MPC Vs. Maschine mini Review

i just received my maschine on friday. used to have a 2000xl but mpcs are just like giant scientific calculators

maschines taken ages for me to setup & download all the updates but it's an awesome piece of equipment.

I used to have the 4000 and now have had maschine for around 6 months. I admit I used to love it more than I do right this minute but it's still a monster.

Things that are starting to REALLY get me tight are the the way it handles it's sequencing. In terms of copying part of a sequence. On the MP if I had a 2bar drum loop I programmed, and I wanted to copy the 2nd bar to the 3rd and it be exactly where it is in the 2nd it would be very easy. ( think if it starts at 2.01.142 in the 2nd bar i want it to start a 3.01.142 in the 3rd bar.) In maschine the only thing you can do is highlight the notes in the 2nd bar and copy them then nudge them over to where you want. But you have to use your eyes and estimate where they should be. There's no exact spot you can copy them to. There should be some kind of event list or copy option where you can choose to copy one part to a specific number in the sequence or "pattern". By the way I'm speaking with the "grid" off obviously. If the grid was on you can snap them to the start point of whatever but my stuff isn't snap to the grid kind of hip hop.

Also the swing/ is not tight at all. I swear it switches up after playing making a couple of runs. I know that sounds crazy but it does..sometimes not all the time. I take for granted now how solid the timing was in my mp. l still make good music but the 4000's timing was the same if I kept the beat playing for hours straight. And I doubt it's my computer. I have a mac pro w/ 12 gigs and 3 1 tb drives.

I could go on that it needs a counter. Just give me a basic counter at the top. A mixer would be nice too.

But the fact that I can have all my drums tagged and sounds easily accessible is the ****. The fact I can host plugins and throw some eqs on a couple of kicks I'm layering real quick is undeniable. Guitar rig loads up in my template on startup, so I have my guitar or bass ready when I turn on the maschine is nice too. The drag and drop is amazing, not having to track everything out. Also the sp 12 mode is good for certain sounds but you have to use it like a real sp. Meaning you have to pitch up, resample, then pitch down and you will hear a big difference.


I have a love/hate relationship with Maschine. I found this thread because I wa thinking of getting a 2500 to see if it's just me or are mp's more tighter than the maschine. I may still try one out but maschine is pretty ill. Just frustrating sometimes coming from a mpc background

picalo32 wrote:People really don't speak of how deep the Mv's sample manipulation & Editing is

this is "maschines" father!

eldorado wrote:Things that are starting to REALLY get me tight are the the way it handles it's sequencing. In terms of copying part of a sequence. On the MP if I had a 2bar drum loop I programmed, and I wanted to copy the 2nd bar to the 3rd and it be exactly where it is in the 2nd it would be very easy. ( think if it starts at 2.01.142 in the 2nd bar i want it to start a 3.01.142 in the 3rd bar.) In maschine the only thing you can do is highlight the notes in the 2nd bar and copy them then nudge them over to where you want. But you have to use your eyes and estimate where they should be. There's no exact spot you can copy them to. There should be some kind of event list or copy option where you can choose to copy one part to a specific number in the sequence or "pattern". By the way I'm speaking with the "grid" off obviously. If the grid was on you can snap them to the start point of whatever but my stuff isn't snap to the grid kind of hip hop.

If you turn the grid on and set it to 1 Bar, then highlight your notes and copy/paste, it will paste your notes with the same timing as what you copied even though the note are laid with the grid off. Then you can just nudge it to any bar you want, in this case bar 3. Basically when setting the grid to bar, it's copying/pasting that bar exactly the way it is. It won't snap the actual notes to the grid.

eldorado wrote:I have a love/hate relationship with Maschine. I found this thread because I wa thinking of getting a 2500 to see if it's just me or are mp's more tighter than the maschine. I may still try one out but maschine is pretty ill. Just frustrating sometimes coming from a mpc background

I have both! I don't notice a difference in timing or "groove"! I kinda like Maschines swing application better because I can dial it in and fine tune it while the sequence plays on. Unlike the MPC you have to constant stop, adjust swing, try again until you find the setting you like!

Good looking for the tip Hellfire! I have to try that when I'm at the lab. The swing on the mpc is way more simpler and efficient IMO. On the 4000 you can adjust the swing while it's playing if I'm not mistaken. Maybe not..I can't really remember. Lol. But the way the maschine has two different places where u can adjust the swing. And all the diffeent parameters to adjust, I don't know I have to get used to it I guess.

You have a 2500 also..do you use it at all anymore? If so why?

eldorado wrote:Good looking for the tip Hellfire! I have to try that when I'm at the lab. The swing on the mpc is way more simpler and efficient IMO. On the 4000 you can adjust the swing while it's playing if I'm not mistaken. Maybe not..I can't really remember. Lol. But the way the maschine has two different places where u can adjust the swing. And all the diffeent parameters to adjust, I don't know I have to get used to it I guess.

You have a 2500 also..do you use it at all anymore? If so why?

Maschine has a group swing, which adjusts swing of the entire group. Then it also has swing for each individual pad/sound. And it also has a master swing knob to swing the entire beat. I never use the group or master swing personally. I rarely use swing anymore at all lately. I just find it easier to tweak each drum individually off the grid to get the exact feel I want.

I still use it. Just depends on my mood!

just wanted to drop in and give more feedback. my favorite thing about maschine is the ability to drop an eq on individual sounds....either via maschine built in fx or a plugin, and be able to adjust it on the fly with knobs while my sequnece is playing.

for me this is huge, i can mangle my drums with eq (or any effect for that matter) while im making the beat.

its like mixing and making beats all at the same time for me, and being able to use eq to scuplt or design my drums while the beat is happening as opposed to before, or after or stopping during. know what im saying?


the thing i dislike the most is the 'scene/pattern' paradigm. it bugs me, probably because im comming from mpc state of mind. its not that its bad or horrible, but i just dont digg it. most my beats are 2 or 4 bar boombap beats with no real change ups. it feels awkward having to create a scene just to mute a part, or swith a part. im use to muting tracks i guess. if that makes sense to anyone.....like when you mute a sound or pad in maschine it mutes everything whereas i just really want to mute the events. so for like "takes" it makes it wierd for me. im use to laying down a bassline on say track 4, then saying to myself "not feeling it" muting it, then going to track 5 and trying again. thenn once i have 2 tracks with possible basslines, im compare them and keep the one i like. in maschine you have to copy the pattern, delete the events, and record new ones, then toggle between the two patterns. can get annoying depending on if you have lots of changes to other sounds as you go along. anyways, maybe im missing something...........

cyrus wrote:the thing i dislike the most is the 'scene/pattern' paradigm. it bugs me, probably because im comming from mpc state of mind.

The MPC state of mind is how most DAWs and keyboard workstations are set-up. I also prefer track based sequencing.

Askia Shaheed wrote:

cyrus wrote:the thing i dislike the most is the 'scene/pattern' paradigm. it bugs me, probably because im comming from mpc state of mind.

The MPC state of mind is how most DAWs and keyboard workstations are set-up. I also prefer track based sequencing.

MPCs are pattern based, DAWs are not.
MPCs are based on no real song mode just combining or chaining patterns, that's the opposite of how DAWs work.
A DAW is Linear, which was one of the things the MV beat the MPC at.

Maschine was trying to have a more Ableton type of work flow, but they still have many elements to add as well as the second view.

THE ADVERSARY wrote:

Askia Shaheed wrote:

cyrus wrote:the thing i dislike the most is the 'scene/pattern' paradigm. it bugs me, probably because im comming from mpc state of mind.

The MPC state of mind is how most DAWs and keyboard workstations are set-up. I also prefer track based sequencing.

MPCs are pattern based, DAWs are not.
MPCs are based on no real song mode just combining or chaining patterns, that's the opposite of how DAWs work.
A DAW is Linear, which was one of the things the MV beat the MPC at.

Maschine was trying to have a more Ableton type of work flow, but they still have many elements to add as well as the second view.

Sounds like you have never used an MPC before. You might want to use one or at least pick up the manual and read it.

All MPCs since 1987 are linear (hello...turn off loop ). No different than a DAW or even the MV. Earlier MPCs just didn't show you sequence data graphically like a DAW. Later MPCs added drum grid and piano roll editors to display sequence data graphically. Not displaying sequence data graphically doesn't make a sequencer not linear. MPCs are also pattern-based sequencers where you can record in loops and chain them together in song mode.

I'm here to clear up any other misunderstandings......

AKAI should steal ideas from companies,just everybody stole the drum pad idea from them.make a product like maschine,with the ability to load vst's and record audio into the sequencer or at least rewire into a DAW,keep the 4 midid outs and 2 ins to sequence your hardware and call it a day.Masschine sells would drop during the annoucement.The MPC is a great machine and is responsible for more than it get credit for,but to stay relevant it has to change with the time.

Hi guys

I think alot of techniques used on the MPC that can also be practiced on the maschine and vice versa, but there are also techniques that the MPC can pull off that the maschine can not and vice versa . I like to look at it as just another tool in the bag.
Different gear seems to spark different ideas in my brain, it is kind of a mood issue. Never forcing a beat, just letting it happen, not being held back by not knowing how to get your idea out there because you only have one way of doing stuff.

A laptop and the maschine can be brought everywhere.

Portability is important to me due to traveling and the creativity that pops out of nowhere 5 in the morning. The MPC is still a living legend in my eyes even though i love my maschine

BS Jahrome.
They still work in patterns with a funky song mode.
Turning the loop off only allows you to work without a predefined pattern size.
That is no where near working in a linear fashion, if you think it is then you are greatly confused.


You are only here to create misinfo not correct it.

The only real hope for Akai is to go full on with Ableton.
Other than that they will continue to piss in the wind.
I was really surprised when they released some new pedals considering how poorly their first attempt at pedals did.

rookie wrote:AKAI should steal ideas from companies,just everybody stole the drum pad idea from them.make a product like maschine,with the ability to load vst's and record audio into the sequencer or at least rewire into a DAW,keep the 4 midid outs and 2 ins to sequence your hardware and call it a day.Masschine sells would drop during the annoucement.The MPC is a great machine and is responsible for more than it get credit for,but to stay relevant it has to change with the time.

rookie wrote:

picalo32 wrote:People really don't speak of how deep the Mv's sample manipulation & Editing is

this is "maschines" father!

More like the grand daddy of DAWs and features that are appearing on other programs today.