Issues with Maschine+ Encoders and Vegas Mode Exit

@pk_the_dj: I totally understand that machines can break, and I’m not expecting a free fix. I just want to pay something fair. This Maschine hasn’t moved from the studio since I got it in 2021. It’s been treated with care because it’s the heart of my setup. It’s rack-mounted in a wooden stand and I truly thought it would last a lifetime — especially at that price.

@D-One: infinite thanks for the explanation — super helpful and well explained. But honestly, I don’t even dare to open it. Here in Madrid I don’t really trust repair shops for this kind of work, and with expensive gear I usually stick to official service. I use a good filtered power strip already, but I’ll try your suggestion of unplugging everything else: speakers, mixer, synths, etc. That said, if I reconnect everything and the issue is still there, I’m back to square one.

The repair cost I was quoted is somewhere between €160 and €260. And right now, I just can’t afford that. I’m seriously disappointed. At this point the only real option seems to be either paying Native Instruments to fix it (which I won’t do for that price), or selling the unit after explaining the issue clearly to the buyer (some people might not mind, but I need this machine to work properly for my job). I’ll also be explaining my case to the community and shutting down the tutorial and live performance project I had based on this device. I'm already looking into switching to another brand — probably Akai.

Actually, before Maschine I was using Akai standalone gear and it never gave me a single issue. Maschine’s workflow and integration have been amazing — until problems started showing up. First I had knob issues with the MK2, then Maschine+ gave me several crashes, even during live sets. And now this again with the encoders. It’s really hard to work with peace of mind under these conditions.

So yeah, I’m frustrated and burnt out with this. NI’s solutions feel slow, expensive, and disconnected from users like me — people who have invested in their ecosystem for years. I don’t want to keep going with this.

That’s why I’ll start removing all my Maschine-related videos from YouTube. They’ll be set to private and available only to my Patreon supporters who may still need them, but I won’t be recommending these products anymore. I don’t feel right promoting something I can no longer trust.

If Native Instruments offered a more fair and reasonable solution, things might be different. But they don’t have support here in Spain, and honestly, I don’t think they care at all about my situation — or about my followers. A few thousand users probably mean nothing to a company like that. But there are a lot of people out there who, like me, can’t afford to just switch to another machine.

And if this is how they treat this issue, what’s next? Another fault? Another expensive repair? How much more are we supposed to pay for something that should just work?

Hi PK The DJ,

I get that you're trying to make sense of the situation from your perspective, but honestly, you’re making a lot of assumptions about my financial reality.

Not everyone has the same circumstances. In my case, it's not that I can't pay the €160–260, it's that it doesn’t seem reasonable to invest that amount into a device that’s already caused problems—and could easily do so again, by design. I’d rather put that money—along with whatever I can get from selling the Maschine Plus—towards something that better fits my workflow and offers more long-term reliability.

This isn’t about drama or threats. It’s about practical decisions—something a lot of creators face every time an unexpected expense comes up. Some of us resell gear, some tighten our budgets, others switch brands. It’s all valid.

From my point of view, what’s fair and reasonable is for a company to offer support without forcing unnecessary steps or hiding behind rigid procedures, especially when they market their hardware as professional and standalone.

Thanks for sharing your take—but please understand that not everyone starts from the same place, financially or technically.

All the best.

I’m closing this topic here because the level of toxicity and lack of support isn’t worth any more attention. Having issues with an expensive machine and then having to justify my financial situation publicly, especially to those who question my motives, is simply unacceptable.

I’m not going to explain whether I can or cannot pay; my decision is based on the product’s unreliability and the responsibility that brands should take.

This marks a turning point for me and my community with Native Instruments and their “support” forum. Instead of wasting energy trying to fix someone else’s problems, I’m choosing to focus all that effort on taking my channel and sampler in a new direction—one that’s fully mine and under my control.

A disappointing end to this chapter, but the start of something with more meaning and fewer headaches.

Best,
Roboo