Native Instruments Maschine KILLS my MPC 4000, period.

Okay, so you’ve seen me using it in a lot of my videos and such, and I’ve had it for a few months ever since NI sent it to me back in August or so to review, with the official 1.1 update out I’m finally giving you my personal review on the overall product.

It’s a killer!

Here’s why I love Maschine:

• It’s hands on, but no limits like hardware with memory and drive space
• I can access ALL of my sounds in the same environment, I can’t do that with my mpc, not enough space
• The sound browser makes navigating through tons of sounds very easy and customizable
• It has the same sequencer resolution as my mpc 4000, therefore I can turn off quantize and get the same “feel”
• Each of the 8 groups has 16 “sounds” that’s like 8 mini 16 track sequencers
• Each sound can be a single wave or a multi sampled instrument like pianos, strings, synths, etc
• Each of my sounds has 2 insert fx, each group has 2 insert fx, and there are two master insert fx
• I can change the pitch of my samples on the fly, no need to process and wait for it, just turn the knob
• It has swing and note repeat if you like that sorta thing
• I can change the bit rate of my samples on the fly, plus I have normal filters on each sound
• It’s easy to chop samples, I can copy and paste them by hitting a pad, then duplicate, then pressing another pad, very quick
• Easy to set the start end points on samples for old school style chopping, or you can use auto chop…I rarely do
• Song mode is different from the mpc, but now that I understand it, it’s very quick
• I don’t have to look at my screen for anything if I don’t want to, just the maschine controller
• I can use it to sequence other vsts and devices if I wish…
• NI is updating it and listening to the community
• The real time pattern sequencer is the exact way I’m used to working
• There is a step sequencer that I never use, but some do…it works lol
• Has easy tap tempo, perfect for how I work
• there is a “pad” mode that is pretty much like 16 levels on the mpc
• easy to turn on full velocity

Yeah I could keep going, but you seen the video, I think it’s the illest product to drop in a long time and don’t see anyone taking the crown from NI if they keep developing it to it’s full potential.

Some of my other videos showing maschine in use:

• First day with maschine, opening the box.
• Making a west coast beat on maschine
• Using maschine as a workstaton
• Making a beat on maschine with no samples
• Importing your samples into maschine
• Browsing sounds from Maschine hardware
• Using maschine to sequence vst instruments

Some things I’d like to see in Maschine:

VSTi/NI Plugin support PLEASE!!!!

• Without a doubt, some sort of integration with other NI plugs WITHIN the Maschine environment is a must lol. I’m always on the forums talking about this, I really think it will take it to the next level.  I don’t think NI realized how many of us would want to use JUST maschine…but they made the workflow so good that it’s what many of us have been waiting for in software music production.
• Please NI, give us something. Let us have a lil “rack” in maschine, for NI plugs. Even allowing kore/kontakt player slots would be a nice step…that opens it up to a bunch of sounds and possibilities. I’ll come to Germany, I’ll wear my tie, we can chat about it… I have ideas

Sampler improvements:

• Mainly on the sample editing, not so much for me, but for my homies!  Being able to truncate, normalize, and adjust your slice markers manually is a much desired feature.  Good for us they stated it’s in the coming update, on the forum, so that will be here in the near future.
• MPC format import for those of us coming from that side of things.  Maybe even battery/kontakt import would be dope too…then you wouldn’t need as much support for vst if you could browse/play kontakt instruments.
• Time-stretching that is pretty transparent, but that you can turn on and off and adjust in-case you want to induce some artifacts into your samples
• vintage sample mode, to mimic the sound of the ancient 12bit samplers, always a desire for beat makers wanting a specific “crunch” (coming in next update)

General improvements:

• Possible way to double the number of groups from 8 to 16? Maybe a button? Many use the groups as “tracks” since you can separate stuff easier, or give us a way to have patterns for each sound in the current groups… so we can sequence multiple sounds in a group “separately”.  This is mainly important when creating songs/scenes, it would be easier but may get too complex in the screen…not sure, but would be nice to have more flexibility with the separation of sounds in groups.
• If no vst support, a dedicated synth engine to help get some synth sounds going. Maybe even a dedicated drum synth.
• Some expansion packs, adding more sounds to the workstation.  The sounds are good, but we need more instrument sounds in there.
• Easier way to sequence the scenes/patterns. Let us drag and drop patterns in scene arrange, drag the length of the scene to make verse/chorus/breaks
• Let us rename the groups without having to save them as a kit, just so we can keep track of what’s in a group when putting scense together.

Overall thoughts

Maschine is a dream come true, especially for folks like me that held off on software production because it just wasn’t “hands on” enough. The way most software sequencers work is linear, this is not how I am used to working.

I grew up on hardware drum machines and sequencers, creating loops and patterns, then putting them into songs is how I roll, as do many millions of others.

I always wished I could have access to all my sounds when using my mpc, but I only have access to 512 mb of sounds, that’s not a lot, I have a lot of sounds. Not only that, but being able to browse my sounds as I’m making the tracks is killer.

I really don’t see anyone being able to stop the progress of NI if they continue to listen to users and enlist hardcore hardware and software producers as beta testers, product specialists and product consultants ( i’m open!)

It took a software company to see that people want a hybrid, and to do it in a way that will set the standard for all hardware and software production stations to come.

Maschine is now the standard by which I measure the workflow of a product, it used to be the mpc, but no longer.

If you still have a room full of gear, then Maschine will not replace your mpc in that respect, which has 4 midi outputs.  I no longer work that way, and my whole setup is centered around the computer now.

I can’t wait until I can use ONLY maschine for production, with a few additions and changes, I think that dream is very close to reality.

Maschine for the win… 5 out of 5, 10 out of 5 actually!

If you’re ready, check native-instruments.com or on the easy payment plan at zzounds.com

let me know what you think, agree or disagree, leave a comment below.