Musicians that have invested in the platform deserve more: Maschine 3.0 software demo & review

[@Phadddy]

Maschine+ could be so much, a Groovebox, the Synths, an Effect Rig for Vocal, Guitar, Traktor/The Finger Performance Effects etc., a Looper (with Warping and Audio Quantizing), a Kontakt library....but NI does not let the developers work on bringing it forward like AKAI does. Very sad. Come on NI, develop!!!!

[@deanrobin9273]

Forget it, they only care about selling expansion packs & their bright and thin sounding play series Instruments

[@JayfkProductions876]

Maschine+ doesn't have enough storage or cpu power for all that

[@iTrensharo]

With the price of Maschine+, it could have had a flagship Snapdragon ARM SoC in it. Seriously, it launched at almost twice the price of an MPC One with worse connectivity and no touchscreen. In order for these grooveboxes to legitimately replace desktop DAWs, they need better compute capacity. This whole "limitations inspire creativity" cope is weak AF now, especially with how portable laptops have gotten. A Machine+ is not that much more portable than a MK3 with a MacBook Air or any of the overpowered 13-14" PC Laptops now available on the market. It costs too much for what it is, and it is underpowered. They all are. People on desktop don't need to care about NI's synths when they have Arturia, Xfer Records, Uhe and other companies delivering the goods. NI doesn't support their software well, anyways. Massive X is still decidedly mediocre, and has gotten pretty lackluster development.

[@aikighost]

They are a sound pack sales company now.

[@yvesb2370]

I wish I had seen some improvement in the automation function, just like you have in Ableton Live or other DAWs

[@teespence365]

I’m shocked that they didn’t improve the automation. I would’ve purchased 3.0 right away if they did. It’s pretty sad that I have to bounce everything over to Logic to do proper automation.

[@tengoodquestions]

I think that will come sooner than we think

[@xkidmidnightx]

I really just wanted better connectivity to DAWs

[@Fabermorrow]

Ya this is all I used my maschine for I don't know anyone that uses it as their base DAW and they know this

[@PalaceofVision]

But doing this forces NI to tacitly admit that Maschine isn’t capable of effectively producing releasable material and that it has to be accompanied by a DAW in order to be actually useful.

[@Fabermorrow]

@@PalaceofVision yeah they dumb

[@paulwhittaker5494]

I use Maschine+ purely in standalone & remember when they put out the poll to users.. ( Stem separation was not at all important to me, though obviously has its uses... ) ~ Some of what I hoped to see was a way to record live jams to arranger using Sound & Track mutes to quick sketch track ideas on the fly... As well as analyze samples to their correct key, plus other quality of life improvements... ~ Akai have consistently brought out updates to their hardware & software recently, which makes me sad that NI have seemingly given up in that regard for consumers who have brought into their products... ( A BIG shame & I'm doubtful I would ever purchase another NI device again unless they really up their game with consistent updates & really listen to community feedback... )

[@anzio_pantsio]

I think stem separation was just the hype feature of the day when they did the poll, because of Akai just releasong it at the time. Meanwhile a lot of bread and butter workflow fixes would have been more important, to me at least.

[@substance90]

They didn't implement a single thing from the poll, at least on the hardware. The new MIDI tools in the Software could be seen as part of one the ideas that got voted by the community. Pretty sure the community meant on the hardware though and not new tools for a mouse and keyboard.

[@edjefferson9175]

It's like when you buy a fancy printer. They make more money selling ink.

[@notsogood9449]

Yep, Ink = Sound Expansions

[@thehypnoticlforoom]

They failed totally. Why did they not listen to the users who's for years been asking for a line draw tool for automation (like in example Cubase) ? And so many other missed opportunities!

[@Wibwubb]

pretty cool that you guys got Bonobo's brother to review this

[@maikkaune]

👌👏Honest review and true conclusion! Totally agree, nothing more to add. 😑

[@substance90]

I was holding out on selling mine in order to check out 3.0. I guess the gamble didn't pay off and now the used market is starting to flood slowly with used M+. 😕

[@javierperez3292]

Great review guys! The update is a disappointment for me as well. Another thing that needs to be added is the ability to route MIDI within the Maschine ecosystem WITHOUT the need for 3rd party plugins. REAKTOR, which is a Native Instruments' owned tool Kit has some great sequencers that we can't even route to other VSTS. Not to mention the scalers and other great midi fx plugins that exist that we can't use. After all of these years how this still has not been added is crazy to me.

[@robokid13]

3.0 is very disappointing. I had a Maschine+ but it went 2 years without any meaningful updates. It would crash, it would be slow to boot up, nothing from NI. then they announced they were "soliciting ideas and feedback" of what to do next with Maschine. like come on, you're basically declaring you ignored this whole ecosystem for the past few years. Then we get to the 3.0 release and its basically one feature? You had ALL this time, and thats what you give us? Its very clear NI's heart is not in this. its not their flagship product, it probably doesn't make them nearly as much money as selling sample libraries and Izotope plugins at this point. Stick a fork in it, Maschine is done

[@TrumpVirus-b2l]

I feel bad for anyone who actually paid for this update.

[@jorgerocha3545]

Outside of a complete revamp of the timeline and making the software an ACTUAL DAW, the user base will never be happy. Can you build out a whole song in the current layout and workflow, absolutely yes, however, like most people I find myself having to "finish" everything I do in Ableton. The scene/pattern idea is cool, for just that, ideas, but I find it soooo incredibly restrictive. It is too bad, I love the Maschine Mk3, absolutely love the expansion packs, but it is an absolute creative killer having to stop, bounce your tracks, import into Ableton (or other DAW) and actually finish a project and mix it properly.

[@Houseneggah]

They added midi tools but didn't upgrade the piano roll. No scales,nothing.

[@efthimisargiratos8361]

This is just an update not a new version. It’s their fault…they could just keep playing the same scenario like 11 years ago, small but interesting updates with something new. Serveys upon serveys for what? We deserve respect

[@rogusratus]

My problem is that I don’t need or want stem separation. The whole point of Maschine for me is to build up sounds/groups/scenes. That’s enough for me to do without dissecting others. Maybe I’m in a minority. On it’s own it isn’t very expensive, especially bundled with Central, but Komplete Collectors 15 wants a sizeable amount of my cash, Cubase now has an update, Zwift has gone up from £129 to £179, I need more Adobe cloud storage etc. You see where I’m going with this.

[@criticalwood1273]

Honestly what i wish is just be able to do start to finish a track in maschine but obviously i need to export everything in ableton for editing and mixing . I love maschine plus but i really really hope they will listen the call of all not happy user because if it keep going in this direction i will go back for akai again

[@lartisan6274]

yeah so why u dont use Push 3 or 2 ? idont understand

[@criticalwood1273]

@lartisan6274 definitly love maschine for production over anyother DAW , Even over my mpc . I just take the good of each one

[@AGjoinery]

Happy with those few changes to be honnest...can't wait to try them does it work with the mk3?

[@tengoodquestions]

Yes

[@m1ndsetstudio]

Not really. I have s49 mk3 and the browse, automate, quantize, previous, and next buttons do not work in maschine 3.

[@ciskid23]

Does the 3.0 update overwrite ver 2 or can I use both ?

[@MusicRadarTech]

They're separate installations, so you can have both on the same computer

[@ciskid23]

Thank you

[@rikkshow]

20m of mostly word salad, but no word about the VST version. Has it improved, will it be easier to get your stuff into a full fledged DAW? Big up to NI for supporting M Studio and S MkII. But they really need to make the piano roll better with snap and other chord features.

[@Talentman18]

Should I get the Akai Live 2 or Maschine Mk3?

[@Mr-Keyes]

Anything from Akai will be a better choice over Maschine.

[@lartisan6274]

Akai work hard, they are in business from yearsS , how can someone buy maschine after 14 years of no update

[@thyts1mystyle]

It’s funny because I’m not excited but disappointed there’s no mention of working with other DAW’s.

[@Houseneggah]

Whats the point of having stems if the software can't detect what key the sample is in? FL Studio has key detection and stems, MPC has stems and key detection, Logic Pro has stems and key detection...hell, even Splice tells you what key the samples are in; Serato Sampler and Traktor DJ. I'm confused as to why they would halve ass this when even the free stem apps detect the key of the sample. I'm done with Maschine. It's not gonna get better. Guitar Center can give me whatever for this MK3 and MK2 keyboard.

[@stevebennett2447]

I'm much more disappointed in Steinberg rolling out Cubase 14 before I've even had the chance to set up preferences on 13. You mean I only need to pay €29 for the update? And you're still selling and fully supporting the same hardware I bought 5 years ago? Thank you NI 🙏

[@wul01]

RIP NI , it was good while it lasted .

[@tkelong3569]

NI isn’t going anywhere. This update may be less than people had hoped for but Kontakt 8 is siCk. Kontakt is also a VST that is developed year after year, not once every decade or so.

[@wul01]

@ the only way they are going is way way down , have been for years , shame

[@TrumpVirus-b2l]

unfortunately, the fanbois, and brown nosers of this company will keep them afloat just enough to keep the sheeple at ease

[@CainaanDC]

I have always been a fan of machine hardware and software but this update was kind of a let down in my opinion machine had the potential to become a full daw but they fumbled big time. I will still use machine Because I love the workflow and sounds

[@scottfrost317]

You got free updates for 11 years for 29$ to get eat in another 10 years of updates is a no brainer if you use the software then support the people who need to get paid to make it better

[@TrumpVirus-b2l]

cope

[@wrb8166]

NI is dead, its not just Machine that gets no updates (Reaktor 6) or is broken but they still sell it on the site. (Battery 4 with recent Mac os) I have never seen a company fall like NI which would not be so bad if they just communicated with their customers who invested in them decades ago. The whole thing is mind blowing and I wonder if they were sabotaged internally by an engineer or something. They whole thing smells like they lost the people who could actually understand the low level components of their platform and now are just in crisis mode. Reaktor and Battery are done and the Machine update is similar to all the recent Kontakt updates which is now what they say is the main focus yet it still has crazy bugs with nothing substantial being upgraded.

[@kellygreenii]

No. Like all successful businesses they are investing where there is demand, and in the products that are making them money. NI strength has always been their plugins, and their realism versus acoustic and electric instruments. So many of you sound like you want what Akai is doing rather than what NI is best at.

[@Bette_B123]

It looks like a total rort to me. At this point I'm only sticking with Maschine because I'm used to it and I don't want to spend big money moving to Abelton Push. I feel like Native Instruments is a husk of its former self.

[@mrsicc6100]

I left the NI after this. I felt completely disrespected as a customer with this release. Stems,a darker UI, a paint cursor, and another expansion pack--maschine central. This is not a " generational update". This is a hobo dresses in a two size too small tuxedo. They did nothing to the sampler, so stems is useless; they made no improvements to arranger mode, so a darker UI is useless. I will never purchase another NI or Izotope product. Fuck them. I am pissed.

[@JayfkProductions876]

I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed in you Native Instruments

[@justynwoods3009]

Better piano roll functions like FL studio audio tracks effect plug-ins like flex beat and RC 20

[@m1ndsetstudio]

What do i think. Ive been a maschine user since the mk1. I added the jam, mk1 keyboard along the way. I recently purchased the mk3 s49, and that doesn't fully function in maschine 2 or 3. My old s49 mk1 doesnt fully function in maschine 3. Its awful that ive been sold the keyboard and jam as an extension to the maschine controller, for it to then not even do basic things such as BROWSE. I am so disappointed and left feeling thrown to the side. I am heavily invested in it, and being forced away from it. Maschine 2 with the mk1 keyboard is the better option, and i might sell my mk3 and downgrade to maschine 2.0. Says it all when there hardware no longer works with the software as anyone would and should expect. I have no clue about what else is out there, but i have also had komplete ultimate since no 7 i think. All that money to simply start a new path is enough to make you give up all together. I dont like working in cubase anymore, and maschine doesnt intergrate well at all, but the keyboard does.

[@auroranamex5886]

yeah, that's right

[@stansteez]

I had to pay 99 Euros for the Maschine 2.0 Update in 2013. Looks underwhealming indeed.

[@Deezeone]

1000000%

[@dreG450]

Such an embarrassing development. There's no way NI felt good about themselves releasing this beta to their users.

[@TrumpVirus-b2l]

oh trust me, they felt good. Probably even joke about how bad it is, and how their customers will eat it up.

[@Houseneggah]

Safe to say, musicians who have invested in Mashine aren't really musicians, DJs,or producers. NI calls them morons.

[@tkelong3569]

Listen, when it takes 11 years for a company to update a product that you purchased from them, that makes it pretty obvious that the company doesn’t have much interest at all in moving that product forward. Not sure why anyone would sit and wait that long for a company to put out a product. I would have moved on long ago. So are you going to wait another 11 years for the next update? NI put this out to shut people up, no real effort went into this. A few functions that other DAWs and apps have had for the longest and some ancient (yet still effective) synths they’re giving away because no one buys them anymore. If that doesn’t say ‘move on with your lives’ I don’t know what does. I bought Massive about a decade ago and still use it, it’s great but there’s much better available these days and I’ll bet they sold less than 200 licenses on it last year. The other side of the coin? It’s cheap. That never hurts. I’d pay 30 for it. It’s worth at least twice that.

[@marzbar808]

Bruh there have been consistent updates for free in those 11yrs. Maschine 2.0 looks nothing like 2.18.

[@aikighost]

Yeah maschine is being left behind by ableton play and akai mpcs. NI appears to be entirely focussed on selling sound packs and Kontact libraries. Sad really, but thats what getting the big money in from investors always seems to do to these formerly creative companies..

[@kellygreenii]

Because that has always been the foundation of their business. Machine took them into an arena where they can’t compete head-to-head with Akai and Ableton… …and they wisely aren’t going to waste the money trying to.

[@stephenmaxam]

I'm leaving this pile of dog ISH I done 12 years I'm out going back to akai pro tools setup

[@m1ndsetstudio]

And the mk3 keyboard that doesn't even utilise browse, automation, or the previous and next buttons. It's a huge slap in the face. It's made me want to make music less as they have ruined something great.

[@gavinstubbs5361]

Great review lads. Really disappointing update eh. NI you fucked up big time here.

[@sandsmarc]

Can mister striped shirt let his co-host get one single solitary bloody word in edgewise?

[@mikelo303]

I am so glad I left all NI software years ago. I have foreseen it long time ago with Traktor software. This company is not worth investing. Simple as that. Their software updates are bullshit. WHY? Because they make a ton of money with plugins and sound packs, so they ignore software update.

[@Drrolfski]

Too little, too late. Unlike Ableton's Live and Akai's MPC, Maschine is simply not NI's core product, but just another tool to sell more software instruments. As a result, they can never keep up the development support needed to keep their Massive platform competitive (mind you, since Push 3 and to a lesser extent the Move, Ableton has now become a direct competitor of NI).

[@ZETONEproductions]

Underwhelming is the word for this update ..

[@edjefferson9175]

Just watch... NI will stop support for Maschine 2. If we want to update our computers or operating system we will be forced to buy this update.

[@patricioandres2562]

It's a rip-off, nothing new! Does anyone know if at least the CPU usage and stability have improved?

[@marzbar808]

Dam so many doomers in here.

[@BOOMBAPXL]

Thanks for telling it how it is. This was VERY poor & underwhelming from NI.

[@EMLYNBPM]

NO midi fxs shite update ever