Maschine and Komplete 7?

I just ordered my upgrade from Komplete 5 to Komplete 7, and now noticed that Maschine 1.6 allows these programs to be used and controlled my Maschine. I am still a bit confused as to what all I can do with Maschine, but I am hoping that Maschine will enable me to get the most out of Komplete 7 library, as there are many titles in Komplete library that I have still not taken full advantage of yet (such as Kontakt and Reaktor). Is Maschine now, in essence, a bridge for composing with all of these titles using a hardware interface? Does it have a similar type of library organizational function like Kore 2?

Also, I am using Logic 9 express, does Maschine integrates well Logic? What I mean by this is, once I have created sequences in Maschine, is it easy to import that into Logic for mixing and integrating with audio tracks?

Thanks for any help you can offer me! If this works as I hope I will sell my MPC and order Maschine!

 

welcome

i suggest you watch the NI Maschine videos - either in this site or their Youtube channel, as many of your questions will be answered.

Maschine is a Bridge and can be a complete solution - especially if you like jamming with your ideas.

Maschine's Library organization is a little different to Kore's

you can Drag n Drop Audio and MIDI into Logic from Maschine. you can also use Maschine's Separate Outs to add Logic fx to specific parts.

but i do suggest you watch the videos

sowari

 

Thanks. I have now watched quite a few videos, and understand a lot more than I did before, but there are a couple of things I still don't understand. There seems to be loads of posts here about Logic issues relating to some restriction with audio units.

I see from your post that you can Drag n Drop audio and Midi into Logic, so I'm wondering what the problem is that people have been having? Sorry I just want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into before I take the plunge, and most of the videos are still about version 1.5, so it's hard to know what the situation is like with 1.6.

 

Hi Sjord

I've just recieved my Maschine 10 days ago. And I can see by the way your question is formulated that you probably need to read up on What Maschine is all about. sources:

Maschine The Quick Start guide.

Maschine Reference manual.

There's a user that has made a Pdf quick reference guide here on the forum that is useful

Watch the NI tutorial videos. Stop and start replay are useful so you can make sure you don't miss anything.

Read the forum here.. Theres a tips and tricks thread.

The New update 1.6 adds functionality especielly the hosting of VST AUs are important..

The library funtion in Maschine is not intergrated with the Komplete pakage like the Kore 2 library is integrated with the Kore software controller.

What this means in practical terms is that bringing the presets "sounds" from the Komplete instruments into maschine is something you have to do manually. When you find something useful in komplete import it into the Maschine Library, tagging with the relevant terms and so on.

Finally a couple of words from a new user that is a fanatic about researching gear. You almost always get bogged down in details during research but it's only when you get the actual gear set-up that you can see how it's all going to hang together with your existing workflow..

My impression of the Maschine is that it's a very well thought concept, that's basicaly really fun to use as is without any extras. Loads of sounds and an interface based on beatbox tech that's developed over many years.

There are some things that are less developed that may or may not give you problems. I'm quite inventive so I'm quick to find work arounds for these. Others are not so patient.. Generally though I would not say that the hosting of VST's feature is the main reason for getting the Maschine with this 1.6 update. I think it's the intergration of the tool with it's own sound set plus the ability to import samples of your others material that are the strong points.

Many sound generating VST's and high end effects are CPU heavy and at one point or other your going to reach your systems limit.. Working with samples is much more efficient as well sampling your own material extends your ideas and reduces CPU load as well.


I'd rather have Maschine with it's own sounds, workflow, hardware, and a few good synths and sample libraries than boatloads of VST's and effects.. Too many possiblities in the sound department, slows down the creative process..

TwoToneshuzz

 

TwoToneshuzz,

Thanks so much for your post. I have checked out the quick reference guide you pointed out and will be reading up more before I make any decisions.

Here is my situation. I have recently switched up my home project studio quite a bit, selling off a bunch of gear and getting some new stuff.

Basically, I am left with:

My guitar, bass, MPC, microKORG (used as keyboard controller), and I just ordered a Roland SPD-30 Octapad. Plus, I'll be using Logic and Native Instruments Komplete 7 (my upgrade from 5 is in the mail).

While I did a lot of sample based stuff in the past, I started getting more into live instruments a couple of years ago, and the MPC has mostly been used for controlling Battery 3. I basically decided to get an SPD-30 and build a mini drum kit (kick drum, high hat controller) because I want to play with sticks and make my own breakbeats (using the internal sounds, Battery 3, VSTs, etc.).

Basically, I hope to make the SPD-30 my go to for drums, and I want the rest of my production to be done in Logic and Komplete 7 (eg. Guitar Rig, etc.), so the MPC is kind of looking less and less necessary. I did think it would be cool for sort of remixing the drum loops I'm making in the SPD-30, but having it outside of my main work environment (Logic) makes it a pain to integrate.

My issue is that for non-drum rhythmic sampling I was hoping to start using Kontakt, but I find the program so complex, that I have yet to sit down and learn to use it properly (much like Reaktor). Now that I see that Maschine can sequence all of the stuff in Komplete, and do all the sampling stuff I need, it seems like it will be the perfect way to bring everything together into a simple workflow - and in a way that I am sort of used to with the MPC.

I just need to do a bit more homework, but it is looking like this will work well for me.

BTW, here's one more question.

I'm on a Macbook Pro 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 duo with 4GB of Ram (the most I can get). Do you think that will be powerful enough to run Maschine without too many issues?

 

you can't send MIDI from one Audio Unit plugin to another Audio Unit Plugin.

however, you can load VSY version of the plugins in Maschine 1.6. so you can record a Pattern in Maschine and have that trigger a VST in Maschine.

Drag n Drop Audio and/or MIDI still works with 1.6.

and if you don't go mad with using fx, then you Mac should be fine

and there are new 1.6 videos to watch.

sowari

 

Funny I've also got a drum pad set-up and want to get the kick drum kontroller and maybe a real high hat. Seems a litle redundant with the maschine controller though. But I'm finding the Maschine pads to be such a gas to play that to me it becomes an instrument in it's own right. Really fun to play instruments on the sixteen pads in Keyboard mode. With both Pads kick high hat and the Maschine I have more hooks into the art of sound, which will help me dig deeper into the player aspects of percussion and the inspirations it can hold !

I would not worry about the MPC becoming redundant you never know how it will fit into the final scheme of things or if you could let a collaborator (kid next door) use it in a joint project! Integration is as easy as recording the MPC's output into logic or sampling it into a Sound within Maschine.

Simple workflow is the key with Maschine..Sequencing with Komplete within Maschine to my mind is overkill. With your processor you’ll not be getting much more than 10 vst's running before CPU meltdown. Depending on how demanding they are of course.. I think doing heavy sequencing with lots of plug ins editing and automation and mixing is best done in Logic.

To my mind using plugin’s in Maschine should be seen as a supplement to it’s natural direct way of working, where you can create the core of an arrangement, where you get a feel going, working on getting a well produced groove with the drum kits, maybe adding a few effects a fav synth or drum plugin, then in Logic you’d add the larger elements, vocals. work on the big picture.

I’m using version 1.5.1 with a imac 2.4 Ghz intel Core 2 duo 4 GB ram it works fine, but thats without external VST’s AU’s I’ll be upgrading the system to 1.6 in a week or so. So I can’t say right now how many AU’s or VST’s I can load into it before it melt’s down. Also it’s very possible that the performance in the first version of Maschine that can host AU/VST’s will improve with furthur optimiaztion from NI-


I’ve used a few AUs with Maschine as an AU in Numerology with no problems. But the CPU handling is not the greatest in that host so I’ll check it in Logic with Maschine used as an AU to see how it hold up.. I’ll get back to you on that one....

 

I agree Kontakt is not an easy sampler to understand right off but after you realize how it's setup then it all makes sense. Also feel free to ask me any questions about it and I will try to help you out, the forum is a great resource as is videos on youtube and various sites.

 

Thanks. I really appreciate it. I intend to dive into it once my upgrade arrives in the mail. I have been looking at tutorials online and wow it is confusing!

BTW, the best Maschine videos I have found so far are from a guy named mcsg27. His videos have me seriously considering putting the MPC up for sale (I can't afford both). He has demonstrated two things that I was looking for:

1) Being able to sample live instruments into my beat sequences, and then being able to chop them up and tweak them very quickly.

2) Using Maschine 1.6 to, in effect, organize and manage the Komplete library (as well as my other VSTs).

I notice his studio seems to include all of the Native Instruments products. I wonder if he is affiliated with them...