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Questions about Maschine MK3 accessibility, Reaper integration, mapping in Battery, and connections

Mauricio Haro

Hello everyone in the community and the Native Instruments team,
I'm on the verge of buying a Maschine MK3 controller. However, before spending the $489 it costs, plus $62 for shipping to my country via Amazon, I'd like to ask a few questions to those of you who already own one or the developers. These questions are mainly focused on accessibility, as I am a blind user and rely on the NVDA screen reader.
I produce beats professionally. I currently work with the Komplete Kontrol S88 MK3, and while it's great for making drum beats, I'd like to step up to a piece of hardware specifically designed for that purpose. Some time ago, I had an Arturia Keylab Essential 61, and although I was never able to configure its 8 pads to assign specific samples (it only worked for me using EZdrummer 2's MIDI learn option), I really enjoyed the workflow of using pads. That's why I want to make the jump to Maschine.
My specific questions are:
1.
Is the handling of the Maschine software within Reaper as smooth as it is with the Komplete Kontrol S88 MK3? I know it uses the NI Accessibility Helper and I'll get speech feedback, but I'm curious about how the overall integration of Maschine works while inside Reaper using NVDA.
2.
Is it possible, in a fully accessible way, to map a specific WAV sample (one-shots) to each pad on the Maschine? I know that using ReaSamplomatic5000 in Reaper I can assign a sample to each specific note within the same track (for example, loading a kick on C4, a snare on D4, etc., by opening several instances of the plugin and importing the WAV). But, how exactly would this work using Battery and its libraries? Is it accessible to route and assign these one-shots to each pad directly from the hardware? I mainly work with Kontakt, WAV one-shots, and EZdrummer.
3.
Regarding the physical connection of the device: What type of cable or connector does the Maschine MK3 come with out of the box, and how is it powered? I ask because my laptop ports are pushed almost to the limit. My two Type-C ports are already occupied (on the Thunderbolt 4 port I have an Acasis TBU405 Pro enclosure with an 8TB WD_Black SN850X SSD, and on the other Type-C I have the S88 MK3), and in one of my Type-A ports, I have my Apogee Duet 3 interface. I only have one Type-A port left. Will I be able to connect it and power it without issues using only that spare Type-A port?
4.
To protect the gear, I'm considering buying some accessories and wanted to know if anyone here has them or recommends them: the Decksaver for Maschine MK3 ($72.95 polycarbonate cover) and the Musiin Velvet Hard Case ($36.99). Do you think it's worth investing in them considering that the Maschine will stay fully stationed at my home?
Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers!

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Battery 4

Maschine MK3

Reaper

Accessibility

Kontakt 8

Accepted answers

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/51798/questions-about-maschine-mk3-accessibility-reaper-integration-mapping-in-battery-and-connections

You will need the help of someone with a lot more knowledge about the topic than I have but to get it started I will post some information , but that might not be accurate though.

With respect to the accessibility then here is a link to the video : Accessibility guide for MASCHINE MK3 | Native Instruments as well as a link to the support article about what is new for accessibility helper 2.0.1 : Maschine | Accessibility for Visually Impaired Users.

Else then first of all then as far as I know then Reaper is not officially supported by N.A. , but when googling it then it appear as if thee are templates by third party , but I have no idea if these templates works with Maschine 3 , though I would expect for them to have been updated if not… Here is a link to the thread in the NI forum. But perhaps you will be better off asking Reaper questions in the Reaper Forum ? (link here) .

As for Maschine MK3 integration with S-Series MK3 keyboards then it is my understanding that any integration between Maschine and MK3 keyboards are a lot poorer than it was with the MK2 keyboards. The information that I link to here might be out of date but the Maschine MK3 FAQ says the following :

Can the Kontrol S-Series MK3 be integrated with the Maschine 3 software?

At this time, the integration is focused on standalone mode only (i.e. Maschine running as an application, rather than a plug-in). This means that in standalone mode, it offers support for Transport, Play Assist, and seamless hosted plug-in control powered by NKS.

We have tried to focus the keyboard integration on the most important additional functions, i.e. the functions that would be most useful on an additional controller compared to the Maschine hardware itself. We will continue to build on this experience over time.

Will you restore the same level of integration between Maschine and the Kontrol keyboards that we had with the Kontrol S-Series MK2?

We may continue to iterate on this experience over time, but we will not restore the full integration, as this relies on specific hardware buttons and functions that the Kontrol S MK3 does not have.

Question "map a specific WAV sample (one-shots) to each pad on the Maschine" ?

I am not trained enough in using Maschine but a quick Google says that : You can quickly map individual WAV one-shot samples to separate pads in Native Instruments Maschine by dragging and dropping them directly from the browser onto each pad. or assign manually by :

Method 2: Manual Assignment (Hardware & Software)

Select the Target Pad (press and hold SELECT + hit the pad on your hardware, or click it in the software).
Load your one-shot sample onto that pad from the browser.
Repeat the process for the next pad until your kit or sequence is fully populated.
Alternatively, use the Duplicate button on your hardware controller to copy a sample to a neighboring pad, then swap or load a new sample onto it.

Also then here is a link to the manual.

As for cable then the Maschine MK3 comes with a standard USB2 type cable with an A-plug for the computer end and a B-plug in the Maschine hardware end.

As for Maschine specifications then the page (link here) simply just say "Powered via USB 2.0" which would mean that power requirements should be satisfied by what power an USB 2.0 port delivers.

As for protecting gear then it is always a good idea to protect your gear when not in use. What you need to protect against determine what you need for protection , e.g. then you can protect against fluid spills using any protective cover that will repel the fluids , if you have table cover that protects tables then that will protect what is under the cover (put protective cover over and if necessary wrap under). If you need protection against dropping things on the device then you will need a protective cover that can protect against what you expect can be propped.

All comments

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/51798/questions-about-maschine-mk3-accessibility-reaper-integration-mapping-in-battery-and-connections

You will need the help of someone with a lot more knowledge about the topic than I have but to get it started I will post some information , but that might not be accurate though.

Can the Kontrol S-Series MK3 be integrated with the Maschine 3 software?

Will you restore the same level of integration between Maschine and the Kontrol keyboards that we had with the Kontrol S-Series MK2?

We may continue to iterate on this experience over time, but we will not restore the full integration, as this relies on specific hardware buttons and functions that the Kontrol S MK3 does not have.

Question "map a specific WAV sample (one-shots) to each pad on the Maschine" ?

Method 2: Manual Assignment (Hardware & Software)

Select the Target Pad (press and hold SELECT + hit the pad on your hardware, or click it in the software).
Load your one-shot sample onto that pad from the browser.
Repeat the process for the next pad until your kit or sequence is fully populated.
Alternatively, use the Duplicate button on your hardware controller to copy a sample to a neighboring pad, then swap or load a new sample onto it.

Also then here is a link to the manual.

As for cable then the Maschine MK3 comes with a standard USB2 type cable with an A-plug for the computer end and a B-plug in the Maschine hardware end.

As for Maschine specifications then the page (link here) simply just say "Powered via USB 2.0" which would mean that power requirements should be satisfied by what power an USB 2.0 port delivers.

Mauricio Haro

Hi @PoorFellow

thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for looking up all those links!
First, I apologize to the forum if I go slightly off-topic, but I wanted to give some context on how blind users actually work with Reaper and Native Instruments gear. There is an amazing open-source project called ReaKontrol, created by James Teh (a blind developer from Australia who is actually the creator of the NVDA screen reader) along with other contributors. Thanks to their work, we have a port that allows us to fully control Reaper directly from the DAW button on the Komplete Kontrol S88 MK3 and previous versions. Basically, we get the same deep DAW integration that NI officially provides for other DAWs. Honestly, Native Instruments should just reach out to James and integrate his open-source code natively, but anyway...
I also wanted to clarify a quick detail about how the NI Accessibility Helper actually works for us. The Helper doesn't make the Maschine 2 software GUI accessible to the OS screen reader. Instead, it acts as a bridge: when we interact with the hardware (knobs, pads, buttons), the Helper catches those physical events and sends speech feedback through the SAPI5 voice engine (which many of us route through Syntherceptor directly into NVDA for a much more powerful and seamless experience).
With that said, my main question isn't so much about the deep integration with Reaper anymore, but rather the actual workflow within Maschine itself. Let's say I buy it, and I want to load Battery 4 expansions. If I hold the "Select" button, tap one of the pads, and then hit the "Browser" button... will the Maschine's internal hardware browser read the Battery 4 expansions out loud via the Helper?
And most importantly: can I use this exact same hardware workflow to browse my own computer folders and load my custom WAV samples (one-shots) directly to the pads? Or is that not possible from the hardware browser, meaning I'd be forced to stick to my current workflow using ReaSamplomatic 5000 in Reaper?
Since it seems very few visually impaired users have their hands on this specific controller right now, I think I might just have to take the plunge, buy it, and test it all out myself. Thanks again for your help, my friend!

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/268765#Comment_268765

If I hold the "Select" button, tap one of the pads, and then hit the "Browser" button... will the Maschine's internal hardware browser read the Battery 4 expansions out loud via the Helper?

And most importantly: can I use this exact same hardware workflow to browse my own computer folders and load my custom WAV samples (one-shots) directly to the pads? Or is that not possible from the hardware browser, meaning I'd be forced to stick to my current workflow using ReaSamplomatic 5000 in Reaper?

My guess is that you either need either another blind user to tell you or a NI product specialist (or N.I. Support ).

I can try pinging @Matthew_NI to ask if his vast insight as product manager over time of diverse products has given him the insight to be able to answer this for you. (Please do not be disappointed if Matthew_NI do not respond , he is a very busy person and he is not working in support, he only graciously sometimes lends his help in the forum when time and schedule allows).

Mauricio Haro

Hi @PoorFellow,

Mauricio Haro

Hi @PoorFellow ,
Thank you so much for getting back to me and for pinging @Matthew_NI !
First of all, I want to apologize because it seems my screen reader or browser had a little glitch and posted my previous reply twice. Since I see you have the MOD tag, would you be so kind as to delete the duplicated message? I'm really sorry for the clutter in the thread.
I would also like to take this opportunity to tag @Tim_NI (Tim Adnitt). I know Tim is deeply involved in our accessibility support. On the other hand, I also clearly remember Tim Rae (who I understand is a Software Engineer at NI and contributes a lot to the "Komplete Kontrol Access" mailing list for blind users). @PoorFellow , do you happen to know Tim Rae's exact username here on the forum? If so, could you please ping him as well? I posted these exact same questions on that mailing list too, but it seems very few people in our community have bought the Maschine MK3 yet, which is why I'm seeking official answers here.
While we wait to see if Matthew, the Tims, or anyone else can chime in, I'd like to add one more workflow question: Is it possible to change the MIDI note of each pad independently from the hardware (and is it accessible via the Helper)? Let me explain: if I want to use Maschine to trigger a custom or third-party drum plugin like EZdrummer 3, I might need to move and route the note of each pad independently (e.g., setting Pad 1 to output a C1 for the kick, Pad 2 to D1 for the snare, etc.). I might check later if EZdrummer 3 already has a built-in keymap for the Maschine MK3, but just in case, can I individually change the base MIDI note of each pad directly from the controller?
I really appreciate your empathy and all your help. I completely understand that the NI specialists are super busy, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks again!

Jeremy_NI

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/268779#Comment_268779

Hey Mauricio, I've forwarded this last question to the responsible team and am waiting for their feedback.

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