- #FREE EXPANSION PACKS MASCHINE NATIVE INSTRUMENTS PORTABLE#
- #FREE EXPANSION PACKS MASCHINE NATIVE INSTRUMENTS SOFTWARE#
The outlier of the range is Maschine Jam, which offers an alternative take on the hardware setup. It’s also the only controller in the range that can’t run solely on USB power and requires an external PSU. There’s more MIDI I/O too, with three outputs and one input, although there’s no audio interface onboard and the hardware lacks the Smart Strip of its more up-to-date counterparts. It does still offer a few extra controls though, such as a navigation jog-wheel and additional buttons. At launch its major selling point was its expansive screens, but these were later added to the core version. Because of this, it doesn’t actually offer that much more than the standard Mk3, feature-wise. While nominally being the top of the range, Maschine Studio is currently a generation behind its two siblings (on its second iteration). There’s just a single touch-sensitive rotary too, and no audio or MIDI connectivity. Maschine Mikro maintains the pads and Smart Strip of its bigger system but loses the colour screens in favour of a small, basic LCD display. Maschine Studio and Maschine Mikro are larger and smaller takes on the same design respectively. There’s also MIDI in and out ports on the rear. The Mk3 is the only device in the range to feature a built-in audio interface, meaning it can be used to record audio into your computer and be connected to a set of studio monitors to act as your main output. These pads are accompanied by two generously-sized colour screens, eight touch-sensitive parameter rotaries, a multi-purpose, touch-sensitive Smart Strip and variety of other browser and transport buttons. It’s based around a grid of 16 velocity-sensitive pads, laid out in a design inspired by classic MPCs. The ‘core’ controller, known simply as Maschine or Maschine Mk3, is the centre point of the hardware range. The key difference then, lies in the hardware controllers themselves and how they can interact with the software.
#FREE EXPANSION PACKS MASCHINE NATIVE INSTRUMENTS PORTABLE#
#FREE EXPANSION PACKS MASCHINE NATIVE INSTRUMENTS SOFTWARE#
At their core, however, the underlying concept remains the same for all Maschine setups – a software production environment paired with a pad-equipped MIDI controller designed specifically for ultra-tight interaction. The core Maschine controller is now on to its third generation and has been joined by multiple variations that offer expanded, stripped-back and alternative takes on the same concept. The range of hardware has expanded considerably too. The best samplers: standalone instruments for studio or live.10 creative tips that will improve your Maschine workflow.Originally pitched as a software-powered take on the classic Akai MPC beatmakers, the Maschine ecosystem has now grown to encompass far more than sample-centric beat-building, with synthesizers, effects, arrangement and even hardware sequencing all covered by the current iteration of the Maschine software.