Hello boys and girls, I hope you are all doing well.
Although this has been asked by many, I would like your opinion on whether it is worth buying a (used) Maschine Jam in 2022. Since this decision depends on a number of things, let me inform you about the way I usually work, the hardware I have and the intended use for Maschine JAM.
My workflow
I compose exclusively on Maschine (standalone) using the MK3. In most of the times, I am not looking at the computer screen/not using the mouse since this offers me a nice workflow that I really enjoy. I use tops 8 Groups and I rely mostly on wav files rather than VSTs since my computer (see below) is quite old. When I have finished a song, I will export the STEMS at a sound level, import them to Ableton 10, do some basic stuff (e.g., EQing) and then I send the STEMS to a sound engineer.
My hardware
I am using the Maschine MK3 with a MacBook Pro 15' (mid 2015, 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM). In about a year's time I will eventually upgrade to an M1 MacBook.
Intended use of JAM
Although I was late in the game (purchased and started using the MK3 about 3-4 years ago) I have been always blown away by the capabilities of the JAM (based on various videos I've seen on YouTube). I want to use the JAM as a companion to the MK3 in order to arrange things quicker (select patterns for each scene), use the step sequencer (especially for melodic sounds), adjusting the audio levels and having access to more octaves.
In addition, I want to use the MK3 and JAM with Ableton for performing live: I want to use Live for launching audio loops (Maschine's Audio engine is really CPU heavy on my computer) and a midi track with the Maschine VST. This is crucial for me because Ableton is more stable and less CPU hungry when compared to running Maschine standalone. Also JAM has one of the best workflows when used in midi mode for controlling Ableton (10).
Summary/additional info
- I am working on a 2015 MacBook Pro 15' (i7, 16GB RAM)
- I rely heavily on Maschine (standalone) when composing
- I use Ableton 10 and Maschine (VST) for performing live
- I will at some point upgrade to an M1 MacBook
- I might upgrade to Ableton 11 (currently I have Ableton 10 Standard and Ableton 11 intro)
- I don't think I will buy in the near future the Maschine + (due to instability issues)
- I tend to keep my hardware for a long time
I hope the above info is sufficient for giving you some context. I really want to buy the JAM but I am afraid of future compatibility with the Maschine software, Ableton 11 and MacOS (not to mention that it's a discontinued product so very difficult to replace/service/find parts).
Cheers!