The competition - Akai

I'm starting to think that NI isn't going to go the touchscreen route with the next iteration of Maschine. There have been a lot more devices released for Traktor than Maschine and I would think they would have had something already for the dj's with a touchscreen interface if that's the way they were gonna go.

Baseless speculation, of course, but I can't see it as being a priority for them to go that route. Akai may have jumped the gun to be the first to the market with this which could end up being massive success or a failed attempt at innovating groove boxes.

I'm hoping it's the latter. Having become an iPad producer (with MIDI controllers) I love being able to use a touchscreen to navigate through parameters and actually "touching" waveforms to resize and manipulate them. It's not that using a mouse or knobs aren't useful, it's just physical touching that brings me joy (not for everyone).

Was really hoping that these companies would spend more resources on developing their tablet applications in order to give them the "touchscreen" experience without having to develop hardware that would end up costing an arm and a leg. Those of you that have an MPC Fly or Element would know what I mean. Great piece of mobile hardware that would have probably did better on the market had their app been more comprehensive and feature rich (something along the lines of NanoStudio or Beatmaker2).

I'm still of the hope that NI will make another app (other than their "sketch pad") and a portable controller (or the ability to use any MIDI controller) that will allow users to do more on a tablet and have the option to dump back into Maschine or even a DAW of the users choice.

That may just be me but I would imagine it would be cheaper to develop a smaller controller and a better app. Would at least be cheaper to the user (as evidenced by the cost of the FLY and Element) and I think would introduce more people to music making who do so on their tablets already (due to the cheap cost of an app) but don't have the money necessarily to purchase a Studio or Ren.

 

jpeg those clips of those two guys saying there (ffs) won't be a standalone version miss 3 very important points in their reasoning.

1. both of those dudes are not stand alone beat machine users and by that I mean even if there were stand alone models they probably wouldn't have them. They both clearly are not in tune with the desire for one.... now, i don't know them personally and it's clear that they used to use stand alone machines but nobody would listen to them talk today and think that's a customer for a stand alone machine right there.

2. the other thing they are missing is of course there is a market for stand alone beatmachines... because any market is based on supply and demand, they on the other hand talk like the market is based on the cost of a unit, which the cost is important but cost is always relative. Sure there are people who say they don't want a stand alone machine but they are already one foot in the door because they are using hybrid machines and the reason they are using hybrid machines is because they want a stand alone experience..

3. everybody is discounting the fact that there is already proof that there is a stand alone machine coming out, everyone has seen that video of it's prototype so I have no doubt about it, the only thing that remains to be seen is whether or not it's a stand alone, or a stand alone/ hybrid which is what I think it's going to be. I also think it's a mistake to think a stand alone unit would take the latest and greatest processors and ssd drives, etc.... like the guys in the clip are claiming... mpcs have always been computers in a box and have always been able to do allot with very little processing power and very little ram. it's a mistake to compare a stand alone mpc with like the latest macbook specs cause an mpc wouldn't need that kind of power. especially if it's running a streamlined os or some variation of that. so in closing I'd say there is definitely going to be a stand alone version but this time it will also be able to control the software on your computer and when it drops skinsfandc is going to try to end it all by jumping off the top bunk in his bedroom.

 

If opinion is polarised down the middle then it's pretty obvious one side is the target market and the other side is not.

 

NI tends to be more opportunistic since its success with maschine; they will react and follow where the money is; and so if the touch screen takes off expect NI to follow suit.

Also touch screen for tractor makes even more sense than for groove boxes in some regards; there will always be a place for hardware buttons; pads, dials and knobs.

But with the screen u dont have to have as many; and with intelligent design helps u minimize duplication.

For instance on the touch there is only one row of qlink sliders and a selector to move between each row, this makes more sense than having 4 rows like the ren.

Also the screen allows to add more features virtually such as this kaoss pad fx controller that there is no physical space for on the hardware but is available via the screen.

 

Sounds like something your hoping will happened. Your predictions have been really off this year.

 

Yes. It is as good as an iPad or any good tablet.

 

No dj wants to touch a screen with sweatty hands, no dj is going to prefer a tablet than knobs and dedicated buttons. Same for whatever very specific task.

Touch screens looks good for music on paper but does not perform well other than making beats on a tablet while shitting.

I bet my ass NI is not going there. For sure they tried prototypes already and trashed it. Otherwise there would be NI touch stuff since couple of years ago.

 

Thanks for the response, but I want to see it in action rather than just take someone's word for it.

 

You obviously haven't seen someone use an iPad with the Traktor S4. The combination is crazy. I use it when I need have to help someone open at a gig and house party's. Granted the controller is what my hands are on a majority of the time, navigating through tracks and applying live fx modulation is amazing.

This is one of the reasons I don't get why NI didn't allow for midi on iMaschine or even being able to plug in your existing controller. I'll post a pic of my setup after this post.

 

how do you figure, ni hasn't even been able to get what they have already right since a couple of years ago, what makes you think somehow they had a working touch screen model and decided against it lol

 

Because sucessful companies have big R&D budgets, and because common sense.

Do you think Apple didn't try touch iMacs? Sometimes something that looks a great idea does not work.

 

if what you're saying was even 1/4 true, half the issues with maschine would have never existed. Try going back to the beginning of the maschine forum and read on, then have yourself a good cry. You're getting maschine dev confused with traktor development.

 

You are the one that asked if anyone has seen it in action. Then when someone responds to your question...now you don't want to take someone's word for it? You make absolutely no sense.....

 

Should have made myself clear, I guess.

Can someone share a video link of the touch in action??

Better??

 

Everything Akai wants the public to see is already online.

 

So is akai going to discontinue the ren? Or is their a plan to make the mpc touch bigger?

 

I rang them up. They said once the contract is signed there will be a brand new AKAI MPC Maschine range...in 2016.

 

Issues with Maschine are most in people minds, if NI would implement everything random users ask for Maschine in forums it would be an Ableton Live + FL + Traktor + keyboard hybrid $3000 standalone abobination at this time.

I (unpopular opinion here) think NI made a very good job having a focused Maschine idea and iterating to it through years.

 

'random' like what, give me an example?

 

Like mute records for example, makes no sense in a non-linear DAW as Maschine, and if you need it you are doing it wrong, still people cry for it every other day on forums.