Couldn't have said it better myself. I went from MPC 3000 to this when I transitioned to Maschine MK1 and it felt like a natural next step in hands on to me. Not assigning samples or being bound to midi tracks as an additional layer was confusing at first but once I got the advantage of having it "non destructive" all the way through I was sold. Even coming from a normal DAW you might expect the mpc behavior, "record this sound on to this track" so I see how it might be more intuitive. Going back to the One and Live, the workflow hasn't changed but just added new stuff on top - and for good reason like you mentioned in this video it's a working concept and you don't need to learn much new to pick it up as a MPC user. The new thing to learn for me was that I need to remember to keep track of all the different layers and rules for them. Track mix vs program or pad mix, mute vs program or pad mute, program types. Essentially 2 layers to the architecture - audio and midi, and one layer for every single routing in these sections. Jumping through hoops as you say in the video, but it's needed to maintain the original workflow and add the extra control.
Well said brother. I remember you talking about track mix vs program mix, pad mix, MIDI tracks, etc as being confusing in your comparison video. People should watch that video too for a more detailed comparison.
Part of this confusion is that no one seems to be able to adequately explain what a "track" is on the MPC platform vs a "program". I have watched many intro videos and out of the hundreds I have seen, only one person gave an adequate explanation. A "track" on the MPC platform is simply your MIDI data. A "program" is your instrument. Until you assign a program to a track, you will not hear any sound, as the program is the instrument that will voice the MIDI data. This is really powerful, but sadly, not even Akai adequately explains exactly what a track and program are, so it is very confusing. What this allows you to do is setup a track with a melody for example, then play that melody with different programs (instruments) to see which one you like most. You can take this a step further and copy a sequence and switch around your programs so that different programs are assigned to your tracks, so that as a song progresses, you might have a flute playing your melody in one sequence, and have that melody taken over by a piano in the next sequence, all without having to rewrite the track (just literally select the track, then select the program, change the program using the wheel, and voila, totally new instrument, totally different vibe).
It’s a twisted game of an imposter: MPC is a machine and Maschine is a controller, empty shell, an imposter with a pretty name. Ironically, some things from this video are not true: for example stating that it is easier to mute tracks on Maschine by holding shift and pressing pads compared to “need to open menu on MPC” - on MPC One you just press one button once and then use pads without the need to hold shift. It is hard to fit an autonomous box with all the resources of a computer daw because a computer has all the f0ckt4rd memory in the universe to draw samples from while an MPC needs each time to create a temp pool to use. I find the apparent restrictions of MPC very magical in a way that they bring focus: a narrow opening concentrates intent while a huge one disperses it, like with the female form. I feel that it is mind boggling how much flexibility of shaping things in a custom way there are in MPC, layers, filters, envelopes.., in a computer daw these are just expected commodities. I feel that the workflow of the MPC is only a detriment to a COMPLETE beginner, I have MPC One for three days now and there is hardly any aspect of it unknown to me. I thought that the lack of free length recording and not seeing a multitrack display would be a burden to me but, talking about focus, these make me focus more on hearing the music, sensing it more clearly, this is magical.
@@BlezzBeats okay, when would reality hit me I’ll think of you! I wonder how long yours lasted? Still, aren’t you tempted to just switch on such a unit without waiting for a computer to boot, and immediately mark an idea?
This is helping me big time, thanks for the comparison. I've been using Maschine for years now and I'm learning things from you in this video I really didn't know about the Maschine. I need to take a deep dive in and learn more on the Maschine before I pickup a MPC. I was going to replace Maschine with an MPC but now I'm thinking I should save my money and dive into Maschine a bit more. it's for home studio use only so I'm not caring about portability. Thanks again for the insight.♊
I'm so glad the video helped you! MPC has been generating way more hype than Maschine lately so it's not a surprise that people think about switching. However nothing has changed since I posted this video. The Maschine workflow is still cleaner and faster and overall making music with it is a breeze.
My journey started on an MPC 2kxl and I enjoyed the workflow (still do). Then had a Maschine mk1 for years (still do). Then got an MPC One... and felt pretty lost... (still do). I expected to feel at home again going with another incarnation of an MPC since I know the MPC2kxl inside and out, but that was not the case unfortunately. So many pages/menus, too much reliance on the touch screen, the q-link set that your constantly switching through... it feels like theres an extra step for everything I do on there, and that step is not always intuitive. Even after making about 10 or so songs with it, I'm still googling things that should've been immediately apparent the first time around, and they aren't - they're buried in a menu page and several touch screen swipes away. I really wanted to love it and enjoy the MPC architecture once again, but I think I've been spoiled by having Maschine in between the 2. Doing simple things like adjusting the pad volume/ pitch/swing (in real time)/ pad mutes/ track mutes...all without visiting a single menu is just much... simpler. After trying to adjust to the newer MPC way, the more I work with it, the more I appreciate Maschine. Having written this comment, I think I just convinced myself to unload my MPC one and maybe upgrade to a newer Maschine mk3.
If you already have the song finished in your head, use Maschine to drop it quickly without losing inspiration. If you like crafting and discovering inspiration as you go along, use MPC because of its many workflow styles will satisfy the mad music scientist cravings.
@@Sikt bro get the Maschine + I got it paired with the komplete kontrol s88 with the komplete 13 collectors edition and it’s an absolute beast. It’s truly all you’ll need since it’s all integrated together kind of like apple products. I definitely want to get a MPC one cause that’s just a classic man
What you said is what I do on the mpc ,it has a beatbox workflow. Like in middle school playing the drums on the lunch table style . When I got it I understood how timberland, dr Dre and Pharrell came up with those crazy unique beats
So I’ve owed every Maschine as a Film and TV composer NI Sounds and Maschine workflow I’ve Grown to master much more streamed line” I also own the MPC Live II before there was a NI I worked on the MPC 2000 MPC 3000 60 and then I bought the 2000XL SP edition, but as you said both can produce radio commercial records” I placed my first record with a Major Neo Soul Artist in 2006 that was the single on the album and went on to earn a Grammy Nomination! And I only used Reason and a Axiom 25 key & my MacBook to create the Track.👌🏾😎
For sure, a laptop, DAW and MIDI keyboard is all you need. If you didn't have the ear and the ability, just using an MPC or Maschine wouldn't have got you that Grammy nomination.
Can I make and save beats without licensing and update fees like Daws have on mpc ? Can I still transfer and edit these beats that I've made on the mpc to PC or other devices years later without interference or internet bs?
@@LowHeatBeats the sample chopping, touchscreen, the way the timing correct/swing work among other things. I also didn't like that on the maschine if you did more than 16 slices you have to put in keyboard mode which makes you lose control over adsr etc on the individual slices.
I started with maschine mk1, currently have maschine plus and mpc X, maschine is amazing with the expansions and working with vsts, where the mpc is far superior for controlling midi synths, the mpc makes me slow down and work harder. It I like that.
I agree with you I bought the Mpc live and used it for a while but returned to Maschine for many reasons mostly because it’s so easy to make melody’s with the scales and chords functions compared to the Mpc and once you get the software and workflow down it’s great, been a Maschine user since 1.6 the vst host update.
@@LowHeatBeats Ya that’s what made me go and buy the Mk1 Maschine before that I was interested but once I saw the CZcams videos with that update I got one that week
@@_thevaporz I did and that’s what actually brought my attention back to the maschine to compare because they have a few more scales and the pads to me are more playable on Maschine almost like playing a keyboard
I couldn’t be in more of an agreement after watching this video, brother… You nailed it. After experiencing the MPC One and also the MPC Live 2 - I had a staggering time as I ended up returning to the MPC Live 2 about three times like a toxic ex-girlfriend. When the Maschine was always there for me. Had even gotten the Maschine + and it wasn’t what I had expected it to be and again, that is okay. It will only get better along with the times, and the workflow, man! The workflow alone is a very courteous approach by NI, they all did their homework. The weakness in the MPC workflow with the new hardware is very limiting vs the endless routing and connectivity options. Maschine has been around for a very long time and as a day one user, I know for a fact that the blueprints and brainstorming sessions from all the years this hardware has been around, they nailed the MK3 controller. So what I am trying to say is, I gave up searching for new equipment and other things that the Maschine already does, I even decided to go back to my MK3 controller and gave back the Maschine + the other day and couldn’t have been happier with my MK2S88 and now with Logic on the iPad, it’s beautiful. I was able to construct, arrange and mix with the Maschine within the software and track it out and finalize in Logic. It’s just beautiful. NI are probably living off the mentality of “If it aint broke, why stress it?” In fairness but again, giving ourselves a little time and manual reading and watchung amazing videos like yourself creates, it all just makes sense. I am so excited to get back into working action after 2 years of going completely digital and reducing. Honestly, love this community we have here on CZcams and around the world. The MPC will cater to their audiences and style and the Maschine will do the same. They are both great and have their strengths and weaknesses. I had completed two songs using the MPC Live 2 and the other one with the MPC One, however the workflow was a constant pause for me understanding the menu structure and Bless said it best, Programs, Tracks, Pads and for the Maschine, it’s a thought process of what else should I add and what else am I missing. The browsing is glorious, all my sounds and libraries are just there. The character tags are so unique and it searches everything. Once again, I can go on and on, I am to excited and cannot wait to get cookin’ and finally break out of my creative/writers block! Thank you again brother for always supporting and giving us great content. 🫡🫂
Great vid! The age ole debate!! Lol I have used both, but it seems like you do work much faster using the maschine especially chopping samples. Personally I have a Mk3 and its fantastic! The MPC is still amazing, for me they inspire your workflow in different ways
I like the fact the Maschine designers took the same philosophy as car designers designing dash boards. They both can be learned to be used without looking if you think about it. That's the fastest workflow I have ever experienced.
I started on software for many years Sonar Reason Cubase then Logic, then I got the original Maschine mikro and it changed the way I made music, then I got the Maschine Studio and I rocked with that for while but hated the arrangement, switched to Push 2 and Ableton and once again changed the way I made music and with that setup Ive made so much music and got so many placements on reality tv shows, it paid for itself 20 times over. I recently bought the Maschine mk3 just because I missed that super fast workflow. I love the Maschine for the hands on feel but Ableton with Push 2 and Komplete keyboard is Still my go to. I tried to get into the MPC line but I felt like I was learning Mandarin Chinese, it was really unintuitive and I usually pick up things quickly. I do like the pads tho and I like their take on stand alone but Maschine and Push 2 all day
I know this was an older post but I had to comment because you’ve sold me. I’ve been using my MPC one for the past 3 years and I’ve had a machine mkiii just sitting in a box collecting dust. Long story short but I never really used DAWS. When I had my ASR10 and MPC 2000 I would record stuff in real time either to a four track tape or regular cassette or even just into my iPhone. A few years ago when I saw how cheap MPCOne was I decided to sell my older gear and stream line my approach to creating music. There was definitely a learning process for the MPC. I don’t know why I purchased the Machine also, maybe cuz I found it for relatively inexpensive on Reverb. So I bought it. Now that I had a MacBook I figured on using it. But alas I did not and was just about to put it up for sale. Then I watched this video and everything you said was dead on. The MPC workflow is so cumbersome. Example you can’t start messing with a samples parameters unless it’s in a program. So they have sample edit but then you have to turn that into a drum program then you’re able to mess with the amp filter and pitch envelopes. And put effects on it and LFO and blah blah blah.
Hey, I appreciate you watching and sharing your perspective. Even if it's an older video, we haven't seen any major changes to these platforms since then, so everything that I said still applies.
I have the MPC Live and the Maschine MK3. I highly prefer my MPC more because it's standalone. I can make a beat anywhere without my laptop. It just feels more natural to me. Currently trying to sell my MK3 now because I haven't used it in months.
A little inaccurate on the MPC track selection you can hold the Main button to select Tracks from most screens. Also program edit you can scroll through all the available programs on the top without leaving the screen.
Been using Maschine (upgraded to a Plus) and Ableton for a couple of years and bought a used MPC Live recently to try it out, I agree with alot of what you are saying. I don't think that the MPC is bad but its workflow-paradigm didn't work out for me like how Maschine and Ableton just "clicked" straight away. The main gripe I have (after spending almost a month with the Live) is that Akai really likes to "layer" functions beneath menus upon menus, the flow seems more vertical instead of horisontal with the maschine and you are spending a lot of time drilling trough menus on the touch-screen. Akai does alot of things right with the MPC; the sampling is really well done and keygroups are very advanced if you spend time with them but for me that didn't outweigh the cons (IMO). In the end tough, it's not about which one is "the best for everyone" but what works best for you, I'm going to try to trade the MPC for a Force to see if that suits me better..
Yup, totally agree with your points. MPC is definitely not bad, it has its pros too, but Ableton/Maschine users shouldn't think that the grass is greener in MPC-land (I used to think this back in the day when I bought an MPC1000).
You'll be even more frustrated with Force menu diving but it's worth it. Check out Nicethings tutorials. It's very powerful live performance machine for all genres.
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@@_thevaporz Haha, yes, I think I've seen them all by now .. They sold me on the Force. What strikes me as different is how quickly you're in "record-mode" instead of the tap-swipe-tap-tap-spin-thingy on the MPC .. I don't mind a menu-dive to add "extras" to what I already recorded, that's how I work with Ableton today.
thank you for this. Have you experienced the Maschine crashing? I have heard many people talk about it crashing often ? Also, does it force you to do updates often?
Maschine is so much more intuitive for me as a decade long user. I find the MPC Live 2 quite cumbersome sometimes but standalone experience is much better than hybrid in the software controller mode because the UI is a madness to me. Totally agree with Maschine being closely aligned with Ableton
Great video and gave me the answers I was after Looks like I will be going for the maschine! Makes more sense to me Using ableton and plenty of other reasons Subbed for such a great video with all the answers I was after
I’ve worked on 4 different DAWs, including Maschine, And on 3 of them, I was making music/beats in literally minutes. MINUTES. I’ve had the Maschine Mk3 around 2 years, and while I do enjoy making a beat with it , and all the NI sounds, I STILL haven’t exported a total song/track from Maschine; I don’t think I’m ignorant, but I see teenage girls laying down fire BOMB ass beats, and doing Maschine tutorials, meanwhile, I can barely navigate the groups / patterns / scenes … I haven’t totally given up yet, and still work with my Mk3 almost every day, But I can’t help but wonder, if I’d have better spent money on an SP -404 or an Akai (This is just my experience, no disrespect meant towards Native Instruments or anyone who prefers Maschine !)
I hear you fam. Maybe it's because it's not a proper linear DAW? I haven't exported a finished song from Maschine too, I export scenes and arrange and mix in Ableton. Maybe try using it like that? For me a 404 or MPC isn't a better investment.
I was a hardcore MPC user, turned Logic Pro man. I like the MPC One. I really love the Toraiz and hope to one day purchase one. Would love to get my hands on an MV8800 to try it out and mess around with a Microsampler - prices are crazy for these though! Sampletrak would be cool. We are too spoilt and I love it! 😂
i stopped using my old mpc 2000 xl, then been in daw for the last 15yrs, got spontaneous and got mpc one and I thought i was gonna collapse from a migraine, workflow is not straight forward, I can get to where i need quicker with logic! im bout to return mpc and perhaps get machine it seems straight forward and simple! Thanks dude
Started with the maschine workflow, I just got the mpc live 2. Both hardware are easy to learn if you take your time on it. The real question you need to ask yourself is if you prefer standalone so you can make beats anywhere (specially the battery, touchscreen and speaker on the mpc live 2 , boiii if you tried em you aint never goin back to not having them). Or if you prefer makin beats along with the pc, and if you prioritize more on using synth when making beats rather than samples then theres no question copping the maschine.
@@landeralerav8756 you can use massive, serum, prism, kontakt and any other software synth and vst’s on the maschine. When I say sample, I mean when you are more of a sample based beatmaker.
have both maschine mk3 and mpc one, when working with computer, choose machine for sure, cuz NI have better software(sound, effects etc.). when working standalone use mpc one, cuz the touch screen are just sweet.
Maschine+ is strong, MPC is flexible. Yes learning curve on MPC is steep, unlike M+. Many of your workflow gripes are solved if you use the touch screen and hangout in the channel mixer, and not the Main Program. IMO u need to lean in a bit more… For chops, and swing da MPC is king, the program edit is way ahead. If you can live with M+’s limited choice of workflows (but it is a nice workflow!) then the build quality, Massive(wavetable), Kontakt(industry standard), >4 layer velocity samples, sensitive pads, fancy effects and usb class compliant audio are epic on the M+ However the lack of flexibility in workflow, audio and midi routing, basic chop tools, and the cpu hungry synths/fx is killing the M+ for me.. This is core.. I’m going to give it another 10hours, then I’ll make a call on it, and decide which one to keep. pax.
I hear you. But, personally, I don't need a choice of workflows, I just need the quickest and most fun way to get down musical ideas. For me Maschine strikes a nice balance between immediacy and power. Being also Ableton Live user I just don't see the need for an MPC, I don't have the time to use so many platforms and, money and effort to improve my music are better spent on other stuff. FWIW, I used an MPC1000 about 10 years ago, so I'm not a complete MPC noob.
You are absolutely right. I am sending the MPC one back immediately. Even sampling is all over the place . Machine makes a thousand times more sense the moment you look at it . Period👽
I've got a Live and a Mk3 and I'm definitely preferring the Live currently. Both are really cool devices, I just really like the standalone option. The interface was very confusing at first coming from Ableton but I was able to wrap my head around it eventually. The Maschine is cool too, I just don't feel it has many benefits compared to the Live or the Push 2
@@DylanParisMusic there is a way to bypass that scanning every time you open Maschine... I'll see if I can find the how to. I did it to mine. Opens super fast now
very helpful! i've been an mpc one and live 2 user and cannot stomach workflow or constantly have to stop die to software glitches! I am looking at gettin maschine mk3 or plus, i wanted to know can you sample from a phone or how is sampling in that platform? thanks
Sampling in Maschine is super fast and easy and you can do pretty much anything that you can do on an MPC. You can sample from anything via the line inputs at the back. Glad the video was helpful!
Thank you very much ! I appreciate your input, I will most likely go for it, since i am needing a machine with a fast workflow and less setbacks when creating! there's also elektron that just came out , gonna check that out as well, but maschine layout, pad colors kinda got me with a cleaner interface! much thanks sir!!
Bought the MPC one when it first came out, and I really wanted to love as it has so many great features, back in 1990's-00's could never afford one. No offense to the MPC fans ( Used to use a friends s950/S3000 and Atari St in the mid 1990's till the early 2000's, and made some decent tunes with them) But sadly I just didn't like the hard pads on the One as you have to whack them quite hard and my timing always sounded off on the MPC, surprisingly the work flow didn't feel as intuitive as I had hoped having used an a few old Akai rack mounts in the past. Anyhoo months after saw a Maschine MK1 on eBay in new condition for $100 new in box with MK2 software, such little money, so thought no big deal if I didn't like it anyway, however instead I instantly bonded with it, in no time, I was making what actually sounded like proper music my timing was spot on, compared to what mess I was making with the MPC, Now though with the fantastic new upgrades for the MPC I feel I really should persevere, when I have more time to read the manual to see where I am getting lost. :D both have their pro's and cons depending.
I am a newbie and have used neither but I’m looking to buy one of these to pair with the prophet 10 rev 4. Honesty I’m a blues/jazz/funk player who used to gig a lot but as I’m getting older I prefer having fun in my studio. Do either of these options come with samples and demo beats to get me started? TY!
Both come with plenty of samples, loops, demo projects and virtual instruments. I think Maschine might be better in this department, both in terms of quality and quantity of the included libraries. If you want to record the audio from your Prophet and not just use it as a MIDI keyboard, both can do it, but none of them are great at it, a DAW like Ableton Live is better for audio recording. But with so many instruments included you may not need the sound form the Prophet, you can just use it as a keyboard to play the built-in sounds. At any rate, since you're a newbie, I'd advise you to research more to figure out what's the best option for you, as it can be a bit complicated if you're just getting into it.
this is a good video comparison cause is very practial, comes from a very personal point of view and is easy to follow, thanks for sharing your thoughts and making the video
Nice vid. What software do you use to edit your videos? And do you script and make a storyboard first or do you just freestyle and edit the videos later?
Thanks! I use Final Cut Pro. I make an outline of the main points and things I'm going to say in the video but not a complete script, just bullet points. If I don't make a plan I usually forget something important.
@@librandon3795 the mpc feel keeps me on the one as well. Sold all my Maschines ive owned over the years. Somehow it doesnt feel not near as good as an mpc to me. And i first owned a 3 maschines first (mk 2 mikro, mk3, mk3 Mikro)
Not having a Maschine+, I cant reference firsthand that unit, but what I can say is, from everything I have seen and read, the unit is way underpowered for the software that is running on it. The lack of a touchscreen also destroys my need to play with fiddly bits. Fine-tuning the piano roll and x/y effects on the MPC are absolutely simple and easy to do, where the menu diving required on the Maschine+ to edit the piano roll absolutely kills me. Finally, I have an MPC Live 1 and a Live 2, the Live 1 is a permanent fixture next to my Yamaha Motif XF8 and my Icon MIDI control surfaces, the Live 2 sits on my nightstand for portable grooving in bed at 3 AM. The built-in speaker and battery make the Live 2 just fantastic for sketching ideas. Having said that, the Maschine is the clear winner in terms of synth capabilities. Massive is just a great synth, it is too bad that it needs so much CPU to really use it, and good luck using more than three or four instances of Massive, you hit that CPU limit pretty fast. There are other small reasons I like the Live over the Maschine, but these are the big reasons. At the end of the day however, the units are similar and you can't really go wrong with either of them, just know that the Maschine+ is not quite up to snuff when it comes to having the power to really create full tracks that might utilize more than 24-32 voices, whereas, the MPC can handle four banks of full pads easily, and the drum synth in the MPC is spectacular. The drum synth almost eliminates the need for drum samples, yes, it is that good.
Sure man, if the MPC works for you, that's great. Generally I've totally lost interest in the MPC - it doesn't contribute to the quality of my music in any way. It was fun to play with it for a couple of months and I made several nice beats. But between my Maschine MK3 and my Push 2 it's just unnecessary (I don't need a standalone at this point either).
@@LowHeatBeats I don't need a standalone either, I like having that functionality for when I am away from the PC. I have an MPC one which I originally used for my 3 am writing, I bought the Live 2, and stuck the Live 1 in the studio to use exclusively with the PC. Honestly, for my needs, the MPC One would be better for my studio and the Live 2 as my 3 am unit, but I don't see a reason to buy a One since I have a Live 1 sitting around. Functionally, they are both the same, less the CV Gates and the battery, which I do not need in my studio. I don't use Ableton and my music writing comes from an orchestral music background, so sample based music is a new thing for me (relatively speaking), so the push 2 is not really my cup of tea. Frankly, I use the Live in my studio for writing percussion lines for thematic, epic music at the moment, what makes the MPC nice is the touch screen and controls allows it to operate in a manner that lets me control my VST's from the hardware. I think NI will release a new Maschine+ and I am curious to see if they will increase the processing power and add a touch screen to the unit. Battery and a flat response speaker would be great as well, if they do, I would consider it next to the Live 2 and use them both. I love tech :)
I completely agree with you about Maschine's workflow. It is simpler, faster, and better. However, I used to have an mk2, but i got rid of it. Maschine software was too dependent on a sound module. If you had a good audio interface, you were good. But if you didn't, all you got was constant crashing of your computer (regardless of mac or pc). I got sick of all the crashing. It was time consuming and frustrating. Now, maschine's audio interface is embedded so that solves that problem. But one problem... but it's not really a problem; more of a preference. I found myself getting stuck in the sheer volume of options it gives you for sound. The library of synths amd sounds is so massive (no pun intended) that searching for something cooler started really distracting me. I spent more time looking for sounds that finishing the beat. It was nice to have, but not for me. Like I said, Native Instruments has made an incredible device, but my thought process is too basic for all the advance stuff they give... so I'm using an Mpc one.... old but good.
The sound library is just an option you’re given but you’re not forced to browse sounds. If you’re distracted by browsing you create your own sounds instead with any of the multiple synths onboard or you sample sounds from any source. You may also be overwhelmed by the plethora of controls on the synths and the endless number of sources to sample from. My advice, just focus on something specific and move on.
@@dxtrs_mnpltr I hear you.... For me, the less synth availability of the MPC ONE works out better for me. My workflow is this...Bang on a few drum pads...get a good groove going... then add bassline (if needed), and lastly, add a melodic instrument..... copy sequence pattern over and over, make section variants, and voila! Sometimes it takes 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week, but it gets done... whereas on Machine I would still be working on it... looking for that secret sauce sound...lol Like I said before, it's just my preference. Like mostly everything else in this world, there are 2 options. Paper or plastic, Apple or Android, Whopper or Big Mac, Maschine or MPC. I've tried both worlds.... but the MPC world feels like home to me.
Thank you for this video! I love my Maschine MK3 but have been looking at the MPC for a while now (mainly the Live 2 for the battery and built-in speaker). But I've been having some doubts about the workflow because I'm so used to Maschine and Ableton as well! Very helpful to hear your thoughts, thanks!
I’m in this exact same boat and I still can’t decide if I want to give the live 2 a chance or not. I really like the idea of having a standalone with a battery, but I’m worried the workflow won’t be as solid.
@@AnjaEve What concerns do you have about workflow? MPC and Force are integrated with Ableton Link and tons of easy export options over USB or SD card (or WiFi). Clip mode often overlooked on MPC. There are hundreds of MPC tutorials for reference if you need help.
@@_thevaporz Hey Zach! For the MPC I wasn't sure if I could get used to the way the sequences and song mode work. Especially working with a lot of vocals. But I watched some more videos and actually got the Force last week! Closer to Ableton's workflow than MPC so it feels like I don't have to adjust. Having lots of fun with it!
I like the stand alone ability of the MPC one, but the complex menu style operation is hard to get used to. I wonder if I haven't played with it for a while, if it is easy to use again. I am used to cubase. Machine looks like a good option, except for the price for standalone mode.
I hear you man, I gave up on the MPC. Sure you can get fast and proficient with it but it doesn’t offer any benefit to me. Otherwise the One is great value for money, and Maschine Plus is quite pricey as you said.
I don't have M+, so I can't speak from experience. The MK3 works great for me though, super stable and I can load gazillion of instuments on my M1 Mac.
Thank you, Low Heat, for the video. I am a beginning beat maker, in the style of 90's boom bap, and I am still on the fence, not knowing whether to go with Maschine MK3 or MPC One. What would you recommend? I have zero experience with either brand and have never used a DAW in my life. What scares me a little is that I have heard (but I cannot confirm) that the customer support for Native Instruments isn't very good. Being a novice, if I run into any issues downloading software or have any other issues, who will be available to assist me? Lastly, I have seen some videos on the Akai Expansions and I really liked the sound of some of them, like the Marco Polo "Pad Thai" volume I and II. Can those expansions be used with the MK3? Thank you, Low Heat, for your content and time. I appreciate whatever advice you can give, as well as answers to these questions. Have a great day and Merry Christmas. Blessings!
Hey David, glad you enjoyed the video! But honestly, based on watching the video or my other videos, I'm sure you know what I would recommend 😀 Idk about the support, never used it in 10+ years using NI products because everything has always worked fine, or was fixed simply by updating the software to a new version. Or there has been plenty of information online (even on NI's own support section) with step by step instructions on how to do whatever I need to do. NI Expansions are excellent as well.
I don't think so. Usually people want to use NI expansions on the MPC and there's a piece of software that translates them to the Akai's format. But I don't know if it works vice versa. Again, NI's Expansions have a huge variety and there are so many of them, probably approaching 100 and their synths and sounds in general are top notch. To buy an MPC just for one or two expansions wouldn't be a great idea in the long term.
Awesome video! I'm really struggling to love my MPC Live 2 due to how in efficient it seems to be. Every little thing seems to need unnecessary menus diving and it just seems convoluted and messy. I really have Ben trying to love it... I want efficiency and to get ideas down in a streamlined and efficient manner and the Maschine seems to do this well and much better from what I'm hearing. I'd like to ask, I have recently purchased a S49 Komplete Kontrol as well that Komplete Instruments 13 VST that I use through Studio One. Would it be worth adding a MK3 or Plus to this S49 ecosystem and how do they play together? Thanks..
That would depend entirely on how you prefer to work. Unless you try it, you may never know if it’s worth it. I prefer not to use Maschine together with a DAW.
@@LFiers Yup, I've explained it in some of my videos. It's all about the hardware workflow for me. Adding a DAW in the mix overcomplicates the whole process and if I'm gonna be mousing around I might as well just use Ableton Live (which is what I use mainly) and skip Maschine altogether.
Historically the MPCs were the only one in their class. In the early days the menu diving required a learning curve but that was ok because they didn't do so much as the modern standalone sampler/studios. With their modern MPCs they should have streamlined the workflow way more than they did, especially given the powerhouses that they are now. They tried to fix the design of the Live by putting more buttons on the One when they realized the touch screen was not a panacea, but they did it wrong. I just don't get why they didn't get inspired by Maschine more which, interface-wise, is just vastly superior.
1st of all i love your content .. your beats knock hard bro ! i totally get what your saying .... im a mad fan of classic mpc producers although i can honeslty say ive never owned one .... im an Ableton dude and own a maschine mk3 .... so you've made up my mind to stick with Maschine... i was thinking about giving the mpc a go due to the dope styles coming from the hardcore MPC heads ... sticking to Maschine now ...
I feel exactly the same way I left maschine a couple of years ago - for mpc and force ... maschine just felt so much more natural for me but yes that’s subjective user dependent
Interesting. I have the Live and use it mostly as a plugin in Studio One. But I rely heavily on my Komplete Kontrol controller and NI/NKS instruments, so I've been considering Maschine for a while. Question. For drums, is there a way to link velocity to pitch and envelope?
@@LowHeatBeats I believe so; if I were to load some drum samples similar to how they are in the kits provided with Expansions. For velocity, I see start, decay, cutoff and of course volume. But not pitch. I'll poke around some more. Thanks!
Mpc one User here very interested in maybe getting the maschine mk3... I just wanted to let you all know if you hold the MAIN button you will get instant track selection via the pads on the mpc. that said i think maschine just sounds better to my ears. upgraded my pc recently and i think maschine will work better for things I dont use ableton for on pc. I am just not a fan of the mpc software. standalone I love how snappy it is and how quickly i can lay down loops and automations.
I think it depends to what you do. I just got an mpc one in hope to get a quicker way than the mk3 to correct what I recorded with the external synth in midi though the touch screen. Touching the notes in piano roll instead of scrolling with the knobs. The big problem of Maschine is the lack of touch screen and the vst not really made to be presented on both Maschine screens with weird parameters like 1,899998 values you don’t what it is. It really depends on what you need. The workflow seems too complex on mpc tho yes
For sure I totally get where you're coming from and I hope it works for you. (Let me know if it does when you get that MPC One btw) Surprisingly, for me editing MIDI on the touch screen didn't feel nice at all. It was very slow and the touch screen is not iPad quality, but definitely a step below that, so it's not as responsive. The plugin parameters are shown properly for NKS compatible instruments btw
@@LowHeatBeats disappointed to read the touchscreen is not as good as on ipad, that´s not surprise tho when you see the specs these devices are, it´s not great, 2gb of ram on mpc? in 2021? ... 4gb of storage? the are making them as cheap as possible, i would prefer pay more and get higher quality. I will sure let you know how fun it is (or not) :)
Yeah, I said I was biased in the beginning of the video. 😅 But I think this is true. I started with Ableton in 2008 and got my first MPC in 2009, so even though I was excited to get the MPC back then, I realised how some things were much quicker to do in Live, like loading and chopping samples, arranging a track, etc.
i had the mpc 1000 and went to the maschine mk2 i do think mashine is easier to use however i am vurios when it comes to sequencing using mute groups i think the mpc has the advantage ?
@@LowHeatBeats Speed to creativity is critical. As much as I can relate more to Akai's pedigree (even own some akai gear, S950, MFC42, etc) I never jelled with their MPC workflow. As an Ableton (Push2)/ Logic / and existing Komplete Control user, you sold me on Maschine. Now, ..Should I wait for a Maschine MK4 in the next year :). Thanks!
No idea when/if MK4 is coming out, these devices are not like iPhones, where you know a new one is coming out every year. My advice is always leaning towards getting what's available now and getting to work instead of waiting for something that you don't know when and if is coming. Life is short.
I explained this in my recent video about the NI Summer of Sound sale - basically my feeling is that new Maschine hardware won't be coming out this fall. But only people at NI know for sure, I don't have any inside info.
Hi man, first of all thanks for your videos, just subscribed ✌🏼 I’ve watched this video and read all the comments but still have doubts about my next gear investment. I’ve used Ableton Live for years but I’m looking for a standalone machine for the creative part of the beatmaking process that is able to easily export tracks/stems to Ableton Live for further mixing/arrangement and finalization. I’ve never tried Maschine software. I’ve tried mpc beats software with my mpk mini mk3 and it semmed horrible to me in terms of ui/ux and general workflow. So my question is: what standalone ma hine would be better for my needs, Maschine Plus or MPC One/Live? The key factors for me are the Chopping/slicing samples (mainly from Splice) and the ease of exporting tracks/stems to Ableton for final arrangements of my beats. Thank you in advance!
Thank you for subscribing Ivan! Looks like Maschine should be great for you as it does what you need very well (chopping and exporting to Live). However it's up to you to decide. From my experience, ultimately no one can tell what is the best for you until you try it and decide for yourself.
@@LowHeatBeats Thanks for your fast reply. How do you import Splice samples to Maschine+ ? Is the chopping workflow in Maschine+ similar to Serato Sample (which I love) in Ableton Live?
@@ivangiorgi1926 I don't use Splice, I don't have a Maschine Plus and I've never used Serato Sample. Only thing I can say, is it's all pretty straight forward and Splice samples are like any other samples, so importing them should be pretty easy.
My first controller was the Maschine MK3 and feel it's the easiest to dive into. Still feel lost in anything else including FL which I also have along with the fire.
I really like my MPC One, and I'm learning more and more with it. But I can't help but feel I should have went with a Maschine. Honestly Probably going to pick up a maschine at some point this year, if they come out with a new one maybe ill grab the last generation while its on sale. If i could go back I would start with a maschine, and then maybe get an older MPC down the road.
@@LowHeatBeats No, funnily enough the workflow between both of them is not well integrated. I belive AKAI is working on harmonizing it in future updates. However the Force is really something that you might like *as you like Ableton), especially with the latest inclusion of the song mode and the seamless import/export to Ableton.
Спасибо, очень информативно. Я так понял, если я хочу купить себе первый серъезный грувбокс, то лучше взять maschine plus, так как я хочу работать без компьютера. А что касательно roland mc101, 707.мне очень нравится zen core движок, но очень не люблю их меню дайвинг? Спасибо за помощь
The Force is fully integrated with Ableton. Much better IO than Maschine. Touch screen. Bluetooth. USB 3. Internal SSD storage. Better cpu performance. Arranger. It kills Push2 too (although Push3 right around the corner). Maschine just has more plugins and they sound really good, no doubt. But you can find used Force for half the price of Maschine+ and after 3.0.6 update you can feel confident Akai will continue to improve its features. Hopefully more instrument plugins.
Thanks for the video! I’m a guitar player and use Logic Pro. I suck at drums so I was looking for some additional hardware to add to my little home studio. My gf bought me the mk3 and it seems intimidating because I’m brand new but the MPC looks fun. I think I’ll stick to MK3 right now but I like the stand alone option of the MPC
Maschine actually lacks a few things I actually use a lot with regular DAWs such as audio feedback when I move a midi note on the piano roll, and quintuplet/septuplet grid divisions. Also, I can't figure out how the swing settings values work...
Yeah, using the controller is where its strength is, I rarely use the mouse and piano roll with Maschine. Also, I have a tutorial on how quantization and swing settings/values work, you can find it in my Maschine tutorials playlist.
I was first an analog guy starting with an mpc 1000 but once I went to maschine I've never look back I've had the mk1 and the Maschine studio and now the mk3 I tried mpc beats but wasn't so into it like others can be but I want the maschine+ now
Sure but this one was more like a general comparison of core principles and user interface, than comparing specific models. Comparing the Force to Maschine would be cool, I’d do it but I have never used a Force.
Who says that? 😅People say a lot of stuff that's not true. At least Maschine has a linear and more flexible arranger. But tbh I don't understand why anyone would arrange on any groovebox, it's just much harder to make good edits and transitions, I always use Ableton Live for this.
As a maschine user I find the software far better, but man I love that export feature on mpc's. I still use maschine because I don't really have a desire to go standalone.
@@LowHeatBeats There's nothing really special about it, it's just the fact that you can actually take it away, make a beat, and then export it. I guess it's the whole package not the export. Every daw has that option.
I been a maschine user for almost 10 years, got mpc live 3 weeks ago, wouldnt consider going back yo maschine. You keft out important information. For once maschine jever gets updates over last 2 years for example on maschine onoy uodates are bug fixes you never get new features and people are always conplaing about it, mpc are constantly dropping new things forbtheirbdevices so it feels like you yet more value. Further more almost all the mpc line is standalone capable only the maschine + is and its not even good in standalone from what i hear. And cost way more than getting any standalone mpc. I do agree that the work flow is a bit quicker on maschine though but thats it, the sampling features arent as good either, i would never use maschine without serato for example, maschine has no stem support and mpc is getting this in a month, and for standalone too. You definitely get more for your money with mpc and you didnt mention any of the strengths of the mpc so the bias here is to the detriment of the viewer when you dont mention ao many great features of the mpc which are no where to be found on maschine. I havent even mentioned flavour pro plugin on the mpc yet which is considered better than the legendary rc-20 the list goes on
Hey, I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Keep in mind that the video was uploaded almost 3 years ago - February 2021, so it's not possible to reflect updates in the last 2 years. But I still stand by what I said in the video and I don't agree that it's detrimental to the viewer. The fact that everyone, including me, is biased was also mentioned in the intro of the video. The topic of the video was the workflow, not MPC vs Maschine in general, that's why I don't mention the features of the MPC. And this is kinda the point - no amount of features can make the MPC enjoyable for me with its (in my opinion) convoluted workflow. I don't need feautures, I need something that lets me express my ideas quick and easy. I'm also mainly an Ableton Live user and I have all the features I need there with the workflow still being very quick.
Peace. I use Ableton Live in conjunction w my MPC Live. Normally I process my samples and drums in ableton, resample them then take the resampled clip and drag it straight to a pad on my MPC in controller mode and start working. I tried the Maschine mk 2 mini. I found it remarkably difficult to understand and the pass felt like hard as shit and hurt my finger tips.
As somebody who doesn't sample (unless I sample myself for effect) and have a million vsts I have no need for standalone. I use maschine studio for drums and sequencing but do wish it had better daw integration. Depending on project I either create in maschine or cubase ... I have an rme interface and ua mic pre so would never use the maschine inputs when I have much higher quality pres elsewhere
I have both, right now I prefer Maschine as I am faster on it, but I’m not giving up on my live 2 , I love the idea of it, had a harder time adapting to the workflow currently reading the mpc bible trying to get it down.
@@LowHeatBeats more due to I can’t return it anymore so I might as well learn it haha 😂 I do like the idea of taking it to studios or traveling with it ect
@@LowHeatBeats Keep an eye on ebay. I found a used one for $600 just a couple months ago. I know you're not in US but maybe one will pop up in your area that's worthwhile. A lot of people were disappointed with it so there were a lot on second hand market before the 3.0.6 update. It's a huge improvement. Check out Pink Buddha, Nick Trikakis, Nicethings videos.
When I started making beats 7 years ago I was on the Maschine and loved its workflow but when I tried out the MPC 5 years ago I instantly switched over to the MP and never looked back. The MPC workflow clicked with me much better then Maschine did. However Maschine is still a dope groovebox and its software 100 times better then the MPC software. I use Ableton here and there as well but its much easier for me to get my ideas off on the MP then it is on Ableton.
Gear acquisition syndrome stroked again ... historical user of the Maschine mk3 and of Ableton push2 I have this week taken the plunge for the MPc to get out of my man cave.. the Plus was simply double the price .. my future workflow that I’m testing is creating the base on the MpC in my garden and finalising in the cave in Maschine ... but when I see your analysis I’m think à will have to make a choice
lol yeah, buying new gear is fun. But I don't think Maschine is that good for finishing tracks either. Ableton would be more suitable for that, being a proper DAW.
It’s a twisted game of an imposter: MPC is a machine and Maschine is a controller, empty shell, an imposter with a pretty name. Ironically, some things from this video are not true: for example stating that it is easier to mute tracks on Maschine by holding shift and pressing pads compared to “need to open menu on MPC” - on MPC One you just press one button once and then use pads without the need to hold shift. It is hard to fit an autonomous box with all the resources of a computer daw because a computer has all the f0ckt4rd memory in the universe to draw samples from while an MPC needs each time to create a temp pool to use. I find the apparent restrictions of MPC very magical in a way that they bring focus: a narrow opening concentrates intent while a huge one disperses it, like with the female form. I feel that it is mind boggling how much flexibility of shaping things in a custom way there are in MPC, layers, filters, envelopes.., in a computer daw these are just expected commodities. I feel that the workflow of the MPC is only a detriment to a COMPLETE beginner, I have MPC One for three days now and there is hardly any aspect of it unknown to me. I thought that the lack of free length recording and not seeing a multitrack display would be a burden to me but, talking about focus, these make me focus more on hearing the music, sensing it more clearly, this is magical.
Sometimes I use MTuner for this, I wish Maschine had a built-in tuner. But even then it would probably only work reliably for monophonic samples, like most tuners.
Couldn't have said it better myself. I went from MPC 3000 to this when I transitioned to Maschine MK1 and it felt like a natural next step in hands on to me. Not assigning samples or being bound to midi tracks as an additional layer was confusing at first but once I got the advantage of having it "non destructive" all the way through I was sold. Even coming from a normal DAW you might expect the mpc behavior, "record this sound on to this track" so I see how it might be more intuitive. Going back to the One and Live, the workflow hasn't changed but just added new stuff on top - and for good reason like you mentioned in this video it's a working concept and you don't need to learn much new to pick it up as a MPC user. The new thing to learn for me was that I need to remember to keep track of all the different layers and rules for them. Track mix vs program or pad mix, mute vs program or pad mute, program types. Essentially 2 layers to the architecture - audio and midi, and one layer for every single routing in these sections. Jumping through hoops as you say in the video, but it's needed to maintain the original workflow and add the extra control.
Well said brother. I remember you talking about track mix vs program mix, pad mix, MIDI tracks, etc as being confusing in your comparison video. People should watch that video too for a more detailed comparison.
Part of this confusion is that no one seems to be able to adequately explain what a "track" is on the MPC platform vs a "program". I have watched many intro videos and out of the hundreds I have seen, only one person gave an adequate explanation. A "track" on the MPC platform is simply your MIDI data. A "program" is your instrument. Until you assign a program to a track, you will not hear any sound, as the program is the instrument that will voice the MIDI data. This is really powerful, but sadly, not even Akai adequately explains exactly what a track and program are, so it is very confusing. What this allows you to do is setup a track with a melody for example, then play that melody with different programs (instruments) to see which one you like most. You can take this a step further and copy a sequence and switch around your programs so that different programs are assigned to your tracks, so that as a song progresses, you might have a flute playing your melody in one sequence, and have that melody taken over by a piano in the next sequence, all without having to rewrite the track (just literally select the track, then select the program, change the program using the wheel, and voila, totally new instrument, totally different vibe).
It’s a twisted game of an imposter: MPC is a machine and Maschine is a controller, empty shell, an imposter with a pretty name. Ironically, some things from this video are not true: for example stating that it is easier to mute tracks on Maschine by holding shift and pressing pads compared to “need to open menu on MPC” - on MPC One you just press one button once and then use pads without the need to hold shift.
It is hard to fit an autonomous box with all the resources of a computer daw because a computer has all the f0ckt4rd memory in the universe to draw samples from while an MPC needs each time to create a temp pool to use. I find the apparent restrictions of MPC very magical in a way that they bring focus: a narrow opening concentrates intent while a huge one disperses it, like with the female form.
I feel that it is mind boggling how much flexibility of shaping things in a custom way there are in MPC, layers, filters, envelopes.., in a computer daw these are just expected commodities. I feel that the workflow of the MPC is only a detriment to a COMPLETE beginner, I have MPC One for three days now and there is hardly any aspect of it unknown to me. I thought that the lack of free length recording and not seeing a multitrack display would be a burden to me but, talking about focus, these make me focus more on hearing the music, sensing it more clearly, this is magical.
@@RosssRoyce You're clearly in a honeymoon phase.
@@BlezzBeats okay, when would reality hit me I’ll think of you! I wonder how long yours lasted? Still, aren’t you tempted to just switch on such a unit without waiting for a computer to boot, and immediately mark an idea?
This is helping me big time, thanks for the comparison. I've been using Maschine for years now and I'm learning things from you in this video I really didn't know about the Maschine. I need to take a deep dive in and learn more on the Maschine before I pickup a MPC. I was going to replace Maschine with an MPC but now I'm thinking I should save my money and dive into Maschine a bit more. it's for home studio use only so I'm not caring about portability. Thanks again for the insight.♊
I'm so glad the video helped you! MPC has been generating way more hype than Maschine lately so it's not a surprise that people think about switching. However nothing has changed since I posted this video. The Maschine workflow is still cleaner and faster and overall making music with it is a breeze.
My journey started on an MPC 2kxl and I enjoyed the workflow (still do). Then had a Maschine mk1 for years (still do). Then got an MPC One... and felt pretty lost... (still do).
I expected to feel at home again going with another incarnation of an MPC since I know the MPC2kxl inside and out, but that was not the case unfortunately. So many pages/menus, too much reliance on the touch screen, the q-link set that your constantly switching through... it feels like theres an extra step for everything I do on there, and that step is not always intuitive. Even after making about 10 or so songs with it, I'm still googling things that should've been immediately apparent the first time around, and they aren't - they're buried in a menu page and several touch screen swipes away.
I really wanted to love it and enjoy the MPC architecture once again, but I think I've been spoiled by having Maschine in between the 2. Doing simple things like adjusting the pad volume/ pitch/swing (in real time)/ pad mutes/ track mutes...all without visiting a single menu is just much... simpler. After trying to adjust to the newer MPC way, the more I work with it, the more I appreciate Maschine.
Having written this comment, I think I just convinced myself to unload my MPC one and maybe upgrade to a newer Maschine mk3.
Appreciate you sharing your experience, I definitely agree with most of what you said.
If you already have the song finished in your head, use Maschine to drop it quickly without losing inspiration. If you like crafting and discovering inspiration as you go along, use MPC because of its many workflow styles will satisfy the mad music scientist cravings.
I never thought about it this way. Well said! And a great reason to justify having both 😀
I like this answer because it justifies having both… which is always the best. Lol.
@@Sikt bro get the Maschine + I got it paired with the komplete kontrol s88 with the komplete 13 collectors edition and it’s an absolute beast. It’s truly all you’ll need since it’s all integrated together kind of like apple products. I definitely want to get a MPC one cause that’s just a classic man
nah yo, i craft and discover with ANY tool lol
What you said is what I do on the mpc ,it has a beatbox workflow. Like in middle school playing the drums on the lunch table style . When I got it I understood how timberland, dr Dre and Pharrell came up with those crazy unique beats
The MK3 has been my greatest investment I’ve made in music. The workflow just makes sense. Great video Low Heat.
Thank you for watching the video 🙏
So I’ve owed every Maschine as a Film and TV composer NI Sounds and Maschine workflow I’ve Grown to master much more streamed line” I also own the MPC Live II before there was a NI I worked on the MPC 2000 MPC 3000 60 and then I bought the 2000XL SP edition, but as you said both can produce radio commercial records” I placed my first record with a Major Neo Soul Artist in 2006 that was the single on the album and went on to earn a Grammy Nomination! And I only used Reason and a Axiom 25 key & my MacBook to create the Track.👌🏾😎
For sure, a laptop, DAW and MIDI keyboard is all you need. If you didn't have the ear and the ability, just using an MPC or Maschine wouldn't have got you that Grammy nomination.
Love the true stand-alone on MPC but can’t beat Maschine for vst integration (Nks) and the software is much more visually inspiring to me.
True that 👍
Can I make and save beats without licensing and update fees like Daws have on mpc ?
Can I still transfer and edit these beats that I've made on the mpc to PC or other devices years later without interference or internet bs?
@@vikctorrkreedd6418 Yes, 100%.
I had a maschine Mk3 and ended up selling it. I have a live 2 now and love it. Both have pros and cons but it's the mpc for me
Is there anything in particular that made you prefer the MPC? It has its pros for sure.
@@LowHeatBeats the sample chopping, touchscreen, the way the timing correct/swing work among other things. I also didn't like that on the maschine if you did more than 16 slices you have to put in keyboard mode which makes you lose control over adsr etc on the individual slices.
@@jhsmith1183 Fair enough 👍
I just got the maschine MK3 & will be using it w/ Logic. Thanks for your videos from a small producer ! Instant SUB.
Appreciate you watching and subscribing 🙏
I started with maschine mk1, currently have maschine plus and mpc X, maschine is amazing with the expansions and working with vsts, where the mpc is far superior for controlling midi synths, the mpc makes me slow down and work harder. It I like that.
Yup, spot on, I agree.
The MPC X, what does it do better than any other groveboox?
Far superior controlling ext.synths how?
I agree with you I bought the Mpc live and used it for a while but returned to Maschine for many reasons mostly because it’s so easy to make melody’s with the scales and chords functions compared to the Mpc and once you get the software and workflow down it’s great, been a Maschine user since 1.6 the vst host update.
Oh yeah that update was a while back, 2010 or 2011.
@@LowHeatBeats Ya that’s what made me go and buy the Mk1 Maschine before that I was interested but once I saw the CZcams videos with that update I got one that week
So you never explored pad perform mode on MPC? That's one of its most powerful features.
@@_thevaporz I did and that’s what actually brought my attention back to the maschine to compare because they have a few more scales and the pads to me are more playable on Maschine almost like playing a keyboard
I couldn’t be in more of an agreement after watching this video, brother… You nailed it. After experiencing the MPC One and also the MPC Live 2 - I had a staggering time as I ended up returning to the MPC Live 2 about three times like a toxic ex-girlfriend. When the Maschine was always there for me. Had even gotten the Maschine + and it wasn’t what I had expected it to be and again, that is okay. It will only get better along with the times, and the workflow, man! The workflow alone is a very courteous approach by NI, they all did their homework. The weakness in the MPC workflow with the new hardware is very limiting vs the endless routing and connectivity options. Maschine has been around for a very long time and as a day one user, I know for a fact that the blueprints and brainstorming sessions from all the years this hardware has been around, they nailed the MK3 controller. So what I am trying to say is, I gave up searching for new equipment and other things that the Maschine already does, I even decided to go back to my MK3 controller and gave back the Maschine + the other day and couldn’t have been happier with my MK2S88 and now with Logic on the iPad, it’s beautiful. I was able to construct, arrange and mix with the Maschine within the software and track it out and finalize in Logic. It’s just beautiful. NI are probably living off the mentality of “If it aint broke, why stress it?” In fairness but again, giving ourselves a little time and manual reading and watchung amazing videos like yourself creates, it all just makes sense. I am so excited to get back into working action after 2 years of going completely digital and reducing. Honestly, love this community we have here on CZcams and around the world. The MPC will cater to their audiences and style and the Maschine will do the same. They are both great and have their strengths and weaknesses. I had completed two songs using the MPC Live 2 and the other one with the MPC One, however the workflow was a constant pause for me understanding the menu structure and Bless said it best, Programs, Tracks, Pads and for the Maschine, it’s a thought process of what else should I add and what else am I missing. The browsing is glorious, all my sounds and libraries are just there. The character tags are so unique and it searches everything. Once again, I can go on and on, I am to excited and cannot wait to get cookin’ and finally break out of my creative/writers block! Thank you again brother for always supporting and giving us great content. 🫡🫂
Glad you're enjoying the videos, I appreciate your input and insightful comments!
Dope video!! I prefer MPC One....I came from a MPC 1000 workflow
Thank you! Yeah, the One is like a modern MPC1000 basically and is amazingly capable.
What are you using for a daw? What type of music?
Great vid! The age ole debate!! Lol I have used both, but it seems like you do work much faster using the maschine especially chopping samples. Personally I have a Mk3 and its fantastic! The MPC is still amazing, for me they inspire your workflow in different ways
Exactly 👍
I like the fact the Maschine designers took the same philosophy as car designers designing dash boards. They both can be learned to be used without looking if you think about it. That's the fastest workflow I have ever experienced.
True, once you learn it, you don't need to look to much at it. It's very tactile.
Great explanation. I'm currently a mpc one owner and you have me really considering trying the machine. thanks for this video.
Glad I could help!
If you haven't yet, please consider, you will be very disappointed with the complete lack of any updates or new features
I have both mpc and the maschine mk3 and the mk3 is easier for me to learn and make beats very quickly then doing it on an mpc.
Yup, for sure ✌️
i really like the maschine but cannot ignore the touchscreen and buttons on the MPC-X. planning to get one soon
Nice one! For me a smaller MPC makes more sense due to space consideratons but the X sure looks cool ✌️
I started on software for many years Sonar Reason Cubase then Logic, then I got the original Maschine mikro and it changed the way I made music, then I got the Maschine Studio and I rocked with that for while but hated the arrangement, switched to Push 2 and Ableton and once again changed the way I made music and with that setup Ive made so much music and got so many placements on reality tv shows, it paid for itself 20 times over. I recently bought the Maschine mk3 just because I missed that super fast workflow. I love the Maschine for the hands on feel but Ableton with Push 2 and Komplete keyboard is Still my go to. I tried to get into the MPC line but I felt like I was learning Mandarin Chinese, it was really unintuitive and I usually pick up things quickly. I do like the pads tho and I like their take on stand alone but Maschine and Push 2 all day
Yeah man, totally.
Check out the playlists in the video description if you want to see how I actually work with both machines.
I know this was an older post but I had to comment because you’ve sold me. I’ve been using my MPC one for the past 3 years and I’ve had a machine mkiii just sitting in a box collecting dust. Long story short but I never really used DAWS. When I had my ASR10 and MPC 2000 I would record stuff in real time either to a four track tape or regular cassette or even just into my iPhone. A few years ago when I saw how cheap MPCOne was I decided to sell my older gear and stream line my approach to creating music. There was definitely a learning process for the MPC. I don’t know why I purchased the Machine also, maybe cuz I found it for relatively inexpensive on Reverb. So I bought it. Now that I had a MacBook I figured on using it. But alas I did not and was just about to put it up for sale. Then I watched this video and everything you said was dead on. The MPC workflow is so cumbersome. Example you can’t start messing with a samples parameters unless it’s in a program. So they have sample edit but then you have to turn that into a drum program then you’re able to mess with the amp filter and pitch envelopes. And put effects on it and LFO and blah blah blah.
Hey, I appreciate you watching and sharing your perspective. Even if it's an older video, we haven't seen any major changes to these platforms since then, so everything that I said still applies.
I have the MPC Live and the Maschine MK3. I highly prefer my MPC more because it's standalone. I can make a beat anywhere without my laptop. It just feels more natural to me. Currently trying to sell my MK3 now because I haven't used it in months.
For sure, if being standalone was my priority, the One/Live are amazing value.
So the maschine is not standalone? Cant you use it like a regular srum machine without a computer?
@@wednesday567 The Maschine+ is standalone.
@@LowHeatBeats Yeah but have you seen the price compared to the One? The One is the better value for the money if you ask me
@@tuneunleashed I said pretty much the same thing in the comment above.
A little inaccurate on the MPC track selection you can hold the Main button to select Tracks from most screens. Also program edit you can scroll through all the available programs on the top without leaving the screen.
Good to know (holding main to select tracks), thanks for pointing this out.
Brilliant video, thank you for your level headedness.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Been using Maschine (upgraded to a Plus) and Ableton for a couple of years and bought a used MPC Live recently to try it out, I agree with alot of what you are saying. I don't think that the MPC is bad but its workflow-paradigm didn't work out for me like how Maschine and Ableton just "clicked" straight away. The main gripe I have (after spending almost a month with the Live) is that Akai really likes to "layer" functions beneath menus upon menus, the flow seems more vertical instead of horisontal with the maschine and you are spending a lot of time drilling trough menus on the touch-screen.
Akai does alot of things right with the MPC; the sampling is really well done and keygroups are very advanced if you spend time with them but for me that didn't outweigh the cons (IMO).
In the end tough, it's not about which one is "the best for everyone" but what works best for you, I'm going to try to trade the MPC for a Force to see if that suits me better..
Yup, totally agree with your points. MPC is definitely not bad, it has its pros too, but Ableton/Maschine users shouldn't think that the grass is greener in MPC-land (I used to think this back in the day when I bought an MPC1000).
You'll be even more frustrated with Force menu diving but it's worth it. Check out Nicethings tutorials. It's very powerful live performance machine for all genres.
@@_thevaporz Haha, yes, I think I've seen them all by now .. They sold me on the Force. What strikes me as different is how quickly you're in "record-mode" instead of the tap-swipe-tap-tap-spin-thingy on the MPC .. I don't mind a menu-dive to add "extras" to what I already recorded, that's how I work with Ableton today.
thank you for this. Have you experienced the Maschine crashing? I have heard many people talk about it crashing often ?
Also, does it force you to do updates often?
No, haven’t had any crashes in recent years, Maschine software has been pretty stable for me on both Mac and Windows. No forced updates either.
Maschine is so much more intuitive for me as a decade long user. I find the MPC Live 2 quite cumbersome sometimes but standalone experience is much better than hybrid in the software controller mode because the UI is a madness to me. Totally agree with Maschine being closely aligned with Ableton
Appreciate you sharing your experience.
You can use controller mode without looking at the computer screen. There is no difference in workflow
Great Review and fully consistent with my experience on both platforms. Keep on the good work!
Much appreciated!
Great video and gave me the answers I was after
Looks like I will be going for the maschine! Makes more sense to me
Using ableton and plenty of other reasons
Subbed for such a great video with all the answers I was after
Nice one, glad the video was helpful. Appreciate the sub!
I’ve worked on 4 different DAWs, including Maschine,
And on 3 of them, I was making music/beats in literally minutes. MINUTES.
I’ve had the Maschine Mk3 around 2 years, and while I do enjoy making a beat with it , and all the NI sounds,
I STILL haven’t exported a total song/track from Maschine; I don’t think I’m ignorant, but I see teenage girls laying down fire BOMB ass beats, and doing Maschine tutorials, meanwhile, I can barely navigate the groups / patterns / scenes …
I haven’t totally given up yet, and still work with my Mk3 almost every day,
But I can’t help but wonder, if I’d have better spent money on an SP -404 or an Akai
(This is just my experience, no disrespect meant towards Native Instruments or anyone who prefers Maschine !)
I hear you fam. Maybe it's because it's not a proper linear DAW? I haven't exported a finished song from Maschine too, I export scenes and arrange and mix in Ableton. Maybe try using it like that? For me a 404 or MPC isn't a better investment.
Damn... You made a strong case for the Maschine workflow! And I've been using an MPC for 7+ years at this point, coming from FL Studio.
Indeed! But if you’re used to the MPC it would still take some time and practice to get used to the Maschine workflow.
I was a hardcore MPC user, turned Logic Pro man. I like the MPC One. I really love the Toraiz and hope to one day purchase one. Would love to get my hands on an MV8800 to try it out and mess around with a Microsampler - prices are crazy for these though! Sampletrak would be cool. We are too spoilt and I love it! 😂
lol totally man 😂
i stopped using my old mpc 2000 xl, then been in daw for the last 15yrs, got spontaneous and got mpc one and I thought i was gonna collapse from a migraine, workflow is not straight forward, I can get to where i need quicker with logic! im bout to return mpc and perhaps get machine it seems straight forward and simple! Thanks dude
Haha, I feel what you’re saying. Maschine is indeed more straight forward but you still need to put in the time to learn it.
I used Ableton since 2017 and my first contact with Maschine one year ago and my learning curve very fast , the mix of both very cool.
For sure, if you know Ableton, the learning curve isn't steep at all.
Started with the maschine workflow, I just got the mpc live 2. Both hardware are easy to learn if you take your time on it. The real question you need to ask yourself is if you prefer standalone so you can make beats anywhere (specially the battery, touchscreen and speaker on the mpc live 2 , boiii if you tried em you aint never goin back to not having them). Or if you prefer makin beats along with the pc, and if you prioritize more on using synth when making beats rather than samples then theres no question copping the maschine.
Can you elaborate on using synths vs samples please? I have an mpc one and looking at the mk3 now
@@landeralerav8756 you can use massive, serum, prism, kontakt and any other software synth and vst’s on the maschine. When I say sample, I mean when you are more of a sample based beatmaker.
Yup you’re right, I make beats in the studio and prioritize synths, although Maschine is very fast and powerful when working with samples as well.
have both maschine mk3 and mpc one, when working with computer, choose machine for sure, cuz NI have better software(sound, effects etc.). when working standalone use mpc one, cuz the touch screen are just sweet.
Fair enough!
Maschine+ is strong, MPC is flexible. Yes learning curve on MPC is steep, unlike M+. Many of your workflow gripes are solved if you use the touch screen and hangout in the channel mixer, and not the Main Program. IMO u need to lean in a bit more… For chops, and swing da MPC is king, the program edit is way ahead. If you can live with M+’s limited choice of workflows (but it is a nice workflow!) then the build quality, Massive(wavetable), Kontakt(industry standard), >4 layer velocity samples, sensitive pads, fancy effects and usb class compliant audio are epic on the M+ However the lack of flexibility in workflow, audio and midi routing, basic chop tools, and the cpu hungry synths/fx is killing the M+ for me.. This is core.. I’m going to give it another 10hours, then I’ll make a call on it, and decide which one to keep. pax.
I hear you. But, personally, I don't need a choice of workflows, I just need the quickest and most fun way to get down musical ideas. For me Maschine strikes a nice balance between immediacy and power. Being also Ableton Live user I just don't see the need for an MPC, I don't have the time to use so many platforms and, money and effort to improve my music are better spent on other stuff.
FWIW, I used an MPC1000 about 10 years ago, so I'm not a complete MPC noob.
You are absolutely right. I am sending the MPC one back immediately. Even sampling is all over the place . Machine makes a thousand times more sense the moment you look at it . Period👽
Yeah, not sure why so many people say MPC is better for sampling. May be just because of its past glory.
@@LowHeatBeats no because they got stuck with it . 🤣👽
learn to use it lol sampling is 100% better with mpc
I’ve moved on after realizing everything I want in a sampler / drum machine is available on my iPad Pro . Peace Christo👽
Excellent comparison video! 🙌🏾
Appreciate you watching it 🙏
I've got a Live and a Mk3 and I'm definitely preferring the Live currently. Both are really cool devices, I just really like the standalone option. The interface was very confusing at first coming from Ableton but I was able to wrap my head around it eventually. The Maschine is cool too, I just don't feel it has many benefits compared to the Live or the Push 2
I think you're right that Maschine is the quickest to use though! I wish the loading time didn't require scanning all my plugins each time though.
@@DylanParisMusic there is a way to bypass that scanning every time you open Maschine... I'll see if I can find the how to. I did it to mine. Opens super fast now
@@DylanParisMusic check out Maschine masters YT channel. The tutorial is on there and shows you step by step how to disable VST scan at start up. 👍
Sick I'll check that out! Thank you!
For sure man, Ableton/Push 2 are my main workhorses, I use Maschine when I wanna switch it up a bit.
I tried the Maschine and MPC Live. Sold MPC and got an Akai Force. It was a good choice. Never givin' up my Maschine tho. NEVER!
Right on
Do you use the Force and Maschine together or just separate?
very helpful! i've been an mpc one and live 2 user and cannot stomach workflow or constantly have to stop die to software glitches! I am looking at gettin maschine mk3 or plus, i wanted to know can you sample from a phone or how is sampling in that platform?
thanks
Sampling in Maschine is super fast and easy and you can do pretty much anything that you can do on an MPC. You can sample from anything via the line inputs at the back. Glad the video was helpful!
Thank you very much ! I appreciate your input, I will most likely go for it, since i am needing a machine with a fast workflow and less setbacks when creating! there's also elektron that just came out , gonna check that out as well, but maschine layout, pad colors kinda got me with a cleaner interface!
much thanks sir!!
Bought the MPC one when it first came out, and I really wanted to love as it has so many great features, back in 1990's-00's could never afford one.
No offense to the MPC fans ( Used to use a friends s950/S3000 and Atari St in the mid 1990's till the early 2000's, and made some decent tunes with them) But sadly I just didn't like the hard pads on the One as you have to whack them quite hard and my timing always sounded off on the MPC, surprisingly the work flow didn't feel as intuitive as I had hoped having used an a few old Akai rack mounts in the past.
Anyhoo months after saw a Maschine MK1 on eBay in new condition for $100 new in box with MK2 software, such little money, so thought no big deal if I didn't like it anyway, however instead I instantly bonded with it, in no time, I was making what actually sounded like proper music my timing was spot on, compared to what mess I was making with the MPC,
Now though with the fantastic new upgrades for the MPC I feel I really should persevere, when I have more time to read the manual to see where I am getting lost. :D both have their pro's and cons depending.
Thanks for sharing your experience. The new MPC update looks great, however, it's still the same workflow.
There are settings to change the sensitivity of the pads, but yes, they are very stiff pads on the MPC
The maschine mk3 was the best piece of hardware I've ever bought great piece of hardware im not switching to nothing else
My favourite piece if hardware as well, even though I also use Push 2 with Ableton.
I am a newbie and have used neither but I’m looking to buy one of these to pair with the prophet 10 rev 4. Honesty I’m a blues/jazz/funk player who used to gig a lot but as I’m getting older I prefer having fun in my studio.
Do either of these options come with samples and demo beats to get me started? TY!
Both come with plenty of samples, loops, demo projects and virtual instruments. I think Maschine might be better in this department, both in terms of quality and quantity of the included libraries. If you want to record the audio from your Prophet and not just use it as a MIDI keyboard, both can do it, but none of them are great at it, a DAW like Ableton Live is better for audio recording. But with so many instruments included you may not need the sound form the Prophet, you can just use it as a keyboard to play the built-in sounds. At any rate, since you're a newbie, I'd advise you to research more to figure out what's the best option for you, as it can be a bit complicated if you're just getting into it.
this is a good video comparison cause is very practial, comes from a very personal point of view and is easy to follow, thanks for sharing your thoughts and making the video
Thank you so much!
Nice vid. What software do you use to edit your videos? And do you script and make a storyboard first or do you just freestyle and edit the videos later?
Thanks! I use Final Cut Pro. I make an outline of the main points and things I'm going to say in the video but not a complete script, just bullet points. If I don't make a plan I usually forget something important.
@@LowHeatBeats thanks for the reply!
thanks I was starting to think that I made the wrong decision.. new mk3 owner
Yeah, as long as you take some time to learn how it works, you'll be having a lot of fun with the MK3. Not a wrong decision at all.
same here haha i might just cant resist the classic vibe of the mpc, although it may not be the same as those og models
@@librandon3795 the mpc feel keeps me on the one as well. Sold all my Maschines ive owned over the years. Somehow it doesnt feel not near as good as an mpc to me. And i first owned a 3 maschines first (mk 2 mikro, mk3, mk3 Mikro)
Not having a Maschine+, I cant reference firsthand that unit, but what I can say is, from everything I have seen and read, the unit is way underpowered for the software that is running on it. The lack of a touchscreen also destroys my need to play with fiddly bits. Fine-tuning the piano roll and x/y effects on the MPC are absolutely simple and easy to do, where the menu diving required on the Maschine+ to edit the piano roll absolutely kills me. Finally, I have an MPC Live 1 and a Live 2, the Live 1 is a permanent fixture next to my Yamaha Motif XF8 and my Icon MIDI control surfaces, the Live 2 sits on my nightstand for portable grooving in bed at 3 AM. The built-in speaker and battery make the Live 2 just fantastic for sketching ideas. Having said that, the Maschine is the clear winner in terms of synth capabilities. Massive is just a great synth, it is too bad that it needs so much CPU to really use it, and good luck using more than three or four instances of Massive, you hit that CPU limit pretty fast. There are other small reasons I like the Live over the Maschine, but these are the big reasons. At the end of the day however, the units are similar and you can't really go wrong with either of them, just know that the Maschine+ is not quite up to snuff when it comes to having the power to really create full tracks that might utilize more than 24-32 voices, whereas, the MPC can handle four banks of full pads easily, and the drum synth in the MPC is spectacular. The drum synth almost eliminates the need for drum samples, yes, it is that good.
Sure man, if the MPC works for you, that's great. Generally I've totally lost interest in the MPC - it doesn't contribute to the quality of my music in any way. It was fun to play with it for a couple of months and I made several nice beats. But between my Maschine MK3 and my Push 2 it's just unnecessary (I don't need a standalone at this point either).
@@LowHeatBeats I don't need a standalone either, I like having that functionality for when I am away from the PC. I have an MPC one which I originally used for my 3 am writing, I bought the Live 2, and stuck the Live 1 in the studio to use exclusively with the PC. Honestly, for my needs, the MPC One would be better for my studio and the Live 2 as my 3 am unit, but I don't see a reason to buy a One since I have a Live 1 sitting around. Functionally, they are both the same, less the CV Gates and the battery, which I do not need in my studio.
I don't use Ableton and my music writing comes from an orchestral music background, so sample based music is a new thing for me (relatively speaking), so the push 2 is not really my cup of tea. Frankly, I use the Live in my studio for writing percussion lines for thematic, epic music at the moment, what makes the MPC nice is the touch screen and controls allows it to operate in a manner that lets me control my VST's from the hardware.
I think NI will release a new Maschine+ and I am curious to see if they will increase the processing power and add a touch screen to the unit. Battery and a flat response speaker would be great as well, if they do, I would consider it next to the Live 2 and use them both. I love tech :)
Believe or not I have always wondered the differences between these 2
Glad the video was useful then!
I completely agree with you about Maschine's workflow. It is simpler, faster, and better. However, I used to have an mk2, but i got rid of it. Maschine software was too dependent on a sound module. If you had a good audio interface, you were good. But if you didn't, all you got was constant crashing of your computer (regardless of mac or pc). I got sick of all the crashing. It was time consuming and frustrating.
Now, maschine's audio interface is embedded so that solves that problem. But one problem... but it's not really a problem; more of a preference.
I found myself getting stuck in the sheer volume of options it gives you for sound. The library of synths amd sounds is so massive (no pun intended) that searching for something cooler started really distracting me. I spent more time looking for sounds that finishing the beat. It was nice to have, but not for me.
Like I said, Native Instruments has made an incredible device, but my thought process is too basic for all the advance stuff they give... so I'm using an Mpc one.... old but good.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Maschine’s sounds can indeed be too much and if the MPC works better for you that’s cool 👍
The sound library is just an option you’re given but you’re not forced to browse sounds.
If you’re distracted by browsing you create your own sounds instead with any of the multiple synths onboard or you sample sounds from any source.
You may also be overwhelmed by the plethora of controls on the synths and the endless number of sources to sample from.
My advice, just focus on something specific and move on.
@@dxtrs_mnpltr I hear you.... For me, the less synth availability of the MPC ONE works out better for me.
My workflow is this...Bang on a few drum pads...get a good groove going... then add bassline (if needed), and lastly, add a melodic instrument..... copy sequence pattern over and over, make section variants, and voila!
Sometimes it takes 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week, but it gets done... whereas on Machine I would still be working on it... looking for that secret sauce sound...lol
Like I said before, it's just my preference. Like mostly everything else in this world, there are 2 options. Paper or plastic, Apple or Android, Whopper or Big Mac, Maschine or MPC.
I've tried both worlds.... but the MPC world feels like home to me.
Great work! So helpful, thanks again! Blessings
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video! I love my Maschine MK3 but have been looking at the MPC for a while now (mainly the Live 2 for the battery and built-in speaker). But I've been having some doubts about the workflow because I'm so used to Maschine and Ableton as well! Very helpful to hear your thoughts, thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I’m in this exact same boat and I still can’t decide if I want to give the live 2 a chance or not. I really like the idea of having a standalone with a battery, but I’m worried the workflow won’t be as solid.
@@omarwhite3627 Yep!! I know. I would just LOVE to make music from the couch without cable spaghetti and headphones. But workflow is a big deal too!
@@AnjaEve What concerns do you have about workflow? MPC and Force are integrated with Ableton Link and tons of easy export options over USB or SD card (or WiFi). Clip mode often overlooked on MPC. There are hundreds of MPC tutorials for reference if you need help.
@@_thevaporz Hey Zach! For the MPC I wasn't sure if I could get used to the way the sequences and song mode work. Especially working with a lot of vocals. But I watched some more videos and actually got the Force last week! Closer to Ableton's workflow than MPC so it feels like I don't have to adjust. Having lots of fun with it!
I like the stand alone ability of the MPC one, but the complex menu style operation is hard to get used to. I wonder if I haven't played with it for a while, if it is easy to use again.
I am used to cubase.
Machine looks like a good option, except for the price for standalone mode.
I hear you man, I gave up on the MPC. Sure you can get fast and proficient with it but it doesn’t offer any benefit to me. Otherwise the One is great value for money, and Maschine Plus is quite pricey as you said.
Great video.. but mk3 plus as stand alone how bad is in cpu crash???? I see a lot of videos on this matter. What u say about this??? Thanks
I don't have M+, so I can't speak from experience. The MK3 works great for me though, super stable and I can load gazillion of instuments on my M1 Mac.
Thank you, Low Heat, for the video. I am a beginning beat maker, in the style of 90's boom bap, and I am still on the fence, not knowing whether to go with Maschine MK3 or MPC One. What would you recommend? I have zero experience with either brand and have never used a DAW in my life. What scares me a little is that I have heard (but I cannot confirm) that the customer support for Native Instruments isn't very good. Being a novice, if I run into any issues downloading software or have any other issues, who will be available to assist me?
Lastly, I have seen some videos on the Akai Expansions and I really liked the sound of some of them, like the Marco Polo "Pad Thai" volume I and II. Can those expansions be used with the MK3? Thank you, Low Heat, for your content and time. I appreciate whatever advice you can give, as well as answers to these questions. Have a great day and Merry Christmas. Blessings!
Hey David, glad you enjoyed the video! But honestly, based on watching the video or my other videos, I'm sure you know what I would recommend 😀
Idk about the support, never used it in 10+ years using NI products because everything has always worked fine, or was fixed simply by updating the software to a new version. Or there has been plenty of information online (even on NI's own support section) with step by step instructions on how to do whatever I need to do.
NI Expansions are excellent as well.
@@LowHeatBeats Thank you, Low Heat, for your response. I appreciate it. Do you know if you can use Akai Expansions with MK3?
I don't think so. Usually people want to use NI expansions on the MPC and there's a piece of software that translates them to the Akai's format. But I don't know if it works vice versa. Again, NI's Expansions have a huge variety and there are so many of them, probably approaching 100 and their synths and sounds in general are top notch. To buy an MPC just for one or two expansions wouldn't be a great idea in the long term.
@@LowHeatBeats Thank you so much. You are awesome. Blessings!
Awesome video! I'm really struggling to love my MPC Live 2 due to how in efficient it seems to be. Every little thing seems to need unnecessary menus diving and it just seems convoluted and messy. I really have Ben trying to love it...
I want efficiency and to get ideas down in a streamlined and efficient manner and the Maschine seems to do this well and much better from what I'm hearing.
I'd like to ask, I have recently purchased a S49 Komplete Kontrol as well that Komplete Instruments 13 VST that I use through Studio One.
Would it be worth adding a MK3 or Plus to this S49 ecosystem and how do they play together? Thanks..
That would depend entirely on how you prefer to work. Unless you try it, you may never know if it’s worth it. I prefer not to use Maschine together with a DAW.
@@LowHeatBeats Why is this? So how do you use Maschine then? With just the standard software?
@@LFiers Yup, I've explained it in some of my videos. It's all about the hardware workflow for me. Adding a DAW in the mix overcomplicates the whole process and if I'm gonna be mousing around I might as well just use Ableton Live (which is what I use mainly) and skip Maschine altogether.
Historically the MPCs were the only one in their class. In the early days the menu diving required a learning curve but that was ok because they didn't do so much as the modern standalone sampler/studios. With their modern MPCs they should have streamlined the workflow way more than they did, especially given the powerhouses that they are now. They tried to fix the design of the Live by putting more buttons on the One when they realized the touch screen was not a panacea, but they did it wrong. I just don't get why they didn't get inspired by Maschine more which, interface-wise, is just vastly superior.
Well said and I totally agree.
broo may i ask you
wat is better for Guitar players i need for chords progression
thanks nice video!
No idea man, that would depend on what you're trying to do. But glad you liked the video!
1st of all i love your content .. your beats knock hard bro ! i totally get what your saying .... im a mad fan of classic mpc producers although i can honeslty say ive never owned one .... im an Ableton dude and own a maschine mk3 .... so you've made up my mind to stick with Maschine... i was thinking about giving the mpc a go due to the dope styles coming from the hardcore MPC heads ... sticking to Maschine now ...
Thank you so much 🙏 Yeah, you can make the same dope styles with Maschine or Ableton. The music comes from you, not the machine you use.
I feel exactly the same way I left maschine a couple of years ago - for mpc and force ... maschine just felt so much more natural for me but yes that’s subjective user dependent
Yup, that’s true. Thank you for watching ✌️
So why did you leave Mashine?
@@magnuseriksson8081 I returned to Maschine plus..I guess its that's old problem in the pursuit of "looking for better"-im very happy that I did !
@@jodagold5481 I wish all the boxes also supported vocal recordings
Great comparison
Thank you! An older video but still very much relevant.
Interesting. I have the Live and use it mostly as a plugin in Studio One. But I rely heavily on my Komplete Kontrol controller and NI/NKS instruments, so I've been considering Maschine for a while.
Question. For drums, is there a way to link velocity to pitch and envelope?
You mean on Maschine's built-in sampler? I don't think so. You can check out the manual to see the exact modulation options that are available.
@@LowHeatBeats I believe so; if I were to load some drum samples similar to how they are in the kits provided with Expansions. For velocity, I see start, decay, cutoff and of course volume. But not pitch. I'll poke around some more. Thanks!
I have the mpc one and I love it. I make beats almost everyday on that thing. Plus I feel as if Maschine is wayyyyyy to expensive.
Yeah, the One is actually great value for money.
Mpc one User here very interested in maybe getting the maschine mk3... I just wanted to let you all know if you hold the MAIN button you will get instant track selection via the pads on the mpc. that said i think maschine just sounds better to my ears. upgraded my pc recently and i think maschine will work better for things I dont use ableton for on pc. I am just not a fan of the mpc software. standalone I love how snappy it is and how quickly i can lay down loops and automations.
Appreciate your input and the tip for selecting tracks!
I think it depends to what you do. I just got an mpc one in hope to get a quicker way than the mk3 to correct what I recorded with the external synth in midi though the touch screen. Touching the notes in piano roll instead of scrolling with the knobs. The big problem of Maschine is the lack of touch screen and the vst not really made to be presented on both Maschine screens with weird parameters like 1,899998 values you don’t what it is. It really depends on what you need. The workflow seems too complex on mpc tho yes
For sure I totally get where you're coming from and I hope it works for you. (Let me know if it does when you get that MPC One btw)
Surprisingly, for me editing MIDI on the touch screen didn't feel nice at all. It was very slow and the touch screen is not iPad quality, but definitely a step below that, so it's not as responsive.
The plugin parameters are shown properly for NKS compatible instruments btw
@@LowHeatBeats disappointed to read the touchscreen is not as good as on ipad, that´s not surprise tho when you see the specs these devices are, it´s not great, 2gb of ram on mpc? in 2021? ... 4gb of storage? the are making them as cheap as possible, i would prefer pay more and get higher quality. I will sure let you know how fun it is (or not) :)
‘Ableton has enhanced and simplified the workflow of the MPC.’ 😂 you may have a bias. We all do🎉
Yeah, I said I was biased in the beginning of the video. 😅 But I think this is true. I started with Ableton in 2008 and got my first MPC in 2009, so even though I was excited to get the MPC back then, I realised how some things were much quicker to do in Live, like loading and chopping samples, arranging a track, etc.
i had the mpc 1000 and went to the maschine mk2 i do think mashine is easier to use however i am vurios when it comes to sequencing using mute groups i think the mpc has the advantage ?
Do you mean track mutes or choke groups? I suppose track mutes?
@@LowHeatBeats i mean tracks and using them to sequence i think mashine is lacking in this regaurd ?
Very timely for my upcoming purchase, Thanks!
Nice one! Are you getting a Maschine?
@@LowHeatBeats Speed to creativity is critical. As much as I can relate more to Akai's pedigree (even own some akai gear, S950, MFC42, etc) I never jelled with their MPC workflow. As an Ableton (Push2)/ Logic / and existing Komplete Control user, you sold me on Maschine. Now, ..Should I wait for a Maschine MK4 in the next year :). Thanks!
No idea when/if MK4 is coming out, these devices are not like iPhones, where you know a new one is coming out every year. My advice is always leaning towards getting what's available now and getting to work instead of waiting for something that you don't know when and if is coming. Life is short.
Do you think is it too late to buy machine mk3 ?
I explained this in my recent video about the NI Summer of Sound sale - basically my feeling is that new Maschine hardware won't be coming out this fall. But only people at NI know for sure, I don't have any inside info.
Hi man, first of all thanks for your videos, just subscribed ✌🏼
I’ve watched this video and read all the comments but still have doubts about my next gear investment.
I’ve used Ableton Live for years but I’m looking for a standalone machine for the creative part of the beatmaking process that is able to easily export tracks/stems to Ableton Live for further mixing/arrangement and finalization. I’ve never tried Maschine software. I’ve tried mpc beats software with my mpk mini mk3 and it semmed horrible to me in terms of ui/ux and general workflow. So my question is: what standalone ma hine would be better for my needs, Maschine Plus or MPC One/Live? The key factors for me are the Chopping/slicing samples (mainly from Splice) and the ease of exporting tracks/stems to Ableton for final arrangements of my beats.
Thank you in advance!
Thank you for subscribing Ivan! Looks like Maschine should be great for you as it does what you need very well (chopping and exporting to Live).
However it's up to you to decide. From my experience, ultimately no one can tell what is the best for you until you try it and decide for yourself.
@@LowHeatBeats Thanks for your fast reply. How do you import Splice samples to Maschine+ ? Is the chopping workflow in Maschine+ similar to Serato Sample (which I love) in Ableton Live?
@@ivangiorgi1926 I don't use Splice, I don't have a Maschine Plus and I've never used Serato Sample. Only thing I can say, is it's all pretty straight forward and Splice samples are like any other samples, so importing them should be pretty easy.
@@LowHeatBeats Thanks a lot
My first controller was the Maschine MK3 and feel it's the easiest to dive into. Still feel lost in anything else including FL which I also have along with the fire.
For sure, learning a new tool takes time and effort and often just using what we're used to will make us more productive.
I really like my MPC One, and I'm learning more and more with it. But I can't help but feel I should have went with a Maschine. Honestly Probably going to pick up a maschine at some point this year, if they come out with a new one maybe ill grab the last generation while its on sale. If i could go back I would start with a maschine, and then maybe get an older MPC down the road.
Well, if you really like it, then you may not need to change it.
i switched from maschine to mpc an force... never looked back.
Do you use them together?
@@LowHeatBeats No, funnily enough the workflow between both of them is not well integrated. I belive AKAI is working on harmonizing it in future updates. However the Force is really something that you might like *as you like Ableton), especially with the latest inclusion of the song mode and the seamless import/export to Ableton.
Yeah, Force looks like something I should try at some point
I like maschine better but the MPC swing is way more musical. They both need click and drag sequencing for speed on the computer.
Appreciate you sharing your opinion 👌
Спасибо, очень информативно. Я так понял, если я хочу купить себе первый серъезный грувбокс, то лучше взять maschine plus, так как я хочу работать без компьютера. А что касательно roland mc101, 707.мне очень нравится zen core движок, но очень не люблю их меню дайвинг? Спасибо за помощь
Thank you! Haven't used the mc101 or 707 yet.
The Force is fully integrated with Ableton. Much better IO than Maschine. Touch screen. Bluetooth. USB 3. Internal SSD storage. Better cpu performance. Arranger. It kills Push2 too (although Push3 right around the corner). Maschine just has more plugins and they sound really good, no doubt. But you can find used Force for half the price of Maschine+ and after 3.0.6 update you can feel confident Akai will continue to improve its features. Hopefully more instrument plugins.
Yeah man, Force looks great. That Push 3 has been around the corner since 2018 though 😅, who knows when it will come out...
Thanks for the video! I’m a guitar player and use Logic Pro. I suck at drums so I was looking for some additional hardware to add to my little home studio. My gf bought me the mk3 and it seems intimidating because I’m brand new but the MPC looks fun. I think I’ll stick to MK3 right now but I like the stand alone option of the MPC
Yeah, good decision man. Definitely put in the time to learn the MK3 and work on improving your drums. The MPC won't magically make them better.
Maschine actually lacks a few things I actually use a lot with regular DAWs such as audio feedback when I move a midi note on the piano roll, and quintuplet/septuplet grid divisions. Also, I can't figure out how the swing settings values work...
Yeah, using the controller is where its strength is, I rarely use the mouse and piano roll with Maschine. Also, I have a tutorial on how quantization and swing settings/values work, you can find it in my Maschine tutorials playlist.
I was first an analog guy starting with an mpc 1000 but once I went to maschine I've never look back I've had the mk1 and the Maschine studio and now the mk3 I tried mpc beats but wasn't so into it like others can be but I want the maschine+ now
I hear you and I still don't have a Maschine+ too.
hi , thanks for the video but i think it's better to make a comparison between akai force and maschine +
Sure but this one was more like a general comparison of core principles and user interface, than comparing specific models. Comparing the Force to Maschine would be cool, I’d do it but I have never used a Force.
Hey! Why do you think people say that it's easier to arrange a beat on mpc?
Who says that? 😅People say a lot of stuff that's not true. At least Maschine has a linear and more flexible arranger. But tbh I don't understand why anyone would arrange on any groovebox, it's just much harder to make good edits and transitions, I always use Ableton Live for this.
@@LowHeatBeatsNative Instruments finally added linear arranger onto the software now?
@@JEFFMAN90 Kinda, It's been improved but not as flexible as a proper DAW.
have an mpc live 2 just purchased a mrk3
Do you need to have both?
As a maschine user I find the software far better, but man I love that export feature on mpc's. I still use maschine because I don't really have a desire to go standalone.
Yup, same here, but not sure what's so cool about the MPC's export.
@@LowHeatBeats There's nothing really special about it, it's just the fact that you can actually take it away, make a beat, and then export it. I guess it's the whole package not the export. Every daw has that option.
@@Hoodler Gotcha
Thanks very interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it
I been a maschine user for almost 10 years, got mpc live 3 weeks ago, wouldnt consider going back yo maschine. You keft out important information. For once maschine jever gets updates over last 2 years for example on maschine onoy uodates are bug fixes you never get new features and people are always conplaing about it, mpc are constantly dropping new things forbtheirbdevices so it feels like you yet more value. Further more almost all the mpc line is standalone capable only the maschine + is and its not even good in standalone from what i hear. And cost way more than getting any standalone mpc. I do agree that the work flow is a bit quicker on maschine though but thats it, the sampling features arent as good either, i would never use maschine without serato for example, maschine has no stem support and mpc is getting this in a month, and for standalone too. You definitely get more for your money with mpc and you didnt mention any of the strengths of the mpc so the bias here is to the detriment of the viewer when you dont mention ao many great features of the mpc which are no where to be found on maschine. I havent even mentioned flavour pro plugin on the mpc yet which is considered better than the legendary rc-20 the list goes on
Hey, I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Keep in mind that the video was uploaded almost 3 years ago - February 2021, so it's not possible to reflect updates in the last 2 years. But I still stand by what I said in the video and I don't agree that it's detrimental to the viewer.
The fact that everyone, including me, is biased was also mentioned in the intro of the video.
The topic of the video was the workflow, not MPC vs Maschine in general, that's why I don't mention the features of the MPC. And this is kinda the point - no amount of features can make the MPC enjoyable for me with its (in my opinion) convoluted workflow.
I don't need feautures, I need something that lets me express my ideas quick and easy. I'm also mainly an Ableton Live user and I have all the features I need there with the workflow still being very quick.
Peace. I use Ableton Live in conjunction w my MPC Live. Normally I process my samples and drums in ableton, resample them then take the resampled clip and drag it straight to a pad on my MPC in controller mode and start working. I tried the Maschine mk 2 mini. I found it remarkably difficult to understand and the pass felt like hard as shit and hurt my finger tips.
Sure, whatever works for you. Why do you load the sample in the MPC though? Wouldn't it be faster to continue working with Ableton?
@@LowHeatBeats prefer the workflow
As somebody who doesn't sample (unless I sample myself for effect) and have a million vsts I have no need for standalone. I use maschine studio for drums and sequencing but do wish it had better daw integration. Depending on project I either create in maschine or cubase ... I have an rme interface and ua mic pre so would never use the maschine inputs when I have much higher quality pres elsewhere
Yeah, I hear you and agree with you, although if I wanted a standalone I’d probably choose Maschine Plus over the MPC.
I have both, right now I prefer Maschine as I am faster on it, but I’m not giving up on my live 2 , I love the idea of it, had a harder time adapting to the workflow currently reading the mpc bible trying to get it down.
For sure, if you have the motivation to adapt ot the workflow 👍
@@LowHeatBeats more due to I can’t return it anymore so I might as well learn it haha 😂 I do like the idea of taking it to studios or traveling with it ect
What about the maschine+ ? Compared to the live ?
This was a general workflow/UI comparison and applies to all models.
I am new to Maschine and MPC, other than fiddling around at Guitar Center. Maschine seemed easier to work.
Yup, indeed.
It's actually it how you look at it.
I wonder what could be your opinion on akai force with all latest updates...
I wonder too 😀 Would love to test it at some point, but I don’t have access to one. May get one if I come across a good deal.
@@LowHeatBeats Keep an eye on ebay. I found a used one for $600 just a couple months ago. I know you're not in US but maybe one will pop up in your area that's worthwhile. A lot of people were disappointed with it so there were a lot on second hand market before the 3.0.6 update. It's a huge improvement. Check out Pink Buddha, Nick Trikakis, Nicethings videos.
Does Maschine software read flac files yet?
Not sure, haven’t tried it. My guess would be that it doesn’t.
When I started making beats 7 years ago I was on the Maschine and loved its workflow but when I tried out the MPC 5 years ago I instantly switched over to the MP and never looked back. The MPC workflow clicked with me much better then Maschine did. However Maschine is still a dope groovebox and its software 100 times better then the MPC software.
I use Ableton here and there as well but its much easier for me to get my ideas off on the MP then it is on Ableton.
As long as you're having fun and are being productive, it's all good.
Gear acquisition syndrome stroked again ... historical user of the Maschine mk3 and of Ableton push2 I have this week taken the plunge for the MPc to get out of my man cave.. the Plus was simply double the price .. my future workflow that I’m testing is creating the base on the MpC in my garden and finalising in the cave in Maschine ... but when I see your analysis I’m think à will have to make a choice
lol yeah, buying new gear is fun. But I don't think Maschine is that good for finishing tracks either. Ableton would be more suitable for that, being a proper DAW.
I use the plus, one and live. The machine plus stand alone freezing up is too much.
So the Maschine Plus is still freezing?
Have Akai Force and Mikro mk3. It was really hard to choose between the two worlds so i got them both ;)
Sounds good
It’s a twisted game of an imposter: MPC is a machine and Maschine is a controller, empty shell, an imposter with a pretty name. Ironically, some things from this video are not true: for example stating that it is easier to mute tracks on Maschine by holding shift and pressing pads compared to “need to open menu on MPC” - on MPC One you just press one button once and then use pads without the need to hold shift.
It is hard to fit an autonomous box with all the resources of a computer daw because a computer has all the f0ckt4rd memory in the universe to draw samples from while an MPC needs each time to create a temp pool to use. I find the apparent restrictions of MPC very magical in a way that they bring focus: a narrow opening concentrates intent while a huge one disperses it, like with the female form.
I feel that it is mind boggling how much flexibility of shaping things in a custom way there are in MPC, layers, filters, envelopes.., in a computer daw these are just expected commodities. I feel that the workflow of the MPC is only a detriment to a COMPLETE beginner, I have MPC One for three days now and there is hardly any aspect of it unknown to me. I thought that the lack of free length recording and not seeing a multitrack display would be a burden to me but, talking about focus, these make me focus more on hearing the music, sensing it more clearly, this is magical.
Hahah ok my friend, let’s agree to disagree 😅
@@LowHeatBeats lol we don’t even disagree, we just emphasize on different aspects of these units!
@@RosssRoyce Absolutely! I appreciate you sharing your opinion. It's all very subjective anyway.
How to find a root note of a sample in maschine mk3
Sometimes I use MTuner for this, I wish Maschine had a built-in tuner. But even then it would probably only work reliably for monophonic samples, like most tuners.
@@LowHeatBeats Thank you😉