Design
Timbaland's auctioning molten blue MIDI controllers for a good cause
Hardware-maker Native Instruments and the star producer have teamed up to produce 150 devices with the proceeds going to 'Girls Make Beats.'
Beatclub, the music marketplace co-founded by Timbaland, has teamed up with Native Instruments to create a limited-edition version of the company’s Komplete Kontrol M32 MIDI controller. Only 150 of the stunning “molten blue” keyboards will be created — and you won’t be able to buy them outright. Instead, you’ll only be able to stand a chance of winning them via raffles or auctions on StockX, or by entering a beat-making contest on Metapop.
The proceeds from the campaign are going to the nonprofit Girls Make Beats. The 501(c)(3) organization runs educational seminars, summer camps, and industry panels for girls interested in becoming music producers. The auctions will begin on May 4 at 12 p.m. ET and will run until noon on May 7. Meanwhile, for the StockX raffle, A $10 donation to Girls Make Beats is all it takes to enter.
“Komplete Kontrol keyboards have been an integral part of my work for years,” Timbaland said in a press release. “I love seeing the Beatclub logo on a piece of equipment that’s been so important to my creative process.”
A stellar, limited-run MIDI controller backed by the-man-the-myth-the-legend Timbaland himself — and you can win one by donating to a great nonprofit? Doesn’t get much better than that.
Molten blue and functional, too — Timbaland isn’t alone in loving the Komplete Kontrol M32. It’s one of Native Instruments’ most popular products for good reason: it’s professional enough to make real music but without the steep price of higher-end keyboards.
Where the generic M32’s design is pretty timeless — matte black with white keys, nothing ostentatious — the Beatclub collab is a little more in-your-face. The pattern mimics a blue lava flow with black marbling, so it definitely stands out more than the original design. There’s also a large Beatclub logo smack in the middle, so you won’t be forgetting Timbaland’s hand in all this.
All about music-making — This collab is about the kick-ass blue keyboard, but it’s also about a broader love of music-making and the community around it. Hence the importance of the auction for Girls Make Beats, an organization with a mission centered on building this community. Two of the special-edition keyboards are being donated to 1500 Sound Academy, an LA-based music production school, for similar reasons.
“Music making is as much about access to the tools as it is about being part of a positive and thriving community,” said Native Instruments CEO Constantin Koehncke.
It’s the remix — A producer competition on Metapop will help 10 producers get their hands on the controller. “An exclusive loop and two one-shots from Timbaland’s upcoming Holy Grail Sound Pack will serve as source material for the contest,” and “Timbaland will personally judge entries and announce the winner live on Twitch, with the top 10 receiving the limited-edition keyboard. The competition kicks off on April 27 and entries are due by May 27.”
