I always wondered why they didn’t, but now they have: Maschine+, a hardware standalone version of Maschine (it also has Kontakt onboard).
The way I see it the ‘+’ could very well find its way into the Komplete Kontrol key controllers.
Standalone Maschine workstation
Moderators: Sharp, X-Trade, Pepperpotty, karmathanever
The advertising copy is a little nebulous, but from what I can tell (and glean from videos) it mostly offers facilities comparable with an MC707, but with an additional screen and Maschine's rather nice sound options.
I don't see the kind of linear options that say "workstation" to me, and they do bill it as a groovebox. It supposedly has a song mode, but what that entails is left to the imagination. It also doesn't appear to do anything with CV/Gate, and so I'm left wondering what it does that an MPC One doesn't, for half the price.
I don't see the kind of linear options that say "workstation" to me, and they do bill it as a groovebox. It supposedly has a song mode, but what that entails is left to the imagination. It also doesn't appear to do anything with CV/Gate, and so I'm left wondering what it does that an MPC One doesn't, for half the price.
Well, NI advertises it as a standalone production and performance instrument 'from first ideas to finished tracks', so that sounds very much like a workstation to me.Koekepan wrote:The advertising copy is a little nebulous, but from what I can tell (and glean from videos) it mostly offers facilities comparable with an MC707, but with an additional screen and Maschine's rather nice sound options.
I don't see the kind of linear options that say "workstation" to me, and they do bill it as a groovebox. It supposedly has a song mode, but what that entails is left to the imagination. It also doesn't appear to do anything with CV/Gate, and so I'm left wondering what it does that an MPC One doesn't, for half the price.
I understood that the new Maschine DOES allow linear sequencing by means of clips, probably the equivalent of Roland's phrases in the Fantom G.
" INTRODUCING CLIPS
Clips let you arrange your ideas with even more freedom. Create transitions across scenes, add unique variation to patterns, record MIDI directly into the full arrangement, and freely add audio wherever you need it."
I make music in a linear way and I prefer a sequencer which runs parallel to this proces, it feels like the most natural way to record MIDI/audio.
I haven't got first hand experience with the MPC or Maschine, but from watching YouTube videos I think I would prefer an MPC for sequencing over a Maschine.
The new Maschine has 4Gb RAM vs. the 2Gb of the MPC. Both are skimpy compared to what's available today.
Maschine has a lot more variety and interesting options to offer.when it comes to sound design.
A 4-core Atom in the new Maschine is not powerful compared to what you can put in today's laptops, but when you consider that the Kronos is built on an older 2-core Atom and what it can do it's not bad.
The connectivity on the MPC is WAY better, especially on the MPC-X.
For me the most interesting thing about this new Maschine is that if has a Kontakt 6 player onboard, and while the processor is not powerful enough to run libraries with heavy scripting there are older libraries which should pose no problem whatsoever.
I'm perfectly happy to be wrong - it's still preorder teaser time, and I haven't yet seen any detailed, in-depth demonstrations. It's quite possible that the scope of their clips along with an open-ended, grid-breaking arranger view gives us a great linear experience. And if so, that would be the killer feature over the MPC family, to me. However, if it's just the equivalent of the new Fantom (which is a groovebox with delusions of grandeur, not a workstation) then they can keep it.
But I have to agree with you; compared to the MPCs, the connectivity is thoroughly underwhelming. This thing does not say "studio master" to me in its current form.
But I have to agree with you; compared to the MPCs, the connectivity is thoroughly underwhelming. This thing does not say "studio master" to me in its current form.
Yes, I am dubious of it being a real standalone workstation. Its I/O is not 'workstation' level. And DDR3? Is that even still sold new? For the price it is a bit low on pizzazz.
Stuff I'm using: Umm right now, well there's a Volca Drum, a Micro Freak, an ADX-1, a Pulse, a Blofeld, a UNO Drum, KeyStep/Beatstep Pro/Keystep Pro (one of each), a Circuit, a LiveTrak L-12 and this nonsense: The Brief-case as it was about a bit over a year ago (the the complete ridiculous GAS monster collection here)and here
Here’s a link to the NI forum and in the first post the new clip feature is discussed.
As I understand it it gives you the ability to record in a linear way on a linear timeline, and that’s a big plus for me.
BUT, elsewhere the clips are described as ‘different kind of pattern which can be moved freely along the timeline’, and based on how I work I want to know if it is possible to insert measures somewhere in a clip with a different time signature, can you delete measures at a specified point in a clip?
Odd that after all this time everything I need in a sequencer was there in my very first workstation 30 years ago and that nowadays developers love to compete with reinventing the wheel only to come full circle with the realization ‘hey, there are people who love to work in a linear way, let’s make our sequencer feature the possibility to work like a traditional DAW’.
If Korg brings a new workstation to the market I sure hope they will NOT limit it to some groovebox pattern based thingy which doesn’t allow you to do basic things their M1/T1-2-3 could do. Like Roland.
As I understand it it gives you the ability to record in a linear way on a linear timeline, and that’s a big plus for me.
BUT, elsewhere the clips are described as ‘different kind of pattern which can be moved freely along the timeline’, and based on how I work I want to know if it is possible to insert measures somewhere in a clip with a different time signature, can you delete measures at a specified point in a clip?
Odd that after all this time everything I need in a sequencer was there in my very first workstation 30 years ago and that nowadays developers love to compete with reinventing the wheel only to come full circle with the realization ‘hey, there are people who love to work in a linear way, let’s make our sequencer feature the possibility to work like a traditional DAW’.
If Korg brings a new workstation to the market I sure hope they will NOT limit it to some groovebox pattern based thingy which doesn’t allow you to do basic things their M1/T1-2-3 could do. Like Roland.
OK, that link turns it all on its head.
This is a lot closer to what sunvox and Caustic will do in terms of arrangement. There's a timeline, but you can put clips anywhere along it, including in parallel with each other - and Caustic also has a general linear entry capability that Maschine seems to be offering.
Mind you, that wasn't my only objection but it does at least promise to elevate the Maschine+ to something that I would call a real workstation. Kudos where it's due! (And sincerely hoping that other manufacturers get a clue.)
This is a lot closer to what sunvox and Caustic will do in terms of arrangement. There's a timeline, but you can put clips anywhere along it, including in parallel with each other - and Caustic also has a general linear entry capability that Maschine seems to be offering.
Mind you, that wasn't my only objection but it does at least promise to elevate the Maschine+ to something that I would call a real workstation. Kudos where it's due! (And sincerely hoping that other manufacturers get a clue.)
Or Korg Gadget, right?
Koekepan wrote:OK, that link turns it all on its head.
This is a lot closer to what sunvox and Caustic will do in terms of arrangement. There's a timeline, but you can put clips anywhere along it, including in parallel with each other - and Caustic also has a general linear entry capability that Maschine seems to be offering.
Mind you, that wasn't my only objection but it does at least promise to elevate the Maschine+ to something that I would call a real workstation. Kudos where it's due! (And sincerely hoping that other manufacturers get a clue.)
Maybe there's a new version of Gadget that will let clips overlap boundaries, and allow for linear entry on the main track - but if so, I haven't seen it.
Granted, I'm using the Switch version of Gadget, and it does seem to be castrated in some other ways, but Gadget seems to be about as sophisticated, from what I've seen, as the arranger options in the new Fantom - which is to say, miserable.
Granted, I'm using the Switch version of Gadget, and it does seem to be castrated in some other ways, but Gadget seems to be about as sophisticated, from what I've seen, as the arranger options in the new Fantom - which is to say, miserable.