Ableton Forum

I know this is the Ableton forum, but how are you early adopters feeling about Maschine? How sensitive are the pads? Do they trigger on the edges/corners?

I'm curious as to what the shortfalls are. post up!

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=maschine

Search. It works.

.m

just got it the other day.. haven't played with it much yet due to freaking girlfriend wanting to spend some quality time, but honestly I consider this one of the best things I have purchased for music.. It's kinda like when I first started production.. I went protools and hated it.. didn't get much done.. the same can be said with logic. I thought I really sucked cuz i couldn't make anything. It wasn't until I finally got Ableton and I said HOLY CRAP!! things started to click for me cuz it just made music fun again and it fit my workflow and I have been really productive with Ableton.. Well this was the same feeling I got right when I started using Maschine.. I've been waiting for something like this ever since I got rid of my MPC a few years back.. It's true I could use drum racks, battery, and a mpd which I all have but I tell you, with maschine it's been all about workflow and I don't even look at the screen. The hardware is integrated so tight to the software ist's crazy. I imagine this would be the integration people would get with the APC/Ableton combo.. The step sequencer kicks ass. I've made patterns I usually won't make and in minutes.. When ever I played w/ drum racks or something, out of habbit, I always played similar patterns.. The step sequencer just got my creative juices flowing.. Some mpc users hate the lighted pads but that's part of the visual cues. In general, most mpc people will hate this maschine cuz they think it is another mpc wannabe trying to take the legacy of the MPC.. but I think it's so much more than a mpc. I wouldn't be surprised if it does get hated on cuz the mpc has such a tight grip on the beatmaking process.. Kinda like how protools is still the industry standard whether we like it or not.. People question my setup cuz I don't use protools and ableton is not "professional" and is only for Trance or something.. all i am saying is, the mpc heads will probably hate on you and think you can't make anything decent with this maschine until some guy like Blaze or Timbaland starts using it.. Then they will say, if they're using it, i have to use it also.. lol..

As far as as plugin inside ableton, I haven't tried it yet cuz it's been so fun as a stand alone.. I've heard of people having some gripes with the plugin as far as automation and the hardware not being able to control other plug-ins but NI have said it is in the works for future updates.. Having no rex-support kinda sucks but again, is in the plan with the updates.. I actually would like an mp3 option cuz i have a huge mp3 collection and it would be great if we could import those and chop up inside maschine..

all in all, i really like it cuz it just fits my workflow.. it might not be the same with you.. kinda like which sequencer do you use.. it's just a matter of preference.. all do the same thing.. but yeah, I'll take this bad boy over any mpc.. but that's me.. library sounds really good, but i figure most of will use our own sounds.. the pads, best ones I've ever used.. better than my mpc2000, trigger finger, mpd16/24 all of which i have used.. i don't know about padkontrol as i've never used it.. but yeah, really responsive to touch, pressure.. you don'thave to hit directly on the center, the whole pad is equally responsive..

Although I get what you're trying to say the analogy you made is a little bit scewed.
protools and Live are two different things and alot of people do go for protools
because it is the defacto industry standard daw, the mpc on the other hand might
be an industry standard but for good reason, and native instruments are trying to
emulate an mpc where as ableton are not trying to emulate protools. So in this case
how people feel about the mpc is valid else native instruments would not be trying
to replicate it. Might be best to put it this way, the existence of Maschine validates
the mpc more than anything else in the discussion. I'm intrested in Maschine and dying
to get my hands on Roger Linn and Dave smiths hyper dream not because they are different
than an mpc but because mpcs are so amazing (definitely not hype like protools) that I
hope they are a new better form of mpc just like regular mpc users hoped that the mpc-5000
would be a better mpc, but it would make no sense at this point to look down on an mpc and
put an mpc emulator on a pedastal, especialy when the majority of it's future updates will
just bring it closer to what an mpc is and more that would be silly.

Lo-Fi Massahkah wrote:http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php? ... t=maschine

Search. It works.

.m

I saw that but there was just too much redundant banter in that thread, figured this would be the best way to collect reviews.

nuxnamon wrote:just got it the other day.. haven't played with it much yet due to freaking girlfriend wanting to spend some quality time, but honestly I consider this one of the best things I have purchased for music.. It's kinda like when I first started production.. I went protools and hated it.. didn't get much done.. the same can be said with logic. I thought I really sucked cuz i couldn't make anything. It wasn't until I finally got Ableton and I said HOLY CRAP!! things started to click for me cuz it just made music fun again and it fit my workflow and I have been really productive with Ableton.. Well this was the same feeling I got right when I started using Maschine.. I've been waiting for something like this ever since I got rid of my MPC a few years back.. It's true I could use drum racks, battery, and a mpd which I all have but I tell you, with maschine it's been all about workflow and I don't even look at the screen. The hardware is integrated so tight to the software ist's crazy. I imagine this would be the integration people would get with the APC/Ableton combo.. The step sequencer kicks ass. I've made patterns I usually won't make and in minutes.. When ever I played w/ drum racks or something, out of habbit, I always played similar patterns.. The step sequencer just got my creative juices flowing.. Some mpc users hate the lighted pads but that's part of the visual cues. In general, most mpc people will hate this maschine cuz they think it is another mpc wannabe trying to take the legacy of the MPC.. but I think it's so much more than a mpc. I wouldn't be surprised if it does get hated on cuz the mpc has such a tight grip on the beatmaking process.. Kinda like how protools is still the industry standard whether we like it or not.. People question my setup cuz I don't use protools and ableton is not "professional" and is only for Trance or something.. all i am saying is, the mpc heads will probably hate on you and think you can't make anything decent with this maschine until some guy like Blaze or Timbaland starts using it.. Then they will say, if they're using it, i have to use it also.. lol..

As far as as plugin inside ableton, I haven't tried it yet cuz it's been so fun as a stand alone.. I've heard of people having some gripes with the plugin as far as automation and the hardware not being able to control other plug-ins but NI have said it is in the works for future updates.. Having no rex-support kinda sucks but again, is in the plan with the updates.. I actually would like an mp3 option cuz i have a huge mp3 collection and it would be great if we could import those and chop up inside maschine..

all in all, i really like it cuz it just fits my workflow.. it might not be the same with you.. kinda like which sequencer do you use.. it's just a matter of preference.. all do the same thing.. but yeah, I'll take this bad boy over any mpc.. but that's me.. library sounds really good, but i figure most of will use our own sounds.. the pads, best ones I've ever used.. better than my mpc2000, trigger finger, mpd16/24 all of which i have used.. i don't know about padkontrol as i've never used it.. but yeah, really responsive to touch, pressure.. you don'thave to hit directly on the center, the whole pad is equally responsive..

Thanks. This is exactly what I was looking for.

EgAD wrote:Although I get what you're trying to say the analogy you made is a little bit scewed.
protools and Live are two different things and alot of people do go for protools
because it is the defacto industry standard daw, the mpc on the other hand might
be an industry standard but for good reason, and native instruments are trying to
emulate an mpc where as ableton are not trying to emulate protools. So in this case
how people feel about the mpc is valid else native instruments would not be trying
to replicate it. Might be best to put it this way, the existence of Maschine validates
the mpc more than anything else in the discussion. I'm intrested in Maschine and dying
to get my hands on Roger Linn and Dave smiths hyper dream not because they are different
than an mpc but because mpcs are so amazing (definitely not hype like protools) that I
hope they are a new better form of mpc just like regular mpc users hoped that the mpc-5000
would be a better mpc, but it would make no sense at this point to look down on an mpc and
put an mpc emulator on a pedastal, especialy when the majority of it's future updates will
just bring it closer to what an mpc is and more that would be silly.

Like I said, my opinion only based on my experiences with the equipment I've tried in the past, including the MPC 2000.. and I do believe that this maschine has the potential to be a better form of the mpc. Isn't that what your looking for.. Maybe that's why your also looking into the BoomChick or whatever they call it now from Linn/Smith. Because your looking for something more.. And I think this maschine is headed in that direction. But honestly, has the mpc changed alot since it's conception?.. not so much except for the addition of a HD recorder and a synth.. It stopped evolving and has used HIPHOP's elite to commercialize it into the legacy that it is. There were a couple of things I loved about my mpc when I had it.. the work flow and the pads.. The only thing I can see that maschine has in common with the mpc are it's 4x4 pads which everyone has done, but they took it further with the lights (thanks padkontrol). The workflow is different from my old mpc (i never tried JJOS) but is better than what I was used to on the 2000.. It was good but this is better in my opinion.. And with maschines groups and scenes, it's like having a internal session view( thanks ableton) which I don't think any mpc has.. It's not only a studio tool but I can see alot of people using this on stage.. It seems your putting maschine down yet you haven't even tried it. seriously, give it a try atleast.. and like i said, this might not be your cup of tea.. everyone's different. you might try it and end up hating it which is totally possible. do what works for you but I do know this fits my needs fairly well. in the end, were both just trying to make music, doesn't really matter what way we take, as long as we get there... I still think my analogy was a good one.

may i interject


just to say that I think the mp users are getting a bad rap here first of all we're all ableton /computer users so it's not a this versus that type of thing it's just that alot of mpc
naysayers clasify the mpc as antiquated kit when really they are not well informed about just what
the current features are on the mpc, i think as an mpc user that is the thing thats weird to most
mpc users, for instance people are always saying the mpc doesn't have a stepsequencer and it does, or for instance like the groups and scenes features that your speaking about, the mpc has those, they are set up differently but it has mute groups features and simoult pads and simoult sequences features, now maybe you did or didn't know that but it doesn't seem like you did. anyway there are things that maschine does that the mpc does not I'm sure but for the most part pound for pound it would seem that the mpc has an edge that maschine watchers aren't aware of and that it doesn't need a computer on top of that to work

nuxnamon wrote:ableton is not "professional" and is only for Trance or something..

Just had to chime in to LOL at this. LOL.

I picked up Maschine 2 weeks ago and at that time did NOT even own Ableton.

I have used Logic with rewired Reason and a mixmatch of hardware synths/samplers all layered on top of Traktor Scratch.

Originally it was FS, before that vinyl, etc. etc. etc.

I ordered the Zero 8 mixer the same day I bought my Maschine unit. The reason I was sold on it is simple: The newer NI stuff makes sense to me.

I bought Kore 2 once upon a time and it was amazing in terms of removing my face from the computer and giving me tactile (and HUGE sonic) capabilities. In short, Kore is a right-brain app/controller.

Maschine is very much the same thing. It does come with software that really blows my SP-555 out of the water (which, I may add, was 799 when purchased). It retains the hardware appeal. I can turn the macbook screen completely off and control/access my sounds in Maschine just as in Kore. I love that part.

Now, the biggie... I was told eons ago that Live would be my perfect DAW, bc my music started out as just mixing records and has evolved with layering and live improv along the way. I ignored the advice. My Zero arrived with 6LE, which I decided I would promptly upgrade to 7 full version (bc my friend Kendrick is never really wrong about these things).

I opened the program and it immediately made sense (which is SWEEEET BTW), but then I learned that Maschine not only has sweet control templates for Traktor Scratch (allowing me to toggle over and trigger loop lengths, browse for songs, etc) BUT it also has Ableton templates as well.

It isn't the new 40. It's another way to control Ableton without touching the computer. I dig it bc it also came with a great additional piece of software I can use to sample and chop and rechop and blablabla on top of the rest of the mess.

I bet I would love a bunch of smaller boxes to see my clips fired and all that, but honestly the 16 with an up-down arrow (and left-right) does the job. I can trigger scenes and/or patterns. I can record and access the controls I most need. The current template has 5 pages of assignments for the top row of pads/knobs and that seems to cover my needs.

I can now run TS Pro into Ableton, and put Maschine on another channel in Live and just toggle between modes on one controller.

That's pretty dope. If you're at all unsure look at ALL of the available videos and search the forums for both. I don't care what the Akai piece does. I'm an NI guy and this device/app combo really cleaned up my workflow before I ever discovered this beast called Live.

I'm a 1000% satisfied customer, both with Maschine and with Live. Their integration is already stable and satisfactory, and will only improve.

Besides, for the $ you're getting a stellar application on top.

Even if you disagree and go with the other piece, you'll be very happy.

Oh! and that mixer (Zero ... NOT BAD AT ALL!