KORG padKONTROL or Native Instruments Maschine Mikro

[JGum]

I currently have the padKONTROL but am thinking of returning it because of the "Off an Octave" issues and my lack of understanding how to use the x-y pad for effects. I feel I'll get greater value in having a live instrument (Maschine) over just a controller (padKONTROL).

Any input, advice, or experience from anyone more experienced with either the padKONTROL or Maschine Mikro? I'll probably return the padKONTROL tomorrow so any input on these pieces of hardware is appreciated.

Thank you.

[tigali]

What's the "Off an octave" issue?

[JGum]

Whenever I set the key to c3 it's actually hitting c2. I bought the padKONTROL believing it truly was plug-n-play but as each new track requires it to be reconfigured, I'm looking into other options. I figure if I'm always going to have this setup issue, I might as well set up something a bit more useful (the Maschine). It's not detrimental to my workflow, I just naively thought it would be more useful as a drum rack controller than it's actually turning out to be. Why not upgrade to the Maschine is anyone can give some praise or benefit to it is my take on it now.

octave issue http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=61304

[gromgrom]

why don't you just drag a pitch +12 onto the track? takes 2 seconds, and you've saved €350

[Ryanmf]

I sold my MPD32 and bought a Maschine because of the exact configuration issues you're describing. Even with custom rack settings saved as a default, custom slicing, and a custom mapping on the MPD, I was still doing a lot more fiddling with settings than I would have liked.

I'm happy with the decision, but end up using Maschine almost exclusively in standalone mode, both because of Live's high CPU consumption running active plugins, and the fact that when Live is the host, Maschine's transport and tempo controls are disabled. I don't mind the workflow, but I'd love to be able to use Live's native instruments/effects as plugins in Maschine. As it stands, I have to bounce audio to Live to get access to them. There are some interesting ways to route audio/MIDI between Live and Maschine, but that's really only useful on new projects/sets, less so for ones I've already started.

Ultimately, I do recommend Maschine if your pad controller is an important enough part of your workflow that it's worth it for you to drop the extra money. Also, I bought my Maschine in excellent condition on eBay from an authorized retailer, full non-educational version, no problem transferring the license, for less than the price of a Machine Mikro+tax. Since then, I've seen people selling Machines on this forum and others for even less. Unless portability is a huge concern, the extra display and all the knobs are really useful, and make the full-size Maschine an excellent MIDI controller for Live.

[JGum]

why don't you just drag a pitch +12 onto the track? takes 2 seconds, and you've saved €350

I must admit (and hate to do so publicly) but this is the kind of obvious thing that has been staring me in the face the last 3 days that I would usually chuckle when delivering such information to my friends...

I'm thinking I want the Maschine and looking for sane voices on both sides, this is definitely a sane voice on the $€ savings side I wasn't expecting

[JGum]

I was still doing a lot more fiddling with settings than I would have liked.

So you're feeling better about getting into new track creation with the Mikro as a controller over your MPD or you've just begun author loops from Maschine into Live? My goal is to know Maschine can be an instrument when freestyling but a reliable drum controller on the desk more often than not.

end up using Maschine almost exclusively in standalone mode... I'd love to be able to use Live's native instruments/effects as plugins in Maschine,

I was thinking I'd just be using the Maschine interface on some occasions and Ableton's on others. I didn't expect one to replace the other but saw the Maschine interface as a HUGE plugin to Ableton in that it is a standalone app for Maschine

I have to bounce audio to Live to get access to them

I'm pretty used to this with my Kaossilator and microKORG, so live audio out of the Maschine would be just like that, though I am more concerned with its MIDI capabilities as a controller serving Ableton.

Unless portability is a huge concern, the extra display and all the knobs are really useful, and make the full-size Maschine an excellent MIDI controller for Live.

I already have the APC40, I'm not looking to make the Mikro the Ableton controller but an instrument controller which I'm quickly starting to appreciate as a live instrument.

[Ryanmf]

So you're feeling better about getting into new track creation with the Mikro as a controller over your MPD or you've just begun author loops from Maschine into Live? My goal is to know Maschine can be an instrument when freestyling but a reliable drum controller on the desk more often than not.

At this point I rarely ever have Maschine and Live open at the same time. I almost exclusively build "units" of music (anything from a short sample+drum based loop, to longer drum sequences, to things that get close to being entire songs) in Maschine, then drag audio to Live for further layering/processing.

I was thinking I'd just be using the Maschine interface on some occasions and Ableton's on others. I didn't expect one to replace the other but saw the Maschine interface as a HUGE plugin to Ableton in that it is a standalone app for Maschine

If your computer can handle it Maschine works just fine as a software instrument in Live just as any other plugin would.

I already have the APC40, I'm not looking to make the Mikro the Ableton controller but an instrument controller which I'm quickly starting to appreciate as a live instrument.

The Maschine controller works well as a MIDI controller either specifically for the Maschine standalone software/plugin, or as a more general MIDI controller, but not both at the same time. There's a toggle between MIDI mode and Maschine controller mode, and it can be inconvenient to switch back and forth frequently. Also, the Maschine software/plugin's MIDI mapping ability leaves a lot to be desired, when you switch to MIDI mode you've basically lost control of the software half of Maschine entirely.

[JGum]

I just found this on another site from MASCHINE's documentation

"Need to freshen up an idea from your DAW? Open MASCHINE inside your project and sequence some beats. Got a good groove flowing in MASCHINE? Drag and drop sections, loops or full tracks directly into your DAW as either audio or MIDI."


this line in particular:

"drag and drop sections, loops or full tracks directly into your DAW as either audio or MIDI."


Is that true for the Maschine Mikro as well? From what I understand the software is the same for both hardware units.

Is anyone able to confirm this ability to grab Maschine MIDI and use it in Ableton or another DAW? Are beats built in standalone mode viewable in Maschine once the app is launched? If this is possible, I can't wait to receive my Maschine.

I like the idea of building my rhythms in the standalone mode so I'm not tied to the desk and can move around but the performance files become accessible when the hardware is again connected to the software. Could someone please confirm if this is true>

Thank you.

[Ryanmf]

this line in particular:

"drag and drop sections, loops or full tracks directly into your DAW as either audio or MIDI."

Yes, you can do that.

Is that true for the Maschine Mikro as well? From what I understand the software is the same for both hardware units.

Yep, same software.

Is anyone able to confirm this ability to grab Maschine MIDI and use it in Ableton or another DAW?

Mhm.

Are beats built in standalone mode viewable in Maschine once the app is launched? If this is possible, I can't wait to receive my Maschine.

I like the idea of building my rhythms in the standalone mode so I'm not tied to the desk and can move around but the performance files become accessible when the hardware is again connected to the software. Could someone please confirm if this is true

Hold up. Maschine doesn't do anything without software. You have a choice between using a standalone app or a plugin, but it's not an MPC. There's not even a way to turn it on until it's plugged into a computer, and even then you only have access to MIDI mode until either the plugin or the app are running and it performs a software handshake.

[JGum]

Ryanmf,

Thanks for coming back to clarify my misread, I was hoping too much about what standalone meant, though shortly after posting my thoughts here I read the FAQs at http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/ ... ?page=2918

"Q: Can MASCHINE MIKRO be used without a computer?
A: No, the MASCHINE application runs on the computer and the MASCHINE MIKRO hardware is used to control its functions. The controller is not a self-contained instrument in itself."


Again, all your input was appreciated.

[Nav]

I've owned Maschine for the past 3 weeks (not the mikro), but I think that's just a minor difference really.

I am being the most creative I have EVER been.

I am not musically trained, I know little music theory so my production methods are all about listening and seeing what sounds right to my ears. It's all trial and error.

I find it so intuitive to pick up and just piece together something really quickly or take a sound and edit it, resample, replace it and play it from another pad then add some more to it. It's so fluid it is untrue.

I can honestly say the Machine is my go to bit of gear now, the pads are incredible and the knobs feel great. Switching the pads to keyboard mode mean I can jam out a melody or a bassline so easily. I struggle on a keyboard for some reason and using a grid system makes more musical sense to me 'mathematically'.

The audio drag in to Ableton is brilliant, but still a bit weird for me. When I drag a loop in to Ableton it warps it and I seem to end up with a bit of silence at the end so I need to tweak it to make it work. If i unwarp it, then it isn't useable to me in Live. Need to figure that bit out. Honestly though I am finding I don't want to drag anything in to Live because I like the simplicity of the sequencing in Maschine.

I thing progressing forwards I may use it by routing outputs to tracks in Ableton so I have more FX. For now though, I love it in standalone mode.


Lots of fun for me!

[oddstep]

no doubt the maschine is brilliant. the padkontrol is great as a drum rack controller.just use the relevant control surface.

[Ryanmf]

When I drag a loop in to Ableton it warps it and I seem to end up with a bit of silence at the end so I need to tweak it to make it work. If i unwarp it, then it isn't useable to me in Live. Need to figure that bit out.

Toggle your "Loop Optimize" settings, that should take care of it.

[Nav]

Thanks man, I'll check that out later