Please Note: FutureMusic’s Editor-At-Large, Dan Brotman, received an exclusive demo of Maschine+ several days ago by the development team. His reactions to Maschine+ are in quotes below.
Native Instruments has announced Maschine+ – a standalone Maschine production system that contains an internal 4-Core CPU inside the unit – this means you can work and perform within the Maschine operating system without a computer. According to Dan Brotman, who received an exclusive demo by the Native Instruments’ team responsible for development, “this is certainly a defining moment in Maschine’s history. The ability to work on music without the need of a computer is a big step in Maschine’s evolution.”
Native Instruments Maschine+
Maschine+ features a quad-core processor, 4 GB dual-channel DDR3L RAM and 32 GB of Flash storage, which NI claims will provide fast, powerful and spontaneous creation, to deliver a huge amount of freedom and flexibility when making music. According to Brotman, “Maschine+ has the same footprint as the Maschine mkIII. NI could have probably had an easier time employing the Maschine Studio chassis to incorporate the CPU, RAM and additional storage necessary to make this work, but it was obvious to me that keeping the Maschine+ compact, was a requirement. It’s an impressive engineering feat to find enough space in the mkIII’s chassis to incorporate all the technology necessary to make this work, as well as dealing with heat buildup.”
Maschine+ utilizes a metal front plate, not for heat dissipation – the metal bottom is used for that purpose – but for a different aesthetic appeal that separates it from competitive devices from Akai and Ableton. It also provides additional protection and weight for live performance. “LIve performance is really where NI wants to punch through with the Maschine+,” observes Brotman, “With the compact size, full metal jacket and beefed up knobs, NI wants every DJ, electronic music performer and beyond to have a Maschine+ on stage.”
“When Maschine first came out, most people just regarded it simply as NI’s take on the MPC, but I instantly thought that this could evolve into the hub of the entire Native Instruments ecosystem – a way of incorporating the philosophy of their original Kore product,” Brotman reflects. “As you can see with the multitude of expansion packs, instruments and effects, this is now a reality.” With the shear amount of instruments, effects, and thousands of sounds with Maschine+ Selection, it seems this insight is precisely where NI stands right now. The company is including Massive, Monark, Prism, and FM8, the Maschine Factory Library, as well as Raum, Phasis, and five additional Expansions (plus new owners will receive a voucher for two more expansions when they register).
According to Brotman, “every one of the Maschine instruments and effects had to be ported to work with Maschine+’s new internals,” yet another daunting engineering task that took quite some time. However, users are not required to only use Maschine’s own samples, and can include whatever sounds they desire via the SD card and USB storage options. Right now, Maschine+ ships with a 64 GB SD card, but Brotman revealed that “the final max SD capacity is still undergoing testing,” meaning that you could potentially have up to 1TB SD card storage (and more) at your disposal.
Maschine+ is Wi-Fi enabled, which means you can install new sounds, instruments, and effects at the touch of a button, without a computer in sight. When it comes to jamming with others or playing out live, keep in sync with other music apps, DAWs, and compatible gear with Ableton Link.
Maschine+ Features:
- Quad-core CPU and 4 GB RAM
- 32 GB internal eMMC flash storage (for OS and factory content)
- 2 x color displays (480 x 272)
- Pro-grade, 44.1 kHz / 24-bit audio interface (96 kHz / 24-bit in controller mode)
- 2 x 1/4″ TRS line outputs
- 2 x 1/4″ TRS line inputs
- 1/4″ dynamic mic input
- Stereo headphone output
- 1 x MIDI In
- 1 x MIDI out
- 1 x Footswitch
- 2 x USB ports for MIDI controllers / External HDDs
- Robust, anodized aluminium chassis
- Dimensions: 322 x 301 x 51 mm / 12.68″ x 11.85″ x 2.01″
- Weight: 2.50 kg / 5.51 lbs
- Use standalone or with a computer – integrate with your studio workflow, and unplug for DAW-less setups or live performances
- Immersive standalone workflow for creating beats and melodies, sampling, arranging music, and performing on stage or in the studio
- Includes Maschine+ Selection: A dedicated package of nine synths and sampled instruments, 35 effects, and seven Expansions (including two of your own choosing) that work seamlessly in standalone mode. It includes heavy-hitters like Massive, FM8, Monark, Prism, the Maschine Factory Selection, Raum, and Phasis.
One aspect of the new Maschine+ that Brotman thought needed to be emphasized was the fact that drum kits, sequences and songs that were developed on the computer version could simply be downloaded to the Maschine+ for live performance or further development on the go. “For users who primarily use the Maschine workflow on a computer, having the ability to dump your kits and accompanying tracks to Maschine+ for live performance is very exciting.”
