Why isn't Maschine MK3 an iPad app?

cnnryng

I've been wondering this since I got the MK3 two months ago - why isn't this piece of hardware just an iPad app?

If you take away the audio interfaces at the back, everything on here could just be software running on an iPad, with more power, better and bigger screens, a smaller size etc. The only thing I can think that it would be missing is velocity touch, but I have that turned off anyway

Jean Voyage

This on the top of the list of questions I have as well.

The software has been ported to Apple Silicon, iPad has Core Audio as well, so offering it on iPad should be easy enough.

The problem would be powering the iPad, I guess, since it has only one USB port. But even for a couple hours, this would be a great portable solution (and it’s probably possible to use a usb splitter or one of those USB/HDMI/power dongles anyway, great opportunity also for NI to sell an accessory).

Fugazi81

Please don't. In my opinion, touchscreens are absolute garbage if you want to work on something seriously. OK for playing around, but nothing more. All products with touchscreens that I had (all Ipads, Mpcs etcs) were not suitable for more than fiddling around.

You can test this yourself with TouchOSC or other apps, so you can build your own controller. I used to like doing that for GEIST or Reason.

There is simply no substitute for the tactile feel, not to mention the muscle memory that a hardware device offers.

What I can imagine, however, would be the Maschine (software) running on an Ipad (or similar) to which I can connect my Maschine (hardware). You can already test this today with a Surface (MS) or similar, unfortunately the Maschine (software) is not optimized for touchscreens.

So there's still a long, rocky road ahead.

DunedinDragon

If all you want is a toy, but most people don't want to spend that kind of money on a toy. That's why you don't see many if any serious MIDI touch controllers on tablets. They're great for games or intermittent remote data entry devices, but they were never designed with a robust enough operating system to be taken seriously for dedicated complex tasks.

Maciej Repetowski

I wouldn’t say a toy, but iPads are first and foremost media consumption devices. There is some graphical, video and musical pro software for them, from Adobe, Apple, etc. They can easily replace Wacom tablets and many digital graphics artists use them for sketching, painting and so on.

As for music production, I was never tempted (and I’m a big Apple fan). Too much hassle and limitation.

Yes, you can make music with it (same as you can make music with Raspberry Pi or Atari ST or Commodore 64 or Amiga or hardware sequencer, if you either into retro stuff or into modern peculiarities). Is it more convenient than using a regular PC or Mac computer? In my opinion, not so much.

Impermanence

I really enjoy tactility of Maschine Mk3. And will continue to use some form of hw controller.

But I’m also having a ton of fun with Drambo, Koala and Logic for Ipad.
I really disagree with the idea that touch screen is just a toy or with the notion that the operation systems are not robust enough for serious dedicated complex tasks.
I’m having fun, no crashes, tactility, ease of use, can export, can download sounds from the cloud or from the internet, Logic plugins are there if I need. There is Logic remote also.

Drambo+LaunchpadProMk3 is under my research atm.
Logic for Ipad would rock so much more if midi learning would be better.

I hope Maschine software is coming to Ipad some day. NI is not going to do it, but Apple might create a way to use MacOS programs on Ipad some day.

2A2E

what I would really appreciate would be a new full featured iPad Maschine that can be used with any controller form NI. iMaschine Pro 2.0

GoKeez

lmfao@Ipad is a toy.

Logic for iPad kicks the ****** out Maschine in every conceivable way and it isn’t even close. Like not even in the same universe.lol

tetsuneko

I'm guessing NI dont fancy the idea of having to split their software profits with Apple anymore. Nothing else explains their abandonment of the iOS platform

Maciej Repetowski

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/161453#Comment_161453

Lack of human resources, perhaps. Someone would have to code this and they are rather slow with how they progress with PC and Mac already.