Native Instruments Maschine MKI

Native Instruments has made sure that learning how to use Maschine is as easy as possible. The software and driver installation is the same as all other Native Instruments products, very standard fare. The manual has pictures and diagrams for each of Maschine’s functions and they’ve uploaded a wealth of videos walking you through using Maschine step-by-step.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I haven't had any performance issues or instability. The software doesn't seem bloated but I can't say that it feels exceptionally light, either. That said, there's no lag and I've had no problems even with projects with many sounds and patterns.

OVERALL OPINION

Once you start the software, you’re greeted with the biggest selling point of Maschine--The Interface. Every function related to using Maschine is accessible on the hardware with no need to look at your computer monitor. Since it’s marketed as a marriage of software with a dedicated hardware controller, the quality of the hardware is paramount. The endless encoders are smooth and the velocity-sensitive pads have a fantastic feel and are responsive to all levels of pressure. The layout is well designed, with every control placed in an intuitive location and there are enough buttons and knobs to keep page and menu diving to a minimum. I find this tactile workflow to be very engaging and there’s just a kind of connection with pressing pads and tweaking knobs to produce and arrange your songs that you just don’t get with a traditional mouse-driven DAW interface.

However, the groovebox-style design isn’t without shortcomings. Maschine simply can’t handle multi-track recording. It doesn’t even have the concept of “audio tracks.” It’s designed to use patterns of midi notes, software synthesizers, and short samples which isn’t ideal for many styles of music. The capability to cut, copy, paste, and other standard audio editing functions aren’t there. When I have a desire to write and record a guitar and vocal based song, it’s just not feasible to produce that in Maschine and I must use a different program.

Though, I call that a shortcoming, I hesitate to call it a flaw. Native Instruments deliberately avoided those features and instead opted for a hardware-software combination with a very narrow focus on features that lent themselves to immediacy and inspiration, which I personally enjoy.

The included library is solid. A decent quality assortment of various drum hits, synth stabs, live instruments, and sound effect samples. As of version 2.0 they’ve created and included a great drum synth that’s capable of recreating both classic drum synth sounds as well as some more realistic percussion. Native Instruments also gives Maschine owners a free copy of Massive which means that you can really have everything you need to start producing with a single purchase.

The sampling capabilities are a bit of mixed bag. The knob based interface for trimming and chopping samples is extremely fast, but without some of the more advanced audio editing features and the baffling lack of timestretch, you may find Maschine’s sampling a bit lacking for your needs.

Maschine is a fast and creative production environment. The groovebox design places an emphasis on tactile control and pattern based song arrangement which doesn’t work for every genre of music, but is extremely fun for the ones it does work for.


Pros:

+Fast, Fun User Interface
+Good Sound Library including Massive
+Well-built hardware


Cons:
-Does not have the functions or interface necessary for certain kinds of music
-Sampler missing some key options

Coming from an Mpc 3000 & 1000 production background, I found Maschine a breeze to use. The installation was very simple and straight forward as well as the documentation (manual).

Maschine interface is quite easy to get use to, if you've used an Mpc then maschine should be a breeze for your but if not the manual included explains everything in detail. I do wish Native Instruments would have included video tutorials as they would help those who are new groove maschines (pun intended). Now there are plenty of youtube videos out there but some people don't know how to navigate the net too well or and or are not able to stream videos online (ie some college students).


Aside from that small suggestion or gripe (whichever fits best) everything else was perfect. Not only are the functions laid out in a organized manor but the shift options and dual function commands are very easy to get the hang of.

Lastly, I loved the fact that everything could be controlled from the hardware interface: Sampling,chopping,truncating,browsing samples,transport functions etc.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

What's really cool is that Maschine software and Hardware interface both work flawlessly together. Whatever is being down via the hardware unit can be seen in software in real time and vice versa. In fact they work so well you don't ever have to look at the computer screen when working and that's the work flow an akai mpc user LOVES.

I've run Maschine on a few different setups and each runs the unit perfectly. Here are my setups.

Older Mac

Mac G4 1.5ghz,
2ghz Processor,
Delta 1010 Soundcard
Stock Ati Vid Card

Windows Machine
Delta 1010 Soundcard
Custom made 3ghz Quad Core
4gigs of Ram
5700 (ATI) Vid Card

Mobile Setup
Saffire 6 Usb Interface
Stock Vid Card
4ghz Ram
DualCore 2.2ghz Processor


I don't run into any issues using machine with either one of the setups listed above and I've had the original unit since 2008 when I was sound designing for it. With that said you should be fine using any computer made within the time from of

2008-20 – whatever.. Unless you are a really heavy plugin user.



OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about Maschine is it's SPEED! This is the fastest groove box I've ever used. The time it takes to sample,chop and lay your samples across the pads can take a quite a while on a mpc 3000. When the Mpc 1000 can out it was 5x times faster but maschine is nearly instant!

I do wish the build was a little more solid, not saying that it isn't but it's really light which makes feel as if it would shatter if I accidentally dropped it or, maybe I'm just use to lugging around heavier units .

Maschines sound quality is superb they even have an mpc 3000 and Sp 1200 emulator built into the sampler. My advice is process your sound through an older preamp. You get a really nice feel with them.


If I was a new producer looking to get my hands on a groove box Maschine would be my go to unit for 5 reasons

1. It's easy to use
2. Quality (Sound)
3. It's doesn't cost much
4. Can expand any setup
5. Kills any groove box on the market (even the mpc)

Native instruments maschine is a great production system. Its hardware integration is second to none and its paving the way for music computer production.

Its has 8 banks of 16 pads with 2 effects per pad/bank/project. With the included sounds, you can compose an orchestra. I don't know of a single MPC that has more. You want 10 kicks in your project? Go ahead. 5 snares? Sure. A bank for just sample chops? Go to town. You will NOT run out of space. If you do, you're doing a lot wrong anyway. No, you don't need to layer 10 kicks. Stop it! But I do like to mix sounds that otherwise wouldn't make sense. I don't like to sample, so I'll instead create an 8 bar jazz loop complete with a full jazz brush kit, then layer it with 808's, Vinyl kits, trance kicks, etc. to make the song sound sampled when it isn't.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Its performance is amazing and very easy to understand, I have been using it for a few months now after trying it out in guitar center one weekend. I am very happy with it, setting it up and getting it going couldn’t be easier.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, there is very little that the Maschine can't do that you would want it to do. Come the next upgrade that's already been announced, there is likely NOTHING your Maschine won't be able to do, but there will be tons that it would be able to do that your MPC never could or will, and for a ton less than it would take for you to be able to pull it off with software and midi controllers. The only complaint I hear a lot of now is "no time stretch" (which I don't use anyway, but a lot of people do, and the MPC can do it. But add plug-in compatibility, and you'll have it.