Does Maschine have a point if you've already got Suite 8?

[Punky921]

With the sale on, I was curious as to what you guys thought.

[taoyoyo]

It has some nice pads!

If you have a great workflow going within Live already incorporating Maschine might throw a few spanners in the works.

If drum racks and rhythm creation isn't doing it for you in Live, Maschine is a lot of fun in that department.

[Chingy]

I have a Mikro - despite the sale, I think I"m sticking with the Mikro, but either one I'd recommend. I have a custom template for the Mikro which allows control of Maschine and then I can switch and have full control of Live, including drum racks. Maschine has some great custom templates available as well.

My workflow with Maschine is one of two options:
- Load a Maschine track and use that for drums only, since browsing / loading / programming sounds and beats from the hardware is really nice. I can then bounce those out and import into Live. I can drag the pattern MIDI into Live and apply grooves as well.

- Use the Maschine to control drum racks and Live

I use both ways actually - lots of flexibility and options during my creative process. Great for workflow IMO.

I'm a believer now.

[tintala]

I have a Mikro - despite the sale, I think I"m sticking with the Mikro, but either one I'd recommend. I have a custom template for the Mikro which allows control of Maschine and then I can switch and have full control of Live, including drum racks. Maschine has some great custom templates available as well.

My workflow with Maschine is one of two options:
- Load a Maschine track and use that for drums only, since browsing / loading / programming sounds and beats from the hardware is really nice. I can then bounce those out and import into Live. I can drag the pattern MIDI into Live and apply grooves as well.

- Use the Maschine to control drum racks and Live

I use both ways actually - lots of flexibility and options during my creative process. Great for workflow IMO.

I'm a believer now.

I also use both ways. Love MAschine

[3dot...]

I think the point is the interface it adds for beat-making...

[Punky921]

I actually already own a number of MIDI controllers (Trigger Finger, Remote25SL, APC40) and do quite a bit from the mouse. Would Maschine still offer me something?

[delicioso]

My only gripe with Maschine is the hardware quality. Dunno if this has changed over the past years (the Mikro looks more sturdy than the regular Maschine) but I've had quite a few problems when I had a Maschine over, making me ignore it completely. Even though the workflow is amazing.

I find the Maschine hardware quality to be quite solid. No complaints or problems from my end in that department. Certainly far more durable and better built than the flimsy plastic padKontrol I used to own. Maschine Mikro actually has hardware improvements like even nicer pads and a locking USB port. But I'm very happy with the bigger Maschine as it is.

[delicioso]

I actually already own a number of MIDI controllers (Trigger Finger, Remote25SL, APC40) and do quite a bit from the mouse. Would Maschine still offer me something?

Yes, especially if you just want things to work with minimal to no pre-setting up/mapping beforehand and if you want to get away from using the mouse or staring at a computer screen as much as possible.

[starving student]

i think maschines build is great quality I've seen comments disliking it but I never understood those there's no other pad controller with a better quality build in my opinion.

[humnumb]

i think maschines build is great quality I've seen comments disliking it but I never understood those there's no other pad controller with a better quality build in my opinion.

Shills have to find something to complain about if they think it starts to make their product of choice look less than capable.

[djadonis206]

I actually already own a number of MIDI controllers (Trigger Finger, Remote25SL, APC40) and do quite a bit from the mouse. Would Maschine still offer me something?

Yes and no, maybe. Sure if you're looking to get into finger drumming in your beats. No if you're pretty used to clicking in your beats. You should demo a Maschine and see for yourself.

I had two and sold both. I'm not a finger drummer and it really didn't make a lot of sense for me to tap in a 4x4 kick drum pattern every time I needed one. I find the APC40 handles my controller automation needs quite well. Plus, I have some hardware synths I can tweak.

With that said I believe drums and percussion are the heart and soul of music. If you feel the Maschine can inject a little bit of that into your music, get one.

[starving student]

i think maschines build is great quality I've seen comments disliking it but I never understood those there's no other pad controller with a better quality build in my opinion.

My main gripe was / is with the rotaries. The first Maschine I got had a very jittery one which didn't work properly (you'd dial to the right to move an end marker and all of a sudden it jumped back again). Apart from that I also considered it quite awkward that you could easily pull of the rotary caps, without any force.

In strict comparison; when I pull one of the rotaries on my APC40 I can do so right up to the point where I lift up the whole device, even though its much heavier than a Maschine.

Alas; I sent it back and got a new one. But unfortunately that one had a USB problem, so I eventually got my money back (I bought it from a local retailer).


Because I had 2 versions breaking up on me I only came to conclude that the hardware wasn't really that much of a high quality. It always felt a bit cheap to me.

that's understandable, I haven't experienced anything like that though and I have two of them but I'd probably feel like you if I had. To me Maschine feels good and substantial for what it is, my only wish is that the mikro had more knobs.

and as far as what adonis was saying maschine really is something that you've got to try out, but one of the things that I haven't heard mentioned at least in this thread is the fact that outside of finger drumming maschine is a great physical step sequencer and the things that you can do on the fly with it via stepsequencing hits, or fx and automation is not something to be overlooked

[Adonis]

I forgot about the step sequencer. It is pretty cool.

Curious though, can you use the step sequencer when using Maschine as a VST? It's been a few months but I vaguely remember having issues with that when using it as a V inside of Ableton.