What features would extend the life of Maschine?

tribepop
tribepop Member Posts: 160 Advisor

If NI came out tomorrow and announced that they are going to stop developing new features for Maschine (hardware + software) and they were going to do one last big update, what essential features (try to be realistic) would you wanna see that would extend the life of Maschine as a production system long after development ended?

For me it would be:

Hardware:

  • Custom scales, chords, and arp patterns
  • Making the controller “open-source” or highly moddable. The controller editor is nice but pretty limited in terms of using all of the hardware’s features

Software:

  • Combination of sampler and audio devices
  • External control surfaces can be used as modulators and can record automation
  • Better clip composition, i.e. combining clips in song view and then being able to create a pattern out of them to use in scenes

NI, please don’t ever stop development for Maschine, you’ve come a long way and have made something really special.

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Comments

  • JC96
    JC96 Member Posts: 11 Member
    edited August 2022

    For me personally, especially now we have a standalone version, there needs to improvements to the sampler, improvements to the built in effects (I'd love to see a graphic eq on those beautiful screens 😍 visual feedback on the plugins I know isn't essential but it helps me massively) a utility plugin like Abletons with mono/stereo options needs to be put it, cant believe its been overlooked for so many years, surely it would be simple to implement? Key detection would be awesome! Finally automation needs an overhaul to bring it up to modern standards.


    I agree with most of the ops requests too! Maschine is such a beautiful instrument but some of its core features need an update now.

  • ozon
    ozon Member Posts: 1,301 Expert

    @JC96 wrote:

    a utility plugin like Abletons with mono/stereo options

    You’re welcome to try this Reaktor ensemble;


  • JC96
    JC96 Member Posts: 11 Member

    Thank you, I will do. But it really is time to have a simple utility plugin, especially in the Plus. Checking the Left/Right/Mono when sampling is standard enough to have a built in plugin. I wonder why it's been overlooked by the developers for so long? Any insights?

  • Cretin Dilettante
    Cretin Dilettante Member Posts: 120 Advisor

    They need to finish the sequencer & song view. I want to be able to trigger tempo & time changes on at least a per scene basis. Ideally, on a per pattern basis, but I'll take what I can get. I'd also love probability/conditional triggering on a per note/step basis. Adding this one feature would make Maschine+ the ultimate standalone, and it would help everyone using the desktop software write more complex music solely within Maschine.

    Automation & Modulation could be updated, as well. It would be nice to have some preset curves and an easier way of drawing in modulation with a mouse.

  • Trevor Meier
    Trevor Meier Member Posts: 69 Advisor

    For true longevity, I would say:

    1. Open source the protocol for communicating with Maschine hardware
    2. Enable full multi-channel MIDI routing from hosted plugins

    The sequencer is by far Maschine's weakest point IMO. It's been surpassed for years now by more flexible, usable alternatives. Unless they have an ace up their sleeve, I suspect it's a lost race. If they open up MIDI routing, however, then other sequencers can be hosted within Maschine to overcome its weaknesses. If the protocol for the hardware is also open-sourced, then Maschine can be the powerhouse that it is at navigation, selection and control and allow others to excel where they're better.

    Closed ecosystems never seem to survive long. Kontakt and NKS have thrived because NI isn't the only one who benefits from using them. It should be the same with the Maschine hardware and sequencer.

  • jkq2010
    jkq2010 Member Posts: 27 Helper

    Absolutely this, it is a few features away from being the best solution for production but its been in this state for almost 10 years. Akai MPC Live does all of the above and is my weapon of choice until Maschine sorts its software out

  • Flexi
    Flexi Member Posts: 366 Pro

    If they discontinue there will be no big last update hahaha.

    Future proofing would be MIDI out on plugins and VST3 though.

  • tribepop
    tribepop Member Posts: 160 Advisor

    Definitely. I use GMonoBass’s plug-in for setting everything below 150HZ to mono but it would be nice to do that natively within Maschine without external VSTs.

  • ozon
    ozon Member Posts: 1,301 Expert

    @jkq2010 wrote:

    Akai MPC Live does all of the above

    It offers „probability/conditional triggering on a per note/step basis“? Which update added this feature?

    Anyway, I’d love to have this on the M+ to delve into evolving/generative patterns.

  • Jean Voyage
    Jean Voyage Member Posts: 36 Helper

    I have written about what I am missing from Maschine+ (https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/5347/my-maschine-wishlist) and I would like to add one item to that list: Remove the necessity to have to register and tie Maschine+ to a NI account. It is good that it can access an NI account for download but I think it should function with any account regardless of whether it is registered to it. If NI fades, being able to at least operate a Maschine with what’s on it regardless of registration is a must and I actually thing that not being able to pass it on to someone else without begging for deregistration is a move that is a bit hostile towards users who bought a standalone device.

  • Flexi
    Flexi Member Posts: 366 Pro

    The device will always work after original registration, it doesn't dial home for verification, it only needs registering for updates, and if they "Fade" as you put it, there will be no updates, so it wont matter.

  • darkwaves
    darkwaves Member Posts: 336 Guru

    I stopped using maschine on my computer a while ago. It took a while for me to realize it; but I just don't care about having that "almost hardware" workflow if I'm using a computer and maschine's software doesn't add much if I'm using a DAW. The only thing I can't really replicate is the live slicing workflow; and that's just not something I do often.

    But I do like maschine's workflow; especially when I'm just using my hardware. Maschine+ is nearly a perfect sequence/sampler for what I want. I'd like a few updates.

    1. I use an audio interface with M+, but it's still not stable. This is the main priority for me.
    2. I want the newer implementation of ableton link that can do start/stop. It was added to ableton back in 2018?
    3. The autosampler is fun. I'd like to be able to route external audio into a pad, through effects and into the autosampler. It seems to kill external audio if you set the source to an internal pad.
      1. My interface is flexible enough that I could probably send audio out of maschine and loop back in; but I'm really not trying to mess with setting up inputs on maschine. That interface sucks. I can't dedicate one of the 4 stereo inputs to it. Sure would be nice if we had 8 or 16 stereo inputs. Just sayin'

    I think of "longevity" in terms of: How would I continue to make use of this device even after I've purchased a replacement? For example; I have an ancient Motu 828mk3. It's firewire. I bought it over 10 years ago and now use it as adat expansion. I have no intention of replacing it. If it ever dies, I'd move my current desktop to that spot and now I have an excuse to buy a new desktop interface.

    I try to buy stuff while thinking about how I'll make use of the device after I've replaced it. The features I've mentioned above would be nice now; but would be useful when I've found something I like more than maschine+. Similar to my ancient Motu; M+ doesn't need a computer to run. It can sit there and add utility to my setup without being a centerpiece.

    If I can dream a bit larger; I'd really like to revamp the entire sampler module. I'd want to keep maschine+ around as a sampler even if I bought a new device to run my hardware setup. You can never have too many samplers; but the sampler is so meh. Let's start with 3 more envelopes, 3 more LFOs and make everything a destination; including everything on the zones tab. Even better if I can get at least 1 filter, envelope, lfo for each zone. A new "advanced sampler" module that rivals Battery.

    I'd probably buy the cheapest interface I can find with adat and continue to use M+ as an effects box. AVB might be cheaper by then. If so; I'd go that direction (that's the plan for my current setup). Another use case for increasing the input limit. I've been mad about that limit for years :(

    I want the ability to use a bluetooth or USB qwerty keyboard. Aftertouch/pressure and midi learn from the hardware would be nice. Bluetooth and RTP midi would also be nice.

  • Rammms
    Rammms Member Posts: 3 Member

    It’s impossible to export or record audio for externally controlled hardware synths. AFAIK you’re stuck having to internally sample each instrument individually. You can of course use it as a VST and record the output in your DAW of choice, but some DAWs don’t allow you to route audio into the VST (looking at you Studio One).

    At the very least it would be nice to export audio in real time, so I could record a live performance and have it export the stems.

  • ozon
    ozon Member Posts: 1,301 Expert

    Improvements to the Sampler:

    • Round Robin
    • Latching
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