Maschine worth it??

[stevenjames]

Best thing i ever bought the Maschine. I would forget about using it alongside Traktor all sync'd up. Just use it to create your own loops and beats for the new upcoming Remix Decks in Traktor. It's ideal!!

[obasun]

for dropping in a few samples or loops sure - but with maschine you have it's whole sequencer environment. i was going to pick up a padkontrol next week but reading this thread has made me think that maybe it's better to pay the extra and get a maschine mikro instead. just when i thought i had finally worked out what controller i wanted next...

if you never picked 1 up. I have 1, essentially new with box and packaging. i nevr took the time to learn how to use it.
Oba

[photojojo]

I think the best way to get a sense of the something is to read the manual before you buy it.

Amen brother. I regularly read the manuals of things before I buy them.

And for those with a Maschine don't forget about the Maschine Hardware Guide
http://www.native-instruments.com/fo...d.php?t=107416

[Otacon]

Maschine was the funnest controller i've ever purchased to ADD to my setup. I just love throwing in your own flare to songs. I use PC and haven't tried to sync them yet but I want to

[dookiex]

Maschine was the funnest controller i've ever purchased to ADD to my setup. I just love throwing in your own flare to songs. I use PC and haven't tried to sync them yet but I want to

I don't know, I found it to be complete overkill for DJ use. A Kontrol X1 I felt was a better fit for DJ use. I mean, if you need the whole sequencer aspect of Maschine, at that point I would probably suggest going the Ableton route, but that's just me :P

[mostapha]

If you have the midi clocks sync'd I'm pretty certain that your play/stop for maschine will be disabled, so tapping out beats on the fly can sometimes be a hassle from what i've heard. I don't actually have a maschine but I've seen a couple of posts about that. apologies if this is incorrect.

Map a control to Traktor's play/stop MIDI clock button.

I did it that way while I was on Traktor and very much enjoyed it. The only reason I don't still do it is that I'm not willing to set beat grids and Maschine's manual tempo controls are a bit wonky (read: over sensitive).

I don't know, I found it to be complete overkill for DJ use. A Kontrol X1 I felt was a better fit for DJ use.

They have literally nothing to do with each other.

[dookiex]

They have literally nothing to do with each other.

The way I see a lot of DJs using the Maschine in their live workflow, they actually DO have everything to do with each other. Essentially, I've seen the Maschine used in DJ sets mostly as an over-glorified samples launcher. So, maybe you are one of the few wise enough to exploit the real potential of the Maschine but many others I've seen have never really bothered.

Also, with the OP in mind, the OP apparently uses Live and with that in mind, the person is much better off with a APC20 or a APC40 if they wanted something that provided more controls for Live. As an Ableton controller, I did not find the Maschine to be a better choice compared to the APC units or even a Launchpad.

[Rythmc]

Hey all,

Thanks for the great advice... I did pickup the maschine mikro the other day and am VERY happy with it so far. It really fits my need for what I'm looking to do. Im a drummer too so this little groovebox and i get along great

I haven't had a chance to sync it up with traktor yet, but i am imagining it will do exactly what I want it to, especially after watching a ton of youtube vid (my favorite way to learn new software/hardware... those manuals only cover the basics!). So far great for producing beats... LOVE LOVE LOVE those pads, can almost get the feel and sound of a real kit.

I've hooked up live and an apc40 with traktor before and it worked nicely, but was a pain with having to switch screens and see where everything was in live. With maschines transport controls, light up pads to see where the beat is, and lcd screen right there it seems perfect for engaging my programmed beats in time with traktor.

Really looking forward to getting this all hooked up and using it live!

-Ryan

[mostapha]

The way I see a lot of DJs using the Maschine in their live workflow, they actually DO have everything to do with each other. Essentially, I've seen the Maschine used in DJ sets mostly as an over-glorified samples launcher. So, maybe you are one of the few wise enough to exploit the real potential of the Maschine but many others I've seen have never really bothered.

The fact that they bought the wrong product doesn't mean that Maschine and the X1 are the least bit related.

Also, with the OP in mind, the OP apparently uses Live and with that in mind, the person is much better off with a APC20 or a APC40 if they wanted something that provided more controls for Live. As an Ableton controller, I did not find the Maschine to be a better choice compared to the APC units or even a Launchpad.

Uhh………neither of those will do what Maschine will do even with Live. I mean…I guess there are Max4Live patches that allow you to use the APC40 as a step sequencer, but…then you're talking about a lot of money for less functionality and no ability to "play" off the grid.

[dookiex]

The fact that they bought the wrong product doesn't mean that Maschine and the X1 are the least bit related.



Uhh………neither of those will do what Maschine will do even with Live. I mean…I guess there are Max4Live patches that allow you to use the APC40 as a step sequencer, but…then you're talking about a lot of money for less functionality and no ability to "play" off the grid.

I'm shocked. You're here trying to "educate" or "correct" me yet you are coming off sounding as if you have never bothered to remap the X1 to do what many if not what most DJs use the Maschine for when playing out live (aka, sample launcher, you do realize that the X1 can be remapped correct? it is basically a MIDI controller at the heart of it). Also, again, I'm speaking strictly in terms of using it to control Traktor.

As for Ableton, yes, APC20 and the APC40 would do what the Maschine does and more IF one is using the Maschine and the APC20/40 strictly in Live. Have you never bothered to set up Live to basically be a sequencer or drum machine? Much of the unique qualities of the Maschine are basically negated.

Again, the Maschine is really only worth it if one intends to actually use the NI software that comes with it (it's a great piece of software, I will attest to that, but unfortunately, many DJs have simply just used it as a simple sample launcher instead of actually using the Maschine for what it is truly intended to be used for). You really have to keep in mind how many DJs actually use the Maschine. For goodness sakes, the Remix Decks in TP 2.5 was hyped as if it was the next coming even though it's essentially a streamlined version of what Live DJs have been doing for goodness knows how long now.

Let's put it this way, there's a reason NI came out with a Maschine Mikro. It's simply because they took a look at how most DJs were incorporating the Maschine to use when they play out with TP and saw that the original Maschine was never really being fully exploited by DJs when playing out. Thus the Mikro came out since it's a perfect solution and fit for what a DJ would need it for AND also leaves the doors ajar in case the DJ wishes to later on go and use it for production. Yeah, the Maschine is a great piece of kit but it's not so great when you consider that many people are using it without also using the Maschine software.

I mean, we are in a DJ forum are we not? We are discussing the gear we use when DJing are we not? So, since we are talking about using the Maschine in the context of DJing, we need to take a look at how many DJs have been using the Maschine in their DJ workflow, and for the most part, it's way overkill since a large bulk of them are using it as nothing more than a sample launcher, in which case there are a myriad of more suitable controllers for the task (Kontrol X1, Kontrol F1, A&H K2, APC20, Launchpad, nano pad, Pad one, midi fighter, etc.).

Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that the other options I've mentioned would replace what the Maschine itself is intended to do, they are not since the Maschine is more or less designed to go hand in hand with the Maschine software, but for a controller for Ableton or other DJ software, it's really not the best of options. Just saying.