NI Machine v Akai APC 40

Seems like a just when I was getting into the idead of looking forward to buying an APC, when NI release the Machine ahead of the APC. Anyone used the Machine yet?

Any views on using it with a. ableton and b. tracktor?

If you ask me, an APC40 kan be more versatile than a Maschine.

I still think a Maschine is somewhat like controllers in the triggerfinger family. (Akai MPCxx, Korg etc etc) but with it's own dedicated software.
Take away the dedicated software, and any extra value of the Machine is lost.

Where an APC40 is just the controller, this for me holds much more value and versatility.
Especially with regards to the possibilities in Ableton or Traktor.

Than again, I might be biased.

I thought it might be the other way around that the APC is pretty much tied to Ableton software and getting it to talk to anything else would mean manual midi mappings - if that APC does support midi properly. With the machine the articly I read quickly the other day at a mates house seems to say you can use it with a range of DAW/DJ software. I'mwondering how hawtin uses it in his set up.

I'm lookign to buy a midi-controller/software set up but each month this year there is a new controller or software release - 2009 seems to be the year of midi control! Even Jonathon at DJ Tutor.com is at it.

The NI maschine sends velocity and aftertouch data that the APC doesnt and also has larger buttons :) So i would say that the APC is better for controlling Ableton clips but when it comes to a sampler the NI Maschine takes the win.

Here is a blog post comparing the two. Personally I am hoping that Maschine will get tighter integration into Traktor eventually. Also as noted, Maschine even comes with mappings for various other applications and given that it supports velocity its also more versatile. That being said, the bi-directional communication is tasty, but it actually wets my appetite more for opensource solutions, which do exist already.

That blog post link is the wrong page, correct one below:

http://www.keyofgrey.com/?p=1883

I just want to point to this thread with maschine talk:
http://www.djtechtools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4781

theres also this thread on the hardware forum for the APC-40

Hi guys...first off, thanks for linking my website! As I understand it, Maschine has mappings for Ableton already out of the box, as well as integration with Traktor. In the NI video series, they show Maschine being used in both and not only as a plugin, but as a controller. As far as I know, the APC40 currently only works with Live, although I'm sure it will be opened up in later Ableton/Akai updates.

Even though the APC40 is a perfect Live set up, including the always useful transport and many more buttons (useful for assignments), I would say that if you want to "trigger", the APC40 will work best for you. But if you want to "play", Maschine will be the better bet. Velocity, along with swing, or even un-quantized playing, brings a human feel to beat-based music.

It's really up to what you want your controller to do. Are you playing DJ sets, or are you performing your own material live? For the former, the APC40 will probably work best, and for the latter the Maschine will be your goto gear. That being said, owners of both devices will find ways to leverage them to do whatever they want, regardless of what they're "best" for. Cheers!