emptysea wrote:This thread is specifically about sharing the limitations of the "MPC" Ren in comparison to Maschine, without sales pitches from people who stand to profit from them being sold, like MIDIchlorian who sells samples and tutorials for MPCs, or xparis001/Andy Mac who are employees of Akai, or collector fanatics like Jahrome who has affiliations with Akai.
Note: None of these are bugs. There's already a long bug report thread in this forum (including the most basic of tasks like copying sequences/undo after sample editing causing crashes). All these issues are currently by design.
- the Ren still requires you to use the mouse for a lot of things. You can't even nudge notes from the Ren controller (source: Jahrome) and you can't open/close instrument plugin windows from the Ren controller (source: Pete blues, Akai)
- you have to stop the Ren's sequencer to do things like loading samples/files (source: Jahrome)
- no 64bit support (source: Jahrome)
- it doesn't receive MIDI clock or MTC in standalone mode(source: Jahrome)
- no RTAS support (for anyone using Pro Tools) (source: Dan Gill, Akai)
- Ren doesn't have independent swing (Maschine has it per sound/group/master) and it doesn't work in realtime (source: Dan Gill, Akai)
- you can't manually add/remove slices (source: IMAKEMADBEATS)
- Ren's software will not run without the Ren controller being attached (source: Dan Gill, Akai)
- the Renaissance controller is not usb bus-powered and requires an ac adapter (source: Bremen)
- the Ren doesn't have a fast pad duplicate feature like Maschine and even if you copy samples to different pads in the Ren, editing a pad will affect all pads instead of each pad having its own setting like Maschine (source: LMSW, Blue Haze)
- copying sequences eats up memory when you're using plugins on the Ren's software. Only the sample kits qualify as programs that can be shared across sequences. That means a few instances of a heavy plugin will peak your CPU. (source: Jahrome)
- Ren doesn't even output MIDI as a plugin (source: bobbybland)
- Ren can't even export a program out to separate sounds. You can't get anything other then a single wave file for an entire sequence and .pgm. Ren forces you to manually copy and paste separate tracks for each drum hit that you want separate, which is extremely tedious and a complete workflow killer. (source: bobbybland)
- using Ren's timestretch and pitchshift overwrites the original sample without giving you an option (source: MIDIchlorian)
- editing multiple pads on Maschine is much quicker. When editing multiple samples on different pads on Maschine, as soon as you hit the pad it pulls up the sample on screen ready to be edited. On the Ren, if you want to switch to another sample to edit.. you have to scroll to it, which is a workflow killer. (source: KnockSquared)
- it's hard to do anything but the most basic functions with the Ren controller's built in screen alone. You can do just about anything on Maschine's hardware with my laptop closed. (source: Bremen)
- And even with all that clicking around on the computer screen required on the Ren, it can't even highlight and drag more than one sample at a time. (source: SquareBanger)
- the Ren's sequencer stops every time you simply drag a sample from the browser to a pad (source: Jahrome)
- you can't drag and drop to bounce/export. (source: bobbybland)
- it doesn't even support all of Akai's own legacy MPC file formats (doesn't read .ALL or .APS and ignores things like "Effects, Q Link slider events, Mute groups/mute targets, velocity sensitive parameters (V > Att etc), LFO, sequence track assignments, song files, any JJOSXL specific feature (e.g. NDC related data etc") (source: MPC-Tutor)
and it obviously doesn't have Komplete 8 integration that Maschine has where all presets from Komplete 8 can be browsed and loaded just from the hardware.
1. Maschine doesn't have dedicated buttons for a lot of things on both the hardware and in the sequencer. It has numerous Shift + functions or tabs that you have to press the cursor button to toggle through available options. In the software, it displays its sound editing params on 6 separate pages; all these params are displayed on one MPC Ren page in the software.
2. Maschine was built as a groove box. So it doesn't have the traditional multi-track sequencer that every other workstation on the market has. So you can't import MIDI files from other applications.
3. Maschine supports 64 bit. But when loaded with the same number plugins as the Ren, your computers memory is max'd out just the same. Maschine DOES NOT load more plugins than the Ren.
4. Maschine doesn't send or receive MTC (MIDI Time Code) sync
5. Maschine's swing is a shadow of what the Ren and any MPC can do. MPC Ren's Time Correct Menu has params for Time Division, Swing, Strength, Shift timing, and Window. These params can be applied to an entire track, individual sounds/notes, or a specified range. This can be done during recording or after recording even when the sequencer is playing.
6. You can not click on the sample waveform to add or remove slices in Maschine.
7. Maschine doesn't have a fast non-destructive chopping feature like the Ren. Maschine can not have 128 independent slices mapped across a group. Maschine' Split Region editing is limited to fixed increments.
8. Maschine doesn't output MIDI like a traditional MIDI sequencer (which it obviously isn't). While the Ren gives you 64 independent MIDI channels, Maschine only gives you 16. If you have multiple MIDI devices connected, it will send the same information to all MIDI devices.
9. Maschine doesn't have a sound or group mixer of any sort. You can't create complex mixes with automation like the Ren can. You can't conveniently mix plugin and MIDI instruments having a fully automated mixer with faders and knobs.
10. Maschine sample edit processes overwrites samples and undo them in nearly the same fashion has the Ren. But unlike Maschine, these commands are not buried in some drop down menu. Maschine doesn't have dedicate buttons for sample editing processes. Maschine's Fade In/Out doesn't give you options to select the type of fade you want to apply like the Ren does. Maschines doesn't have an adjustable bit reduce or Stereo to Mono converter in Sample Edit Mode like the Ren.
11. Maschine doesn't have a fast and intuitive way to quickly assign samples to a pad from the hardware. You can't load up a bunch of samples and then quickly assign these samples to any sound across any group with the speed of the Ren. You don't get global program editing on the level of the Ren. Not only can you edit globally on the Ren, you can select two or more pads and simultaneously edit their params at one time; Maschine doesn't have anything related to this.
12. Maschine doesn't not match the level of control or speed of the Ren's hardware. There is no number pad to quickly punch in values. There is no dedicated record replace button.There is no dedicated/programmable locate button. No dedicated Full Level and 16 level buttons. No dedicate vintage mode buttons. Maschine's software has far exceeded what the hardware was built for. Yet the software is still primitive when looking at some basic functions such as MIDI,
13. Um...Maschine's software does not display all available params on one screen. Nearly every page you have to use a drop down menu or tab to access basic things. This is tedious and completely ruins the experience.
14. The Ren can drag-n-drop a folder containing 1000+ samples to load into RAM. Maschine doesn't have anywhere close to this power. You can load up as many programs as your computer allows when using the Ren. And then freely choose which program you want to use on a particular track. Maschine is certainly not on the same level.
15. There is no drum machine or workstation on the market that supports legacy MPC formats like the Ren does. The Ren is the only solution to accomplish this.
***UPDATES COMING***
NI releases updates to give Maschine more MPC features (time stretch, pitch shifting, improved sequence editing, save groups with samples, choke all notes, auditioning from the hardware, etc). 1.8 is a complete joke for MPC users that have always had these features.
Akai is releasing updates to include features that Maschine and no other MPC has. Without completing overhauling Maschine, each update would mean that are only trying to catch up.
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