, which works every time. I put my computer to sleep, wake it up and playback dutifully resumes. I have had many more problems with my Fireface 400.

Support:
In my experience, NI have been supportive when I have contacted them. They can take several days to reply though, and NI staff don't always speak fluent English.

Overall:
Satisfied till it breaks. And if it does, I hope it happens within the warranty period!