Maschine Hardware

PK The DJ

It's a double edged sword. These days, people expect things to be online - even microwaves, fridges, doorbells, you name it. They expect their phones, computers, software and hardware to get regular updates. Look at the amount of posts we see here, from people asking when the next update for something will come.

Before the whole www explosion, smartphones and devices with updateable firmware, you bought something and that was the end of it. No updates, no improvements. Now people moan if they don't get that.

LostInFoundation

Maybe that’s why before they released products that were “finished”.

Now they release incomplete products, even advertising features they don’t have at launch but telling you “they will come” and then taking one year just to fix things not working and only then releasing the first promised feature. And tell you “ in the next yearS the device will get better.

But…if you are worried that when all its potential will be expressed you will be already dead…don’t despair: they will abandon the product long before or ask you for money for a “new shiny version” that will give you all the things they promised you…but for the version before…

Yes…unexplainable why people moan 😏

Andy Wt

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185611#Comment_185611

On the other hand without updates you didnt get half-baked product in most cases. Now customers are regularly treated as beta-testers in hope to fix bugs or even implement promised but missing features in later updates. But in case of M+ bugs are living for years without any treatment. And i strongly believe when NI drop its support it will still be the same buggy piece of hardware just without ability to turn it on after full reset.

olafmol

Enjoy the future ;) https://thenextweb.com/news/update-brainwashes-microwaves-thinking-theyre-steam-ovens

MaikR

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185368#Comment_185368

And then there’s NI that forces you as a customer to ACTIVATE a stand-alone Maschine Plus, even-though it could operate perfectly fine as a sampling workstation without your Native Access account and libraries.

So if they decide to not upgrade the on-device version to the new Maschine 3.0 software, I really hope they’ll offer some sort of an exit strategy. In that case I’m happy to use only my personal samples and sound libraries, and stay on the latest version of Maschine 2.0 software (’upcoming’ update).

Rico010

Oh man, that’s my #1 risk, that in 5 years I may find my M+ not usable because NI dropped support… If aomeone will need to reactivate after a full reset… not good man, not good. A standalone device should have an “exit strategy”. At least an offline activation for those who nought it. Otherwise, you need to buy other products, but you already have one you can use.

D-One

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185610#Comment_185610

Well, to each their own… I try to buy products from companies I believe wont suddenly die and I choose not to live in fear of some sort of software-apocalypse, I have enough stress in my life already to be stressing that 30yr companies like NI might fail. The day NI unreasonably locks me out of what i bought I'll never buy anything from them again… I have a few companies that are off my "buy list" for exactly that.

I feel like your point is more about fear/distrust in corporate establishments than actually Maschine/Music SW/gear related.

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185708#Comment_185708

If it didn't have some sort of NA2-style of authentication how else could the device verify you own the libraries and expansions you install on them? Your personal case of only needing your own samples is not everyone else's, running NI's plugins/synths, Kontakt Libs, etc is a major selling point of the M+…

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185668#Comment_185668

I get your point and theres lots of similar stories of companies trying to make simple devices into super-smart appliances; I can't even set the time on my microwave or oven so I stick with the simple ones. I never though to myself: "Man I wish my fridge had some new features", it also doesn't need to check if the food inside is pirated/stolen or if i legit bought it.

If you go an buy that 2000$ microwave instead of a 300$ like normal people do then you want 1000 fancy features, web apps and whatnot, so you deal with updates, bugs like any other computer… Both Windows and MacOS updates sometimes break things, why would a 2000$ smart microwave be any different? 🤷‍♂️

Point being that in appliances, we can choose the expensive smart fancy pants ones or… the good old simple ones.

ozon

@D-One asked

If it didn't have some sort of NA2-style of authentication how else could the device verify you own the libraries and expansions you install on them?

But there’s no necessity that the device cannot be activated or function without these additional Libraries and Expansions.

D-One

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185769#Comment_185769

Oh, hummm…. you mean no Massive, no Kontakt, no FM8, no Monark, etc?

At that point I don't really get why one would invest on an M+ rather than any other more traditional standalone but I guess you're right, it could be done and maybe put some minds at ease.

MaikR

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/185771#Comment_185771

These plugins (and other engines) can also function perfectly fine without additional libraries, other than the one that came with the M+. You’ve paid for that dedicated library when you’ve invested in the M+, over a ‘standard’ sampling workstation… so-called ‘batteries included’.

I know the M+ is way more powerful when connected to your account, so you can download and use other, separately purchased expansions. I don’t think NA should be needed to validate your legal purchase, but that’s another topic. Besides that, we can also use the same contents in the desktop software, too.

And yes, that’s software… we ‘know’ that it is only compatible with your ‘current’ OS-version, hardware configuration, etc.. But, with the M+ NI expanded their ‘kontrol’ over your purchase to stand-alone hardware. And, that practice wasn’t very common. And I think it shouldn’t be accepted by users.

Roland, no need for online activation. You can use an SP-404mk2, TR8s, etc. without an account. Only when you want to access and download additional content, you need their library software. Elektron, no need for online activation. Even sample packs (DT) and patches (ST) can be bought and downloaded separately. Moog, Behringer, IK Multimedia, ASM… all synths so ‘maybe’ a different story, but no activation needed. Same goes for Polyend Play and Trackers, and also for their sample and sound packs.

No unnecessary dependency of desktop software or availability of servers. You’ve bought a device, you can update or upgrade it for a limited period of time. It’s yours. No lock-in.