Native Instruments has released Maschine 2.2 – an update that adds new options for melodic playing.
- The Maschine 2.2 update adds a new scale and chord engine, a fully-functional arpeggiator and more.
- If you use Maschine Studio, it unlocks the touch-sensitive knobs.
- This update also delivers full Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboard integration.
Here are the details:
- Maschine 2.2 unlocks Maschine Studio’s touch-sensitive knobs. For example, when browsing, touching a knob automatically takes you to the tag cloud on the hardware display. Depending on which control knob you touch, you’ll see all available options and functions in a pop-up list. For instance, routing options for sounds and groups. Absolutely no menu diving – a turbocharged workflow.
- Maschine 2.2 extends Keyboard Mode with a new scale and chord engine – fully integrated into the Maschine workflow. Select your scale and start playing melodies on Maschine’s 16 pads that are always in key. Engage Chord Mode and play chords directly into your compositions.
- Maschine 2.2 extends Note Repeat into a fully-functional arpeggiator. Play any number of notes and let Maschine turn them into a melodic pattern. Use the arpeggiator in combination with Scale and Chord Modes and get polyphonic performances from just one key – always in tune. What’s more, the output of the arpeggiator is recorded into the Pattern Editor.
- Maschine 2.2 gives you full keyboard functionality within the Maschine environment environment. Press browse on your Komplete Kontrol keyboard and the Komplete Browser pops up on your computer screen, letting you select and load a sound directly into a sound slot in Maschine. Watch scales, chords, and arpeggios light up across Komplete Kontrol’s Light Guide, see the color of your sounds in Maschine directly on the keyboards, and get mapped parameters instantly with Native Map.
- Other updates – Discover the new Grit kick engine, shaker performer mode, group MIDI export, and more.
The update is a free download for Maschine 2 users. See the NI site for details.
Cool feature add. Though I do find it extremely odd that they specifically move the camera away every time the demo guy is playing melodically.
They’d miss the dancing note cubes if they didn’t.
This would be awesome if I considered the sonic shit in the demo, music. 🙂
This thing looks the part but makes no noise, stores no samples and really is just a glorified controller.
It seems insulting that the thing is having upgrades as its been put out with aspects of it not working?
Yeah it sucks that they’re adding cool features for free in a timely fashion.
Lucky for you, not many companies do that!
I wish this had more lights and less demo.
Reminds me of Q’bert
awesome vid…totally not wanting a maschine ever…thanks for clearing that up 🙂
Cool nice free update FOLKS !!!
I hope that the new Scale, Chord and Arpeggiation tools will turn the interest of new musicians into melody and harmony again … although it takes much more than this.
This is conforming my suspicions that many people are just tapping pads in 1/4note and 1/8th note patterns, creating melodies that are only separated by 4 note intervals. It’s interesting how trendy technology is used in the most basic way and can yield such banal musical material. Stuck to the grid, 4/4 time, preset samples, flashy lights. I have Maschine and Push. I don’t use them as one normally would. I work in timbres and odd timings. I make generative systems. I like modulation. Art does not have to be stuck to the grid or sound like baby melodies and basic chords tapped on a few pads. It doesn’t have to be virtuosic either and it doesn’t have to be entertainment for entertainment’s sake. It’s about ideas and how they flow. This chord mapped stuff is the same thing they put in the update to Komplete. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be hearing much more of these non-voice-led chord progressions in songs and ads. Why? Because too many so are too lazy to learn a few chords on a keyboard and a little bit of voice leading. If people really cared about writing music, they’d study it a bit more instead of having some company make it easier for them. NI have some really great products, but Maschine is becoming more and more of cookie cutter than a mixing bowl. I think musical style really takes a hit when people don’t go beyond these basic bits. I feel like Mike Judge talking about not having enough flare, but you get the idea.
From what it sounds like, you are judging everyones potential production off of a not so great video promo?
Great for you! Not everyone learns music theory from playing keyboards and lessons, nor wants to produce in odd timings. As for banal music material, Is adding chords and scales in Maschine really preventing that?
Now with all of the preconceived notions aside. I think that this is a long awaited feature for Maschine users and it allows for exploration of new musical grounds beyond the few “banal” chords and musical ideas they were not too lazy to learn. It will allow for types of music expression not based off (and in my opinon an antiquated) keyboard oriented workflow.
Nuff Said, keep it up Maschine
elitist nonsense.
Here’s more elitist “nonsense”:
It is MUCH easier for anyone to afford and own tools to make music. The tools themselves are geared to reduce or eliminate “noise”. In other words, the tools shape the output. So at a certain point, we become button pushers with or without an artistic vision. Some will just go with what the tools guide them to make, and some will need to struggle with the tools to get things like changes in tempo, changes in scale, changes in meter, unusual tuplets, non-scale tones, surprises, inspiration.
Some modern music is interesting to listen to— even if it is not very creative.
But some of us elitists just prefer that this great technology be used to make something wonderful– as opposed to making stuff that is just easy-to-make.
Stirred the pot here me thinks. I do admit I came across a bit elitist though. Apologies for that. I was really put off by the demo video. Also the fact that NI have so many ads trying to convince me to buy a Maschine or the new Komplete keyboard. It’s a bit ironic that they have even gone so far as to advertise and highlight a different product instead of showing Maschine.
I think what’s sometimes left out of the conversation is musicality and inventiveness. It’s an interesting phenomena that the tools we use can forge a certain sound and that those who made these tools may not have intended them to be used in such ways. Maschine provides potential to go beyond what this video shows, but it is up to the composer to achieve this. Music trends come and go and NI are banking on this. Pop-musicians have these tools as much as underground musicians and almost everyone is now indie. We could say the same of the piano. It’s what you do with these tools that is important. To teach music is a difficult task these days, especially when the trend for many is to care less about learning what this organization of sound we call music can be. It doesn’t hurt to take a course or read a theory book and it doesn’t hurt to like pop-music and make it. However, when MIDI came around, I’m sure others may have made similar comments when mapping entire chords to1 key became popular. Or, sampling 1 chord across many keys. Some of my favourite tracks were made this way, but I also like to know how these notes happened rather than just thinking it sounds cool. Yes, not everyone cares about the details, but I do and granted, it makes me a bit more critical. I don’t think music is all encompassing with a big M or that it should fall in High Vs Low. Some pop-music can be intellectual and possibly harder to get unless there is an understanding of the compositional system. But that doesn’t always mean it is elitist and it doesn’t mean everyone has to get it or like it aesthetically either. I would be surprised or offended if the majority of the audience watching American Idol understood the voicings that the arranger used on big band night either. When your ear is trained, you pick up on these things, but it can open your mind too. Maschine has potential to open minds even if someone decides to shake-up the Trap scene.
Just fix the arrangement, please NI.
It’s great of NI to support their products in such a way, but videos like this make me embarrassed for electronic “music”. Seems like something more akin to sonic Legos in my mind, which while fun to play with don’t necessarily equate to art in that context. I understand that there are probably bad ass kids that can flip that shit on it’s head and do creative things with it, and to be honest if it sounds really good who cares how it was arrived upon, good music is good music. But that was bad music. Perhaps adverts like this MUST be generic in order to appeal to the largest amount of the demographic, but i’ll be damned if it doesn’t turn me off personally. I’m probably in the minority though, and I realize that complaining on the internet is a terrible way to spend one’s time, so with that in mind, i’m going to go do something else.
Most of the time, generic communication = one voice in a million
Check out the amazing export to beatport function! It’s mindblowing! My machine makes 5000$ per day just exporting crap to beatport! Don’t miss out!
Bet it don’t work on my Amiga … Bastards
Any way to access those features from the software without using the controller?
My buddy has a Maschine and he showed me that you could change the bottom number of the meter to an “8” and it would just change it back to a 4. So your time signature can be any meter you want, as long as the meter you want is 4/4.
One thing they didn’t announce is that the Maschine 2.0 upgrade, which I hadn’t done yet, is 50% right now. Surprised I haven’t gotten an email about either the upgrade nor the sale.
Do they support recording aftertouch yet?
I can see how poly pressure would be a little more trouble to support, but channel pressure is no different from any other modulation source.
i really love this update …. works really well .. and thank you ni for still making cool updates that works with 1. gen maschine controllers ….
stop the hating come-on ….
i play the piano for 5 years now but this is really welcome ….
i dont have to learn everything allover on maschine chromatics pads (scales and shit)…to make my tunes flow with harmonic juice 😉
and this is also really nice for sequencing hardware gear ..harmonic ,melodic
Ok, call me “old school”, I was a pro multi keyboardist for 25 years until 1990 yeah that’s right you whippersnappers! Music was my job as well as my love. I am still in love, and I’m 64! I am just as curious today about new musical technologies as I was in the mid ’60’s with the advent of combo organs and the like, When the Chamberlin Tape Transport systems 1st arrived, and the 1st live performance analog synthesizers (god forbid)! The Musiician’s Union (of which I was a member) went berserk because everyone claimed that:1 lowly keyboard artist would put entire symphony orchestras out of business!
Well, you guys are right, these videos suck but obviously they are targeting the great unwashed masses as they rightfully should! I have Machine, and i have Komplete Control S61 (a GREAT keyboard, by the way), and I believe that in the proper hands (BT, anyone)? these tools can be used for great creative purpose- by REAL musicians! that’s my rant…
Is it a way to use note repeat with a midi keyboard? If so, please share.