Maschine (Mikro!) question: Can it replace a piano for melodies?
Rookie Maschine question here. I’ve been eye’ing the Maschine for years because of my history as a drummer. Always wanted to tear it up after watching all the youtube videos. I would buy this over any Akai because of the tightly integrated software.
Now that Mikro is coming out, I’m considering the purchase bc I like its portability. Here’s the question:
Do you really need a keyboard to produce melodies or do the pads on the Maschine suffice? I know the Maschine is more tailored for beat-making. They also advertise bass melodies, etc. But for all you Maschine users out there, do you all have keyboards as well? Is a piano necessary or can I use the pads instead?!
some people said that attaching a traditional piano keyboard to the first synthesizers was the worst mistake they made…
if u can map the notes u need and enough of them (octaves etc) then it makes no real odds what type of controller u are using - so long as its touch sensitive - and even that is arguable with EDM.
having said that using a more traditional keyboard also makes a lot of sense - and i find it quicker.
Quenepas, yeah the attraction of Maschine is the simple GUI/use-ability and we cannot forget the 6GB (I believe?) sound bank.
Zestoi, thanks for your input. Definitely agree with you.
Just for clarification, I’m in no way against a keyboard haha. I think it’s necessary for sure. I’m simply wondering if Maschine can produce a full song on its own (EDM and hip-hop would be my interests) …
And if Buchla had won instead of Moog, we’d probably be much closer to playing melodies with knob button and fader! So in honour of old skool cool cat Buchla (who was one of the modern synth-manufacturing pioneers)
Also, you could probably see it as just sampling a scale (be it minor or blues or chromatic) and pulling it down on the pads.
Especially since you’re not from a piano background but rather a drummer one, might fit you a lot better.
i started out as a drummer and did experiement with connecting my ancient pearl drx-1 pads to my alesis d4 drum brain and using the midi out to trigger my other synths.
interesting but overall impractical - tho would have been more fun if i had more pads
i think the maschine mikro looks cool but i’ll probably cheap-out and just buy a 2nd lpd8 to get that 4x4 pad feel
Yes you can perfectly play melodies, but you loose things, like pitchbend and modulation wheel, and it is awkward at first. Takes a bit of time and practice to mentally map the piano scale on the pads.
That and the fact that you only have one octave to play with ( plus 4 notes ) a one given moment, of course you can move up and down the octave, but it’s not doable to play a melody that reaches 3 octaves in one go as you can on the keyboard.
It either takes step sequencing or recording in several passes to achieve this, and the chords. But depending on what you use ( i’m not familiar enough with the machine to be certain ), there are some workarounds.
To be honest I like playing instruments with pads because it’s different enough that you come up with things that you maybe wouldn’t on a piano. Plus because of the layout some things are very easy to achieve with pads ( think super fast playing ).
I think that the great thing about this piece of equipment (maschine/mikro) is the very tight integration between the hardware and the software, as in, for most things you don’t have to fiddle around with a mouse, once you know the controller inside out it creates a global workflow that you just can’t replicate with software only ( even with very well mapped controllers, imho ).
IMHO that is the only thing that is negative in the mikro, they took away the 2d screen and the knobs. Of course you gain portability, but i think it takes away an important thing from the maschine, this solid integration.
It’s faster and easier than playing a keyboard if you don’t already play keyboard…and it has a step sequencer. You can do pitchbend and modulation after the fact, and you can record in passes. I mean…you could do that with a keyboard too, but…meh.
I own a keyboard (well…technically it’s on semi-permanent loan) and haven’t plugged it in to Maschine and thought it added anything. But…I also don’t play keyboard and feel more comfortable composing on pads or Logic’s staff.
If you can find the template for massive for the existing maschine then it seems very intuative. I was going to try it recently but then massive keeps messing up for me. When I get it all figured out I will let you know.
I don’t know how to play the keyboard so this seems like a resonable option for me. I see maschine being an all in one controller for just about everything I do, just need to get all my mappings down or get used to the mappings that come with it.
Warwolt, Oneapemod, Mostapha, and Rukks, thank you so much for sharing. I’m completely sold after reading the responses. You all said exactly what I was hoping for.
I actually started out on the piano for about 5 years then switched to drums/percussion for the rest of my life afterwards! So I do have the musical theory behind me actually, it’s just been an extremely long time since I ever looked at the circle of fifths But yeah, I can read sheet music (super slow now though). Playing the timpani was actually my favorite back when i was in band. Band rocks!
Once I’m done with this brutal 2nd year of med, I’m looking forward to pursuing my goal of making music in my free time. I just had to find out if the Maschine could be the true portable all in one! For now, more cardio renal respiratory though
Thanks for all the input everyone! DJTT always comes through!
It’s not perfect at that. But it’s damn good. It doesn’t work well with things like vocals or guitar. I think it works best when recorded into a DAW like Logic or Pro Tools (or Ableton, or Cubase, or whatever…I just prefer those two). And I don’t think it’s the only controller you need…but I got spoiled doing mixdowns on an ICON console.
For composition…you can do just about everything. For recording, you want a real recording system, especially if you’re going to add vocals or do any serious editing. For mixdowns, you kinda want a mix controller that fits your budget and needs (preonsus faderport, euphonix stuff, ssl nucleus, icon consoles, or anything like that).
The Maschine isn’t “everything,” but it’s damn good at what it is (an awesome groove box that integrates with DAWs incredibly well).
$349 is $50 more what I hoped for. I think NI should price half the features for half the price. Obviously they will smear on your face the full software suite upon questioning the price but if the full thing is $600 it should be $300. Just like the S2 should be $400, half the S4 price.
