Maschine vs MPC 4000

Blue Haze wrote:

Lotuz wrote:

Blue Haze wrote:The 4k assignment of mute groups and polyphony is definitively faster than maschine though.

How does it work on the MPC4000?

hit programs goto zone set to all, from there you can set mute groups, polyphony, one shots, filters, envelopes the whole nine to all the samples within a particular pragram aka group for maschine useful for phrase and multisamples. Maschine setting as far as I figure I have to change each sound and assign individually slow in comparsion and less parameters too.

That's definitely faster. It would be nice if you could select multiple sounds.

Blue Haze wrote:But it is good for a groovebox just wouldn't say maschine is a workstation unit.

Not at the moment, no. But when MIDI Out was added, it became clear that Maschine does have the potential to become more than just a groovebox. I'm not sure what NI wants Maschine to be.

Actually as a groovebox is fine with me as I wanted to move into the box. All of the other stuff about external sequencing is like trying to make it into another DAW which confuses the setup. I have logic for that already. Most of my setup is virtual instrumentals beside my motif xs rack, mpc and piano. Maschine isn't complicated, bloated, and it's simple. I prefer it to stick to it's basic design being a groove machine that I can use in my daw.

Blue Haze wrote:Actually as a groovebox is fine with me as I wanted to move into the box. All of the other stuff about external sequencing is like trying to make it into another DAW which confuses the setup. I have logic for that already.

Cubase has always been my main sequencer, but I prefer Maschine's direct way of working. I'm trying to emulate that in Cubase (key commands and other customization), because Cubase has MIDI features that Maschine lacks at the moment, but the workflow still isn't as nice as Maschine's.

Blue Haze wrote:Maschine isn't complicated, bloated, and it's simple. I prefer it to stick to it's basic design being a groove machine that I can use in my daw.

I don't think it will become complicated by adding more MIDI functionality. And you don't have to use all features of course.

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ditto.... unlocking MIDI functionality won't make the maschine over complicated...
as stated earlier, i would like to do my entire body of work/sequence, except vocals & live instruments...
and then find an easy way to get it over to my DAW........
i want the the MASCHINE BADLY, but i'm going to wait on a few enhancements.... i'd love
to put my MPC5000 in to storage...... and replace it with the MASHCINE.. but i need a complete Midi Production Center

I get what guys are saying and if NI did all that in time maschine would be all you needed in the studio. However for running external instrumentals I feel maschine has a long way to go for multitrack recording, it only offers 8 groups not the hundreds of midi tracks that the DAWs have, the aux channels and mixing layout isn't to par with a DAW and to get third party plugins and effects would take more coding and drive up the price.

Blue Haze wrote:the aux channels and mixing layout isn't to par with a DAW and to get third party plugins and effects would take more coding and drive up the price.

That's why I rather have extra outputs at this moment. Eight stereo outputs is impressive for hardware, but for a VSTi it's pretty limited. You quickly run out of outputs when you want to mix the sounds with your DAW's mixer. Fortunately you can load multiple instances of the Maschine VSTi.

Lotuz wrote:

Blue Haze wrote:the aux channels and mixing layout isn't to par with a DAW and to get third party plugins and effects would take more coding and drive up the price.

That's why I rather have extra outputs at this moment. Eight stereo outputs is impressive for hardware, but for a VSTi it's pretty limited. You quickly run out of outputs when you want to mix the sounds with your DAW's mixer. Fortunately you can load multiple instances of the Maschine VSTi.

Yup, I think that better integration with a DAW is better than migration to more external midi control. For me I would want more control of my virtual instruments. I had far more control of keyboards workstations, rack samplers, and rack gear with my mpc. However recording,tracking, mixing and upgrading the sounds with new racks is what I wanted to get away from by going to a virtual studio.

When I can visit a proper physical recording studio having a hardware unit is handy as we are working with an engineer. But at my home studio I want to cut down on some of the hats I have to wear. In the box helps with that. And a virtual studio gives me more options.

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i feel you.... but everyone has a different approach as to how they want to work....


if i just wanted to just tap out beats on a drum machine, i'd use my old R8mkii or my sons xr20....

i don't think it would be that hard for NI to make the Maschine recognize different MIDI Ports.

also, i don't want the Maschine to replace my DAW, i want it to replace my MPC5000.

mjames4208 wrote:
also, i don't want the Maschine to replace my DAW, i want it to replace my MPC5000.

I think you will find that to be a big concensus with many.
They would like to see Maschine (or anything for that matter) to do all the MPC does while adding better direct integration with their DAW.

They simply want to see the 2 worlds merge and allow the user all the strengths of each.

I understand and feel partly the same as everyone do. I don`t know if the mpc swing feel can be done on maschine though. I use alot of nudging which is a godsend to groove it. Coming from the 4k of course the mpc layering per pad and layering per program is far easier. And to truely be on par to a mpc their would need to be more additions to the physcial hardware controller like midi outputs and so on. For the virtual control maschine has limitless possibliles within the current price point too. For external control i don`t know but it is all good if it works out. I will be glad when 1.5 is official release and the future updates to bring it more in line with the various users wishes. It is a cool tool for a virtual studio indeed.

Blue Haze wrote:I understand and feel partly the same as everyone do. I don`t know if the mpc swing feel can be done on maschine though. I use alot of nudging which is a godsend to groove it.

I don't know how much different the MPC swing is from Maschine's swing and I don't have an MPC to compare. We could compare MIDI files though.

I don't usually use nudging to create swing, but when you use nudging with the grid set to Off, you get a resolution of 96 PPQ. Swing per sound instead of swing per group would be a great improvement btw.

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... p?t=107336

Blue Haze wrote:Coming from the 4k of course the mpc layering per pad and layering per program is far easier.

I agree, Maschine's layering capabilities need to be improved.

Blue Haze wrote:And to truely be on par to a mpc their would need to be more additions to the physcial hardware controller like midi outputs and so on. For the virtual control maschine has limitless possibliles within the current price point too. For external control i don`t know but it is all good if it works out.

Sounds to MIDI notes. At the moment you can select the MIDI channel for the MIDI output. All NI need to add next to the MIDI channel selection is a MIDI Out driver selection. That would allow you to add a MIDI interface to raise the number of MIDI outputs.

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... p?t=107996

Blue Haze wrote:I will be glad when 1.5 is official release and the future updates to bring it more in line with the various users wishes. It is a cool tool for a virtual studio indeed.

It sure is and it has great potential. You could even use it as effect processor.

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum ... p?t=108860

Hey Lotuz I already have swing per sound. I hit the pad and shift+swing i got that from the unofficial hardware reference manual. Along with individual sound volume and pitch.

Yeah I always set the grid to off and nudge the individual sound.

Blue Haze wrote:Hey Lotuz I already have swing per sound. I hit the pad and shift+swing i got that from the unofficial hardware reference manual.

That doesn't work here. All that seems to do is change the master swing.

Sorry I got the instructions mixed up ha, ha. Actually hold down the pad you want to adjust say pad 1 for the kick and adjust the swing and you should see it adjusting in window 1, same to adjust the volume uses volume knob, and use tempo knob to adjust the individual pitch.

I came across these in the sections 3.24~3.26 adjust step velocity, pitch, and time in the BlueSkyRepublic`s Unofficial ref manual. I use it alot.

Aaaaah, in step edit! Basically what it does is the same as nudging, because your not applying the swing to all notes of the sound. It's like swing per note. I can't seem to select multiple notes at the same time and change their timing by turning the swing knob. Can you? Nice one though.