Maschine+ as an interface

Maxray

Well, technically, you can set up the Maschine as the main audio interface for the system, i.e. Windows/Mac from your OS settings and run all your audio through it, but I suspected you wanted to just control your externals with Maschine+, while running your DAW with the Windows Audio driver or whichever audio interface you're using.

The approach I use is to run Maschine Software in standalone and then sync with whatever DAW. With Maschine+ you will still need to sync it with the DAW you're using in order to get it to function right. There should be a Controller Editor template on NI's Support page, just type "DAW Maschine" in the search, then download the template for Maschine+ and whichever DAW it is, and drag it on the Controller Editor app, that should get the DAW and transports to sync via "Midi Remote" to the Maschine+ in the DAW's Midi settings page.

Some DAWs require you to place some template files in their "Remote Scripts" folders in "Program Data" in order for the DAW to recognize the device.

That being said, it's fine to use Maschine+ as a hardware unit by itself, especially on stage, traveling or when just working with external gear. I would say, don't limit yourself by not utilizing the Maschine software when working in the box. You can run Maschine Software in Standalone and "Ableton Link" it to whatever DAW you're using and drag and drop between programs to get the most out of sampling, sound design and creation, while using Maschine to arrange the song together. That can be done with either version, Maschine and Maschine+.

Go ahead and try it, then let me know if you were successful or if there is still an issue.

Milkman

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200965#Comment_200965

You are saying that maschine (2?) can be run in standalone mode, then Ableton Link can be used to connect this to a DAW that supports it? For ex, Bitwig?

I dont use Machine+ and have no plans for it, but have been a (frustrated) MK3 user for a couple years now thanks to routing madness when using maschine2 inside DAWs. Are you suggesting I can use Ableton Link without owning a copy of Live, and I can use this (like older Rewire) to connect a standalone maschine2 instance?

Edit: As Im not a Live user, I had to research this and experiment. It looks like Bitwig successfully "links" to Maschine2 and Maschine2 successfully "links" to Bitwig, but transport start/stop doesnt sync in either direction.

Ive also learned that this just syncs transport start/stop anyway, so this is pretty much useless for me unless Im working mostly inside Maschine and drag/drop into my DAW. If I understand correctly, I can create a MIDI remote device (in cubase) to maybe get start/stop working? Meh. Still not the routing I need from maschine/mk3, and still the same situation that has caused me to move beyond maschine/mk3 and the entire ecosystem. Bummer. When "link" lit up, I became excited that there was another way to do this, but nope.

Maxray

Yes, I use it that way with Ableton, while I'm constructing. I can drag and drop between the programs as I go, and do most of my layout in Maschine, because the hardware is quicker. You can export sounds into Maschine's sampler from Ableton, or turn them into clips in the song view. When I'm finished laying it all out, if there's more I want to add to cherry up the arrangement I do it in Ableton along with the premix. Then I export to Cubase to do my post mixing.

Obviously, you will come up with your own methods, based on what you feel is comfortable, but Link works in standalone for any of them. You just need to click the Link button in both programs.

Yes, if a program has the Ableton Link software built in, it works with any program that has it. I used Maschine with Reason linked for along time. Reason actually has an excellent sample editor, you can twist the samples into some really crazy stuff and then apply different modulators, then export it to Maschine and have alot of fun with sound design.

Here, is a list of all programs that have Link: https://www.ableton.com/en/link/products/

Also, if you have Maschine set up as a Midi Remote in any DAW, via the controller and midi scripts, when you click in that software with your mouse, Maschine can control the transport and mixer functions. You may need to put it in Midi mode with a [Shift] + Channel if you're controlling other stuff in the program, but yeah it works. Then, switch back with the same buttons to go back to Maschine SW in Standalone. Cubase has a "Midi Remote" program built in, where you can do several pages of controls for Maschine and Kontrol. Each DAW handles it different.

The Maschine SW is actually quite fun when you're focused on using the controller. Here, these videos I can watch over and over, and they seem to always get me moving back to using the hardware. They just get you more familiar with the hardware aspect, and getting used to the arrangement features.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkFqg7ZvTWb3indhxLsWUwEs1gqV-U2AK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNA8-fyGySg&list=WL&index=2&t=1s

Maxray

Also, I wanted to add, I forgot to mention… You can also Link them between two different computers if you want.

I forgot to say that, but Link will work with anything on your network. So if you prefer that method, you can do it that way too. I just do them in standalone, side by side, in Windows on my big monitor. You can drag audio and midi directly from Maschine's Pattern View anywhere on the sequencer/timeline or even onto drum samplers/pads in your DAW.

I apologize for forgetting to mention that!

Milkman

Right, yea I know how to use maschine/mk3 in every other scenario, and have decades of experience overall, just not with Live because I dont like Live.

Last night I spent some time reading about the Link Enabled devices, but so far none of it benefits me. Im not going to manually create midi remotes, etc, and out of ignorance I had become excited that Link would allow more full(midi cc, note) synchronization between maschine and my DAW, but that isnt the case. Thanks for trying to explain, anyway.

I dont use the maschine sequencer and find it cumbersome and slower than using my DAW arrangers, my elektron boxes, etc, and all Ive ever been trying to do with this is route all sounds and groups into my DAW, the way I used to in the beginning when I first picked this up. I dont even try to use maschine as a plugin in Bitwig anymore because its not worth the hassle and my other options work fine.

Rico010

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/200975#Comment_200975

Start/stop does not sync (as I read somewhere earlier) because Maschine/NI is using an older version of Ableton Link. They just did not update it to the latest version which actually supports start/stop sync.

Disclaimer: not stating said above, just sharing what I’ve read somewhere before.

PK The DJ

"They just did not update it to the latest version which actually supports start/stop sync"

Maschine 3.0.0 software fixed that back in November.

Maschine+ standalone still awaits the "coming soon" update.