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Managing Sounds, Groups, and Your Project

Abstract

Sounds, Groups, and the Master bus make up the general structure of any Maschine project. This section explains in detail how to manage these concepts.

This chapter explains how to handle the various objects that structure any Maschine Project: Sounds, Groups, and the Master.

Overview of the Sounds, Groups, and Master

In a Maschine Project, objects are organized into three hierarchic levels, from the lowest to the highest:

  • Sounds are played by the pads. They are loaded into Sound slots. In the software, in Arrange view Sound slots are displayed in the column at the left of the Pattern Editor: the Sound List (1). Each Sound of the selected Group is by default mapped to one of the 16 pads on the Maschine hardware controller, so you can play all Sounds of a Group by pressing the pads. Sounds are made up of any number of Plug-ins that process the audio in series. Sounds are the only objects in Maschine that can accept Instrument Plug-ins — these go in the Sounds’ first Plug-in slot. The type of the Plug-in (Instrument or Effect) loaded in this first Plug-in slot will define the Sound’s role (audio source or bussing point, respectively). For more information on Plug-ins and how they define the Sound’s role, please refer to section Plug-in Overview.

  • Groups contain 16 Sound slots each with all their parameters. The 16 pads on your controller can play one entire Group at a time. In the software, in Arrange view Group are displayed in the column at the left of the Arranger: the Group List (2). A Maschine Project can have any number of Groups, which are organized in banks of eight Groups each. Each Group can have any number of insert effects, which will globally apply to all Sounds contained in that Group, as well as any number of Patterns organized in banks of 16 Patterns each. More on Patterns in chapter Working with Patterns.Working with Patterns

  • The Master is the place where all signals from the Groups are being mixed together. Just like the Groups and Sounds, the Master can host any number of insert effects.

1306132908_imageref_2508163851.png

The Group List (1) and the Sound List (2) in the Arrange view of the software.

The Sound, Group, and Master Channels

From a routing point of view, each Sound, each Group, and the Master represents a distinct channel in Maschine. The channels of the 16 Sounds in a Group are mixed together and sent to the Group channel, where their sum will be processed by the Group’s Plug-ins, if any. Similarly, the channels of all Groups in your Project are mixed together and sent to the Master channel, where their sum will be processed by the Master’s Plug-ins, if any. The resulting signal is sent to Maschine’s outputs.

Each channel provides various set of Channel properties that adjust the input, output, groove, and Macro Control settings for that particular Sound, Group, or for the Master, independently of the Plug-ins it contains. Please refer to chapter Audio Routing, Remote Control, and Macro Controls and section Groove for more details on these.

When the software is in Mix view, Sounds, Groups, and the Master are represented by channel strips in the Mixer. This view provides you with an intuitive control on both the audio and MIDI routings of any Sound, Group, and the Master. Please refer to section The Mixer for more information.

1306132908_imageref_2508168203.png

The Mixer displaying the channel strips for all Sounds in a Group.

Similarities and Differences in Handling Sounds and Groups

Sounds and Groups are handled in very similar ways — see section Managing Sounds and Managing Groups below for all details. We list here the main differences between both:

  • In each Group you always have a fixed number of Sound slots — namely 16. Some of these Sound slots might be empty, and you can have gaps in your slots (i.e. some empty Sound slots between other slots containing Sounds), depending on how you prefer to play your Sounds from your pads. You cannot create Sound slots, but instead you can load/unload Sounds to/from the 16 existing Sound slots in each Group.

  • In your Project you can have any number of Groups. You can create, fill up, and delete Groups as you see fit. If you delete a Group, all following Groups are shifted up in the Group List to fill the gap. If you use more than eight Groups, another Group bank is automatically created.

Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups

In Maschine you can select multiple Sounds or multiple Groups at once. This notably allows you to change a parameter value for all selected Sounds/Groups at a time!

To achieve this, Maschine distinguishes the “focus” from the “selection”:

1306132908_imageref_1452888331.png

The Sound Vocal AhHa is focused (and selected).

  • The focus determines what is displayed in the Control area and on your controller. For example, by clicking a Sound in the Sound List you are putting the focus on that Sound, and the Control area and your controller will display its parameters (Channel properties, Plug-ins, etc.). For the focus, the following rule applies:At each level (Sound and Group) there is always one object, and only one, in focus.The focused object is highlighted in the Sound/Group List, and the background of its leading letter and/or number has the color of the object itself.

  • The selection, on the other hand, determines what will be affected by your actions (e.g., adjusting a parameter). For example, the focused Sound (i.e. the one you clicked in the Sound List) is implicitly selected — nothing special here: This just means that the Sound whose parameters are currently displayed will be indeed affected by the changes you do on these parameters. But you can select additional objects on top of the focused object, thereby extending your selection. Selected objects are highlighted in the Sound/Group List but their leading letter and/or number stays gray.

1306132908_imageref_1452889995.png

Other Sounds were added to the selection (but they are not focused).

More precisely, if a Group or a Sound is currently focused, you can additionally select other Groups or Sounds, respectively. These will be also affected by your edits on the focused Group or Sound.

Notice

You cannot select Sounds and Groups simultaneously.

Each Group remembers its own Sound selection and focus.

When setting the focus to a new Sound or Group, following rules apply:

  • If you set the focus to a Sound or Group which is not selected, both the focus and the selection are moved to this new Sound or Group.

  • If you set the focus to a Sound or Group which is already included in the current selection, the focus is moved to this new Sound or Group but the selection is preserved. This notably allows you to check the parameters of any selected Sound or Group while keeping the ability to modify parameters for the entire selection.

What Is Affected by the Multiple Selection, and How?

When multiple Sounds or multiple Groups are selected, any change in the following settings of the focused Sound/Group will be mirrored in the other selected Sounds/Groups, respectively:

  • Channel properties: Parameter adjustments apply to all selected Sounds/Groups for any parameter in any set of Channel properties. See chapter Audio Routing, Remote Control, and Macro Controls for more information on the Channel properties.

  • Plug-ins: Parameter adjustments apply to all selected Sounds/Groups that have the same Plug-in loaded in the same Plug-in slot. See chapter Working with Plug-ins for more information on Plug-ins.

  • Pad view: Base key, Choke group, and Link group settings apply to all selected Sounds. See section Adjusting the Pads for more information on these settings.

  • You can move multiple Sound slots or multiple Groups at once. See section Moving Sounds and Reordering Groups for more information.

  • You can reset multiple Sound slots and delete multiple Groups at once. See section Resetting Sound Slots and Deleting Groups for more information.

Notice

The adjustments made in the Assignment area are never mirrored in any other selected Sound/Group.

Furthermore, the exact influence on the equivalent parameter in the affected Sounds/Groups depends on the type of parameter:

  • Continuous parameters (knob): the values in all selected Sounds/Groups are incremented/decremented by the same amount as the value in the focused Sound/Group. Values are clipped when they reach their range limit.

  • Discrete parameter (button or selector): the values in all selected Sounds/Groups are set to the value of the focused Sound/Group.

Selecting Multiple Sounds/Groups in the Software

To select multiple Sounds or multiple Groups in the Maschine software, simply use the common keyboard shortcuts of your operating system: in the Sound List or the Pad view for Sounds, and in the Group List for Groups. Following actions are available:

Action

Function

Selecting Objects (Sounds or Groups)

Click unselected object

Selects the object and sets the focus to it.

Click selected object

Sets the focus to this object while retaining the selection.

[Ctrl]-click ([Cmd]-click on macOS) unselected object

Adds the object to the selection.

[Ctrl]-click ([Cmd]-click on macOS) selected object

Deselects the object — except for the focused object, which cannot be deselected.

[Shift]-click object

Selects all objects between the focused one and the [Shift]-clicked one.

[Ctrl] + [A] ([Cmd] + [A] on macOS) if some objects are not selected

Selects all objects in the list.

[Ctrl] + [A] ([Cmd] + [A] on macOS) if all objects are selected in the list

Deselect all objects except the focused one, which cannot be deselected.

The shortcuts mentioned in the table above are valid in following areas of the Maschine window:

  • To select multiple Groups, use these shortcuts in the Group List.

  • To select multiple Sounds, use these shortcuts in the Sound List or in the Pad view (refer to The Pad View in the Software).

Managing Sounds

This section describes the global editing functions available for Sounds and Sound slots.

Sounds: Sound List or Pad View

With the exception of naming Sound slots, all procedures described in the following sections are available both in the Sound List and in the Pad view. The Pad view is an alternative representation of your Sound slots that puts emphasis on their relationship with the pads on your controller.

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The Pad view.

The Pad view can be shown by activating the Pad View button above the Sound List:

1306132908_imageref_1452906763.png

The Pad View button.

  • Click the Pad View button to show or hide the Pad view.

    The Pad view replaces the Sound List on the left of the Pattern Editor.

In the Pad view, each cell represents a pad on your controller and corresponds to a Sound slot in the current Group. You can select Sound slots in either the Sound List or the Pad view as you see fit, both selections are strictly equivalent.

Notice

In addition to the Sound management features described in the following sections, the Pad view provides extra settings affecting the behavior of your pads. See section Adjusting the Pads for more information.

Loading Sounds

You can load a readymade Sound from the Browser or from your operating system. The Sound can be included in the Maschine Library or any EXPANSION PACK but it can also be a Sound you have created yourself and saved for later use.

You have many methods at your disposal to load a Sound:

  • Drag and drop: Select the desired Sound in the Browser or in your operating system and drag it onto the desired Sound slot in the Sound List (or the corresponding cell of the pad grid in Pad view, refer to above) to load it in that Sound slot. Any Sound previously loaded in that slot will be replaced.

  • Double-click: Double-click the Sound in the Browser or the Sound file in your operating system to replace the focused Sound in the Sound List.

  • Context menu: Right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) the desired Sound slot in the Sound List or the corresponding cell of the pad grid in Pad view, and select Open… in the context menu. In the Load Sound dialog that opens, navigate to the desired Sound file on your computer and click Open to load it. The loaded Sound will replace the current Sound loaded in that slot.

Tip

You can also recall the search query that was used to find the Sound currently loaded in the focused Sound slot. See section Using Quick Browse for more information.

Notice

In your operating system, Sound files have the extension “.mxsnd” (Maschine 2) or “.msnd” (Maschine 1.x).

Notice

Please refer to chapter Browser for more information on the Browser.

Pre-listening to Sounds

Renaming Sound Slots

By default, Sound slots are named Sound 116. If you load a Sound, a Plug-in preset or a Sample (e.g., from the Browser) into the Sound slot, the Sound slot takes the Sound’s, preset’s or Sample’s name.

You can also rename Sound slots manually. Naming is only available from within the software, but any changes will also show up on your controller.

To rename a Sound slot:

  1. Double-click the name of the desired Sound slot or right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) the Sound slot and select Rename from the context menu.The Sound slot’s name is now highlighted and editable.

    1306132908_imageref_1452918795.png
  2. Modify the name of the Sound slot via your computer keyboard. Press [Enter] on your computer keyboard to confirm.

Notice

If you use Maschine as a plug-in, some hosts will utilize the [Enter] key, as it is mapped to some function of the host software. In this case, click anywhere else in the Maschine plug-in window to confirm the name you have entered.

Changing the Sound’s Color

You can change the color of each individual Sound in the software. To do this:

  1. Right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) the desired Sound slot in the Sound List or in the Pad view and select Color from the context menu.A Color Palette appears. In the Palette, the current color of the Sound is highlighted.

    1306132908_imageref_2508174731.png
  2. Select the desired color in the Palette. You can also choose to set the Sound back to the default color corresponding to its position in the list by selecting Default in the Color Palette.

    The pads of the Maschine Studio, Maschine MK3, Maschine MK2, and Maschine Mikro MK2 controllers mirror the Sound colors you have selected.

Editing Multiple Sounds

You can apply the following commands to multiple selections of Sounds:

  • Sounds:

    • Changing the selected Sounds’ color.

    • Cutting, copying, and pasting the selected Sounds.

    • Resetting the selected Sounds.

These commands are available in the Sounds’ context menu.

Notes on Changing the Color of Multiple Sounds

When opening the Color Palette (in order to set a new color setting for the selected Sounds):

  • If the selected Sounds have the same color setting (a particular color or the default color), this color is highlighted in the Color Palette.

  • If the selected Sounds have different color settings, no setting is highlighted in the Color Palette.

When you select a new color setting from the Color Palette it is applied to all selected Sounds.

Notice

By default Sounds inherit the color of their Group. But you can choose another default color for Sounds in Preferences > Colors > Sound Default. See section Preferences – Colors Page for more information.

Tip

Once you have set a custom color for a Sound as described above, the Sound will retain its color when you move it in the Sound List, and the color will be stored with the Sound when you save the Sound for later use. Note that you can select the same color as the one used by default: In that case the color (even unchanged) will be considered as a custom color and will follow the Sound as you move it.

Saving Sounds

You can save your Sounds as individual files (extension “.mxsnd”). This can be only done in the software.

Saving Your Modifications into the Original Sound File

If you have made changes to a Sound loaded in your Project, you can save your modifications as follows:

  • Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Sound slot in the Sound List or in the Pad view and select Save from the context menu:

    MAS_Software_Saving_Sounds_Save.png

    Your modifications are saved to the Sound file.

Tip

Even if you don’t save a Sound individually, its current settings will still be saved with your Project. But once a Sound is saved and tagged, it is available in the Browser for use in other Groups and Projects.

You cannot save changes to factory files as these files are read-only. If you run the Save command on a factory file, it automatically turns into the Save As… command: a Save Sound dialog opens and lets you save your modified Sound to your user library. Refer to the next paragraph for more details. The same happens with Sounds you have built from scratch.

Saving Your Modified Sound as a New Sound

If you want to save modifications you have made on a Sound originating from a factory library, or if you don’t want to overwrite the original Sound with your modified version, or if there is no original version of your Sound (i.e. you built it from scratch), you can save it as a new Sound file:

  • Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Sound slot in the Sound List or in the Pad view and select Save As… from the context menu:

    MAS_Software_SAving_Sounds_Save_As.png

A Save Sound dialog appears. By default, the Sound file inherits the name of its Sound slot and it will be saved in your Standard User Directory (as defined in Preferences > Library > User, refer to section Preferences – Default Page for more information).

  1. If you wish, choose another path and/or type another name with your computer keyboard.

  2. Press [Enter] to confirm and close the Save Sound dialog.

    Your Sound is now saved.

The Sound will be added to the user library and is ready to be tagged in the Browser. Refer to Editing the Files’ Tags and Properties.

Tip

Even if you don’t save a Sound individually, its current settings will still be saved with your Project. But once a Sound is saved and tagged, it is available in the Browser for use in other Groups and Projects.

Saving your Sound with Samples

You can save your Sounds with samples. This is very useful if you want to save Sounds for use in other projects or share Sounds with samples files with other Maschine users. It can also be beneficial to save Sounds with samples when creating instruments using the Auto Sampler. Refer to Auto Sampler.

To save a Sound with its samples:

  • Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Sound slot in the Sound List or in the Pad view and select Save with Samples... from the context menu:

    MAS_Software_SAving_Sounds_Save_Samples.png

A Save Sound dialog appears. By default, the Sound file inherits the name of its Sound slot and it will be saved in your Standard User Directory (as defined in Preferences > Library > User, refer to section Preferences – Default Page for more information).

  1. If you wish, choose another path and/or type another name with your computer keyboard.

  2. Press [Enter] to confirm and close the Save Sound dialog.

    Your Sound is now saved.

The Sound will be added to the user library and is ready to be tagged in the Browser. Refer to Editing the Files’ Tags and Properties.

Copying and Pasting Sounds

You can copy and paste Sounds across Sound slots (and thereby across pads) and Groups in your Project.

Moving Sounds

You can reorder Sounds via drag-and-drop in the software. It can be helpful to organize your Sounds more conveniently. Notably, this allows you to move your Sounds to other pads, and create a Group that is easier to play from the pads.

Tip

You can select multiple Sounds to move them all at once! See Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more information.

To move one or more Sounds:

  1. Click and hold the desired Sound slot(s) in the Sound List or in the Pad view.

  2. While holding the mouse button, drag your mouse toward the desired location in the Sound List or in the Pad view.As the mouse cursor moves an insertion line appears at the potential places where you can drop the Sound slot(s).

    1306132908_imageref_1452934283.png
  3. When the insertion line appears at the desired location in the Sound List or in the Pad view, release the mouse button.

    Each Sound takes its new place in the Group. On your controller, the Sounds will be triggered by the pads whose numbers appear left of the Sound slots in the Sound List or on the cells in the Pad view.

You can also drag Sounds to another Group in the Group List of the Arranger: The Sounds will be inserted in the first empty Sound slots of that Group, and that Group will automatically get the focus. However, in that case the Pattern content of the Sounds won’t be moved.

Notice

Sounds cannot be moved within the Sound List when Pre-listen (speaker button) is switched on.

Tip

If you drag the Sound(s) to the “+” at the end of the Group List, a new Group is automatically created and your Sound(s) will be moved to the first Sound slot(s) of that Group.

Resetting Sound Slots

Resetting a Sound slot will remove the Sound it contains and put all its settings (Channel properties, name, color…) back to their default values.

Tip

You can select multiple Sound slots to reset them all at once! See Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more information.

Managing Groups

This section describes the global editing functions available for Groups.

Group Menu

Many of the functions described in the following sections are available in the following two context menus:

  • The context menu of the Groups in the Group List, opened via a right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) on the desired Group:

  • The context menu of the focused Group in the Pattern Editor, opened via a right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) on the Group name in the top left corner of the Pattern Editor:

Both context menus are equivalent: Use either menu as you see fit.

Creating Groups

Creating a Group will add a new empty Group at the end of the Group List. You can then fill this Group with the Sounds of your choice.

Automatic Group Bank Management

In Maschine Group banks are managed automatically, so that you don’t have to create or delete them manually. Group are always adjacent in the Group List: you cannot have any gap in the Group List — nor in any Group bank. When you create a new Group, the following happens:

  • As long as the last Group bank contains less than eight Groups, the new Group is created in that bank.

  • If the last bank already contains eight Groups, a new Group bank is automatically created after the existing bank(s) and the new Group is created in that new bank.

Loading Groups

You can load a readymade Group from the Browser or from your operating system. The Group can be included in the Maschine Library or any EXPANSION PACK but it can also be a Group you have created yourself and saved for later use.

Renaming Groups

By default, new Groups are named Group AxHx, “x” indicating the bank number (Group A1H1, Group A2H2, etc.).

You can rename Groups as you see fit. Naming is only available from within the software, but any changes will also show up on your controller.

Group renaming is performed like Sound renaming:

  1. Double-click the name of the desired Group in the Group List or right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) the Group and select Rename from the context menu.The Group name is now highlighted and editable.

    1306132908_imageref_2544695691.png
  2. Modify the name of the Group. Press [Enter] on your computer keyboard to confirm.

Notice

If you use Maschine as a plug-in, some hosts will utilize the [Enter] key, as it is mapped to some function of the host software. In this case, click anywhere else in the Maschine plug-in window to confirm the name you have entered.

Changing the Group’s Color

You can change the color of each individual Group in the software. To do this:

  1. Right-click ([Ctrl]-click on macOS) the desired Group in the Group List or the Group name in the top left corner of the Pattern Editor and select Color from the context menu.A Color Palette appears. In the Palette, the current color of the Group is highlighted.

    1306132908_imageref_2508239115.png
  2. Select the desired color in the Palette. You can also choose to set the Group back to the default color corresponding to its position in the list by selecting Default in the Color Palette.

    The Group buttons of the Maschine MK3, Maschine Studio, Maschine MK2 controllers, and the pads of the Maschine Mikro MK3, Maschine Mikro MK2 controller (when you hold the GROUP button) mirror the Group colors you have selected.

Notice

By default each Group has a different color. But you can choose a common default color for Groups in Preferences > Colors > Group Default. See section Preferences – Colors Page for more information.

Tip

Once you have set a custom color for a Group as described above, the Group will retain its color when you move it in the Group List, and the color will be stored with the Group when you save the Group for later use. Note that you can select the same color as the one used by default: In that case the color (even unchanged) will be considered as a custom color and will follow the Group as you move it.

Saving Groups

You can save your Groups as individual files (extension “.mxgrp”). This can be only done in the software.

Saving Your Modifications into the Original Group File

If you have made changes to a Group loaded in your Project, you can save your modifications as follows:

  • Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Group in the Group List or the Group name in the top left corner of the Pattern Editor and select Save from the context menu:

    1306132908_imageref_2508254475.png

    Your modifications are saved to the Sound file.

Tip

Even if you don’t save a Group individually, its current settings will still be saved with your Project. But once a Group is saved and tagged, it is available in the Browser for use in other Projects.

You cannot save changes to factory files — these files are read-only. If you run the Save command on a factory file, it automatically turns into the Save As… command: a Save Group dialog opens and lets you save your modified Group to your user library. See next paragraph for more details. The same happens with Groups you have built from scratch.

Saving Your Modified Group as a New Group

If you want to save modifications you have made on a Group originating from a factory library, or if you don’t want to overwrite the original Group with your modified version, or if there is no original version of your Group (i.e. you built it from scratch), you can save it as a new Group file:

  1. Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Group in the Group List or the Group name in the top left corner of the Pattern Editor and select Save As… from the context menu:

    1306132908_imageref_2508252555.png

    A Save Group dialog appears. By default, the Group file will be saved in your Standard User Directory (as defined in Preferences > Library > User, refer to section Preferences – Default Page for more information).

  2. If you wish, choose another path and/or type another name with your computer keyboard.

  3. Press [Enter] to confirm and close the Save Group dialog.

    Your Group is now saved.

The Group will be added to the Library and is ready to be tagged in the Browser — see section Editing the Files’ Tags and Properties for more information on this.

Tip

You can also save a Group together with all the Samples used in this Group. This can be useful to use a drum kit on another computer or share it with other users. See section Saving a Group with its Samples for more information.

Copying and Pasting Groups

You can copy and paste Groups in your Project.

Reordering Groups

You can reorder Groups via drag-and-drop in the Ideas view or Song view of the software. For convenience it can be helpful to organize your Groups.

Tip

You can select multiple Groups to reorder them all at once! See Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more information.

Reordering Groups is performed like reordering Sounds:

  1. Click and hold the Group.

  2. While holding the mouse button, drag your mouse horizontally in Ideas view or vertically in Song view toward the desired location in the Group List.

    As the mouse cursor moves, an insertion line appears at the potential places where you can drop the Group.

  3. When the insertion line appears at the desired location, release the mouse button.

    The Group takes its new place in the Group List. This new place is also mirrored on the pads of your controller.

Deleting Groups

Deleting a Group will remove it from the Group List.

Notice

It is not possible to have a Project without any Groups; attempting to delete the last remaining Group in a Project will simply reset the Group to the default values.

Exporting Maschine Objects and Audio

This section describes how to save single Groups or whole Projects for use in another Maschine installation, and how to export audio from various sources in your Project.

Tip

You can also export your Patterns as audio or MIDI files via drag and drop. This is described in section Exporting Audio from Patterns and Exporting MIDI from Patterns.

Saving a Group with its Samples

Sometimes it is useful to have the ability to save a Group with its Samples outside of the Maschine Library. If you want to take a Group to another studio or if you want to backup or share a custom drum kit with all the related files, this comes in handy.

To save a Group with its Samples:

  1. Right-click (on macOS: [Ctrl]-click) the Group in the Group List left of the Arranger and select Save with Samples… from the context menu:

    1306132908_imageref_2508268299.png

    You will be presented with the Save Group with Samples panel:

    1306132908_imageref_2508295819.png
  2. In this panel, adjust the settings (see table below) and click Save to confirm or Close to cancel the operation.

Controls

Description

Group

Displays the name and location of the Group file to be created. The Samples will be put in a folder with the same name in the same location. By default, the Group file inherits the name of the Group in the Project and it will be saved in the “Groups” subfolder of your Standard User Directory (as defined in Preferences > Library > User, refer to section Preferences – Default Page for more information). Click the folder icon on the right to choose another name and/or path.

Delete Unused Files

Enable this checkbox to delete unused files, thereby minimizing the amount of audio data to be exported.

Notice

This command is also available from the Group menu opened by right-clicking ([Ctrl]-clicking on macOS)) the Group name above the Sound List, in the top left corner of the Pattern Editor.

Tip

You can also save your whole Project with its Samples. See section Saving a Project with its Samples.

Saving a Project with its Samples

Sometimes it is useful to have the ability to save all Samples used in your Project outside of the Maschine Library. If you want to take a Project to another studio or if you want to backup a production with all the related files, this comes in handy.

  1. Choose Save Project with Samples… from the File menu or the File submenu in the Maschine menu:

    1306132908_imageref_2508303499.png

    You will be presented with the Save Project with Samples panel:

    1306132908_imageref_2508305419.png
  2. In this panel, adjust the settings (see table below) and click Save to confirm or Close to cancel the operation.

Element

Description

Project

Displays the name and location of the Project file to be created. The Samples will be put in a folder with the same name in the same location. By default, the Project file inherits the name of the Project and it will be saved in the “Projects” subfolder of your Standard User Directory (as defined in Preferences > Library > User, refer to section Preferences – Default Page for more information). Click the folder icon on the right to select another name and/or path.

Delete Unused Files

Enable this checkbox to delete unused files, thereby minimizing the amount of audio data to be exported.

Tip

You can also save single Groups with their Samples. See Saving a Group with its Samples.

Exporting Audio

Use the Export Audio panel in the software to export as your complete arrangement as audio from the Song view, or render individual Scenes or Sections as audio files in from the Ideas view.

Notice

You can also export the audio of particular Patterns via drag and drop. The audio will be exported according to the settings described here, except for the exported region, the particular Sound/Group exported, and the name of the exported audio file. See section Exporting Audio from Patterns for more information.

The Export Audio panel is available from both the Ideas view and Arrangement view. In the Ideas view the Export Audio panel can be used to export individual Scenes, or all Scenes at once.

In the Song view, the Export Audio panel can be used to export your complete Project arrangement or individual Sections of the arrangement depending on the Loop range. The exact length of the exported audio file depends on the Loop Optimize setting in the Options section (refer to description below).

The Export Audio panel also contains options that allow you to select the source you want to export such as the Master, Groups, or Sounds.

To export audio from Maschine:

  1. Set the Loop Range to the region that you want to export.

  2. Choose Export Audio… from the File menu or from the File submenu in the Maschine menu.

    1306132908_imageref_2890954635.png

    You will be presented with the Export Scenes as Audio panel (refer to picture below).

  3. Select the Range and Source and then the destination (refer to description below).

  4. If you wish, adjust the export options in the Options section (refer to description below).

  5. At the bottom of the panel, click Export to start the export process, or Close to cancel the operation and close the panel without exporting anything.

Export Scenes/Arrangement as Audio Panel

The Export Audio panel allows you to select the source and destination as well as make various settings for the audio you want to export from the Ideas view or Arrangement view.

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The Export Scenes as Audio panel.

The following parameters are available in the Export Audio panel, which is split into three distinct sections: Source, Options, and Destination.

Source Section

The Source section allows you to define exactly what will be exported.

Element

Description

Range

Set the range for the audio you want to export. The options here will differ depending on whether Maschine is in Ideas view or Song view.

In Ideas view the following options are available:

All: Select this option to export all Scenes as audio.

Selected: Select this option to export the selected Scene as audio.

In Song view the following options are available:

All: Select this option to export all Sections in the arrangement as audio.

Loop: Select this option to export the selected Section of the arrangement as audio.

Source

Select what you want to export. The content of the Output list under the menu depends on your selection in the menu:

Master Output: Select this to export the Master output signal (including all Groups and Sounds and their effects) to one audio file. The Output list underneath contains only one entry: Master Output. This entry is checked and grayed out (you cannot uncheck it).

Group Outputs: Select this to export the output signals of specific Groups to individual audio files. The Output list underneath shows all Groups available for exporting. Empty Groups (i.e. Groups containing only empty Sound slots) are not listed. Click the checkboxes of the desired entries in the list to include/exclude the corresponding Groups. Only Groups with a checkmark will be exported.

Sound Outputs: Select this to export the output signals of specific Sounds to individual audio files. When this entry is selected, the Output list underneath shows all Sounds available for exporting. Empty Sound slots are not listed. The entries are organized as a tree with Groups at the root and Sounds within each Group. By default, all Groups are collapsed and all Groups and Sounds are checked. Click the little arrow left of a Group to show/hide its Sounds. Click the checkboxes of the desired entries in the list to include/exclude the corresponding Sounds. Only Sounds with a checkmark will be exported. The check box of Group entries allow you to check/uncheck all Sounds of the Group at once. If some of the Sounds only are checked in a Group, the Group is “dimmed checked.”

Options Section

The Options section allows you to make settings related to the quality of the audio export.

Element

Description

Options

Normalize

Check this option to normalize your audio as it is exported, i.e. the exported audio will be brought to the highest possible level without clipping (0 dBFS).

Loop Optimize

Optimize the audio file for use as a loop:

Check Loop Optimize to keep the exact Loop Range when exporting audio. Any effect tail will be rendered into the beginning of the audio file. Additionally, the file metadata will include the tempo (in BPM) and length (in bars).

Uncheck Loop Optimize to prolong the audio file when exporting audio, for example, to keep the tail of a reverb. The end of the exported audio will always correspond to a bar division.

Split By Section

Check this option to export audio within the loop braces. If the loop spans multiple Sections, individual audio files for each Section within the selected area will be created. Please note, if you only select one Section and export, you will not gain any advantage by using this feature.

Type

Select the required audio format : uncompressed WAV or AIFF. The audio format type selected here also affects audio exported using the Audio Dragger icon available in the Pattern Editor.

Sample Rate

Select from five different sample rates for the exported audio file(s): 44100 Hz (this is the sample rate of the audio CD format), 48000 Hz, 88200 Hz, 96000 Hz, and 192000 Hz.

Bit Depth

Select from three different bit depths (or bit resolutions) for the exported audio file(s):

16 Bit is the bit depth of the audio CD format.

24 Bit is well suited for mastering.

32 Bit float is the bit depth used internally by Maschine’s audio processing engine. Choose this setting if you plan to further process the exported audio using other high-end digital audio devices or applications that support this bit depth. This setting will allow greater headroom, however, note that the exported files will be significantly larger.

Destination Section

The Destination section allows you to define where to save your audio and how it is named.

Element

Description

Options

Folder

Displays the folder on your hard disk where the exported audio file(s) will be saved. To change the destination folder, click the field and select the desired folder in the navigation dialog that opens.

Name

Displays the name of the destination audio file which by default will take the name of the Project. Click into the field if you want to rename the destination file.

Names of the Exported Audio Files

The exported audio files are named according to the following rules:

  • If Master Output is selected in the Output menu the audio file will be named as follows:[Project name] - [BPM].wav/aiff

  • If Group Outputs is selected in the Output menu the audio files will be named as follows:[Project name] - [Group order number] [Group index (letter + number)] [Group name] - [BPM].wav/aiffThe Group order number is a two-digit number indicating the “order of appearance” of the Group in the Group List. This ensures that an alphabetical listing of the exported files will reflect the structure of your Project.

  • If Sound Outputs is selected in the Output menu the audio files will be named as follows:[Project name] - [Sound name] - [BPM].wav/aiff

Notice

In addition, if the name of the file about to be exported is already used in the destination folder, a hyphen followed by an index number is added to the name (e.g., “ - 1,” “ - 2,” “ - 3,”) to avoid any file being overwritten.

Importing Third-Party File Formats

Loading REX Files into Sound Slots

Maschine supports REX (ReCycle) files to be loaded. REX files are loops that are already sliced and mapped to MIDI notes.

Notice

Only REX2 files are currently supported.

  • The Samples are loaded into the Sound slot. A new Pattern is created in that Group and directly loaded in the Pattern Editor (switch the Pattern Editor to Keyboard view to better see the Pattern — see section Group View and Keyboard View). This Pattern contains the sequence data of the REX file. For each REX file you import a Pattern will be created and added.

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A REX file loaded in the first Sound slot.

Importing MPC Programs to Groups

Maschine allows you to import Drum program files (.PGM and .AKP) from the Akai MPC series to Groups. Supported models include the MPC4000, MPC3000, MPC2000, MPC500, MPC1000 and the MPC2500.

Supported Parameters from MPC Programs

Since Maschine has a different approach to handling and naming parameters, please refer to this list to find out how MPC Program settings are being translated into Maschine settings.

MPC Parameter

MPC500, 1000, 2500

MPC4000

MPC2000 (XL)

MPC3000

Maschine Parameter

Sample Name

x

x

x

x

Sample Name

Play Mode

x

x

Playback Type (ADSR, One-shot, AHD)

Sample Level

x

x

Zone Level

Sample Pan

x

Zone Pan

Range Lower/Higher

x

x

High/Low Key

Tuning

x

x

x

x

Tune

Attack

x

x

x

x

Attack

Decay

x

x

x

x

Decay

Voice Overlap

x

x

x

Polyphony

Filter1 Type

x

Filter Type

Filter1 Frequency

x

x

x

Filter Cutoff

Filter1 Resonance

x

x

x

Filter Resonance

Filter1 Velocity to Frequency

x

Velocity Cutoff

Mixer Level

x

x

x

x

Track Level

Mixer Pan

x

x

x

Track Pan

Velocity to Level

x

Velocity to Volume

Mute Group

x

Choke Group

Importing MPC Program Files
  1. To import an MPC Program file, open the Browser in the Maschine software and click the FILES tab.

  2. Navigate to the MPC Program file you want to import and double-click it.You will be prompted with the MPC Import panel:

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  3. In the Input section of the panel, select one of the import options (refer to table below).

  4. Click OK to start the import procedure (or Cancel to close the panel without importing anything).

Control

Description

Import All Banks

Select this to import all Banks of the MPC Program file. Each Bank will be loaded into a separate Group.

Import One Bank

Select this if you only want to import a single Bank. Use the drop-down menu to the right to select which Bank you want to import. The list below shows you a preview of the sounds in the selected MPC Bank.