MASCHINE+ Development Update: September 2021 and 1.3.2 Release

Thank you! I actually owned an MPC before I took a chance and leaped to the Maschine Plus environment so I'm happy to be stepping back again after a year of trying to get comfortable with the unfinished state of Maschine. In particular I'm surprised you mention file browsing and midi as this is the area where I found the Plus really falling short and the MPC excelling. In particular the file browsing in the Plus and lack of midi learn made it impossible for me to use it fully standalone. I also found the MPC to be a lot more responsive in general browsing.
Has the Maschine been your best experience with a standalone device? I do prefer the pads on the Maschine, especially for melodic content!

 

Peeps, my kid is reading the forum, please be neat and tidy

 

The browsing in MPC is nice if you don't have anything tagged but once you have things tagged it's much faster and easier to use Maschine. For instance, if I want to find a String sound, in the MPC that can be a key group, a one shot (which you then have to make into a keygroup program) or Hype, or Tubesynth or any of the other built in synths. The Maschine system aggregates all of it together for you. the Maschine/Komplete Kontrol system is objectively better

 

I wouldn't doubt you although I do question how often you are using Maschine in Standalone. There is no way to tag your files from within the box and browsing is in itself is an often tedious process due to it's glitchy and jumpy nature (although admittedly I did not have this problem with my MK3 and am still a fan of the workflow.)
The MPC is a more mature product so it stand to reason that it would be more developed in some areas. I'm also wondering on your previous experience in the MPC environment as you mentioned issues with processes such as 16 levels but the Live has a 16 Levels buttons that can effect velocity, filter, pitch, attack or decay which is very simple to use and I've never run into any issues pitch shifting audio by semitones.

Regardless I'm not here to try and bad mouth NI, I still plan on keeping my KK and I do love the .nks tagging system for browsing presets when hooked up to the computer. I'm merely take a chance to echo a few of the frustrations that have been repeated over the past year on this forum before I move on from the Plus. I appreciate your commentary.

 

I only use Maschine in standalone. I come from the MPC Live. I'm just saying 16 levels is just not adequate in 2022 for melodic phrases. Going between a drum program and keygroup program is annoying. For instance, I have a bell that I play in 16 levels that is part of my drumkit but then I want to edit the notes (which you can't, except in list view which is impossible to use). So then you need to add the bell as a new keygroup program. The whole workflow really sucks. It's one of the reasons I created the MPC keygroup creator. https://drewh.gumroad.com/l/mpc-keygroup

Maschine workflow was at least created by people that were competent. The whole keyboard mode on any sample within a group is a game-changer. Any pad can be anything which is objectively a better workflow. I'm not saying someone can't use the MPC to create awesome music, a lot of people have / will, I'm just saying if you put the two side by side there's no way someone could say the MPC workflow is better after using both extensively. The Akai force, that's a different story.

 

I'm not a Maschine fanboy, to be honest I've spent much much more in Elektron stuff, but this video opened my eyes:




I was just adding a MPC live II to my basket. Luckily I had a short clear moment in my GAS fog and reconsidered that decision. Then I found that video and canceled my MPC order... .

Since then I've started to learn Maschine intensively, e.g. its different synth engines, plugin logic, the power of morphed extended lock states.

Is's a great tool, however you need a strong will to learn and master its complexity.

And maybe many complaints result from not understanding how to use it properly.

 

Really? Is MPC so undeveloped?

 

after watching this video I am super certain I made the right choice for me. I love my M+ and my NI softwares and hardwares. M+ isn’t perfect, but it’s not far from it either.

 

Adil @ NI

Hi Adil, any exciting news for Maschine+ developing since september? New features, plugins (would love to see "Driver" in M+), bugfixes, etc.? Can we expect an updated Version in January/February?