KB Live Solutions opened pre-orders for param8 on 17 September, an eight-encoder MIDI controller and the first piece of hardware from the company. It is run by Pierre-Antoine Grison, an Ableton Live trainer who records as Krazy Baldhead.
The controller has eight endless rotary encoders that double as push buttons, set to momentary or toggle, plus two further buttons on the left. Two OLED screens of 256 by 64 pixels label what each encoder is doing, shown either as sliders or as virtual knobs. A latch function holds edits back until they are applied together, and a revert function returns parameters to their earlier state.
Ableton Live modes
Two presets are dedicated to Ableton Live and use a remote script. Global mode covers levels, pans and transport, while device mode controls the selected instrument or effect and reads parameter names out of Live, so the screens show the parameter rather than a CC number.
Six further preset slots are configured through a browser-based editor, which handles naming controls, assigning CCs or note data per MIDI channel, organising presets and uploading them to the unit. The param8 is class compliant over USB-C, which also powers it, so it works with other DAWs; there is no DIN or TRS MIDI output for external gear.
Price and availability
param8 is €189 to pre-order, with delivery estimated for December. It measures 20 by 7.5 by 2 cm and comes with a USB-C cable and a pair of 45-degree stands.
Via KB Live Solutions, with additional detail from Synth Anatomy.
