Second hand Maschine Jam dilemma

Hi all, this is my first ever discussion, be kind.

I recently bought a brand new Maschine MK3 (which I love) and decided to buy a second hand Mac Mini (2018 i7 model) and Maschine Jam off of Ebay to set up a nice little studio.

The issue is that the Maschine Jam I bought came from someone unwilling to transfer their license. Secondly, when I decided to register it with NI I was informed that the Maschine Jam was a commercial ex display unit, not for resale. They advised me to return the unit and seek a full refund.

I paid about £150 for the Jam and it's in great condition and seems to work fine.

Should I get a refund or just accept that I have an ex display product that should never have been sold to me. I mean it's not as if it was stolen or has been damaged in any way.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

 

Hi there, welcome to the forums!

Nope. Since you're asking now you're obviously going to get roasted!

(sorry, sorry... I just couldn't resist that one! )

No worries, this is a pretty relaxed community and no regular that I know is going to hold inexperience against you. That's something for "other" forums

First of all: gratz on the Mk3... I hope you're enjoying that one, it's honestly one of my favorite controllers as well.

But this is about the JAM... I don't own one myself, so I have to go on what I learned on this forum, but I do happen to know (for sure) that it shouldn't be an issue if you buy a piece of NI hardware while the now previous owner doesn't want to transfer their software (as such their license). NI changed their policies on this and the old owner gets to keep their software license while the new owner gets one too.

However.. I don't know if this change also applies to older hardware, as you may know the JAM is pretty much discontinued and no longer supported. But solely based on my experiences with NI I don't think they'll let you swim here.

Lemme... poke a staffer, Matt @ NI in specific, and I am positive that he'll shed some light on this. My guess is that you need to contact support and open a ticket, explain your situation and it'll get fixed. But... hopefully Matt can help to sort this one out.

Bear in mind that the weekend started and staffers normally roam here during office hours, though also sometimes in between. So give it a few days, at least until Monday.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I'm seriously loving the MK3 and the wealth of possibilities once I have surfed the learning curve.

I previously owned the MK2 but realise that the MK3 is a totally different beast, and with the chance for me to plug in my guitar and bass to record those too.

The other thing is I am considering is whether I need a Native Instruments keyboard with screens or not, as I will be using my MK3 as the hub of my recording studio. Is also having screens on the keyboard an unnecessary expense or essential?


Also. I own a BassStation and a Novation Mininova, and wondered if I could or should incorporate these or if it would be pointless, considering the large selection of sounds already available.



Silly question I know, but I'm full of them!

 

Well, in the end this is covered by a bit of bias of course. I know people who swear by that setup as well as others who consider it overhead / overlap. Keep in mind that I don't own a KK myself, just a regular keyboard with MIDI capabilities, but have learned a lot about 'm as well.

First there will be some overlap. KK basically uses the same concept as Maschine: hardware which uses software to 'run' it, in this case the Komplete Kontrol software (stand alone or VST plugin). It'll use the same NI libraries as Maschine does.

However, there are of course differences. Ever seen the colored keyboard within a Kontakt instrument? KK also has leds above its keys which will clearly show you what each section is supposed to do... for example:



Here you see one of my favorite Kontakt instruments, Electic Sunburst (I love the sound of electric guitars!) and I marked the section I was referring to above. Those keys would get highlighted on the KK as well using leds, which can make playing a lot easier (or better put: more accessible).

Another advantage, which I have from hear say, is that KK has a better integration with most DAW's. So... you can control specific partd of your DAW from behind the KK (things ilke the transport and such).

So there are definitely advantages to consider as well. But if you really need it? IMO not, while it can definitely make your life easier there are more solutions as well. Personally I'd use the money to get a regular keyboard (if you really need/want one) and maybe spend the rest of the budget on a Komplete upgrade. That's what I eventually ended up doing when I got my Maschine: upgraded my Komplete license and well... I'm still happy about that decision today because the Maschine can be quite a solid performance tool!

But please bear context in mind here... Although I have a keyboard I only sporadically play it, more than often I rely on my Push (pads).

Nice!

Had to look up the BassStation but I know the MiniNova by heart (its name at least), have been seriously considering to get one myself but eventually put all my money on software (Komplete in specific).

Yah, one more reason why I think that you won't need a Komplete Kontrol. With all due respect to NI of course but it would be just another extra keyboard with some specific advantages but... since you already have so much?

Instead I think you need to aim for a DAW and maybe an external sound interface if you don't have one already. Maschines soundcard can do a lot but you won't be able to plug in both your synths at once and get things to work optimally unless you're going to use mono signals of course (one input for each synth), I suppose that could work but would still be a little limited IMO.

Next you should be able to connect both synths to your computer so that you can use 'm as MIDI inputs. Thus... you'd play on your synth and thus control whatever sound score you have set up within your DAW. Basically you'd play your synth which can produce sound of its own, but then also use the MIDI to play stuff on your computer.

For example... ever heard of Reaper? That could be a good start.

You could basically hook up your synths to your computer as well as an audio interface (like Maschine's) and then use the MIDI to, well, play stuff in the DAW while your synth is also providing audio input which you can then record in said DAW as well. Maybe food for thought?

 

Thanks so much for all that handy information.
Gives me plenty to ponder over while I attempt to improve my finger tapping skills!
I do already have a Focusrite Scarlett which has a couple of inputs so will def be tweaking with the set up in the next few weeks.

I have a two guitars to plug in, one being bass and will be getting a DI Box to help improve the line signal strength for when I play them thru the Maschine MK3.

As for the KK with those screens and LEDs, well it looks like I might get one based on the fact it seems so perfectly suited to the whole system.
Next year I will be able to invest in the Komplete software as I have really overspent a bit this year.

I did use Logic Pro X quite a bit on my old Mac Book Pro and it's annoying to have have to pay 200 again to use it on my new set up. I have had a twiddle with Reaper so perhaps I could use that until I am more proficient with actually understanding mixing and mastering.

Also, my Mac Mini HDD is tiny so I'll need to get a fast decent sized SDD to run Maschine from.

Again, I really appreciate all the information and suggestions. Thanks so much!

 

You won’t have to rebuy Logic, if you own an X version it is tied to your Apple ID and you can just download it onto your Mac mini.

 

I suppose this is up to you. Since you have the Maschine MK3, you wouldn't have an issue with the software missing from your Maschine Jam but this might impact your possibility of reselling the unit in the future. If that's not something you really mind, the JAM would work just fine with your Maschine 2 software and your Maschine MK3 even when not registered in your account.

 

Yea, I am quite happy to keep the Jam and not ever resell it. I do like the way it integrates perfectly with the MK3 aven though I don't fully know how to use it yet.

 

I have a JAM along with KK MK2 S49 KB. I enjoy the Jam. It emulates Maschine software.
The S49 gives me the windows and knobs.
All those Buttons on the Jam are basically lined up like the Maschine DAW.
It is so perfect, in this way, that I imagine, a new JAM is going to come out with the 16 pressure sensitive pads.
'Sides, even if the Jam is cut out in the future from NI software compatibility,
It still remains a super solid, customizable, Midi control surface.
As they said in the 60's...."Put THAT in your pipe, and smoke it!" lol!

 

Yeah, have to agree with you about the Jam totally compliments the setup. A new Jam with 16 pressure sensitive tabs would be an excellent proposition.

Looking forward to buying a KK keyboard with screens soon!

/as they said in the 70's......"Peace, love, and granola!"

 

I know I'm late to the game but after owning the Mascine MK3 I bought the Jam and man it's amazing. You really should not need a license for the jam. It's just another controler so you can access all your content through Maschine,