Keys, Synths & Samplers

[keybdwizrd]

Damn, this is awesome. I wish I could do this.

[video=youtube;QtXHghVH1d4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtXHghVH1d4[/video]

[zoink]

I'm telling you, Maschine is more fun than humans should be allowed.

[Anderton]

I just got Maschine 2 here. Everyone is officially allowed to be jealous. And I thought they couldn't get the pads to be any more responsive than they were already...

[ElectricPuppy]

You know, I have an MPC-2500, and I like it. I particularly like being able to record live MIDI loops and co-mingle those with tracks of sampled drum patterns. So very easy to do. But I see these Maschine demos and it really makes me wonder if I would be happier with a Maschine. At least with the MPC I can do quite a bit without having to fire-up Sonar or some other app on the computer.

[ChristianRock]

EP: the grass is always greener on the other side... So the guy's basically got a Maschine for sequencing and a Maschine Mikro on the side as a controller for Massive, using the pads as keys? I think Maschine is phenomenal but song mode is a pain in the neck. Of course it's a much cheaper alternative than a good MPC so that's why I went with it. And it does have a lot of available sounds to get you started with. I find it an incredible value for little money. But for someone with a lot of hardware synths like you, and who doesn't like to have your DAW running the show, MPC is probably still the way to go. I didn't hear anything there that you couldn't do with an MPC loaded with good samples, along with a good hardware synth.

[ElectricPuppy]

Yeah, CR, I suppose you're right... I just gave it another look with a more critical eye, and MOST everything he's doing could also be done on MPC with the same samples loaded. The parts where he's tweaking patch parameters might be easier to do with an external synth, although I've never fully understood the 2500's sliders. As it so happens, I fired up the MPC again last night (first time in over a year), and it was like riding a bike. Instant drum pattern, quick bass line... voila. I think what I *really* need is a nice new set of samples, and I've got no patience to try and find/make my own.

[ChristianRock]

Aren't there tons of samples you can get for your MPC? Even free ones?

[ElectricPuppy]

Probably. I haven't gone looking for free ones, maybe I otter do that.

[ChristianRock]

http://www.wavealchemy.co.uk/free-samples http://www.producerloops.com/Download-Akai-MPC-Format-Samples-Loops/ That last one is not free but there's stuff like the "MPC2000 Essentials" which is pretty cheap and packs a ton of stuff. Also, if you look search by type and select drum samples, there's a ton of high quality stuff in .wav format. There's also some loops you can use for inspiration and jamming. Check out the Funk Drops pack - I think it's kind of right up your alley... Maschine does have the advantage of coming with a lot of sounds. Most are for hip-hop but there's some other good things in there. The POP drumset from Kontakt which is included with Maschine, is particularly tasty. And the Abbey Road 60s and 70s drums have been tweaked in Maschine to sound more modern and are also very good. They can be pretty funky. Then you add some good sounds from the Komplete Elements that comes free with Maschine and you're ready to start writing stuff and adding other sounds from your own synths. Native Instruments makes it even easier for the lazy people by providing additional soundpacks for Maschine. Again most are for hip hop but there's some other goodies in there. Whenever they do a sale I'm getting their pop/dance expansion. When it's only 30 bucks or so it's easy to justify buying the expansions - it's all mapped and ready to go, gotta love that And of course it now comes with Massive so you can wobble while you jam oke::lol:

[k2500x]

How does this stack up against MPC Renaissance? You'd have to think the software is much father along in development, and it's also half the price. Can Akai get by on just a name?

[Gribs]

Driven Drum Machines Strikes Back was recommended here a while ago by someone so I bought it and agree it really is a fine sample set with kits for Maschine, Geist, and Guru (kontakt and logic-Exs24 programs come in the deluxe version). There are 60 free demo samples you can download from them - definitely worth it is you are looking for freebies.

Of course it is always possible (and fun for me at least) to record sounds from hardware.

The colored blinken-lights are very cool, but I am satistfied with my Mashine 1 controller.

[zoink]

How does this stack up against MPC Renaissance? You'd have to think the software is much father along in development, and it's also half the price. Can Akai get by on just a name?

I think the price and features of the MPC Studio make it a more worthy comparison to Maschine. The Renaissance has a more advanced control surface (I especially like the bank of 16 control knobs) and also functions as an audio interface, at around twice the price.

From what I've seen of the MPC software, it seems to have more hip hop type features (various methods of automated beat slicing, for example).

It's possible that it'll all sort out by genre in the end. Maschine might end up the favorite of techno artists, with MPC the favorite of hip hop artists.

[ChristianRock]

From the soundsets, both standard and expansions, Maschine seems to be at least 80% focused on hip hop.