2500 vs STUDIO vs MASCHINE

Hello guys.
Lastly i realised that i do not really must have mpc 2500 if studio or maschine can do the same. I like the sound of 2500 because it is neutral but a kind of warm, however every sample at first goes to my s3000 and than to 2500 so i could live without it. What is more i would like to have more portable equipement because in nearest future i will go on a university.
I do not really give a shit how it looks but i need you, real users to answer my questions.

1)How is it with latency? I've read that latency oscillates around 3-4ms in both studio and maschine. Is it true? Is it feelable? I ask because i hated using PC's because of it.
Nowadays i have focusrite saffire 56 which should minimize risk of internal latency.

2)Is it possible to make whole beat without looking at the pc screen with studio or maschine? I have a little episode with fl studio at the beginning and what I hated was long hours in front of a screen and in consequence problems with eyes.
I saw many videos about it but i do not really trust em. Fanboys of maschine always say you can, the same with the studio

3)Pad feeling. Are the pads in studio similar to 2500 or is it major difference like mpd-mpc?

4)Chopping. I find maschine chopping a little bit interesting, but what about studio?
Is it faster than ndc or not?

5)Stability. My 2500 has frozen like 2 or 3 times in 3 years, what about maschine and studio?

If you are fanboy do not reply, i need neutral opinions.
Thanks in advance.

sadzik wrote:Hello guys.
Lastly i realised that i do not really must have mpc 2500 if studio or maschine can do the same. I like the sound of 2500 because it is neutral but a kind of warm, however every sample at first goes to my s3000 and than to 2500 so i could live without it. What is more i would like to have more portable equipement because in nearest future i will go on a university.
I do not really give a **** how it looks but i need you, real users to answer my questions.

1)How is it with latency? I've read that latency oscillates around 3-4ms in both studio and maschine. Is it true? Is it feelable? I ask because i hated using PC's because of it.
Nowadays i have focusrite saffire 56 which should minimize risk of internal latency.

2)Is it possible to make whole beat without looking at the pc screen with studio or maschine? I have a little episode with fl studio at the beginning and what I hated was long hours in front of a screen and in consequence problems with eyes.
I saw many videos about it but i do not really trust em. Fanboys of maschine always say you can, the same with the studio

3)Pad feeling. Are the pads in studio similar to 2500 or is it major difference like mpd-mpc?

4)Chopping. I find maschine chopping a little bit interesting, but what about studio?
Is it faster than ndc or not?

5)Stability. My 2500 has frozen like 2 or 3 times in 3 years, what about maschine and studio?

If you are fanboy do not reply, i need neutral opinions.
Thanks in advance.

I owned the Maschine and Renaissance (returned both) and I currently own the 2500 with JJOS so, I know a lot about this topic.

1) No latency on either

2) No. Not fully possible on either. More possible on the Maschine. Almost impossible on the Studio.

3) Very different. I did not like Mashine's pads. Very stiff.

4) Chopping on both is a chore compared to JJOS or even basic MPC chopping. Maschine has superior chopping, though. When I owned both, I found myself chopping in other programs which I hated as well.

5) The Maschine is very stable. The Studio, not so much.

Note: Keep the 2500 or get a 1000 with JJOS.

You're welcome.

MaZe

God damn, thats what i thought. If I can't make the whole beat without looking at the screen that sucks. The same thing with chopping.
Thanks for exhausting and fast reply.

Zooming with hw is coming at 1.4 update.. Both, studio and Renaissance..
I mainly use computer for typing names and browsing presets for VST plugins..

Native instrument have a huge experience with softwares so the maschine software is better than akai. Komplete is well integrated and you could do more things just with the hardware. Just watch videos u can compare both softwares akai need to work very hard to be on the same level. The workflow is different scene patterns groups sounds with NI and classical tracks with akai. Based on the software maschine is better for the moment.

For the hardware part i think it's very personnal, the feelings on the pad are different but in my opinion you must test before buying .Between the studio and the maschine i choose maschine, if the ren was in the equation it could be different.

Right now maschine is the best choice due to the software for the most part, the hardware as i said is subjective. Except if you're a mpc fanboy or if u bet for the futur i don't see valuable reason to choose the studio.

I tested both for a few weeks and i kept maschine.

First of all, I started with a Ren, not long after release. I gave it every chance to work. But the crashing, and the fact I really didn’t like having my audio interface in it, led me to be rid of it. I then got the Akai EIE Pro audio interface, and a bit later a Studio. I have had Maschine for over 1 and a half years.

The Ren is IMHO ugly. Uninspiring in it’s drab dress, and more like something in a science lab than a music studio. The Studio is gorgeous. I can’t see a reason why anyone would want to change its appearance. The Studio is to me a pleasure to look at, and a joy to touch. Outside of the audio interface (which I don’t care about) and extra Q-link knobs (which I find the Studio way just as good) they are really just about the same in function.

Though the Ren crashed and made me regret even having the thing, the Studio with 1.3 has been flawless. I have had one crash, and I have no idea what happened. The Studio is for me very useable, no complaints. Now to get to the actual Studio/Maschine comparison.

Studio wins on looks by a country mile. Maschine is not as ugly as the Ren, but it is far from “sexy”. It is inspiring to use, but not to look at. Studio wins on form factor. I like holding the Studio in my lap. I like the way it feels, slim and light, yet solid. Maschine feels like a plastic slate. The thin and sleek Studio slips into it’s included soft case, and drops effortlessly into a backpack. The Maschine, well, feels like a plastic slate. Clumsy, and awkward.

Studio wins on software. Yes I know, the software is what everyone whines about. Crashing, lost features…etc. But the sequencer to me is better than Maschine, and the overall feel I like better than Maschine. The Maschine software to me is like a blocky 1990’s DAW. The Studio/Ren software looks more modern, and easier to use.

Maschine wins on being a hardware music creation tool. The Studio is wonderful when I have the Mac Pro screen open, and the mouse ready. Because the hardware is limited in what it can do alone. It is clear to me that Akai designed the Ren/Studio to be used as a controller for the software. NI designed Maschine to be in essence stand alone hardware, that just happens to have a USB cable coming out of it connected to a computer. I use Maschine for hours at a time on my Macbook Pro on the couch with the lid closed. Never looking at a computer screen, or touching a mouse. Studio I use with Macbood Pro open, and mouse at the ready. There is a huge difference, and I greatly prefer the tactile and personal connection I get with Maschine.

Maschine wins on sound content. Even with the Ren where you get all 4 of Akai’s “synths” (really just sample players) it pales compared to the wealth of content in Maschine. Maschine comes with a nice selecting of drum kits, many quite good. Then there is the Kontact, Rector and Guitar Rig contact. A thousand presets, and most are very useable. Then, there is Massive. With a monster about of included presets, and thousands of user created and third party sounds. All of this is very accessible from the hardware. As a matter of fact one of the reasons Machine is so much better as hardware only is the HUGE content available via the hardware. The Band, Wub, 808, and Noise included with Ren/Studio are nice, but compared to the NI content they are a joke and a toy. I know many of you are saying “but the MPC is a sampler, just sample!”. If you don’t care about VSTi’s, then why by a Ren/Studio in the first place? You can sample with any of the old stand alone MPC’s, one of the whole marketing points of the Ren/Studio is the fact of VSTi support. So the content matters. I can’t even imagine what it’s like with Maschine owners that have Komplete or Komplete Ultimate (I don’t’). What else could you possibly need?

In closing (yes, this is a long post), for now I choose Maschine. I truly believe that Ren/Studio has the potential to be the best ever. I believe that Akai is capable of doing it. Will they do it? I don’t’ know. The way I use them both now is Maschine as standalone (on couch or wherever I want) to create. Studio with computer to add things that are unique to Studio. I like them both, and do not regret getting ether.

Note again that the Ren and Studio share identical software. So if using 1.3 works flawlessly with the Studio, you will have identical success with the Ren.

The Studio is nice....I have one. I just don't care for the Qlinks. Akai went for esthetically pleasing than functionality when it comes to the Studio. The Ren on the other hand simply looks like any other MPC.