[Survey] Tell us what you think about MASCHINE

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Comments

  • theonlymj
    theonlymj Member Posts: 7 Member

    Hey @LostInFoundation , appreciate the feedback. I do use the audio module in conjunction with clips. I largely like to use the hardware for anything I can, instead of using the mouse, and the process of tracking audio and making new "tracks" is clunky.


    It's a bummer because they already have the audio module, so on face value it would seem like that would be the place to go. But I think they might need to add yet another module named "recorder" perhaps, that behaves like any basic recorder. Like your recording app on your smartphone. Press the button and it record linearly.

    My thought is that it would default to clips mode and work within the arranger, since I imagine most people who are laying down vocals are doing it over the arrangement. This could also work for recording instruments in different sections of the song, but would get away from Maschine's pattern based foundation. I've found moving clips to be pretty flexible with the hardware though.

    The current audio module was clearly designed to drop existing audio files. Not to record new audio.

    NI always say it's not a DAW, but I also own a product from their main competitor and it possesses this basic functionality. If they never introduced audio at all, perhaps we would have accepted it as a groovebox. But it's SO close. I love the Maschine hardware, it's perfect!


    I suppose my use case is rarer than I would like, as it seems the majority of users are making instrumentals and not necessarily "writing songs" with the Maschine. But simple, intuitive audio recording would be great for software and standalone users alike.

  • theonlymj
    theonlymj Member Posts: 7 Member

    If you're on PC, I have a fix for your 8 minutes of plugin scanning issue.


    Go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Native Instruments\Maschine 2 and move the ScanPluginsApp_x64 file out of there. If you install a new plugin you will need to manually rescan and it will place a new version of this file into the folder again. You would then need to move that as well.

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,198 Expert

    Fair points.

    And asking for an improvement is always the right thing to do. Even if NI is not famous for listening. Let’s see if this survey is a sign of a changement.

    About your use case: I don’t think at all this is rare and there are not other users doing what you do.

    In my case, when I need to record something long, what I do is exactly what you describe: I use the sampler, I press the button and it starts recording, as you say, linearly. Once the recording is done, I switch the sampler into an audio module and voilà…I can now use the audio module functionalities

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 2,811 mod
    edited April 2023

    @theonlymj said:

    The current audio module was clearly designed to drop existing audio files. Not to record new audio.

    Humm... I'd say it's designed to deal with "loops", whether dropped/loaded or recorded, since the nature of vocals isnt usually "loopy" as instrumental tend to be Clips is your best choice as a Verse for example will generally span across multiple Sections/Scenes. The Audio Module was released a bit before sounds.com integration came about (which is now dead, lol), to me that was no coincidence.


    I suppose my use case is rarer than I would like, as it seems the majority of users are making instrumentals and not necessarily "writing songs" with the Maschine.

    It used to be kind of rare but it's been a while since the marketing shifted to a broader audience and now there are many folks like you who expect it to be able to be decent at recording audio, whether it's vocalists, guitar players, or anyone with similar needs... TBF people had been requesting audio tracks for ages but the audio module was most likely not what most users were expecting.

  • 1neflame
    1neflame Member Posts: 10 Member

    Maschine is a wonderful piece of hardware and software.

    However it can be more than that.

    Piano rolls should be similar to FL studio. The entire daw should be an entire daw for Producing, Djaying and recording.


    I would love to make a UX/UI concept.

    You can see my portfolio for my qualifications.

    I'm also a music producer and music artist by the name of 1neflame.


    NI staff, please contact me!

    https://www.behance.net/createdbygk

  • TheLoudest
    TheLoudest Member Posts: 110 Advisor

    yeah...

    I'm also in UX research/UI design myself

    but it doesn't matter who they hire,

    they definitely need to hire someone in that department! 😃

    It's urgent.

    (I love Maschine+ hardware and especially its potential, and I would be glad to help too)

  • caramba
    caramba Member Posts: 15 Member

    "The entire daw should be an entire daw for Producing, Djaying and recording."

    Good luck... without a miracle, it will remain what it is... an expansions player with some other functionalities.

  • SpencerTyler
    SpencerTyler Member Posts: 37 Helper

    You can pull up the mixer from the hardware by pressing Shift + Variation. It takes you to the Navigate screen that use to be opened with the Navigate button on the older hardware. It's not an obvious command at all but I figured it out by accident lol

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,198 Expert

    You mean “some other functionalities” like:

    Creating patterns

    Creating variations

    Adding effects (included in the software or 3rd party)

    Effecting entire groups/single pads/ master output (with unlimited number of effects on each level)

    Recording samples

    Editing samples

    Building songs by arranging

    Testing different combinations (ala Ableton)

    Using Midi

    Using audio

    Doing automations

    Controlling other plugins

    Controlling other hardwares

    Sound designing

    Using instant fxs in a Dj style

    Pushing one button that will morph between variations

    Using scales/chords functions

    Automatically chopping samples by transients

    Using a sequencer (albeit a simple one)

    Looping

    Plugging in microphones/instruments

    Using a mixer

    …and so on and so forth

    ?

    I would like to have other “expansions players” like this 😉

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,198 Expert

    As much as we can complain with NI for not adding some functionalities or some limited behaviors, calling Maschine an “expansions player” is quite funny 😂

    Is like calling a car “a can of tuna with 4 wheels” 😂😂😂

  • ShelLuser
    ShelLuser Member Posts: 240 Pro

    Well, it was a nice surprise to see that I could still fill out the survey. Hope that it can still help you guys out.

    However, I don't think the survey really got me to tell you guys what I think about Maschine 😉

    Basically I use Maschine as my primary "Komplete controller"; most of the time when I'm messing with Komplete sounds or instruments I do so through Maschine. Which in its turn is then controlled by Ableton Live (and Push). Seriously, the combination of Push + Maschine has left a serious impact on my work and overal setup.

    Now, I'm a hobbyist first and foremost; I basically consider myself a semi-professional sound designer. But it still baffles me to this very same day: I plugin my Audio 6, I then fire up both my controllers (Push + Maschine) and finally I turn on my JBL studio monitors. Then I fire up Live and from there on I can basically do everything from behind my controllers.

    I mean... by default Maschine is a "Live controller" through the NI Live remote script. All I have to do is load up the Maschine VST using my Push and... tadaah: now I have full access to Komplete (and more) on my Maschine.

    This may sound a bit silly, fair enough, but for me this amount of control; this amount of access to my DAW from "outside" my computer? It was a major game changer for me. There's something honestly way different between turning a real rotary with your fingers or using that amazing touch strip while playing vs. doing that with a keyboard & mouse. And being able to have both Maschine and my Push working together in a seemingless fashion? I know it's "just" software and I'm also well aware that for some people this isn't fully enough.

    But for me this had a major impact. At first I solely used my Maschine for percussion, but that quickly changed and these days it's a combo of percussion (that never changed, it excells there!) and melodies. You'd be surprised to see what you can do within one octave (and a bit more using the touchstrip as pitchwheel (pitch strip? 😁).

    Now also add Ozone into this mix and well, Maschine becomes a true powerhouse. Especially if you consider that I can add the iZotope "Relays" to several groups or individual pads on Maschine (just using the controller), and then use that as input on my Live master track with, say, Neutron.

    There's a reason why I once bought into iZotope's Everything bundle when they gave me a major discount for it. That definitely was the figurative icing on the Maschine cake for me 🤗

  • caramba
    caramba Member Posts: 15 Member

    "...

    Using Midi

    Using audio

    ..."


    With no internal midi routing, limited to 4 stereo inputs, no MPE, plugins chaining limitation, no Link start/stop, no OSC and now that it's VST3 it needs more midi ins/outs as a VST . I'm talking about the basic functionalities of any DAW. It's designed as a loop player, not as a DAW.

    And yes, I like it as a controller for NKS and hardware mixer interface. Unfortunately, it's too limited for playing instruments as any DAW does.

  • TheLoudest
    TheLoudest Member Posts: 110 Advisor

    "...

    Controlling other hardwares

    ..."


    with a 'STOP' button that sends a midi "pause" message and thus desynchronizes the other midi devices it seems to me delicate to say that Maschine allows to control other devices...

    not to mention that it is not even possible to program PC/MSB/LSB messages in Maschine+ and therefore impossible to control programs/presets on external devices like synths, drummachines...


    Added to that, all midi instruments with aftertouch (I'm not even talking about MPE) are useless with Maschine+ (in and out)


    Even though it may be an exaggeration to say that Machine is only a "expansions player", it still reflects a reality: Maschine is only good at managing its own ecosystem. As soon as you want to open up to the outside world, it's much more difficult...

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 4,198 Expert
    edited April 2023

    I never said it is perfect, complete or finished. I was just laughing at “expansions player” 😉

    And it’s “limited” to 4 stereo inputs…if you don’t buy any other audio interface. It’s like saying ProTools, Cubase, Ableton, Studio One, Logic, and all the other DAWS are “limited” to…0 inputs, since you didn’t buy any audio interface. MY Maschine is used with a StudioLive 32 Mixer, so I have 32 stereo inputs… and when I go mobile, I STILL have 4 stereo inputs… Complaining about the fact that they even put an audio interface when they made MK3 (before the audio inputs were…0) is once again…funny…

    Caramba was talking about the software, not Maschine+

    Maschine DOES allow to control other devices. In a perfect way? Clearly not, but it does

    In any case, difficult is not impossible.


    As I said clearly, we CAN and we HAVE TO complain about things not working properly or basic functionalities not added in 2023, but I sincerely think that having to deal with a company that is already notoriously not receptive to requests/suggestions and coming in completely denigrating what in facts is an already (improvable) wonderful piece of software/hardware is counterproductive. Do you really want them to have one more reason to think “our users don’t know what they are talking about, they are unreasonable, so we have the right to ignore them”?

  • Hit-Man
    Hit-Man Member Posts: 23 Helper

    "@Kaiwan_NI the only real thing I'm waiting for, is for Maschine to go one level further, a full fledged DAW that'll allow me to work with, manipulate, record and edit vocals so that I don't have to go FROM Maschine TO Ableton, or Bitwig or Studio One or anything else. I'd love to be able to keep it all within the Maschine environment"

    This!!!!!!

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