Newbie Help for Equipment Setup: Reason, MPC-Studio, Synth,

Hi,

I'm testing a MPC Studio and the Maschine MK2. After reading and reading and reading I decided to try it out by myself to get my own opinion.
Maschine seems to be like a big powerhouse and they have pretty impressive demo songs on board to show that it is capable of.
The Akai MPC Studio preloaded beats... are ok, but I think they don't show a newbie like me if it is capable. From the first impression it seems that Maschine is far more powerful and flexible!?

BUT:
While playing around I had the impression that it is much easier to load samples to a pad on the MPC Studio than on Maschine (or I made it wrong; but it looked more complicated on Maschine).

As you guys have much more experience than the noob (me!) I want to know some things if they are possible.

What I bought:
- Roland SonicCell as Audio-/Midi-Interface
- used Novation K-Station synth as a Keyboard (I don't want a pure USB-Keyboard, I want s.th. that makes noise without a Computer attached, too)
- Reason 6
- Novation Remote Zero SL MK2

I want to keep one of those things:
- NI Maschine
- Akai MPC Studio
Or should I keep both?

Is the Akai MPC Studio only stand alone or is there any way to use it (in a useful way) e.g. as a controller for Reason or to play the KONG or Re-Drum in Reason via the MPC Studio?
As I understood the easiest way to play drums in Reason is a pure hardware MPC like a 1000 where I can simply use Midi data.
But as I seem to like the MPC Studi I want to know if it's possible to control the way I described!?

Thank you

Maschine controller has an editor to make templates to control any software. MPC Studio doesn't have this feature although many would like it implemented. Maschine is indeed very powerful but it is very unlike an MPC beyond the 16 pads and chopping samples general aspect. Almost everything you could think of is implemented different than on an MPC. I don't mind but some really prefer the MPC style to Maschine and are happy to see the Ren/Studio arrive.

Maschine controller mode is Shift+control on the hardware, but it's best to load the editor and make a template with MIDI assignments. Stuff like Reason and Live you could also use the remote mapping feature to quickly have mapping using Maschine in controller mode.

Studio is newer so it may take some more updates, but it's too early to write it off. Maschine has about 4 years of being on the market already so give the Studio a little time to get fully settled I would say.

The Maschine sample loading is dead easy you just need to make sure the side bar browser is pointed at your samples. Then use the hardware Browse function and load the sounds. Or you can use the mouse and control+A 16 sounds at a time and drag to 16 pads. Layering isn't as easy or as good as an MPC as you have to use keyboard mode and set them that way rather than a "slot" and simple assign velocity crossfades/triggering like an MPC.

If you can afford to keep both I would. Studio and Maschine aren't necessary, but it is nice to have both especially considering they can be run in tandem like any other gear. And Maschine is rock solid now with plugins and some other things and the Studio is getting updated frequently.

Toss in a VST host to Rewire Reason to and host some plugins and you have a great setup there. I had a Sonic Cell and it's a cool box. I only sold it because I have all those sounds in a Fantom. But 2 outboard synth/sound modules, keyboard and pad controls plus the Remote Zero? You covered everything already. And if you don't use VST"s you can just record to Reason.

Metatron72 wrote:If you can afford to keep both I would. Studio and Maschine aren't necessary, but it is nice to have both especially considering they can be run in tandem like any other gear. And Maschine is rock solid now with plugins and some other things and the Studio is getting updated frequently.

Toss in a VST host to Rewire Reason to and host some plugins and you have a great setup there. I had a Sonic Cell and it's a cool box. I only sold it because I have all those sounds in a Fantom. But 2 outboard synth/sound modules, keyboard and pad controls plus the Remote Zero? You covered everything already. And if you don't use VST"s you can just record to Reason.

Thank your for the answer. The question is if I need 2 of those Drum-Machines?
I guess: No, but the Studio looks and feels good, too.

What do you mean by the VST host to Rewire Reason? Is this a way to use reason with the MPC Studio?
If it isn't possible to use it as a controller, can I play KONG etc. through the MPC-Studio or do I have to stay on Maschine at the moment to use it the way I thought it would fit me?

Is my actual equipment an overkill? Did I buy too much?

I would say only too much as far as two drum boxes. But yeah you're kind of stuck I think with Maschine having exactly what you want as far being a MIDI controller for whatever by simple toggling two buttons. This can be done while Mashine is loaded as a plugin. But the Studio does not have this function as of yet.

Almost all DAW programs that host VST's have Rewire, Propellerheads technology to route audio and MIDI between apps and to sync the MIDI as well so that one app will be the master and the other the slave application. So you press play/record on the master and the slave follows.

Reason can only be a Rewire slave though so you would need one more app to utilize Reason in that way. When you have one you then also can load up Maschine and Studio in the same hosting environment/app. You can load VST plugins in both the Studio and Maschine and also the host app itself. You could also record the Novation and Roland to the host recording app as well as send MIDI to them from the host. (which could be MIDI from the Studio or Maschine too)

It's a juggling act at times but versatility is a great thing and your gear choices really give you that.

With the K-Station you have the ability to play the synth with the computer turned off and it can control the Roland with the computer off. The keyboard will as you know also can control all your computer stuff.

So I think the drum boxes is the only possible redundancy issue, you really choose a nice set of gear having two external synths plus Reason's instruments.

Look at Reaper as a potential host. It's only $60 and you actually can pay whenever after a 30 second "nag" screen. After that the software is fully functional forever. The developer is appealing to users on an "honor" system that if after 30 days you are using the software hardcore still that you will toss him his very reasonable asking price.

http://www.reaper.fm/index.php

Ask whatever you need here. I'm sure people who have the Studio can elaborate more on that. I'm sitting out the Ren/Studio as I have some overkill going on here that is pretty extreme myself.

Ok, so I need to put the MPC Studio or the Maschine away... not an easy decision.

And when I just want to play KONG of Reason with the Studio? Is this possible?

I'm sitting out the Ren/Studio as I have some overkill going on here that is pretty extreme myself.

Which means you have a little bit much equipment?

Yep.

As of now the Studio won't control directly as a control surface you can set up in Reason's preferences. Machine can.

ok,

that means the Studio is at the moment just stand alone and does not add any value to my current setup?

That's sad... so I guess the Studio has to go!?

But with a "Hardware" MPC I could play Kong? Damn... those "hard" decisions

tombrookman wrote:ok,

that means the Studio is at the moment just stand alone and does not add any value to my current setup?

That's sad... so I guess the Studio has to go!?

But with a "Hardware" MPC I could play Kong? Damn... those "hard" decisions

They may add en editable controller mode in the future for Studio but as of now it's the standalone/AU/VST and plugin hosting within the Studio. And clearly the doubling as a MIDI controller for everything else is a big consideration for you.

Yeah any hardware MPC can be used as a MIDI controller although you wouldn't have all the button and knobs that Maschine would let you program. Reason will accept MIDI in although not send it out, so you could even have the MPC Sequence the Reason modules and record the MIDI into Reason.

The studio can't even be selected as a generic pad controller in reason? What a POS if you can't use the studio in anything but the ren software...

If the Studio cant be set up to control Kong/Redrum, not even manually via its midi outputs, that is truly unbelieveable.

OP, old versus new is always going to be a tough choice but in your case it seems that the NI offering would best meet your current needs. You could cop a MK1 for a good price unless you want the Christmas lights.

Agreed Clint, that is insane. I also +1 for maschine, the guys that made the amazing retouch templates for touchosc/reason (ipad) also made some sort of template for 100% control of reason from maschine, make sure to check that out!

http://www.retouchcontrol.com/site_page.aspx?pageid=45

And it's bidirectional!

clint246clint wrote:If the Studio cant be set up to control Kong/Redrum, not even manually via its midi outputs, that is truly unbelieveable.

OP, old versus new is always going to be a tough choice but in your case it seems that the NI offering would best meet your current needs. You could cop a MK1 for a good price unless you want the Christmas lights.

Some guys said they used a MIDI event viewer to in effect "catch" what CC's are being sent be default and had minor success in routing the messages elsewhere. But it would have to be some convoluted workaround thing as of now.

I don't have one but yes perhaps you could use the physical out and figure something out. It just would be better if it was like Maschine and it was a one second toggle move and the editor is a godsend, you can make pages and pages of mappings. So Akai loses nothing by adding something similar and customers gain a whole lot.

tombrookman wrote:While playing around I had the impression that it is much easier to load samples to a pad on the MPC Studio than on Maschine (or I made it wrong; but it looked more complicated on Maschine).

It's not complicated at all to load samples to a pad on Maschine. I suggest checking out the Maschine manual. Good luck.