Coming up: Free Maschine update with VST/AU plugin hosting

Well, as you stated in reference to Maschine's software, " the software brain happens to live in a modern computer".
Updating the "brain" of the MPC to give it more power to host VSTs is definitely possible. If Akai wants to be competitive, they may have to go this route unless they can come up with a better idea.

Well better processing power within the MPC and a few tweaks to the sequencer to accommodate VST hosting isn't making an "entirely" new product. It's making a massive update (and a good one at that). It would be better too because the unit is made exclusively for music. Computers are geared for many other uses other than music making so it takes a bit of work to get a computer setup up mainly for music making. With an MPC it's ready to go straight out of the box.

That's fine but i doubt they're completely dismissing the MPC series. Unless they want to convert the MPC to a virtual instrument (utilize the multi touch surface of an iPad and port over the sequencer). This way they can focus on controllers.

That's what I thought. I'll take a look at the feature request section and see what is unavailable within Maschine. Perhaps it's still good enough with what is lacking.

 

never make a gear purchase based on what you hope it MIGHT be able to do in the future, it almost never works out how you expect it. software companies are under no obligation to improve/support your product in the future - it just needs to do what it says it will do when you by it.

the fact that NI are making all these incredible new features and improvements for free is the exception rather than the rule (and all credit to them).

 

This. If it doesn't do what you need it to do at the present, there's no guarantee that it will in the future.

ew

 

I completely agree with you !
So I can't wait to see the full features-list scheduled for this update

 

That would be a pretty "massive" update LOL, and far from a "few tweaks" going from an archaic structure based on Roger Linn's original design that only allows 128MB/256MB of onboard sounds at a time to basically something that will need to have a modern computer onboard, like Muse Receptor or V-Machine.

Good luck waiting for that and saving up for it too because it will cost an arm and a leg if they do end up doing something like that. The only thing that's even remotely close is Rhizome which I don't even think has been released yet and will be prohibitively expensive. If you really don't like computers, I suppose you could get Beat Thang if it ever comes out although it would never be able to run plugins or anything like that. I think Maschine controller and a 11" Macbook Air is more portable than a MPC (other than the very limited MPC500) considering the 5 hours/30 days standby time on the battery of the Macbook Air.

All of this goes to show that NI was really smart to make Maschine in the way they did. If Akai ever tried to make a standalone "computer" MPC to compete with Maschine, it will become outdated soon after it comes out because computer technology advances at an exponential pace. With the way Maschine is designed, NI doesn't have to worry about that because they can focus on the software and people will upgrade their computers as technology progress just as they do anyway. All NI had to do was to make sure from the beginning that the software and the dedicated controller was integrated so that it works and feels like using hardware, and boy, did they nail it.

 

Music to my ears!

Cheers N.I. made my day.

 

I agree however, I stated I want to get another MPC *but* my main wish is for the MPCs to feature VST hosting which is why I am seriously considering Maschine -as opposed to an MPC. I do feel Akai may consider VST hosting but its just a gut feeling. I won't hold my breath.

I am mainly curious to see what the benefit of buying Maschine over an MPC is disregarding (in a round about way) the VST hosting (which is why i said pretend both offer it). Maschine offering VST hosting is an obvious benefit but it looks as if it stops there. If this is the case then I'll just continue using Ableton Live alongside an MPC (i prefer my main beats coming out of a separate box as opposed to a computer. Ends up sounding flat IMO when everything comes out of one sound source).
If Maschine was a hardware unit that bypassed a personal computer then I'd buy ten right now. :lol:

Well look at that! Ask and you shall receive! Run Reaktor in that thing and i can give everyone the finger! And my big Mouth too.
Thanks for the link

 

WHAT YOU SAID!
Please, please, pretty please get the MIDI right.

 

Wow. Only just noticed this post through a friend. This has made my year!

PS can't you keep your other feature request moans to another thread and let them have their moment? Thanks NI - amazing news

 

Oh? I saw in a thread at KVR you were saying the opposite. Did you find out it wasn't possible after all?

 

Look I'm a long time mpc user/lover but talk of mpc hosting vst is just plain missguided. Unless they release a virtual mpc or hybrid like maschine it wont happened. In which case if they did my bet is that maschine would still be more fleshed out at that point. As for vst causing maschine to be bloated. Then either don't use the vst or use mute pad to save CPU it use vst the internal sample and then either mute the vst or erase it all together... there CPU issue solved. This is a great update. I would have expected vst in maybe 2.0 or later and to pay money for it. Wonder if the bpm forums feel a lil jipped. For spending $79 last update?

 

Actually...there are numerous companies that released products and added new features via software upgrades for free to include Akai, Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Steinberg, etc.

I am more happy with the actual updates regardless if they were free or not. Its just really nice to see more companies listening to consumers and releasing products that we need and not what they think we need.

VST hosting in Maschine will fix some of my top complaints...such as Maschine's limited effects, and lack of decent layering of drums. I plan to use Battery as a VST in Maschine.

 

I don't think Akai has the coding dept. to take on such a task,perhaps I'm wrong..

Akai has had problems in the past with bugs in their mpc's that never got fixed. Remember aksys for the 4k? And it probably never will, not only that,but wow vst's and Akai,that would be very ugly imo.. NI does this as their day job,and are very talented at it..

simple mpd editors,which even they were subbed out to different coders still had bugs... With no intention to fix them..
I'd just get Maschine if I we're you, and let Numark stick to making iphone apps,and cheap plastic midi controllers..

 

If you really think that you have no clue as to how good software design works. If you aren't using the feature there will be no processor cycles wasted on it. It will of course use up some of the design teams working hours to maintain and improve.

But to be honest once you have VST in machine you can do ANYTHING with it, and that's the best thing about it.

 

Excellent excellent excellent!

Can't wait...

 

I personally don't know what anyone wouldn't want VST Hosting that just sounds dumb. It has way more ups than downs.

 

I think vst's will work similar to how the work in a standard Daw, in terms of CPU usage. I hope they also add, for this update, automatable mute/solo and tweak the song mode.

 

I'm not sure you understand what an MPC actually is if you keep requesting this feature. An MPC is a standalone box that uses its own operating system (software that controls the mpc), has a processor architecture that is mostly incompatible with your bog standard VST (most VSTs run on intel based machine most newer ones require pretty hefty processors to ontop of that). So VST hosting in the MPC is not going to happen. Now if you want to sequence the VSTs on a computer from an MPC that is already possible but like Maschine you will need to actually have a computer.

The only way VST hosting will happen internally on a MPC is if Akai guts the MPC (completely) and changes the internal. Not only will this increase the size of an already big piece of equipment (if you use anything other than the 1000 or 500) but that will also increase the cost of the MPC by quite a lot. Now what Akai can do is to completely rewrite AKsys to work like Maschine already does but that would defeat the purpose of an MPC to begin with you will still need a computer. On top of that how will you control your VSTs if you can't see them?

 

And it's impossible for Akai to implement the proper hardware into the MPC so that VSTs can be utilized?

Ok boss.

Ah ha! So *that's* what I was doing wrong! This whole time I've been using a typewriter instead of a computer! Silly me.

Hi!

You get what you pay for.

Open your eyes?

 

ok then that's cool, I indeed have no clue but just experience in other stuff getting cool updates but becoming more and more CPU heavy and buggy (fruity loops, ableton live, safari, iTunes...)

but I can believe NI will make it smooth.

For people thinking it's dumb not to want VST hosting in maschine, well, maybe I'm dumb, but VST hosting was the LAST thing I wanted to see appear in maschine's features :|

I don't agree with you saying that this feature makes maschine able to do EVERYTHING.

it's only vst hosting, much more easier that using the same vsts in the host with maschine as a plugin, but still vst hosting, and when you don't use vsts, then, it's a useless (but still incredible) update.


I perfectly understand the vibe around this announcement, this free update is simply stunning and I see lots of feature requests about VST, so I understand NI's choice.

but, as one of you said, the problem (for me and a few other) is that they will have focused their dev team for months on this feature I'm not waiting for, lol.



Anyway, I'm still astonished by NI, that is nowadays becoming THE electronic music market leader in terms of policy, ideas, gear, software, and , above all, CUSTOMER CARE !


Congrat's

cheers