Big shoutout to all NI Maschine Developers and a HeadsUp to all Maschine Users
Comments
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I'm always happy to share everything I've learned.
there is already an existing thread where I share my workflow => https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/16230/whats-everyones-workflow-with-maschine/p1
If you have more questions, hit me with a PM 😉
But in short:
- Groups/Groupstructure are important, because then you can set a graphical EQ on each group and set the needed frequencies or demask stuff (and ducking, Monofields ......)
- I then build a big loop (and ofc do a first rough MixDown)
- in Ideasview I make variations of f.e. percussive elements, bassline, synths => but these are for general variations, minor variations in f.e. modulations, that are only used 2-3 time in the track I do in Clips (because once done you can copy&past that clip to where you like)
- then I build the scenes that I need (Intro, BuildUp, vers01, ver02, kickbreak, break .....) with those variations
- then I arrange the song in arrangement-view and use clips to add modulations on parts where I need them, or empty clips for a short 'kickbreak' and ofc my TransitionFX and Riser are always Clips
- Now detailed MixDown and last fixes
- if the Track is "done" in Maschine, I export the groupstems and put them into Reaper (because 60 bucks and I love it and does some stuff Maschine SW can't do), and add my Masteringchain to then export as mp3 for my producerfriends to prelisten and give feedback, maybe add some minor EQing to some stems if I find resonances I did not find before
- Compare Monocompatibility and overall soundspectrum (again graphcal EQ)
- then "bypass" the Masteringchain and export as -6dB Premaster and send it to my Masteringguy
SPOILER: My amateur masteringchain (because I pay a masteringguy befor sending it to a label) is just 2 NON-NI Plugins => TDR SlickEQ Mastering Edition and BX Masterdeck TruePeak.
But if you have iZotope Ozone and like it, you can use that too of course
And SPOILER 2: I use Reaper for the mastering because I only have an i7 and most mastering vsts use a lot of CPU - plus I do want the overall sounds to be as good as possible without a masteringchain, else you can not hear everything because it already is changed by the existing masteringchain and ofc Reaper offers quick export as mp3 or wav or .... with normalizing to -6dB TruePeak .. well, the whole exporting options are just magic there 🤩
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I’m a double kick drummer, I used to play very demanding music, odd time signatures and weird stuff like that, I don’t expect a groovebox to do it. And tbh it’s a bad comparison, the M+ doesn’t go 20km/h compared to 120km/h. That’s not how I see it. Nonetheless, nothing is at its full potential. I see a super car that goes 500km/h and l the flaws people find is that their hair is blowing too hard in the wind and that it gets a bit too noisy inside the coupe haha. But that’s my opinion. Either way, don’t downplay the maschine THAT much l, it’s not THAT terrible, and this posts wasn’t about how BAD the maschine is, it’s about how GREAT it is, so why do people seem to start spreading negativity in ALL topics? We’re discussing the same ****** all over the forum and it sucks. Let the dude be happy, let the happy customers be happy, let us who feel joy feel it! Please. And this is not directed to you @LostInFoundation so please don’t think I’m “attacking” you.
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@LXNDR_BE thank you very much for sharing! It’s interesting to see that you are using Ideas and Song mode for different stages (which I do as well) and your use of Clips for adding modulation at certain places (haven’t thought of that before!).
Also interesting to see you think of Groups as a structure for mixing, while I use them to group instruments for arrangement (drums, basses, lead, arp/seq, chords).
Also interesting to see you’re using a mastering service, which seems way more efficient than trying to do that yourself within Maschine (my own mastering skills are below zero anyways).
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I’m a double kick drummer, I used to play very demanding music, odd time signatures and weird stuff like that, I don’t expect a groovebox to do it. And tbh it’s a bad comparison, the M+ doesn’t go 20km/h compared to 120km/h. That’s not how I see it. Nonetheless, nothing is at its full potential. I see a super car that goes 500km/h and l the flaws people find is that their hair is blowing too hard in the wind and that it gets a bit too noisy inside the coupe haha. But that’s my opinion. Either way, don’t downplay the maschine THAT much l, it’s not THAT terrible, and this posts wasn’t about how BAD the maschine is, it’s about how GREAT it is, so why do people seem to start spreading negativity in ALL topics? We’re discussing the same ****** all over the forum and it sucks. Let the dude be happy, let the happy customers be happy, let us who feel joy feel it! Please. And this is not directed to you @LostInFoundation so please don’t think I’m “attacking” you.
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Masteringservices are essential when you want to release Techno.
Labels get 100s of demos each week, and I speak of smaller Labels, for bigger Labels its probably 100s a day.
So they only spend 10-20 Seconds skipping through a Track and if somthing does not sound o.k., they will skip it. So having a good Master is essential to at least leave a good first impression 😉
I did send selfmastered Tracks to a Label (my mastering skills are not that brilliant too) and if I got any answer it was like "your lowend sucks" or "too much resonances"
btw. yes, these where the tracks that where published now by another label, after I invested some money for a good mastering service (don't go 30-40 € per Track, there are good services for under 20€)
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Of course. That’s why I specified I was talking about the technical aspect. I didn’t want to seem like one of those guys saying that making techno is easy…
Even because sometimes when doing something “less complex” is even more difficult to find the good idea that will excel over the others
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You are right. Sorry, I didn’t want to lower the excitement for a positive feedback.
But…since the OP stated things like ”somebody tells you…that Maschine can not do this and that like other "real DAWs"”… well…those things ARE true. Which doesn’t mean Maschine is not in any case a very valid product and that you can achieve A LOT with it. If this was the case, probably Maschine wouldn’t be my most beloved hardware/software. Reason why probably I’m so sad to see it so neglected.
And we must take in consideration also new users that read these things to inform theirselves about Maschine potentialities. In my opinion it’s good that they can find informations about what Maschine can and cannot do, or even what it can do but in a convoluted way and that other programs make easier to achieve. Just saying “it’s not true” doesn’t make a good service for them. They will not do a well informed choice if they don’t get presented with all the aspects, the positive ones but also the negative.
Surely positive feedback is more than welcome…but it doesn’t mean that people bringing to attention where it can be improved or where it is lacking are just ranting. Or aren’t saying the truth just because you can anyway.
Negative feedback about some true things is not negativity. It is HOPE that someone will take in consideration what users need…
P.S. : yes. Everybody sees things differently. For me Maschine goes at 20 km/h. Add to it the ability to play/record things without being forced to the focused group and we will already be speeding up at 30. Add ability to save Mute states and we are at 40. Add better export options and we are at 50 (and OP wouldn’t have to use Reaper for that). Add Perform FXs to master without any workaround and we are as fast as 60. Add ability to use Midi plugins without having to use (and buy) third party plugins and we are at 70. And so on and so forth (Probably 120 would be stems separation when sampling 😂).
Do you see what I mean? And all these things are by NI design choices, not some very difficult things to add (well…except my joke about stems separation). And (before some developer will say we all think things are easier to implement than what they are) in any case, even if more complex that what we think, these are things that a lot of other companies have. Aren’t they difficult to implement for them? Or simply they know that if you want to try to prevale, you have to put work on it?
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Hey man, I save mute states using the extended lock feature. It's pretty damn cool though its not the conventional mute automation people want.
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Yes, this is one of the way we can do it. There is also a Reaktor ensemble helping to achieve that maybe even in a better way
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/14799/
But these are all workarounds we found exactly because the functions are not there in Maschine. A little bit like putting Perform FXs on a group and route all the others to this group, like if it was the master.
You can achieve a lot of things with workarounds…but…wouldn’t it be better if the functions just were there?
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There exists solutions to address all Maschine limitation, like replacing or pairing with a DAW, or perhaps turning some knobs rather than relying on automation. That said, I can Funk, Acid Jazz, atmosphere and even blue grass all day on just Maschine Plus live looping my gear or even on its own.
Limitations are an opportunity to refocus and develop finesse in those limited regions. I’m not saying frustrations aren’t valid, but you funk $hit up in Maschine and produce some sick vibes if you lean into it.
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Absolutely, the functions should be there. I just accepted this wouldn't happen about 5 years ago when song mode and Jam where essentially abandoned. Thanks for the Reaktor workaround, very cool. Other workarounds include
-> For realtime pitch and time stretching in the sample module, don't use the realtime pitch and time stretching in the sample module. Buy Serato Sample with version 2.0 allowing stem separation.
-> For tempo automation, buy another DAW like Live and use it as the master whilst Maschine VST follows the changes
-> For time sig changes, buy another DAW like Live and use it as the master whilst Maschine VST follows the changes
-> For smooth automation curves, buy another DAW like Live.....
I genuinely love Maschine and its my my go to for production. I know it's just supposed to be a groovebox but other groove boxes (cough EmPeeSea) can do all the things above so they can't use the 'we are not supposed to be a DAW' reason. Maybe they genuinely can't do it as the code base may be too complex and it needs a complete rewrite. We shall wait and see, proposed Maschine AMA will be fun.
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Sadly acceptance is a word NI users must learn to know very well 😞
We are in the same boat and think in the same way
BTW: quite sad all your workaround include “buy another software”.
Quite significant and sad, isn’t it?
(and scary, because loving Maschine as much as you do, I would like to be able to use it indeterminately, but all these “buy another software” make me fear some day users will say “you know what? If I have to buy other softwares anyway, I’ll use those and spare the money for Maschine…and then…bye bye NI…)
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Even in a 'success story' positive post, there's a few doom mongers spreading misery.
Man makes a full album on a Maschine, which it is very capable of and still "Ohhh... there's no this and that"
Newsflash: There is no groovebox that is fully featured. That every user base is happy with and very very few as feature packed as this, in fact none that can do everything this can do. If you think you can do better with another groovebox, please buy it or save the misery and woes for threads that warrant it. I want to read positive vibes in success story threads.
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Do you mean positive vibes like calling other people civilly discussing their experiences “doom mongers”?
Still puzzled how someone can go in a forum and hope to read only what they want and they like… it’s a forum…it’s made for discussions… otherwise you write an article and no one can answer it.
BTW: I made my first full album on a Maschine more than 10 years ago. I know exactly what it was capable of then and is capable of now. And what not.
And I already own the other grooveboxes…other suggestions on how I could “do better”?
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Complaining about complaining is not only ironic but also not very positive either...
Sometimes when we don't agree the best course of action is just to stay out of the convo, or ignore certain comments so the convo stays on track.
I personally am not happy with MAS but am happy to see a positive thread and more than that.. a happy success story, focus on that guys. ✌️
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