param8 by KB Live Solutions is a new small, fully customizable MIDI controller with two screens for Ableton Live and other MIDI gear.
Small MIDI controllers are convenient because they are easy to take with you. You can find options from China, as well as from major players like Novation—such as the Launch Control 3. However, these often offer limited visual feedback because the screens are small.
Ableton Live trainer Krazy Baldhead, aka KB Live Solutions, is about to release the param8, a small new MIDI controller with a great amount of visual feedback.
KB Live Solutions param8
param8 is a new small, briquette-shaped, fully customizable MIDI controller developed by KB Live Solutions, a provider of Ableton Live courses and more.
It has eight infinite rotary encoders with push-button functionality, usable in momentary or toggle mode. It also has two blue buttons on the left side.
A highlight of the new param8 is its two 256×64 px OLED displays, which give you visual feedback on knob mapping and value. This way, you can always see what you’re adjusting without looking at the computer screen.
You can customize the visualization, with a choice between two options: dynamic, which gives you a left-to-right slider animation, or compact, which gives you virtual rotary knobs.
Customizability
KB Live Solutions param8 is designed for Ableton Live and ships with two dedicated presets. The first offers global mode with control over levels, pans, transport, and more of your tracks.
Device mode, on the other hand, is designed for hands-on control of your instrument and effect devices with navigation support. In this view, all the device’s parameter names are displayed, and you can tweak them instantly.
The controller’s auto-naming feature learns parameter names from Ableton Live, so your displays always show meaningful labels instead of generic CC numbers.
Important: The Param8 is not an Ableton Live exclusive MIDI controller. You can fully customize it and use it with other software or even hardware products. It ships with six fully configurable user presets.
To create your custom presets, KB Live Solutions ships the controller with a browser-based online editor. Here, you can name your encoders (turn and push), assign CCs, or assign note data to any MIDI channel at the preset level.
It also helps you organize presets and upload configurations to the MIDI controller.
The feature set also includes latch and revert functionality for the encoders. Latch lets you tweak parameters behind the scenes, then apply all changes at once, while revert lets you create a snapshot and roll back at any time after your parameter experiments.
On the connection side, it has a USB-C port that provides power and sends data.
First Impression
An exciting little MIDI controller that offers a lot of visual feedback for its size. A bit of a shame it’s limited to USB-C data. A TRS MIDI out would have been really handy, especially with external gear.
KB Live Solutions param8 is available now for pre-order for 189€, with an estimated delivery date of December 2026.
More information here: KB Live Solutions
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