Working to get my album out in the world, listen and share if you enjoyed this video! open.spotify.com/album/6HCemxzxzH49z9vXIOjgug?si=B9qD4W93Ruq_U-mhl664og
20 mins into playing with it when I first bought it I was going to return the damn thing but when I made the 1.4 update man oh man it fixed the hell out of it. I’m loving this thing. Good thing that it all was 2 weeks ago.
Hi Dylan - I think you’re right on all counts. I was also disappointed when I found out it wouldn’t have a battery built-in, but now I use it with a Ripcord and a power bank; I get much more battery life than an internal battery would have. I own a number of groove boxes, but simply put, I produce better sounding music on the Maschine+
Great video, and I think it's cool you made a Part 2, and shared your thoughts after the updates. I love my Maschine Plus, and love it even more the past couple months!🙏🏾✊🏾💚
I live in my van with a power station and a decent content creating laptop and have exclusively used Native instruments VST's for the past 20 years. So it was a no brainer for me to get the plus. Having done that, I regret not getting the MK3, because plugging this in to my laptop opens up waaaay more than when working in stand alone. Having said that.....I love this thing. When people talk about work flow and how amazing it is doesn't even cover it. Learning the dials and pads is pure joy. It barely sips the wattage in stand alone. I can literally play on this for probably a couple weeks without having to charge my 2200 wattage per hour battery without having to charge it again. It's nice c e to know I have that ability when needed, but plugging it into my laptop is so much better. I just upgraded to Komplete 14 at the same time , and it's a bit disappointing to have to use the laptop to explore all that it has, but what can you expect from this devise? I mean, it's not going to crush out with a later generation i7 processor. 1so glad I got this maschine. Been having pure joy with it. No regrets.
Most importantly its more stable now since last update. You inspired me to buy its and ive been to the same frustration with crashes. Happy to use it now :) I use it mostly for seqencing+ drum and sampling external synths like dreadbox nymphes… M+ and Nymphes is a portable dream for me, getting a ripcord soon. Nymphes can be USB powered by a power bank
One area where the MPC series absolutely smokes the Maschine+, is sequencing external gear. Maschine+ has way better internal synths, no question. But when it comes to having a solid sequencer/centerpiece of your studio, MPC is just way better at being stable and sequencing all your external gear. To me that is where these 2 differ.
I got the regular Maschine Mk3 due to uncertainties regarding M+. Also, the price was almost twice as much. The difference in price could pay for a decent laptop with better specs than the M+.
100 percent. I got the plus thinking I would use it all over the house and on occasion when I traveled for work. At first I was using it around the house but as time went on I kept using it more and more with my computer until now its very rare that I unplug it. Overall I'm still happy because this is my therapy and even though im not using the plus for its stand alone capability as much, im still getting my 1400 worth if that makes sense.
I’m finally seeing stability with the 1.43 update released late September 2022. No crashes in weeks. I’ve been using M+ daily for almost a year. Lived with frequent crashes for months.
Maschine plus is basically the first MPC live. I expect the follow up to be a great follow up like the live 2. All I really want is key detection for samples I bring, better browsing for my library, and SSD that disk streams from day one and I’ll buy ASAP! Lol
Yeah they really need to remove the 2 sub folder file system limit for samples, I forgot to mention that but it's a headache that would be awesome to not deal with
I'll be happy when the sequencer is finished both in the software/hardware. This product line has existed for about a decade, but you are still limited to one BPM and one Time signature per project unless you fiddle around with an external midi clock and mess around with the clips view in arrangement mode. Would also be nice to have a probability function per step. I can deal with resampling and making multi-samples of the plugins I have that are using too much CPU, but I personally need it to be able to handle more complex rhythmic structures.
I Love my M+ But, I also own The Live II Akai Update 2.11 has Raised the bar with 10 new synth plug-ins that sound amazing Air Effects So Good Love my M+ I Love NI I’ve Owned every model they’ve created I was a little disappointed with NI at first due to no Sata Drive but Akai has a Full new Synth Plug-ins 2.11 from Akai was the Icing on the cake .
In the current market; this should be the standard, and these units should be $500-650. Additionally, they should have a replaceable, rechargeable lithium ion battery. I appreciate you taking the time to make this video. 👍
Dylan, I bought the Plus five weeks ago. I'm returning it today, with a very heavy heart. It's beautiful and the workflow is fabulous... But it crashed. It froze. It crackled. It wouldn't reload. It would take five minutes to boot up and shut down. And this was a BRAND NEW device. For the short spells it worked it was great. I'm in love with it, actually. It truly could be the GOAT but it's NOT UP TO THE JOB. You can't trust it, and that's essential. My trusty Deluge is four years old and has never let me down, so I'll wait until V2 arrives. So, off it goes. I'll buy a Mrk3 for now, until a future Plus comes out.
That's so brutal man! Did you update it to the latest firmware? It sounds like you may have gotten a lemon. I'm glad you were able to return it though and I'm sorry you had that experience, that's horrible
Having an MPC Live II with a battery was amazing during a recent blackout after some storms. I would pull the trigger on one of these if I could just shove it in my backpack and take it out on the trail.
Would’ve been tricky to use an ARM chip when they brought this out a couple of years ago. Hell, NI struggle to certify on Apple Silicon even now! Are they M2 yet? M1 Max? And those M1 and M2 chips have some serious horsepower on tap, unlike say, the lower end Raspberry Pi/Broadcom or generic Allwinner ARM processors, which is where NI would’ve been fishing for cpus. ARM is a superior architecture, especially for embedded, mobile or low power applications, but x86_64 still has a place where compatibility is required (like recompiling Massive on Linux/x86_64 for the M+ instead of Windows or MacOS).
That would have been an even bigger task as everything has to be redesigned, rewritten (code vice) and compiled for fixed point arithmetic. I think an specific FPGA with a dedicated DSP would be a way better architecture if you have to rewrite the whole structure anyway
I think you hit a lot of issues dead on. ✊. I didn’t agree with everything you’d said in the first video but I could hardly ring myself to say anything just be au#eni. Old tell that your feelings were based on a valid passion and not just fueled by hater-aid. Lol. The Maschine has definitely gotten better and better with updates. I felt the same way about the Akai Force. It took a while for the Force to become truly awesome. So long as NI and others are listening to the. Immunity and trying to make good then I’m willing to be patient and Native has proven time and again that they do that. I do find that a lot of complaints about both the Maschine Plus and stand-alone MPCs usually come from people that don’t realize how much they don’t understand, but many of your concerns were obviously well informed. Good on you for posting this follow up. Most dudes just ride with the opinion that gets them the most views and never correct themselves. So to end this way too long of a comment… you’re dope. :)
@@DylanParisMusic it’s the only way to be and I respect you for it. Very occasionally I get a negative comment where someone questions my honestly and it’s probably the only type of negative comment that actually irritates me lol. Keep keeping it real brother!
Hey Dylan...Big shout out from the UK...Great to see an honest review. You mentioned that you sometimes create initial ideas using Maschine + and then finish them in Ableton and that is what I maybe doing too. Could you please consider doing a video showing how you do this and the typical workload involved. Cheers.
Thank you for watching! I will definitely make a video like that in the future. A few songs on my next album started on the Plus so I thought it would be cool to make a video when one comes out showing the whole process
@@DylanParisMusic Brilliant...I'm planning to get one in any late November Black Friday deal. I have a NI S88 and Komplete 13 Ultimate aswell as Ableton so I'm looking forward to this video...thanks in advance...👍
Great vid Dylan! I agree whole heartedly with this video... I think one of the big problems was how Expansion kits port over to the M+. So many of them have tons of FX which kill the CPU right away. Once you optimize those you have a lot more overhead. They need M+ versions of the expansions! (no FX) and then encourage everyone to use Aux Sends for reverb. But when you compare this to other portable devices (not to a computer running Maschine) it really is an incredible device! Thanks for the shoutout ;)
@@frankstempka2147 they are still too heavy for the plus though. Why can’t NI introduce a ‘load only the samples’ option - or ‘load the first slot only’ (so that it still loads plugins). The kits have a stupid amount of FX on them
I've been debating whether to get Maschine+ or a Mk3. I want M+, but haven't pulled the trigger because I feel like there is quite a bit to improve on with a hardware upgrade. Like more RAM for instance. As well as better integration with NI synths and effects. I think what would really solidify the current M+, is a really solid standalone keyboard/workstation. Something that could run full featured versions of their synths and effects. I think something like this would really add to the product line without killing what's there now, as the M+ seems pretty tight if it's used mostly as a sampler and it really lacks as a synth.
same here a fan of NI plugins but waiting for NI to fix issues and update firmware on their hardware devices before consideration. Would pair well with laptop and hardware synths if they fix their hardware.
Dope video man, great review👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 have you used the interface om this bad boy and if so how is it? Is there any chance we could get a video of you recording a quick vocal track using it the interface on the back of the plus?
Great video. You have good points and I really like your channel. I was actually waiting for a follow up video since the Maschine got it's newest update, haha I've had the M+ since it came out and i've been using it almost every day i've had the chance. It ruined older MPC models for me and Ableton too. The workflow on this thing flows so well. Sit with this maschine for a year and you'll be amazed on how much you can do. I totally agree on your battery statement. Wish they included a cable, but I do not want a battery on the device itself. In music hardware land, if someone says something a lot of people are to also apply that meaning to themselves and their device. I actually enjoyed using the Maschine+ in the beginning, but then I had some small crashes. This led me to read up on the crashes and by reading all these peoples problems I actually put it back in the box for sale. I was like "damn these people are totally right!!" I pulled it out again luckily some month later and from there on I realized how great the device was, even though it had flaws. That's actually what made me stick with it. I don't really use anything else anymore than the m+. I just really wish they could update it with small features, like stereo to mono converting of samples. Just a simple plug like Ableton's Utility for example! That's my top request! That's my comment ramble for today. Great video. What games do you play? 😅
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience! Definitely good to enjoy your gear if you enjoy it, even if others have issues! And currently I'm replaying Jedi Fallen Order and also playing a lot of Halo Infinite
Yes! I used MPC and Logic before Maschine. Both are great but something about the groovebox workflow, not needing to click a mouse for 90 percent of what you do and everything just kind of intuitively working (for the most part) grabbed me with maschine. Regardless of the flaws I noted above ive never had second thoughts.
Thanks for being honest and sticking with it to let us know what’s up. New to this world of music, I’m considering a Maschine+ with a MiniBrute2 as a package to create music for fun adding some guitar, away from a computer. I feel the piano keys are more visually logical to my brain and building sounds on the brute allows me to learn sound creation. You think it’s a good combo to start out? (I like the microbrute but for the money I may as well step up to the mini)
I would honestly recommend the NI Komplete M32 as a starting keyboard with the plus. It gives you parameter control of the on-board synths with the same knob mapping as the plus. That said I think pairing it with a synth could be really cool too! You might want to look at something polyphonic rather than a mono synth if you want to play chords.
I did this vid recently comparing my three main groove boxes th-cam.com/video/7z-PyBD9QWU/w-d-xo.html Currently I’m using the MPC LIVE II the most but i really like all of them for their own strengths. I don’t use the tracker as much as I thought I would but I am hoping to get back into it soon
You must be a very patient/restrained guy, because if I spent that much money on something and it had all the problems the Machine plus had, I would first of all DEMAND my money back because in my country(UK) we have something called the trade description act which basically says anything you buy MUST do what the manufacturer claims, NOW at the point of sale, not nearly two years down the line. But besides that, if I had gone through what you have gone through, it would have been thrown from the Brunel Clifton Suspension bridge into the middle of the river Avon. I am more than happy with my Akai Force It did everything It claimed from day one, and now it does a ton of stuff more than what I paid for, I mean hard disc streaming wasn't even hinted at then, but now it does it, how cool is that. Anyway I am pleased that you are now a happy bunny, just I think it was bad for Native instruments to bring out a product in such an unfinished state, one of the reasons I will never be an early adopter, however much it appeals to me, I like things that just work.
Yeah I don't think we have those kind of consumer protections in the US sadly haha. I think I had a 14 day return window from Guitar Center and I didn't realize the scope of the issues until after that.
Pair it with a good mixer and it’s even better. Personally I use an X32 with it, so no having to export stems to a DAW (my workflow choice) and it helps with UI shortcomings for EQ etc. If only the M+ and Force had a love child that blended the synths and feel of the M+ with the Forces song mode and automation we’d be in Groovebox utopia!
Finally got it, again. The cpu is so much better. Still wish is had a battery, but it’s all good. With all the expansions I have, and the plug ins it has, this thing is so powerful. Being a maschine user since 2010, I still think the mpc live 2 is almost perfect in form (it can’t even touch maschine plus in sheer sound quality).
i have digitakt and polyend tracker, love both, but miss song mode and sample slicing on digitakt, and on tracker i miss more tracks and stereo sampling. So i'm was thinking about selling both and buying Maschine Plus, as far more advanced and basically full DAW in a box setup. What do you think?? PS. was thinking also about MPC One, but i dont like that touch screen, and software doesnt really look appealing for me.
I would make sure to try the Maschine+ out for a bit before you sell the other two to make sure it works for you. That said, the + is really powerful and could be what you're looking for
Thank you! Yeah I think workflow wise I love the abletone push style grid of the force but I like the sound quality of the maschine plus synths so much it beats the force. I probably prefer the force and the plus to the mpc live 2?
@@DylanParisMusic thanks for the reply! I too am like you where I play everything in and sound quality is king to me. I will say, that Ableton, grid-like workflow is my favorite way to operate though. Thanks for the thoughts!
Sooooo, can I NOW use my Full Massive Library on it in Standalone? Can I use all my wonderful Kontakt Libraries on it now in Standalone? I’m still using my Laptop as a Sound Module but I don’t want to, I want to use the Plus as if it was an Sound Module just like I can a Roland MC-707, Jupiter Xm etc etc Session Guitars in Komplete 13 are mind meltingly good, so much so that I rarely grab my guitars for guitar parts anymore. Hell I just bought a Yamaha Arranger Keyboard for its guitars and mandolins etc, its a HUGE 61 key monster. I only want the SOUNDS My Komplete S49 is fine for me. Id probably even ditch my Juno DS61 as my Jupiter Xm has Juno and so much more covered and is module size. Thanks man
HI, Dylan, so just to confirm...you can NOT download and use the NI kontakt expansions such as Hypha, hybrid keys and Glaze with Maschine + in standalone? Thank you
A Maschine Plus Lock rip cord would be so ideal, my Omni charge does a damn good job of keeping the charger but the ripcord doesn’t handle as well and it seems not to hold the charge near as long as if I just use the dc power cord
NI summer sale: Komplete 13 is £179 if you own M+, and if bought for £600 on eBay, that’s a steal! IMO if NI want to sell this at it’s retail $$ two of these three things need to happen. 1) wider compatibility with Kontakt instruments 2) greater compatibility with Reaktor patches 3) have a ok UI that you can design/adjust synth patches in. These things might not be possible with the current v1 hardware, or maybe a compromise of older products can be officially approved for M+. Many money making producers have invested in the NI ecosystem, trust it and they have money to spend, if the product lives up to it’s initial hype, and that is of a stand-alone NI box. Personally I love m+ for the quality of synths, effects, sample packs and hardware. But my preference for chopping (hello mpc) or sequencing (hello anything with trigs) is elsewhere. One box will never rule them all.
Yeah I do think it would be awesome to have easier use of third party patches and sound design across all synths on the device. Great insight! Thanks for watching
I don't care what you say, it should have a battery like the beat Thang had, I use to drive around when I was working making beats on the battery-operated unit, and that was Awesome, too bad they didn't have the proper support system, but I do think all the other companies got on to the idea from the Beat Thang stand alone
Yeah I've made some follow up videos with the new instrument collection on MPC LIVE II and I would say there are now areas where Akai has the sound advantage, especially with pianos and strings.
Dude, thanks for the updated thoughts.... i feel like the M+ has some sort of unofficial/official *Seal Of Approval* now that you've shared! 😁 The mighty amount of dope music being made on M+ (best pads in the business), and shared on TH-cam by a whole bunch of creative folks (RMR, Accurate, Blezz etc), stands testament to the basic coming-of-age of this unit.... Myself, i decided to take the plunge and commit - and put velcro strips on the backplate and power bank, and now am truly standalone with that ol' RipCord 🤙🌌
@@darkuniversesound yeah it doesn’t support peak current though so you’re actually under clocking the cpu which is fine if you don’t notice the lower performance.
@@DrGrooveBeat That's the first i've heard about this.... What would you say in terms of lowered performance, like how much actual CPU am i missing out on by using the RipCord? 🤔
Imagine this thing with one of the latest flagship AMD prosessors or an Intel i9 with 64gb Ram 2TB internal SSD drive + Water cooler or sth. like that 😁. And you can play all your VST's
Hi Dylan. I was wondering whether you experience low input levels when sampling over the input on the back of Maschine Plus. I get a level of under -32 dB, when the input gain is fully turned up. I contacted Maschine about this issue, but they said it is normal. It isn't to me, and am therefore wondering if it is a defect unique to my Maschine. If it is consistent over every Maschine Plus, I am surprised that nobody is talking about this in reviews.
It's been much more stable for me but that is a fair concern. I'm not aware of any current piece of gear on the market that has zero margin of error but I've heard good things about the Octatrack
The MC707 has one of the best sonic palettes of any groovebox I’ve used but between the available expansions and the way more comprehensive sampling options (including an auto sampler that can basically clone any instrument you can route midi to) the Maschine Plus is on a higher class
I have no insider info on that, seems like it could be this year or 4 years. There’s not a ton of precedent and I know they e said they want to support this platform for a while but there’s definitely parts on the market already that would make it 10x more powerful
Akai Force is still the best stand alone hardware DAW imo, but I never got on with anything from NI so maybe I'm biased 🤷🏾♂️ Akai Force is definitely the most slept on piece of equipment in the last decade.
I agree! The Maschine+ and MKII is the best out there. It has completely changed how I make music. The workflow is just flawless, and it sounds amazing. Regarding the Syntakt and its analog dual vco I also thought that it will sound richer and beefier and that it would be the perfect synth-groovebox but I was wrong. The last couple of years I have almost only used the Maschine, Deluge and the iPad for musicmaking and all of these can sound amazing without much effort. But for me the Syntakt generate the same dull sound every time :/
My biggest issue with this thing is the price, same i/o as a MPC One for almost twice the cost, and the live 2 has better i/o and still cost less. Maybe you just use one box at a time but most of us who are Dawless use other synths so need a lot of midi i/o
Good callout for folks who use a lot of synths / hardware at once! That's not my workflow at all so I definitely am not considering that in my reviews.
Having a hard time finding folks doing this, but can the Maschine+ run the notoriously cpu hungry Slate+Ash plugins, like Landforms? Their site mentions being compatible with “maschine hardware” but i’m curious how accurate that is in terms of performance
It cannot, it runs the following plugins in standalone along with the Maschine Expansions, PolySynth, and Drum Synth: FM8 Massive Monark Prism Reaktor Factory Selection Kontakt Factory Selection Retro Machines
I think a lot of these machines have their own culture behind them. I think a lot of these reviewers belong to either machine or belong to Akai. I think Akai has their own culture in their own following, and I think machine has their own following. I have both machines for me personally I like the sounds of the machine, but I like the workflow of the MPC
Yeah I tend to agree at this point. I’ve worked directly with both companies and I like both products at this point. I do wish the M+ was getting more updates though cause the mpcs keep getting cool new features every year
I was writing a whole lot about my experiences with my sd card(s) and what you have to know because that solved all the problems you listed even before the updates, a month after release, until you started talking about people constantly ranting about the sd card...
Never had those problems on my M+. What made me replace it with an Akai Force was that the workflow sucks and the companion software for Mac and Linux is practically abandonware.
I appreciate this video a lot. I also have a plus and watched your initial review - bummed me the hell out as I couldn't help but agree with most of what you said haha. Seeing you come back with fresh perspective and after updates is a breath of fresh air in general. Products evolve and so too should the reviews..... Personally I do get frusterated with some aspects of maschine in general, like the fact that you can't easily send sample chops to the AU to take advantage of the ease and endless options of that engine boggles my mind, or the flip side to that being why the stretch and re-pitch in the sample engine isn't more intuitive - but overall I am very happy with my plus and mk3 and very optimistic about the future of the company after all these mergers and partnerships.
Thank you! I think it's important to be honest with both the flaws and improvements of devices. Especially ones like this where I keep using it due to the pros being so high
Hi Dylan, Thanks for your M+ videos. Since a few weeks I have the M+ and a jam. Both bought second hand together for 700€. I’m a huge fan of the old school standalone unit, the Roland MV-8800. This production studio is from 2007 and I’m used to working with limits. Yesterday I finally implemented the M+ in my studio and I’m seriously impressed. Last year I bought the Akai X and I sold within 6 months because I didn’t like the MPC workflow. Okay, thanks again for your videos and enjoy making music 🙌🏽✌🏽
I wish I could find these prices 😕 I bought used mk3 for 375$ with shipping. 6 months is pretty long to test a workflow it took me 3 weeks and I dig the mpc now.
Wait, how often do you have to phone home to NI???? Is it like Roland every 3 weeks??? That every 3 weeks thing IRKS ME if its just at initial setup no problem. Its why i bought another Roland MC-101 to avoid constantly having to log into cloud to use it.
I don't think you have to phone home after the first connection. You can use the wifi for downloading expansions and updates but I don't thiiiink it's doing like a DRM check routinely.
How does the zen core compare on mc707 I’m into standalone groove boxes im mc707 wizard but im waiting for akai force delivery and went to my local instrument store to demo maschine + I want to have all three to round out my sound sources and workflow
I think the Zen Core has a really nice sound to it but I find a larger variety of sounds on the m+ that I enjoy in regular use. The new MPC plugin instruments on the Force are really good though too
Only if you need standalone and can live without the unsupported plugins. I prefer the plus to the mk3 because standalone is worth it for me, but if someone already has a mk3 it's a harder sell I think.
@@DylanParisMusic haha after watch a lot of video I decide to use the money for force, mk3 is good for me cuz it seems a lot plug-ins(for Lofi music)that I need are not supported in the plus, hope they can add those maybe in the next generation.
Great video. Imo the problem is that it simply isn’t a portable version of Maschine and probably never will be. For that reason, I’ll never buy the plus, but do own and like Maschine. We are all different, but for me I have stopped pursuing being 100 percent dawless and I am much happier. Now days I do about 80 percent dawless and then get the parts into Live where I finish the song. I own a ton of groove boxes, guitars and synths and have given up on getting that one perfect thing. Mc 707 highly underrated... this week jamming on an old Kong Electribe. Last week was the Elektron model samples (also underrated:)
Thank you for the kind words! I miss the mc 707 a bunch, probably the second best sounding groovebox I've ever owned. The 80 percent dawless life is about the sweet spot for me as well
@@DylanParisMusic when I was Mpc heavy I often sampled synths and kits from various NI plugins because I liked that tone too. Basically make a midi chord progression in Live, choose your NI tone and export it... chop it in mpc. After you do it a few times you get quick at it. Sorta gives you the best for both worlds. Not using my Mpc as often these days though.... but lots of fun.
Word I love my Maschine MK3 Dinamo. The MPC Live looks so fun but the touch screen and drum pad placement really turned me off. I like have my left hand free to do things while my right hand is playing.
Yeah.. Thats why I got the MPC ONE. Its a great machine but everyone has their own preference on what they like to work with. I just don't get why maschine still has bugs in a $1400 device.
I still do not understand how to add vocals across the whole song with clips in M+, I want to make a clip of a pattern and add it across the whole song over all my song sections. How can I do that, can anyone here help me, please? I would love to see a tutorial on that. I have only seen how to do that in the software and I do only work with the hardware
@@DylanParisMusic Ohh I am surprised that this is not covered better anywhere as that makes it possible to build a full song with vocals in a very different way that makes a lot more sense to me and most who comes form a DAW world
Both this video and the last video were accurate. I bought the M+ in June of 2021 and shipped it back after a week when it crashed about 7 times and crackly audio persisted on almost every project I tried and that was just trying to use samples and minimal use of effects. I’ve been a Maschine user for a decade and it was pretty disappointing. But a few months ago they had a sale for $1100 or $1200 and it came with like 10 or something expansions so I decided to try it again and it definitely had improved a lot and then the latest update dropped and I’ve had hardly any issues. I have quite a bit of gear including several hardware synths and samplers. There’s definitely things I own that are better on their own than what Maschine+ offers: SP-404 MKII is probably the best sampler on the market imo, Hapax is a much better sequencer, Monarch doesn’t match my actual Moog synthesizers, Syntakt has better drum engines, but as a jack of all trades box Maschine+ is definitely the best I think. I’ve owned multiple Deluges and MPC Lives and ended up selling them. Deluge just sounds shitty and I don’t think MPC Live sounds great in either the synths or the effects department especially compared to my DAW but even Maschine+ is better imo and most of those effects are 10 years old. The workflow, the sound, the build quality all comes together on Maschine+ to feel like a premium product and I’m glad they’ve finally got the firmware to a point where it’s much better. It still has quite a few things I’d like to see changed but as a product right now for making music it’s in a great spot.
The MPC cannot produce good subbasses. I mean very low bass. The Maschine can. That is the ultimate test I do to check the sound quality of software synths to me.
@@DylanParisMusic thank you.. Because i bough mk3 few weeks ago and i didnt know there is plus which is actually stand alone.. I'm thinking to buy 2 of plus because live performance and connect it with midi to other synths aswell but .. I'm still not sure.. Because of the price.. I think i will be with macbook happy for a while
Working to get my album out in the world, listen and share if you enjoyed this video! open.spotify.com/album/6HCemxzxzH49z9vXIOjgug?si=B9qD4W93Ruq_U-mhl664og
Loved it! thank you!!
thank you!
20 mins into playing with it when I first bought it I was going to return the damn thing but when I made the 1.4 update man oh man it fixed the hell out of it. I’m loving this thing. Good thing that it all was 2 weeks ago.
Hi Dylan - I think you’re right on all counts. I was also disappointed when I found out it wouldn’t have a battery built-in, but now I use it with a Ripcord and a power bank; I get much more battery life than an internal battery would have. I own a number of groove boxes, but simply put, I produce better sounding music on the Maschine+
Great video, and I think it's cool you made a Part 2, and shared your thoughts after the updates. I love my Maschine Plus, and love it even more the past couple months!🙏🏾✊🏾💚
Thank you! It's been awesome seeing the videos you've made with the plus, I appreciate the kind words 🙏
@@DylanParisMusic Oh wow, thanks for watching Dylan, I appreciate that my friend!!🙏🏾✊🏾💚
I live in my van with a power station and a decent content creating laptop and have exclusively used Native instruments VST's for the past 20 years. So it was a no brainer for me to get the plus. Having done that, I regret not getting the MK3, because plugging this in to my laptop opens up waaaay more than when working in stand alone. Having said that.....I love this thing. When people talk about work flow and how amazing it is doesn't even cover it. Learning the dials and pads is pure joy. It barely sips the wattage in stand alone. I can literally play on this for probably a couple weeks without having to charge my 2200 wattage per hour battery without having to charge it again. It's nice c e to know I have that ability when needed, but plugging it into my laptop is so much better. I just upgraded to Komplete 14 at the same time , and it's a bit disappointing to have to use the laptop to explore all that it has, but what can you expect from this devise? I mean, it's not going to crush out with a later generation i7 processor. 1so glad I got this maschine. Been having pure joy with it. No regrets.
I just started watching your old videos and deciding, I’m so glad you did this as a pt 2
Thanks for taking the time to watch my videos! 🙏😎
Most importantly its more stable now since last update. You inspired me to buy its and ive been to the same frustration with crashes. Happy to use it now :) I use it mostly for seqencing+ drum and sampling external synths like dreadbox nymphes… M+ and Nymphes is a portable dream for me, getting a ripcord soon. Nymphes can be USB powered by a power bank
I hadn't heard of the Nymphes, it looks cool!
100% agree with all of this. Also using Ableton/Push and MPC Live 2. This is my go to and I’m glad they’re dialing it in. I think it sounds amazing.
One area where the MPC series absolutely smokes the Maschine+, is sequencing external gear. Maschine+ has way better internal synths, no question. But when it comes to having a solid sequencer/centerpiece of your studio, MPC is just way better at being stable and sequencing all your external gear. To me that is where these 2 differ.
Good point!
That's good to know, however I'm not at the stage where I care. The Maschine is *WAY* more compelling to me than the MPC.
Thank you so much for this review!! 🙏🏾 the most honest in-depth and real world experience I’ve seen on TH-cam!
Thank you for watching and for the kind words!
I got the regular Maschine Mk3 due to uncertainties regarding M+. Also, the price was almost twice as much. The difference in price could pay for a decent laptop with better specs than the M+.
100 percent. I got the plus thinking I would use it all over the house and on occasion when I traveled for work. At first I was using it around the house but as time went on I kept using it more and more with my computer until now its very rare that I unplug it. Overall I'm still happy because this is my therapy and even though im not using the plus for its stand alone capability as much, im still getting my 1400 worth if that makes sense.
@@nickgilday8946 I think it’s a big bummer you need a power supply AND no speaker ! I got a iPad for travel . Mk3 at the computer
Yeah, plugging it into a computer really opens it up, and it runs way better. In hindsight I would be better off with the MK3.
I’m finally seeing stability with the 1.43 update released late September 2022. No crashes in weeks. I’ve been using M+ daily for almost a year. Lived with frequent crashes for months.
Glad to hear it’s stable for you now, the crashing was a huge bummer
Maschine plus is basically the first MPC live. I expect the follow up to be a great follow up like the live 2. All I really want is key detection for samples I bring, better browsing for my library, and SSD that disk streams from day one and I’ll buy ASAP! Lol
Yeah they really need to remove the 2 sub folder file system limit for samples, I forgot to mention that but it's a headache that would be awesome to not deal with
I'll be happy when the sequencer is finished both in the software/hardware. This product line has existed for about a decade, but you are still limited to one BPM and one Time signature per project unless you fiddle around with an external midi clock and mess around with the clips view in arrangement mode. Would also be nice to have a probability function per step. I can deal with resampling and making multi-samples of the plugins I have that are using too much CPU, but I personally need it to be able to handle more complex rhythmic structures.
Over a decade*
I Love my M+ But, I also own The Live II Akai Update 2.11 has Raised the bar with 10 new synth plug-ins that sound amazing Air Effects So Good Love my M+ I Love NI I’ve Owned every model they’ve created I was a little disappointed with NI at first due to no Sata Drive but Akai has a Full new Synth Plug-ins 2.11 from Akai was the Icing on the cake .
Super Honest review bro.
In the current market; this should be the standard, and these units should be $500-650. Additionally, they should have a replaceable, rechargeable lithium ion battery.
I appreciate you taking the time to make this video. 👍
Dylan, I bought the Plus five weeks ago. I'm returning it today, with a very heavy heart. It's beautiful and the workflow is fabulous...
But it crashed. It froze. It crackled. It wouldn't reload. It would take five minutes to boot up and shut down. And this was a BRAND NEW device.
For the short spells it worked it was great. I'm in love with it, actually. It truly could be the GOAT but it's NOT UP TO THE JOB.
You can't trust it, and that's essential. My trusty Deluge is four years old and has never let me down, so I'll wait until V2 arrives.
So, off it goes. I'll buy a Mrk3 for now, until a future Plus comes out.
That's so brutal man! Did you update it to the latest firmware? It sounds like you may have gotten a lemon. I'm glad you were able to return it though and I'm sorry you had that experience, that's horrible
Having an MPC Live II with a battery was amazing during a recent blackout after some storms. I would pull the trigger on one of these if I could just shove it in my backpack and take it out on the trail.
They really should have used an ARM chip.
Agreed
For $1400 you think they would but they were either too stupid, stubborn, or greedy or all of the above
Would’ve been tricky to use an ARM chip when they brought this out a couple of years ago.
Hell, NI struggle to certify on Apple Silicon even now! Are they M2 yet? M1 Max?
And those M1 and M2 chips have some serious horsepower on tap, unlike say, the lower end Raspberry Pi/Broadcom or generic Allwinner ARM processors, which is where NI would’ve been fishing for cpus.
ARM is a superior architecture, especially for embedded, mobile or low power applications, but x86_64 still has a place where compatibility is required (like recompiling Massive on Linux/x86_64 for the M+ instead of Windows or MacOS).
That would have been an even bigger task as everything has to be redesigned, rewritten (code vice) and compiled for fixed point arithmetic. I think an specific FPGA with a dedicated DSP would be a way better architecture if you have to rewrite the whole structure anyway
I think you hit a lot of issues dead on. ✊. I didn’t agree with everything you’d said in the first video but I could hardly ring myself to say anything just be au#eni. Old tell that your feelings were based on a valid passion and not just fueled by hater-aid. Lol. The Maschine has definitely gotten better and better with updates. I felt the same way about the Akai Force. It took a while for the Force to become truly awesome. So long as NI and others are listening to the. Immunity and trying to make good then I’m willing to be patient and Native has proven time and again that they do that.
I do find that a lot of complaints about both the Maschine Plus and stand-alone MPCs usually come from people that don’t realize how much they don’t understand, but many of your concerns were obviously well informed.
Good on you for posting this follow up. Most dudes just ride with the opinion that gets them the most views and never correct themselves. So to end this way too long of a comment… you’re dope. :)
Thanks Beau! I appreciate the work you do and the kind words here! The feeling is mutual, and yeah I always have to keep it honest haha
@@DylanParisMusic it’s the only way to be and I respect you for it. Very occasionally I get a negative comment where someone questions my honestly and it’s probably the only type of negative comment that actually irritates me lol. Keep keeping it real brother!
I also agree, M+ user here, I do get bugs and crashes sometimes, but not that much although it should still be noted if your considering buying.
Hey Dylan...Big shout out from the UK...Great to see an honest review. You mentioned that you sometimes create initial ideas using Maschine + and then finish them in Ableton and that is what I maybe doing too. Could you please consider doing a video showing how you do this and the typical workload involved. Cheers.
Thank you for watching! I will definitely make a video like that in the future. A few songs on my next album started on the Plus so I thought it would be cool to make a video when one comes out showing the whole process
@@DylanParisMusic Brilliant...I'm planning to get one in any late November Black Friday deal. I have a NI S88 and Komplete 13 Ultimate aswell as Ableton so I'm looking forward to this video...thanks in advance...👍
Great vid Dylan! I agree whole heartedly with this video... I think one of the big problems was how Expansion kits port over to the M+. So many of them have tons of FX which kill the CPU right away. Once you optimize those you have a lot more overhead. They need M+ versions of the expansions! (no FX) and then encourage everyone to use Aux Sends for reverb. But when you compare this to other portable devices (not to a computer running Maschine) it really is an incredible device! Thanks for the shoutout ;)
Thank you a ton Jef! 🙏🙌 Plus versions of expansions are a great idea!
@@DylanParisMusic we already check the performance of expansions, before releasing them !
@@frankstempka2147 good to know! For the heavier older ones before the plus was created, are there plans to make lighter versions for the plus?
@@DylanParisMusic nope, they were optimised as good as possible, Prismatic Bliss though will not be released for MAS+ ... too many REX files.
@@frankstempka2147 they are still too heavy for the plus though. Why can’t NI introduce a ‘load only the samples’ option - or ‘load the first slot only’ (so that it still loads plugins). The kits have a stupid amount of FX on them
I've been debating whether to get Maschine+ or a Mk3. I want M+, but haven't pulled the trigger because I feel like there is quite a bit to improve on with a hardware upgrade. Like more RAM for instance. As well as better integration with NI synths and effects. I think what would really solidify the current M+, is a really solid standalone keyboard/workstation. Something that could run full featured versions of their synths and effects. I think something like this would really add to the product line without killing what's there now, as the M+ seems pretty tight if it's used mostly as a sampler and it really lacks as a synth.
same here a fan of NI plugins but waiting for NI to fix issues and update firmware on their hardware devices before consideration. Would pair well with laptop and hardware synths if they fix their hardware.
Dope video man, great review👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 have you used the interface om this bad boy and if so how is it? Is there any chance we could get a video of you recording a quick vocal track using it the interface on the back of the plus?
Man he has everything and the kitchen sink!
🤣🤣🤣
Great video. You have good points and I really like your channel. I was actually waiting for a follow up video since the Maschine got it's newest update, haha
I've had the M+ since it came out and i've been using it almost every day i've had the chance. It ruined older MPC models for me and Ableton too. The workflow on this thing flows so well. Sit with this maschine for a year and you'll be amazed on how much you can do.
I totally agree on your battery statement. Wish they included a cable, but I do not want a battery on the device itself.
In music hardware land, if someone says something a lot of people are to also apply that meaning to themselves and their device. I actually enjoyed using the Maschine+ in the beginning, but then I had some small crashes. This led me to read up on the crashes and by reading all these peoples problems I actually put it back in the box for sale. I was like "damn these people are totally right!!" I pulled it out again luckily some month later and from there on I realized how great the device was, even though it had flaws. That's actually what made me stick with it. I don't really use anything else anymore than the m+.
I just really wish they could update it with small features, like stereo to mono converting of samples. Just a simple plug like Ableton's Utility for example! That's my top request!
That's my comment ramble for today. Great video. What games do you play? 😅
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience! Definitely good to enjoy your gear if you enjoy it, even if others have issues!
And currently I'm replaying Jedi Fallen Order and also playing a lot of Halo Infinite
Yes! I used MPC and Logic before Maschine. Both are great but something about the groovebox workflow, not needing to click a mouse for 90 percent of what you do and everything just kind of intuitively working (for the most part) grabbed me with maschine. Regardless of the flaws I noted above ive never had second thoughts.
Nice video!
Maybe one day I test it out too...but the OP-1 burnt a hole in my pocket already :)
Understandable haha, you're doing awesome work with the OP-1 Field! I've been digging those videos lately!
@@DylanParisMusic Thanks!
Cool video man. I appreciate it. 👍🏾
Thank you,,, reaffirmed why I waited,,,, ✌🏼❤️
Thanks for being honest and sticking with it to let us know what’s up. New to this world of music, I’m considering a Maschine+ with a MiniBrute2 as a package to create music for fun adding some guitar, away from a computer. I feel the piano keys are more visually logical to my brain and building sounds on the brute allows me to learn sound creation. You think it’s a good combo to start out? (I like the microbrute but for the money I may as well step up to the mini)
I would honestly recommend the NI Komplete M32 as a starting keyboard with the plus. It gives you parameter control of the on-board synths with the same knob mapping as the plus. That said I think pairing it with a synth could be really cool too! You might want to look at something polyphonic rather than a mono synth if you want to play chords.
Nice vid. I saw you have the polyend tracker too. What piece you prefer the most. Which one give you more satisfaction and results?
I did this vid recently comparing my three main groove boxes
th-cam.com/video/7z-PyBD9QWU/w-d-xo.html
Currently I’m using the MPC LIVE II the most but i really like all of them for their own strengths. I don’t use the tracker as much as I thought I would but I am hoping to get back into it soon
You must be a very patient/restrained guy, because if I spent that much money on something and it had all the problems the Machine plus had, I would first of all DEMAND my money back because in my country(UK) we have something called the trade description act which basically says anything you buy MUST do what the manufacturer claims, NOW at the point of sale, not nearly two years down the line. But besides that, if I had gone through what you have gone through, it would have been thrown from the Brunel Clifton Suspension bridge into the middle of the river Avon. I am more than happy with my Akai Force It did everything It claimed from day one, and now it does a ton of stuff more than what I paid for, I mean hard disc streaming wasn't even hinted at then, but now it does it, how cool is that. Anyway I am pleased that you are now a happy bunny, just I think it was bad for Native instruments to bring out a product in such an unfinished state, one of the reasons I will never be an early adopter, however much it appeals to me, I like things that just work.
Yeah I don't think we have those kind of consumer protections in the US sadly haha. I think I had a 14 day return window from Guitar Center and I didn't realize the scope of the issues until after that.
Pair it with a good mixer and it’s even better. Personally I use an X32 with it, so no having to export stems to a DAW (my workflow choice) and it helps with UI shortcomings for EQ etc. If only the M+ and Force had a love child that blended the synths and feel of the M+ with the Forces song mode and automation we’d be in Groovebox utopia!
That sounds like a great setup! And agreed, a combo of the two would be a beast
Thx man,so I decided to stay with my mk3,maybe it’s also a better possibility for you 2❤
Finally got it, again. The cpu is so much better. Still wish is had a battery, but it’s all good. With all the expansions I have, and the plug ins it has, this thing is so powerful. Being a maschine user since 2010, I still think the mpc live 2 is almost perfect in form (it can’t even touch maschine plus in sheer sound quality).
Glad to hear you’re having a better time with it! Reflects my experience for sure too
@@DylanParisMusic Thanks brother. It would be awesome if the two had a baby, but between the plus and live 2, it’s all good.
i have digitakt and polyend tracker, love both, but miss song mode and sample slicing on digitakt, and on tracker i miss more tracks and stereo sampling. So i'm was thinking about selling both and buying Maschine Plus, as far more advanced and basically full DAW in a box setup. What do you think?? PS. was thinking also about MPC One, but i dont like that touch screen, and software doesnt really look appealing for me.
I would make sure to try the Maschine+ out for a bit before you sell the other two to make sure it works for you. That said, the + is really powerful and could be what you're looking for
Great video brother.
thank you
Oh and you’re 100% correct
Great vid as always! Are you putting this over the Akai Force?
Thank you! Yeah I think workflow wise I love the abletone push style grid of the force but I like the sound quality of the maschine plus synths so much it beats the force. I probably prefer the force and the plus to the mpc live 2?
@@DylanParisMusic thanks for the reply! I too am like you where I play everything in and sound quality is king to me. I will say, that Ableton, grid-like workflow is my favorite way to operate though. Thanks for the thoughts!
I keep thinking of grabbing just as a Sound Module for my Akai Force/MPC
Would love a review like this for the Akai Force. I know you did initial thoughts, but would love an in depth review.
I'll definitely make one I just need to spend more time with it for sure
I’m super excited about the Maschine+ and S88 but I wonder how well it will work with Logic or if it is an overdose to have both S88 and Maschine+
Sooooo, can I NOW use my Full Massive Library on it in Standalone? Can I use all my wonderful Kontakt Libraries on it now in Standalone? I’m still using my Laptop as a Sound Module but I don’t want to, I want to use the Plus as if it was an Sound Module just like I can a Roland MC-707, Jupiter Xm etc etc Session Guitars in Komplete 13 are mind meltingly good, so much so that I rarely grab my guitars for guitar parts anymore. Hell I just bought a Yamaha Arranger Keyboard for its guitars and mandolins etc, its a HUGE 61 key monster. I only want the SOUNDS My Komplete S49 is fine for me. Id probably even ditch my Juno DS61 as my Jupiter Xm has Juno and so much more covered and is module size. Thanks man
HI, Dylan, so just to confirm...you can NOT download and use the NI kontakt expansions such as Hypha, hybrid keys and Glaze with Maschine + in standalone? Thank you
Currently that is correct! The play series is not supported in standalone (I wish it was though)
Still love Maschine. But I just can’t get behind M+. Glad they fixed most of the issues, though!
Definitely understandable! Still a trade off to go standalone for sure
A Maschine Plus Lock rip cord would be so ideal, my Omni charge does a damn good job of keeping the charger but the ripcord doesn’t handle as well and it seems not to hold the charge near as long as if I just use the dc power cord
NI summer sale: Komplete 13 is £179 if you own M+, and if bought for £600 on eBay, that’s a steal! IMO if NI want to sell this at it’s retail $$ two of these three things need to happen. 1) wider compatibility with Kontakt instruments 2) greater compatibility with Reaktor patches 3) have a ok UI that you can design/adjust synth patches in.
These things might not be possible with the current v1 hardware, or maybe a compromise of older products can be officially approved for M+. Many money making producers have invested in the NI ecosystem, trust it and they have money to spend, if the product lives up to it’s initial hype, and that is of a stand-alone NI box. Personally I love m+ for the quality of synths, effects, sample packs and hardware. But my preference for chopping (hello mpc) or sequencing (hello anything with trigs) is elsewhere. One box will never rule them all.
Yeah I do think it would be awesome to have easier use of third party patches and sound design across all synths on the device. Great insight! Thanks for watching
I don't care what you say, it should have a battery like the beat Thang had, I use to drive around when I was working making beats on the battery-operated unit, and that was Awesome, too bad they didn't have the proper support system, but I do think all the other companies got on to the idea from the Beat Thang stand alone
Considering Akai released 2.11. Does that change your opinion on the NI sounds vs the MPC sounds?
Yeah I've made some follow up videos with the new instrument collection on MPC LIVE II and I would say there are now areas where Akai has the sound advantage, especially with pianos and strings.
Dude, thanks for the updated thoughts.... i feel like the M+ has some sort of unofficial/official *Seal Of Approval* now that you've shared! 😁
The mighty amount of dope music being made on M+ (best pads in the business), and shared on TH-cam by a whole bunch of creative folks (RMR, Accurate, Blezz etc), stands testament to the basic coming-of-age of this unit.... Myself, i decided to take the plunge and commit - and put velcro strips on the backplate and power bank, and now am truly standalone with that ol' RipCord 🤙🌌
Which ripcord do you use? The one made for mk3 doesn’t provide enough voltage.
@@DrGrooveBeat MyVolts RipCord, 15V center positive 🌌
@@darkuniversesound yeah it doesn’t support peak current though so you’re actually under clocking the cpu which is fine if you don’t notice the lower performance.
@@DrGrooveBeat That's the first i've heard about this.... What would you say in terms of lowered performance, like how much actual CPU am i missing out on by using the RipCord? 🤔
I've used the MK3 one and had no issues with any of my projects and loading some of the included expansion projects as well
Imagine this thing with one of the latest flagship AMD prosessors or an Intel i9 with 64gb Ram 2TB internal SSD drive + Water cooler or sth. like that 😁. And you can play all your VST's
At that point you’d probably just need a gaming laptop attached haha
Hi Dylan. I was wondering whether you experience low input levels when sampling over the input on the back of Maschine Plus. I get a level of under -32 dB, when the input gain is fully turned up. I contacted Maschine about this issue, but they said it is normal. It isn't to me, and am therefore wondering if it is a defect unique to my Maschine. If it is consistent over every Maschine Plus, I am surprised that nobody is talking about this in reviews.
I have definitely had some quietness with sampling but running normalization after recording brings levels up well without too much extra noise
I want to buy this so much! But I really need a product I can trust both in the studio and in live use
It's been much more stable for me but that is a fair concern. I'm not aware of any current piece of gear on the market that has zero margin of error but I've heard good things about the Octatrack
When you want to love someone so much and you forgive them for their faults
I wish they’d do a Special Edition Matte Black version. Mk3 still looks the best
How is M+ doing in regard of audio recording , i would love to be able to record long audio clips and be able to trigger them via pads 😊
What a review!
Think yhe b stock ones for $620 are worth it? Tempted to grab one since im very comfy on my mk3
That’s a pretty solid price. I keep wondering if a new one is gonna drop soon but for 620 you’re paying basically half or less what I paid new
Just from a sonic point of view which is better Maschine+ or MC707?
The MC707 has one of the best sonic palettes of any groovebox I’ve used but between the available expansions and the way more comprehensive sampling options (including an auto sampler that can basically clone any instrument you can route midi to) the Maschine Plus is on a higher class
This is what EASKI was talking about concerning the MPC range Force
Im out of the loop on what this means
Will there be a machine plus two coming soon?
Woukd suck to buy this now then a new one is around the corner
I have no insider info on that, seems like it could be this year or 4 years. There’s not a ton of precedent and I know they e said they want to support this platform for a while but there’s definitely parts on the market already that would make it 10x more powerful
Akai Force is still the best stand alone hardware DAW imo, but I never got on with anything from NI so maybe I'm biased 🤷🏾♂️ Akai Force is definitely the most slept on piece of equipment in the last decade.
Akai Force is a beast and keeps getting better, definitely understand where you're coming from!
Got a M+ with a bad encoder for $450 and use it as a luxury controller only with my MacBook Air M1 and that is the way to go 😊
Nice!
I had a love hate relationship with mine. Now I love it but I really dislike the way that NI went about things and won’t buy from them again.
I agree! The Maschine+ and MKII is the best out there. It has completely changed how I make music. The workflow is just flawless, and it sounds amazing. Regarding the Syntakt and its analog dual vco I also thought that it will sound richer and beefier and that it would be the perfect synth-groovebox but I was wrong. The last couple of years I have almost only used the Maschine, Deluge and the iPad for musicmaking and all of these can sound amazing without much effort. But for me the Syntakt generate the same dull sound every time :/
oh no! I haven't played with the syntakt much, that's good to know!
9:23 I felt that
My biggest issue with this thing is the price, same i/o as a MPC One for almost twice the cost, and the live 2 has better i/o and still cost less. Maybe you just use one box at a time but most of us who are Dawless use other synths so need a lot of midi i/o
Good callout for folks who use a lot of synths / hardware at once! That's not my workflow at all so I definitely am not considering that in my reviews.
Having a hard time finding folks doing this, but can the Maschine+ run the notoriously cpu hungry Slate+Ash plugins, like Landforms? Their site mentions being compatible with “maschine hardware” but i’m curious how accurate that is in terms of performance
It cannot, it runs the following plugins in standalone along with the Maschine Expansions, PolySynth, and Drum Synth:
FM8
Massive
Monark
Prism
Reaktor Factory Selection
Kontakt Factory Selection
Retro Machines
@@DylanParisMusic Nice. Another $1000 in my pocket…for now 😂 Thanks for the info!
No problem haha, yeah if the limits don’t outweigh the benefits for you definitely save the cash!
Great review had to sub
Thank you 🙌😎
I think a lot of these machines have their own culture behind them. I think a lot of these reviewers belong to either machine or belong to Akai. I think Akai has their own culture in their own following, and I think machine has their own following. I have both machines for me personally I like the sounds of the machine, but I like the workflow of the MPC
Yeah I tend to agree at this point. I’ve worked directly with both companies and I like both products at this point. I do wish the M+ was getting more updates though cause the mpcs keep getting cool new features every year
@@DylanParisMusic big facts. MPC ge a lot of updates
I was writing a whole lot about my experiences with my sd card(s) and what you have to know because that solved all the problems you listed even before the updates, a month after release, until you started talking about people constantly ranting about the sd card...
Hahaha sorry
I need a tutorial on how to utilize my plus
I see that quest in the back. Have you tried making music with Virtuoso?
I haven't! Is it cool?
@@DylanParisMusic It's a pretty fun way to jam. It has sample import and song export. It's basically vr loop jamming.
Never had those problems on my M+. What made me replace it with an Akai Force was that the workflow sucks and the companion software for Mac and Linux is practically abandonware.
So glad that Iam stick with my mac and lunchpad pro mk3 with ableton such a easy life :D
I appreciate this video a lot. I also have a plus and watched your initial review - bummed me the hell out as I couldn't help but agree with most of what you said haha. Seeing you come back with fresh perspective and after updates is a breath of fresh air in general. Products evolve and so too should the reviews..... Personally I do get frusterated with some aspects of maschine in general, like the fact that you can't easily send sample chops to the AU to take advantage of the ease and endless options of that engine boggles my mind, or the flip side to that being why the stretch and re-pitch in the sample engine isn't more intuitive - but overall I am very happy with my plus and mk3 and very optimistic about the future of the company after all these mergers and partnerships.
Thank you! I think it's important to be honest with both the flaws and improvements of devices. Especially ones like this where I keep using it due to the pros being so high
Hi Dylan,
Thanks for your M+ videos.
Since a few weeks I have the M+ and a jam. Both bought second hand together for 700€.
I’m a huge fan of the old school standalone unit, the Roland MV-8800. This production studio is from 2007 and I’m used to working with limits.
Yesterday I finally implemented the M+ in my studio and I’m seriously impressed.
Last year I bought the Akai X and I sold within 6 months because I didn’t like the MPC workflow.
Okay, thanks again for your videos and enjoy making music 🙌🏽✌🏽
Thank you for watching and for sharing your experiences! I hope the new setup brings you lots of inspiration!
I wish I could find these prices 😕 I bought used mk3 for 375$ with shipping. 6 months is pretty long to test a workflow it took me 3 weeks and I dig the mpc now.
I went through the same thing bro… it’s better now but I sample a lot and I don’t use many tracks or synths
Wait, how often do you have to phone home to NI???? Is it like Roland every 3 weeks??? That every 3 weeks thing IRKS ME if its just at initial setup no problem. Its why i bought another Roland MC-101 to avoid constantly having to log into cloud to use it.
I don't think you have to phone home after the first connection. You can use the wifi for downloading expansions and updates but I don't thiiiink it's doing like a DRM check routinely.
@@DylanParisMusic outstanding thank you kindly for the insight.
How does the zen core compare on mc707
I’m into standalone groove boxes im mc707 wizard but im waiting for akai force delivery and went to my local instrument store to demo maschine +
I want to have all three to round out my sound sources and workflow
I think the Zen Core has a really nice sound to it but I find a larger variety of sounds on the m+ that I enjoy in regular use. The new MPC plugin instruments on the Force are really good though too
So do you recommend update the MK3 to plus now?
Only if you need standalone and can live without the unsupported plugins. I prefer the plus to the mk3 because standalone is worth it for me, but if someone already has a mk3 it's a harder sell I think.
@@DylanParisMusic haha after watch a lot of video I decide to use the money for force, mk3 is good for me cuz it seems a lot plug-ins(for Lofi music)that I need are not supported in the plus, hope they can add those maybe in the next generation.
Solid! Yeah I've got a force as well and it's pretty rad
@@DylanParisMusic haha I am looking forward you in depth review of it;)
So the ripcord for maschine studio works for the plus?
I use the one for the Mk3
Great video. Imo the problem is that it simply isn’t a portable version of Maschine and probably never will be. For that reason, I’ll never buy the plus, but do own and like Maschine. We are all different, but for me I have stopped pursuing being 100 percent dawless and I am much happier. Now days I do about 80 percent dawless and then get the parts into Live where I finish the song. I own a ton of groove boxes, guitars and synths and have given up on getting that one perfect thing. Mc 707 highly underrated... this week jamming on an old Kong Electribe. Last week was the Elektron model samples (also underrated:)
Thank you for the kind words! I miss the mc 707 a bunch, probably the second best sounding groovebox I've ever owned. The 80 percent dawless life is about the sweet spot for me as well
@@DylanParisMusic when I was Mpc heavy I often sampled synths and kits from various NI plugins because I liked that tone too. Basically make a midi chord progression in Live, choose your NI tone and export it... chop it in mpc. After you do it a few times you get quick at it. Sorta gives you the best for both worlds. Not using my Mpc as often these days though.... but lots of fun.
Btw, still like the steam deck? I have a lot of games too and remember you mentioned it... recommended?
Still love it! Definitely recommend it as long as you can handle some wonkyness and not every game being supported on it
Word I love my Maschine MK3 Dinamo. The MPC Live looks so fun but the touch screen and drum pad placement really turned me off. I like have my left hand free to do things while my right hand is playing.
Oh man the dinamo looks so nice!
I got m+ and promptly sold my laptop. I'm happy with it and its "limitations" keep me creative. But I'm just a guy...hahaha
Yeah.. Thats why I got the MPC ONE. Its a great machine but everyone has their own preference on what they like to work with. I just don't get why maschine still has bugs in a $1400 device.
The MPC One is a beast! Definitely seems like the best value in music production hardware
I still do not understand how to add vocals across the whole song with clips in M+, I want to make a clip of a pattern and add it across the whole song over all my song sections. How can I do that, can anyone here help me, please? I would love to see a tutorial on that. I have only seen how to do that in the software and I do only work with the hardware
I haven't tried this but I'll look into it
@@DylanParisMusic Ohh I am surprised that this is not covered better anywhere as that makes it possible to build a full song with vocals in a very different way that makes a lot more sense to me and most who comes form a DAW world
You say that $1000 would be the sweet spot, it seems NI might have listened because that is the current US Christmas price. 😊
im holding onto my mk3 intil they release a new standlone with its own intergeated speakers and power , and actual specs but ill hold on this til then
I *really* don't care if it has integrated speakers, but I hope it has more optimized hardware.
Correction. You are NOT just "a dude." 😄 You are a cool dude! Lol!
Aww man, thank you! 🙏🤣😎🙌
Thank u
I own the Force-and I am content.
That’s good to hear :) the force is awesome
Both this video and the last video were accurate. I bought the M+ in June of 2021 and shipped it back after a week when it crashed about 7 times and crackly audio persisted on almost every project I tried and that was just trying to use samples and minimal use of effects. I’ve been a Maschine user for a decade and it was pretty disappointing.
But a few months ago they had a sale for $1100 or $1200 and it came with like 10 or something expansions so I decided to try it again and it definitely had improved a lot and then the latest update dropped and I’ve had hardly any issues.
I have quite a bit of gear including several hardware synths and samplers. There’s definitely things I own that are better on their own than what Maschine+ offers: SP-404 MKII is probably the best sampler on the market imo, Hapax is a much better sequencer, Monarch doesn’t match my actual Moog synthesizers, Syntakt has better drum engines, but as a jack of all trades box Maschine+ is definitely the best I think. I’ve owned multiple Deluges and MPC Lives and ended up selling them. Deluge just sounds shitty and I don’t think MPC Live sounds great in either the synths or the effects department especially compared to my DAW but even Maschine+ is better imo and most of those effects are 10 years old.
The workflow, the sound, the build quality all comes together on Maschine+ to feel like a premium product and I’m glad they’ve finally got the firmware to a point where it’s much better. It still has quite a few things I’d like to see changed but as a product right now for making music it’s in a great spot.
definitely needed higher processor and ram. at least they should have an option for external ssd hard drive. mpc live has that, it's so good
yeah I'd love to see all of those features on any new version for sure
I assume you mean internal ssd cause they do support external
yeah youre right, *internal. expandable is maybe the word im looking for? ssd though, not micro sd. for the plugins and anything else
Totally, that would be awesome, I have a 500gig ssd in the MPC LIVE II and it's clutch
I'm over here with my mk1 watching this as if I'm gonna go out and buy one 😅
Definitely feel you haha, sometimes window shopping gear is fun on its own
It definitely should be cheaper given its competing against the mpc one plus essentially and the mpc is like £/$300 less
The MPC cannot produce good subbasses. I mean very low bass. The Maschine can. That is the ultimate test I do to check the sound quality of software synths to me.
so cracking is fixed now ?
For the most part, I went from seeing it happen like 40 percent of the time no matter what I was doing to like maybe 2 percent at most?
@@DylanParisMusic thank you.. Because i bough mk3 few weeks ago and i didnt know there is plus which is actually stand alone..
I'm thinking to buy 2 of plus because live performance and connect it with midi to other synths aswell but .. I'm still not sure.. Because of the price..
I think i will be with macbook happy for a while
@@PspkCz if you already have a mk3 and a macbook I'd say just get really comfortable with that setup :]
@@DylanParisMusic yes, because i got the full spect the newest mbp... Take care