Smart Strum in Chords Mode

ElCuervoArcano
ElCuervoArcano Member Posts: 9 Member
in Maschine

Hello community,

I'm a Maschine+ standalone user and I'd like to propose an improvement that I think would greatly expand creativity for those of us who compose music without advanced music theory. I'm referring to implementing a "Smart Strum" feature within Chords mode, allowing you to use the Smart Strip to break down chords into notes played in sequence (like an arpeggio or a strum).

Currently, chords in Chords mode are only triggered when you hit a pad, and the Smart Strip doesn't affect the articulation of that chord. But if you could make it so that, by sliding your finger across the Strip, the chord would play back note by note with a gentle delay, like a strum, that would be an incredibly useful feature for musical expression.

This already exists in other apps like GarageBand, but Maschine+ has enormous potential that could surpass even that implementation, especially in live settings.

From my perspective as an independent artist and sound artisan, I think it would be a valuable improvement that many of us would appreciate. Thank you for reading,

— El Cuervo Arcano

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Comments

  • D-One
    D-One Moderator Posts: 3,720 mod
    edited June 8

    Doesn't the Touch Strip in Note mode already do this? Im not in front of my M+ atm to verify

  • Rebelkleff
    Rebelkleff Member Posts: 20 Helper
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/229854#Comment_229854

    if it does I’d love to know how! Been wishing for a similar feature maybe I’m overlooking it already?

  • LostInFoundation
    LostInFoundation Member Posts: 5,598 Legend
    edited 12:26AM
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/229854#Comment_229854

    No, notes mode of the MK3/M+ Touch Strip strums through the pads. Therefore, in keyboard mode it strums all the notes of the selected scale (or only the pressed ones) and, if you turn on chord mode, it strums through the various chords.

    @Rebelkleff something similar to what you want is achievable with the 8 Touch Strips of Maschine Jam and their Notes mode. You can also use the Jam pads to select which notes (and how many) will be strummed,

    In M+/MK3 the maximum you can do is use Arpeggiator (changing the settings) in combination with chords or using right hand to push the pads in Keyboard mode to select which notes will be strummed with Touch Strip (which, if you learn shapes that compose chords playing the pads, is the closest you can get to “strumming chords”). But no “Smart Strum” feature within Chords Mode

  • ElCuervoArcano
    ElCuervoArcano Member Posts: 9 Member

    I would seriously love for the Maschine+ to have that capability. It's incredible how much creativity could flow if they implemented that. I hope this reaches them and we have the chance to try it out and get the most out of it.

  • ElCuervoArcano
    ElCuervoArcano Member Posts: 9 Member
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/229901#Comment_229901

    Thanks for your detailed explanation. That's precisely why I thought implementing a real "Smart Strum" within Chords Mode would be a direct and powerful improvement. I'm not talking about recreating it with an arpeggiator or programming it note by note, but rather something organic and immediate, where the Touch Strip automatically decomposes a chord on the pad (in Chords Mode) as if you were strumming it. Just like GarageBand or certain MIDI plugins do.

  • ElCuervoArcano
    ElCuervoArcano Member Posts: 9 Member
    edited 4:48AM

    I'd like to expand this idea with a complementary proposal:

    In Chords mode, users are currently limited to predefined chord sets (major, minor, 7ths, etc.) and cannot assign specific chords to individual pads. It would be incredibly useful to allow:

    • Selecting a pad
    • Using the 4D encoder to scroll through a complete list of chord types (maj7, min9, sus2, dim, etc.)
    • Assigning any desired chord manually

    This would enable fully customizable chords set, tailored to the user's harmonic style, especially helpful when composing intuitively or performing live with chord progressions outside the default scale-based system.

    Maschine+ already has the hardware and UI tools to support this: pad selection, 4D encoder, chord lists… it just needs the internal logic to connect them.

    I believe this feature could significantly enhance Maschine+ as a standalone creative tool, giving more control and expression to non-theoretical or emotionally-driven musicians.

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