Maschine Jam in 2022?
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!
Comments
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Well you may buy Jam and sell it later, if it does not fit. It seems to me that price does not go down, it looks it goes slightly up.
The key thing to check in your case is M1 compatibility. I am not on Mac, but I guess Jam will not work with M1. :-(
I like Jam, pitty there is no replacement for it.
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the answer is yes. It is still well worth it. If maschine would allow to split controls I’d buy a second one. It is great on able ton 10 for mixing, controlling effects and for live performance. Also use it with Traktor with a custom template and it is amazing and easy to create very versatile custom templates. There is also a few nice tools on reaktor for it. In short I highly recommend it
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There is always a lot of demand for a maschine jam upgrade. I don't own one but I can see the definite advantages it brings. It's a product that could come back to the front of the scene after maybe the release of a maschine mk4...
I don't see it coming out before an update of a new mk maschine
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There are already many reasons to get a Jam mentioned in the original post and it is well worth a try. Even if it won’t be supported forever, it still might boost productivity for a year or two from now.
For using with Ableton, I’d probably rather look into getting a Push 2 (additionally to using the Jam with Maschine).
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I have MK3 + Jam. I want to share that I used it mostly as additional hardware control interface (so I dont have to keep fiddling with the MK3) when combining the two. The Jam is great for Ableton style view and launching of clips and the touch strip thingy somewhat. A good example is to use Jam for all the LOCK states. Most things can be done efficiently on the Maschine MK3.
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I use Jam mostly for Piano Roll, Sequencer, work with Patterns and making Automations. I use Jam alongside Studio/Mk3.
I think Jam will be supported for pretty long time. By supported I mean, its support will not be removed from Maschine, not that it will be extended. I even bought second Jam as replacement for the one I use in case it fails.... So my trust for long use is high.
But I am on Win, so no real problem with drivers SW compatibility and so on, like on Macs.
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Jam is just priceless. Go for it.
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Do you have a link?
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Thanks for your comments so far! Does anyone know whether Jam works on M1 MacBooks? Is there a need for a driver?
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That is reason, why I doubt it is supported on M1. And hardly ever will be. I may be wrong....
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NI must port their drivers for all the current (not legacy) hardware for Apple Silicon. NI ported the (legacy) Jam driver for the Maschine+ (Linux on Intel). Thus, it’s not completely improbable they port the Jam driver for M1 while they’re at it.
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Hard to say.
NI ported Jam to M+, because there was strong demand from users for doing it. (At the time or M+ release, NI has announced, Jam will not be supported by M+ as it is legacy.... It became legacy few months before M+ release.)
But maybe you are right, and NI will provide AS drivers also for some legacy gear. (Jam, S5, D2, ...)
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Life on Win is much easier concerning SW compatibility. No problem (in most cases) to run current SW on legacy OS version like Win7 (almost 13 years old). And many would run even on Win XP (20+ years old). And vice versa. 20+ year old application has high chance that it will run on the newest Win 11.
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I have a maschine mk 2, a maschine+ and a maschine jam, and a MacBook Pro M1 1st gen and the JAM works flawlessly with my M1, no issues whatsoever.
I have written in many posts how the JAM is irreplaceable once you get your hands on one and work with them together. To have a main maschine together with a jam is so inexplicably fantastic. When you get one you’ll feel completely fulfilled. Get one while you can, you will not regret it.
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My bad, I though you were referring to another post where Jam related stuff were discussed. Thanks for your input though 😀
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