Just my 2 cents, NI is losing it's focus w. 1.6

Although I give full credit to NI for this update and all previous updates, I agree with much of what Christian is saying. I wish they had focused on the sampling aspects of Maschine before going on to plug-in support. For example I really think it should have a timestretch algorithm like in battery or kontakt, both for changing the length of samples without changing pitch (just like in battery) or for syncing non-sliced loops to the tempo. The audio wave viewer also still needs a playhead marker, which I can't believe is still missing. I would have also loved to see a simple drum synth module added to use instead of the sampler. It would be easy to integrate that into the hardware and have full control over the sound design. Direct disk browsing is another thing I'd put in front of plug-ins.

The thing is, the thing that made Maschine amazing and unique is that you can do everything from the hardware from loading samples to sculping the sound and playing and sequencing the beats. No people are acting like VST support is taking care of all other requests because now you can just use kontakt for timestretching or use some other plug-in as a drum synth. But those are not integrated into the hardware so you're back to using the mouse and you're back to using the plug-ins you used to use before Maschine! The ability to load plug-ins is graet but it does take away from why most of fell in love with Maschine in the first place, which is the self-contained hardware only approach you can use. So yeah I'd much rather see the in-built features improved for beat making like sampling functions and a drum synth module.

But I must say, there are plenty of other great improvements, I love the new layouts and workflows and I'll keep using it much the same way. But without a way to send midi from one pad to another which contains a multi-timbral plug-in and receive the audio from that pad, I'm not sure I'll be using plug-ins much besides an effect or two.

 

You know as I'm reading some of these posts it occurs to me, I wonder how many people that think I'm crazy for writing this actually use maschine in plugin mode. So if you have a comment or opinion about this thread, include in your post how you mostly use maschine. I'm willing to bet that most people don't use the plugin instance, if you did, you would see why VST hosting over some other important things really isn't that big of a deal........

 

It is certainly not a big deal for you and how you use it. You are not using it to sequence and only need it as a sound module in a host. Plug-in hosting is not as big a deal in that use case.

BTW a nice description would be a Native Production Instrument. or Native Production Workstation

Groove box, sampler or drum machine does not quite describe all it's capabilities. It's not really what you would consider a DAW either. Well, it's just Maschine lol. We always have to put things in a tidy familiar category.

 

BTW a nice description would be a Native Production Instrument. or Native Production Workstation

I was thinking the same thing LoL

 

It's a groovebox, it's a sound designing tool, a sampler, a slicer. it can be used as an fx processor or a plugin host for VSTs in Protools.
The very best thing about Maschine is that there is a development team that listens to the end users. The flexibility of working in a software environment means that adding new features is not constrained by inflexible hardware.
I do get where Mr. Provenzo is coming from but I don't doubt that the devs are aware of the original concept of Maschine ie. something that bridges the gap between hardware and software and that the features like timestretch and improvements to the sampler will be implemented in the future.
I don't think NI have put a foot wrong with regard their approach to Maschine.
It's simply getting better with each revision.

 

True that! You have something better in maschine imo. Although i'm not sure my cpu could handle 16 tracks plus fx on a single core. It's gonna be interesting sourcing out instruments and fx to customise maschine though.

Even though i feel lousy right now i still want to fire up maschine and get creative. For me that is really saying something. Somedays the last thing i want to do is open a host which is where maschine comes in... Now i can do the bulk of my production, sound design and sampling in maschine.

 

I myself bought Maschine to get rid of my MPC, not because I needed a complete DAW, and I had the same concerns untill I tried 1.6...

the things that were added are really useful and they aren't too distant from the original concept .keep in mind that being on a computer you don't have the restrictions of, say, a MPC, and people nowadays expect some things like VST integration and so on on a computer.

that said, now that the 1.6 is out, I REALLY HOPE that NI will take its time to get into fixing and upgrading what we have been suggesting during these last months...

the sampler is one of the things NI should really push and develope! what other software has an integrated controller that let you edit a sample without touchin the mouse?
too bad that it has been negletted major updates for long...

I'd wait till the next update to see what NI really want to do with Maschine!

 

I believe there is an unwritten law in Berlin, that says Ni is not allowed to make and call a product DAW.
If they do, Ableton will be pissed off (a founder of Abe was member of NI)...but in the "end" NI will have to make their own Daw, so they sneak it in step by step. :|



:S

 

You know that version 1.5 is still available, right? You don't have to update to the future 1.6 if you don't like it or if it doesn't add anything beneficial for you.

Just saying...

 

maschine is the **** the elevating and listening peeps want a standalone unit that the can do fullproductions on without using a DAW and maschine provides.

as said all that reamins is improved filters, file format support, direct disk browsing and auditioning audio from the controller.

after that the **** will be dam near perfect

 

couple other thoughts. 1) NI worked very hard to be sure that if you don''t use any plugins in maschine 1.6 it doesn't add anymore heft to the cpu load than 1.5.1 would.
2) as for timestretch this is an audio edit function that is needed for any good drum sampler. and IS infact going to come to maschine.... unfortunately we have to be patient but I know they have their reasons for taking so long with timestretch.

3) I def want what I like to refer to as scene independent tracks. not jsut a few audio tracks but these lanes can also house automation across multiple sceens.
I don't feel it makes it a daw but it would def help with adding cuts and even basic remix tracks.

vinceprice was right on in his post, I absolutely agree with him.

no I don't want maschine to be bloated but at the same time I don't want them to be chained by old rules of what a drum sampler is. I mean.... have you tried using the finger on a drum group.... that kinda effect used to take AGES to program...

 

I always find this argument kind of silly. What a drum machine "needs" is subjective. Nothing is being taken away from Maschine, it's up to you to choose how to use it. Just because it has the features of a DAW doesn't mean that you need to use it that way, or in any particular way other than the way you like.

I understand that you think development could be focus more on what "you" want, but the new features they've added so far have only added more ways to do things and have not taken anything away from maschines ability to perform as a drum focused production tool. I think it's better to come up with new ways of doing things rather than just rehash all the old ways and what we "expect" of a normal drum machine. The new update makes it a useful product for more types of people with different ways of working. I personally think it enhances my drum production capabilities.

-1

 

I definitely agree with this. Even though I'm on the side of saying I want to have the best sampling features and a simple drum synth module before DAW like features, I do think that some kind of song mode with scene independant automation would be amazing. The reason for that is because I currently have no way to use all the Maschine functionality in Ableton Live and be able to capture the performance unless I record it straight to audio, so it slightly messes up that Ableton workflow from session to arrange where you can capture automation. So if it had a song mode, that would let you keep it all inside Maschine. This of course would be great for people who want to use it as a standalone groovebox too. I'd be interested to know if this is something being considered.

 

Agreed and I'm glad you had the balls to post. So many ppl are quick to flame. Maschine is an awesome sampler and a alright sequencer at best. Just my Opinion. Oh yeah NI, since "Plug-In Hosting" was the most requested enhancement and it's here. Can we move Timestretch up on the list.

 

Well it looks like the people have spoken, I don't agree with it, but that's just me. When I bought Mashchine, I thought I was buying a plugin that also ran in stand alone, just like every other NI instrument. Looks like I bought a standalone app that also minors as a plugin. If this is what people want, then at least ask for something useful like rewire support.

 

Its not just a Drum Machine. it has sounds to make complete beats so vst support was bound to come. Yea it has the feel of a DAW now, with VST support and since the beta i havnt opened another DAW since lol they gotta make it flashy for new customers man. Everything we want will eventually be updated to maschine so it is slowly taking over everything from Drum machines to DAWs being it is one of the most powerful tools on the market today.

 

maschine is whatever you want it to be

everyone works differently, and NI knows that, they are doing their best to give the users what they need.

I'm sure the sampler, etc, will get an update too in the future...let's not forget we are on 1.6, I'm guessing, NI took a look at the most frequent requests as well as where they wanted to go and decided on what to implement and when...

I think you're right, when using Maschine as a plugin, then vst/au support isn't that big of a deal, but i think even NI was surprised by the number of people that wanted to use Maschine as a standalone production enviromnent, so they did some things to make that more of a reality

again, it's only 1.6...I think we have a long ways to go and I'm excited about it

 

rewire support will be dope, im loving the direction of maschine cos i dont weanna mess with these other daws to much.

but i think we can all get what we want outta maschine, but cos its so close to perfect its possible to get all riled up about the features u want.