If you’re a music producer, then you know that the Maschine line of beat-making equipment is one of the best on the market. The Maschine MK3 builds on the success of its predecessors with new features and an even more intuitive workflow. In this article, we’ll take a look at what makes the Maschine MK3 so special, and find out if it really is the best beat-making equipment yet.
About Native Instruments
Since 1996, Native Instruments has been at the forefront of digital music. They’ve developed a wide range of products for DJs and producers that make creating electronic music accessible to anyone with an interest in making beats. Their flagship product is Maschine MKI, which was first released in 2008 as part of their Komplete line-up (which also includes Absynth).
The History of Beat Making Equipment
Beat making equipment has a long history, dating back over 100 years when Charles Eames invented the “player piano”—an automated instrument capable of playing popular songs automatically by pressing keys on its keyboard while reading instructions from paper rolls inserted into it through slots cut out along its front edge. By 1890s there were many different types of mechanical instruments available for purchase in general stores across America, including barrel organs or “street pianos.”
The first drum machines were developed around 1930s but didn’t become widely used until 1960s when musicians like The Beatles began incorporating them into their songs as well; then came electronic music synthesizers that could produce sounds similar to any instrument imaginable (and some new ones too).
With this technological advancement happened more opportunities for producers not only with making beats but also being able to experiment on different styles of music becoming possible through advancements such as MIDI which allows users control over what is happening inside the computer while they are working so it doesn’t get stuck at one point and becomes unusable anymore because there isn’t enough memory left on the hard drive or if something else goes wrong with it which can happen sometimes when using these older types of programs (i.e., they crash).
The Maschine MKI was a revolutionary product and has since paved the way for newer versions like Maschine Studio, Mikro MkII, as well being used in films such as Straight Outta Compton where Dr Dre uses this specific model during some scenes to create beats that would later become famous songs we know today. But what about their latest release – The MKIII?
What is Maschine MKIII?
One of Native Instruments’ most popular products is the Maschine line of beat-making equipment. The Maschine MKIII is the latest version, and it builds on the success of its predecessors with new features and an even more intuitive workflow. Let’s take a look at some of the things that make this product so special.
The Maschine MKIII is a hardware controller for making music on your computer. It has 16 pads, two playhead controls, and an encoder knob. You can use the pads to trigger sounds from the software or to play melodies with them like you would on a keyboard. The playheads allow you to move through a song in real time without having to stop what you’re doing so that you don’t lose focus while playing live shows or recording studio sessions.
This device also features eight touch-sensitive knobs which give users more control over their sound than ever before! This allows musicians who are into electronic genres such as house and techno access new ways of expressing themselves creatively by tweaking parameters within their favorite VSTs (virtual instruments).
The MKIII also has an integrated display screen so you can see what’s going on with your music at all times. This makes it much easier to make changes as needed without having too many steps involved in the process of getting things working correctly again when something goes wrong during playback or while recording a song from scratch using MIDI notes instead of recorded audio tracks later down the line.
One major advantage that this device offers over other controllers is its built-in audio interface capabilities which allow users to record directly into their computer via USB connection rather than relying solely on physical inputs like traditional consoles do.
What’s so special about the Maschine MKIII?
There are several things that make the Maschine MKIII stand out from other beat-making machines on the market. Firstly, it has a redesigned interface that makes it easier to use than ever before. Secondly, it comes with a range of new plugins and sounds that you can use to create your beats. And finally, it integrates seamlessly with Native Instruments’ Komplete software suite, giving you access to thousands of sounds and instruments.
Let’s start with appearance
The Maschine MKIII has been redesigned so that it looks more like a traditional MIDI controller with buttons and knobs on the front panel. It also comes in two different colours.
The new interface simplifies the user experience by grouping functions into sections that can be accessed by pressing one of the buttons in the lower left corner.
Let’s go over the controls
High resolution color display
The high-resolution color display lets you see what is going on with your music at all times, making it much easier to make changes as needed without having too many steps involved in the process of getting things working correctly again when something goes wrong during playback or while recording a song from scratch using MIDI notes instead of recorded audio tracks later down the line.
Audio Interface
The audio interface allows users to record directly into their computer via USB connection rather than relying solely on physical inputs like traditional consoles do.
Plugins and Sounds
It comes with a range of new plugins and sounds that you can use to create your beats. And finally, it integrates seamlessly with Native Instruments’ Komplete software suite, giving you access to thousands of sounds and instruments.
Pressure-sensitive knobs
The eight control knobs under the display are automatically linked to important instrument characteristics for “perfect tuning” and sound contruction, as well as one-touch locking of the scrolling contextual menu.
Drum Sequencer
The drum sequencer is an important feature of the Maschine MKIII as it allows you to create beats without having any prior experience in beat making software. It comes with a range of samples and sounds which will give your production some extra character or flavour if necessary – all that’s needed are simple MIDI notes on each channel of this module, which will then play back at whatever tempo has been set within the program itself before being recorded into Ableton Live!
Pad Mode Buttons
The pad mode buttons can be used to create different types of beats, such as: drum loops (with or without swing), bass lines that play continuously through their own dedicated channels on Ableton Live You might want something more complex than just one rhythm section doing everything at once so this would allow for layering up multiple sequences overtop each other seamlessly without having to worry about synchronization.
Arpeggiator
The arpeggiator allows users full control over how they want their chords played. You have an octave range from C-C and can transpose it by semitone increments if needed too! This is useful when trying to play melodies with different chord progressions in mind but still keep the same key signature throughout a song.
Note repeat button
The note repeat button is a new feature which allows you to create rhythmic patterns very quickly and easily. Simply hold the chord that you want repeated down while pressing the note repeat button, and it will play back at whatever tempo has been set!
4-directional push-pull encoder
The four-directional push-pull encoder allows for quick access to any parameter that is currently being adjusted within your DAW such as; volume, panning position, EQ curve etc…
Smart strip
The smart strip is a new way of controlling sounds and effects. You can use it to tweak sounds on the fly, or even apply filters, delays and other FX in real-time.
Buttons for bank selection and track control
The buttons for bank selection and track control make it easy to navigate through your sounds and effects, as well as controlling the overall mix of your song.
Ultra-sensitive pads
The pads are ultra-sensitive and respond to even the lightest touch, making it easy to create delicate rhythms and melodies.
Feature
- 2 large color displays with high resolution
- 16 high quality color pads, sensitive to speed and after-touch
- 8 coloured bank switch buttons
- 8 infinite rotary pressure sensitive knobs
- 50 backlit buttons
- 1 smart bar that recognizes two touches at the same time
- 1 four-position push encoder
- 96 kHz / 24-bit built-in audio interface
- USB 2.0, 3.0
- 2 x 6.3 mm TRS line out, 2 x 6.3 mm TRS line in
- 6.3 mm microphone input for use with dynamic microphone
- 1 headphone output
- 1 x MIDI in, 1 x MIDI out
- 1 input for foot pedal or foot switch
- 15V 1.2A power supply included
- Dimensions 320 x 301 x 41 mm
- Weight 2.2 kg
What Comes In The Box?
When you purchase a Maschine MKIII, you’ll get the controller itself, an installation guide, two DVDs (one with software and one without), a power supply cord, USB cable to connect it up with your computer or tablet devices such as iPhone/iPad via lightning port (not included).
The Maschine MKIII Is Ideal For
Producers who want more control over their sound than ever before. It has an integrated display screen so you can see what’s going on with your music at all times which makes it much easier to make changes as needed without having too many steps involved in getting things working correctly again when something goes wrong during playback or while recording a song from scratch using MIDI notes instead of recorded audio tracks later down the line.
Pros&Cons
Now that we know what the Maschine MKIII is capable of, let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of this piece of hardware.
Pros
- The Maschine MKIII is extremely user-friendly and easy to get started with, even if you have no prior experience in beat making software.
- It comes with a range of samples and sounds which will give your production some extra character or flavour if necessary – all that’s needed are simple MIDI notes on each channel of this module, which will then play back at whatever tempo has been set within the program itself before being recorded into Ableton Live!
- The drum sequencer is an important feature of the Maschine MKIII as it allows you to create beats without having any prior experience in beat making software. It comes with a range of samples and sounds which will give your production some extra character or flavour if necessary.
- The sampling engine is great for anyone who wants to make their own samples from other sources such as vinyl records, CDs, MPC2000XL (or similar) drum machines etcetera. The user has full control over how these sounds are manipulated and processed with various parameters available at hand; including “pitch”, “cutoff” frequency filter types among others!
The Maschine MK3 allows you to create beats without having any prior experience in beat making software. It comes with a range of samples and sounds which will give your production some extra character or flavour if necessary – all that’s needed are simple MIDI notes on each channel of this module ,which will then play back at whatever tempo has been set within the program itself before being recorded into Ableton Live! The sampling engine is great for anyone who wants to make their own samples from other sources such as vinyl records, CDs.
Cons
The Maschine MKIII is a little pricey in comparison to other beat making software and equipment on the market. However, it does come with some added features and benefits which may make it worth the investment for some people.
Should you buy a Maschine MK3 or stick with your old equipment?
There’s no doubt that the Maschine MK III is a great piece of equipment and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to make beats or create music on their computer. It’s easy enough for beginners while still being powerful enough that professionals can use as well if they choose not be limited by anything else out there right now in terms of features, price point etcetera.
What else is there to say?
The Maschine MK III is the best beat making equipment out there right now and I’m excited to see what NATIVE INSTRUMENTS comes up with in terms of future updates and releases!
- The Maschine MKIII has a great sampling engine which allows you to create your own samples from other sources.
- It’s easy enough for beginners while still being powerful enough that professionals can use as well.
- The price may be a little high, but it’s worth the investment.
- I highly recommend the Maschine MKIII to anyone who wants to make beats or create music on their computer.
Conclusion
The Maschine MKIII is an amazing piece of equipment that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to make beats or create music on their computer. It’s easy enough for beginners while still being powerful enough that professionals can use as well, and the price may be a little high but it’s definitely worth the investment!