To Maschine Or Not To Maschine

[23kon]

its funny 23kon cause you sound allot like I used to sound, you're budging ever so slightly more and more

Haha.
Yeah I'm definitely not opposed to Maschine.
I guess most of my posts have either been trying to find out more about Maschine or playing Devils Advocate and prompt debate over it's benefits over other similar solutions.

I'm really REALLY tempted by the Mikro
Especially after watching that Flux (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYp2p4MYNP4) video and his opinion of the Mikro - rather than being an entry-level unit that it's a different beast alltogether.
I like it for it's size and would couple really well with my iPad running TouchOSC/MidiTouch to control VSTs/Effects/Levels etc so not having the full machine unit with it's 8 knobs wouldnt be missed as ideally i'd like more than 8 anyway.

I'm not desperate for one at the moment as my main priority is getting a load of unfinished songs in Ableton finished.

£300 for Mikro is a steal considering you are getting the software too.
It's maybe even worth holding out a few weeks until they start appearing second hand on ebay when useless folk buy them and start realising that it's not for them

[djadonis206]

I got the Mikro this afternoon. It's pretty cool. You get good a navigating the one knob pretty quick.

It is different than the M1

[23kon]

I think i'm going to get myself a Mikro.

Watching this video explained to me about possible integration with Ableton Live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NLgXncVuw

If I created a tune in Maschine using external VSTs and I pull the stuff into Live in the way it's shown in the video above, as well as controlling volume etc (which this guy does in the tutorial), can I automate parameters within the VST too?

[cmreal04]

I think i'm going to get myself a Mikro.

Watching this video explained to me about possible integration with Ableton Live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NLgXncVuw

If I created a tune in Maschine using external VSTs and I pull the stuff into Live in the way it's shown in the video above, as well as controlling volume etc (which this guy does in the tutorial), can I automate parameters within the VST too?

Maybe it's me, but I just think that defeats to whole purpose of the dedicated maschine software.

I also watched one of the other vids posted and even tho mikro is hands on, if you can afford the cash - don't see the point in not having the extra knobs and using a nav button.

[23kon]

Maybe it's me, but I just think that defeats to whole purpose of the dedicated maschine software.

I also watched one of the other vids posted and even tho mikro is hands on, if you can afford the cash - don't see the point in not having the extra knobs and using a nav button.

A lot of folk seem to use maschine as the sketchbook then Ableton for recording/mastering final tunes.
Being able to take in each channel like this allows for better mastering.

Money isnt an issue, I'd like Mikro for the size fullstop.
I don't need knobs, i've got a Nocturn and would be running TouchOSC/MidiTouch on ipad too.

My 12" laptop, ipad and if I got a Mikro would make a very portable setup with tiny footprint.

[djadonis206]

I think i'm going to get myself a Mikro.

Watching this video explained to me about possible integration with Ableton Live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NLgXncVuw

If I created a tune in Maschine using external VSTs and I pull the stuff into Live in the way it's shown in the video above, as well as controlling volume etc (which this guy does in the tutorial), can I automate parameters within the VST too?

Maybe it's me, but I just think that defeats to whole purpose of the dedicated maschine software.

I also watched one of the other vids posted and even tho mikro is hands on, if you can afford the cash - don't see the point in not having the extra knobs and using a nav button.

There's no reason, other than money, you can't have both. I'm surprised at how fast I can maneuver through the Mikro. Perhaps cause I've had some time to learn the flagship Maschine.

You can also just use Live as a mixing board for Maschine, sequencing in Maschine which is really easy and fast. It takes a minute to get it but once you do, damn.

[starving student]

its funny 23kon cause you sound allot like I used to sound, you're budging ever so slightly more and more

Haha.
Yeah I'm definitely not opposed to Maschine.
I guess most of my posts have either been trying to find out more about Maschine or playing Devils Advocate and prompt debate over it's benefits over other similar solutions.

I'm really REALLY tempted by the Mikro
Especially after watching that Flux (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYp2p4MYNP4) video and his opinion of the Mikro - rather than being an entry-level unit that it's a different beast alltogether.
I like it for it's size and would couple really well with my iPad running TouchOSC/MidiTouch to control VSTs/Effects/Levels etc so not having the full machine unit with it's 8 knobs wouldnt be missed as ideally i'd like more than 8 anyway.

I'm not desperate for one at the moment as my main priority is getting a load of unfinished songs in Ableton finished.

£300 for Mikro is a steal considering you are getting the software too.
It's maybe even worth holding out a few weeks until they start appearing second hand on ebay when useless folk buy them and start realising that it's not for them

i've been checkin for them, when I got maschine I was so closed minded about it you wouldn't believe. I gave a few people here so many headaches but they were kind enough to bear with me, frankly my first impression was wtf is this crap but to be fair to myself the 1.0 version of the software was definitely not up to par, especially being an mpc emulator that you were still stuck to a computer with I was like forget about it
but I try to make it my business to at least try to be objective about every beatmachine I come across but it took a good while, and then I spotted a maschine on craigs for basically $200 from a disgruntled mpc user who was so pissed he had sold his mpc for maschine and now wanted it out of his site, I couldn't resist, it was like new in the box looked like it just came off the shelf so I got lucky. If I had of paid full price in the beginning I would have been upset until they started with the updates cause I could not believe all of the shit they left out of the first version.
now all I feel like they need to do is clean up the midi, put a proper songmode in for those of us who want to use it stand alone as much as with our daws and add some minor stuff like recordable mutes/solos, some more sample editing features, and I'd love to be able to sequence together patterns of differing tempos, if I could crossfade between scenes and patterns that would be the cherry on top. It's so close as it is, from the viewpoint of a samplist that just wants to sample, mangle edit and sequence it's already 90% of the way there and the really cool thing is that I think Ni have way more planned for it than I'll ever need. So it's looking like 2012 is going to be the year of the great combos, I can't imagine anything on the computer side of things than Live and maschine together.

[23kon]

OK Maschine guys, i've got a few new questions ....

I've seen the NI & DubSpot videos of using the Ableton Live template for Maschine to control 8 Channels with knobs and use the pads to trigger scenes and also work like a launchpad to trigger/stop individual clips (with a 4x4 grid that you can navigate with arrows.

1) Is is possible to trigger more than 16 scenes? How do you navigate to further scenes?

2) Is it possible, perhaps with another template, to use the 16 pads of Maschine to act as drum pads for a Midi Channel in Ableton Live - i.e if I get Maschine can I sell my MPD32?

In this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_NLgXncVuw "Maschine + Ableton(MIDI-Audio Routing)"
we see the guy being able to tweak the parameters of an instrument within Maschine from within a Midi Channel in Live.
But to do this he has to drag in the midi loops into the Channel in Live.

3) Is it possible to control the parameters of an instrument within Maschine from within a Midi Channel in Live but without having to import the midi notes in like this? - i.e having Maschine running in the background with the loop playing from within Maschine.

4) Can the Maschine software be run without having the hardware plugged in?

I ask these latter two questions because for a live setup for gigs I plan on changing the way I work.
I am going to follow the Tom Cosm? method of having 8 individual tracks in Live. Drums/Percussion/Synths/Synths etc etc.
Each scene will be a 'part' of the song. This means I can play the song through, loop 'parts' of the song or even break down parts of the song.
To add more of a 'live' feel to this method, I plan on having some extra channels. Per song there may only be one or two extra channels and these will be midi instruments that I can tweak with a controller. So perhaps one might be a synth and another a 303 bassline. This means that I can either play it's loop part (rendered sound) and just leave it playing, or switch off this version and tweak the midi version. Most of the time these would be VSTs within Live but what happens if it's an instrument within Maschine - like Massive.

I ask if i dont need the controller plugged in as I wonder if i'd need to take maschine out to gigs if I play this way.
Just laptop, soundcard, iPad with TouchAble/Griid & Kapture Pad (to reset Midi Values of my additional tweakable midi channels) and my Nocturn for knobtweaking.

Hope that all makes sense.

[delicioso]

Can the Maschine software be run without having the hardware plugged in?

Yes.

As for Live templates, there's a bunch shared in the Maschine templates thread in the Maschine forum, some of which have the pads automap to Drum Racks. I don't use Live as a production tool anymore but as far as I know the most complete one to date is the Ableschine template that combines the Live template with the Mackie Control template:
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... post706447
"Full bicommunication - Mackie Control pages where all track & parameter names are displayed on the screen

Mixer controls: Volume, Pan, Sends, Mute, Solo, Record

Not limited to tracks 1-8, you can edit all your tracks from the controller with visual feedback

Control any device in your set without referring to the monitor - browse through tracks & devices

Pads now send out midi so you can access 16 pads of Drum Racks (whichever section is highlighted)

Instant Mapping macros for APC style Device Control, seperate to Mackie Control, lockable in the software

As usual, there's transport control, navigate between clips / tracks, lauch clips / scenes

Additional buttons for Hide / Show the Detail & Browser, Clip / Track, Session / Arrange, Pen / Arrow, Undo and Redo "

This was the version I was using: http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... post711109

[The Carpet Cleaner]

I'm in Paris right now, it 2:30 am, and I can't sleep. So I'm wanking thinking of maschine and how tomorrow is gonna be a great day to compose a new tune with it (and Live)

[starving student]

Can the Maschine software be run without having the hardware plugged in?

Yes.

As for Live templates, there's a bunch shared in the Maschine templates thread in the Maschine forum, some of which have the pads automap to Drum Racks. I don't use Live as a production tool anymore but as far as I know the most complete one to date is the Ableschine template that combines the Live template with the Mackie Control template:
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... post706447
"Full bicommunication - Mackie Control pages where all track & parameter names are displayed on the screen

Mixer controls: Volume, Pan, Sends, Mute, Solo, Record

Not limited to tracks 1-8, you can edit all your tracks from the controller with visual feedback

Control any device in your set without referring to the monitor - browse through tracks & devices

Pads now send out midi so you can access 16 pads of Drum Racks (whichever section is highlighted)

Instant Mapping macros for APC style Device Control, seperate to Mackie Control, lockable in the software

As usual, there's transport control, navigate between clips / tracks, lauch clips / scenes

Additional buttons for Hide / Show the Detail & Browser, Clip / Track, Session / Arrange, Pen / Arrow, Undo and Redo "

This was the version I was using: http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... post711109

@23kon Delicioso already answered what I could, unfortunately I'm not using maschine to control ableton these days, keeping it all in maschine for the most part and then doing the common export sorry I couldn't be of more help, if nobody gets you the info though ask noisrot on the maschine forum.

[jimmynitcher]

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1218

[23kon]

Cheers starving student.
Thanks for the guys name too who may help on the NI forums

[projoosa]

Finally sold a load of stuff gathering dust and opted for the full-fat maschine. Definitely a bit of a learning curve and setting it all up was a bitch but first impressions of getting hands on with it are really good - its a lot of fun.

One thing I like is that you really start using your ears more and not relying on the screen. For example Ive always found it hard not to look at whats going on with the meters in compressor, but using the maschine native compressor last night forced me to listen a lot more to what was going on. Its quite liberating in a way....

For me the knobs on the maschine are a definite win - being able to record automation so easily is really useful. Happy I opted for the large one for this reason. Also the large one doesnt seem that bad to cart around. Ive put it in my backpack today with a 10" dualcore acer and its not too bad at all. Might swap the acer for a Macbook Air at Xmas which would make things even lighter.

Being able to load in your sample library is cool - although one definite PITA seems to be the lack of a preview button to audition samples. You can work around this by loading a sample on a pad and then hitting next to flick through them. You can audition in the GUI so this is a bit bonkers imo.

[delicioso]

One thing I like is that you really start using your ears more and not relying on the screen. For example Ive always found it hard not to look at whats going on with the meters in compressor, but using the maschine native compressor last night forced me to listen a lot more to what was going on. Its quite liberating in a way....

Yeah, NI devs mentioned that their philosophy behind Maschine is to encourage the user to listen with their ears. What a concept!
It's integral to what makes Maschine feel more like a musical instrument.

You can also audition sounds from the hardware while the sequencer is playing (so that you can hear the sound in context with what you're doing) by pressing Prev/Next or finding the sound you want with the fifth knob and pressing Load.