Maschine+ with or without Maschine 3

Jakov · 2025-04-25T19:08:22+00:00

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Hi, I just get new Maschine+ and I never used groovebox. SO I will learn on Maschine+ to create on groovebox.

I thought that the software that comes with Maschine+ is Maschine 3 when you want to connect to computer and record.I think I was wrong. Please explane me do I need Maschine 3 with my M+ hardware and what are the advantages and disadvantages if I have\don't have. My DAW is Logic Pro and if i connect it with MAschione+ is it more\less same like having Maschine 3.

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LostInFoundation

You don’t NEED it. You could want it only if the new features (at the moment not so many, but they say more will come), otherwise you can work with Maschine 2 perfectly well.

Specially because at the moment Maschine+ can’t even use M3 in Standalone. That should also be coming… and at that point maybe M3 will be more interesting for M+ users (in my book, not even to much for M3 per se, but for other things that update should bring, like Kontakt 8, more FXs/instruments ported,…).

I also suppose that many M+ owners are still using Maschine 2 on desktop, since using only M3 would prevent the ability to move projects back and forth between Standalone and Desktop

LostInFoundation

You can’t buy it anymore from NI. The only way is finding someone selling the license.

BUT

You should not have to buy it. If you register your M+, Maschine software should be automatically added to your account and then you have to install Native Access software (the “manager” for everything NI).

There you should find your Maschine software to install

All comments

LostInFoundation

You don’t NEED it. You could want it only if the new features (at the moment not so many, but they say more will come), otherwise you can work with Maschine 2 perfectly well.

I also suppose that many M+ owners are still using Maschine 2 on desktop, since using only M3 would prevent the ability to move projects back and forth between Standalone and Desktop

Jakov

Thank you, I agree. I will wait for M3 for M+ to come out.

tetsuneko

Maschine+ ecosystem is at its most mature point ever. If I was serious about music making, I'd get M+ now with Maschine 2, and only upgrade to Maschine 3 when its safe to do so.

M+ was released late 2021, and only now, in Q2 2025 it is "mature" enough for serious use IMHO (with the latest OS, latest firmware and a good SD card from a reputable IT brand). If it's going to take another 4 years for Maschine 3 to reach the same state of maturity on M+ as it took for Maschine 2, you might end up wainting for a long time..

This is my "conservative" take on the subject. I hope M3 migration pains wont last 4 years, but only time will tell.. Despite NI's best intentions, Maschine+ is a complex beast with a lot of dependencies

PK The DJ

M+ was released late 2021

September 2020 in fact. I bought it in 2021 and IMHO it was perfectly usable at that time. It did what it said on the box and on the web site. I was happy with it then, and still am happy now.

Some comments imply that the M+ was somehow broken or incomplete on release, but it wasn't.

Jakov

Thank you guys.

I checked on web but I can't find where to buy\download Maschine 2.

Any tips?

LostInFoundation

You can’t buy it anymore from NI. The only way is finding someone selling the license.

BUT

There you should find your Maschine software to install

Jakov

LostInFoundation Thanx!

LostInFoundation

You’re very welcome 👍🏼

tetsuneko

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/223592#Comment_223592

I stand corrected. For some reason, I remembered it being 21, not 20.. I bought mine practically on release day, and I remember the unit crashing quite a bit when trying to load stuff with the browser for at least the first year. So at least for me, the M+ came out of the doors half cooked. I do not remember those early years fondly, and am concerned we will have more of them when Maschine 3 arrives to the +

PK The DJ

I also have to make a correction. After checking my records this morning, it seems I purchased my Maschine+ in June 2021 (so earlier post edited). 🤐

ozon

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/223687#Comment_223687

That explains, why you thought "it was perfectly usable at that time. It did what it said on the box and on the web site."

(Edit: Sorry, the formatting of the release notes was messed up by adding the spoiler warning)

Here's the collection of release notes before 1.4.0:

1.3.2 - 2021-09-28

MASCHINE+ 1.3.2
Whilst MASCHINE+ 1.3.2 mostly contains underlying technical and stability improvements to Native OS, there are also some small user-facing benefits. These are as follows:

This update will include the latest Factory Library, fixing the falsely added Tag “Fix!”

Users will also be able to deploy the license information of third party packages used in the MASCHINE+ operating system to the SD cards

Firmware Update
In addition to the above, we are working hard to address the previously reported issues with the MIDI IN behaviour of MASCHINE+. These changes are not part of the MASCHINE+ 1.3.2 update, but will be made available via a firmware update (an installer that is run on a computer with MASCHINE+ connected via USB) in the coming weeks.

MIDI IN changes will also be included in a future MASCHINE+ system update (date TBC).

1.3.0 - 2021-07-01

New for MASCHINE software and MASCHINE+

Poly Synth
Poly Synth is a recreation of NI’s Pro-53 synthesizer, available as an internal plug-in (via plug-in dropdown) for MASCHINE.

It has been built with MASCHINE+ and hardware control in mind. All parameters are available from hardware (though the software interface is simpler). A curated selection of 250 Sounds are available in an update to the MASCHINE Factory Library that is being made available in parallel and included in the MASCHINE+ update.

Features:

Up to sixteen voices - The number of voices can be set in the section labeled VOICES

Two oscillators

Multimode Filter

Two envelope generators

One LFO

Modulation and Polymod sections

MIDI Changes
The MIDI Change feature is now available from MASCHINE MK3/MASCHINE+ hardware via the SETTINGS > MIDI tab. This is mainly intended to allow MASCHINE+ users to trigger Scene/Section/Snapshot changes from an external MIDI device.

Arpeggiator Improvements
MASCHINE’s arpeggiator is now on-par with KOMPLETE KONTROL as we’ve added the following parameters: Retrigger, Repeat, Offset, Inversion and Range. These can be accessed from MASCHINE MK3, MK2, Studio and KOMPLETE KONTROL S-Series MK2 controllers.

New for MASCHINE+

Save Plug-In Presets
You can now save presets of instruments and FX directly from MASCHINE+ by holding SHIFT and pressing soft button 4. This is also available from the MASCHINE MK3 hardware now.

Other additions and changes

Product licenses are checked on launch (a reset to resolve activation issues of included products is no longer required)

Fixed an issue where formatting an external USB device does not work

Fixed some cases where Kontakt / Reaktor may not play sound when loading a project

Fixed an issue where certain products would appear as “update available” even though they are up to date

Fixed an issue where the welcome project fails to load

The library tab can be scrolled using knob 8

The audio Interface default is no longer affected by hot-plugging

The EFI partition on external drives is now hidden from the storage page

FM8, Raum and Phasis no longer need to be downloaded separately

Text changes to the storage mode page

1.2.15 - 2021-03-11

NEW IN 1.2.15

ADDED Support for KOMPLETE KONTROL S-SERIES MK2, A-SERIES, M32 and JAM

ADDED You can now save projects with samples on the SD card to ease file transfer to a computer

ADDED Support for External USB drives (exFAT/FAT formatted drives only. Supported file types are Samples, Groups and MASCHINE Projects)

ADDED Unsupported File Formats are hidden from the Browser when connecting external USB Storage

ADDED Previously scanned content is removed from the Browser when media it's ejected

ADDED Users can clear content from Browser for unmounted volumes, if ejecting was unsuccessful

ADDED There is a notification when there is a new system update available

ADDED User files can now be deleted from the unit

ADDED Updated to the latest Kontakt version

ADDED SD Card is automatically re-scanned after leaving STORAGE mode

FIXED / IMPROVED

FIXED Automatic content scan was not triggered when files were copied to the SD Card from finder to the User Content folder

FIXED Pressing RESTART shut down the unit instead

FIXED Missing images for Product Tiles

FIXED Missing Presets

FIXED Avoid freezing when inserting/removing SD card while a scan is in progress

IMPROVED Overall Stability

KNOWN ISSUES

Browsing External USB Media Devices only allows navigation up through two folders, contents from the third level onwards are integrated in a flat list

Browsing USB Media Devices with large amounts of data and/or large files can cause hangs with `PREHEAR` toggled ON

JAM integration has some limitations compared to Desktop use due to the lack of the "on screen overlay"

No option to 'Uninstall' products yet

When using a powered USB hub, there might be cases where the power on button of MAS+ is not behaving correctly. In this case, disconnect the powered hub, power on the unit, then reconnect the hub.

As additional materials to learn more about what was added and how to use it, an updated manual and a cheat sheet for the JAM integration are available here:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/maschine/production-systems/maschine-plus/downloads/

1.2.14 - 2020-11-10

Hi everyone!

You can now update your MASCHINE+ unit with the latest version of the software. This update brings stability and bug fixes, which is our main priority at the moment.

To update your unit:

Make sure you are connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable (if you have a USB/Ethernet adaptor).

Go to SETTINGS, SYSTEM (or UPDATE if you have a new unit) and hit UPDATE.

Here is the change log:

IMPROVED:

General stability improvements

Improved stability when editing samples

Improved stability on Sampler engine S1200

Keep Audio routings when replugging an Audio Interface

Keep MIDI settings after disabling device

FIXED:

Audio artifacts in the first beat or two after loading a project

Crash when plugging or enabling/disabling MIDI devices

Crash when disconnecting audio interface

Truncated first attack when sampling (random occurrence)

This release includes MASCHINE software version 2.12.

You can expect more stability improvements on our next release, and hopefully some quality-of-life improvements too. For an overview of what's currently in our plans, please check this post.

We hope MASCHINE+ is firing your inspiration to make more and more music!

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