MANUAL
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Native Instruments GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose,
without prior written permission by Native Instruments GmbH, hereinafter referred to as Native
Instruments.
“Native Instruments”, “NI” and associated logos are (registered) trademarks of Native Instruments GmbH.
ASIO, VST, HALion and Cubase are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies
GmbH.
All other product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Document authored by: David Gover and Nico Sidi.
Software version: 2.8 (02/2019)
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
Disclaimer
Contact
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH
Schlesische Str. 29-30
D-10997 Berlin
Germany
www.native-instruments.de
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS K.K.
YO Building 3F
Jingumae 6-7-15, Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo 150-0001
Japan
www.native-instruments.co.jp
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS FRANCE SARL
113 Rue Saint-Maur
75011 Paris
France
www.native-instruments.com
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc.
6725 Sunset Boulevard
5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
USA
www.native-instruments.com
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS UK Limited
18 Phipp Street
London EC2A 4NU
UK
www.native-instruments.co.uk
SHENZHEN NATIVE INSTRUMENTS COMPANY Limited
5F, Shenzhen Zimao Center
111 Taizi Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen,
Guangdong
China
www.native-instruments.com
© NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GmbH, 2019. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Welcome to MASCHINE .............................................................................................
1.1 MASCHINE Documentation .......................................................................................................... 22
1.2 Document Conventions ............................................................................................................... 23
1.3 New Features in MASCHINE 2.8 .................................................................................................. 24
1.4 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.10 ............................................................................................. 25
1.5 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.8 ............................................................................................... 26
1.6 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.7 ............................................................................................... 26
1.7 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.4 ............................................................................................... 28
1.8 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.3 ............................................................................................... 30
2 Quick Reference ........................................................................................................
2.1 MASCHINE Project Overview ........................................................................................................ 33
2.2 MASCHINE Hardware Overview ................................................................................................... 38
2.3 MASCHINE Software Overview ..................................................................................................... 38
2.1.1 Sound Content ........................................................................................................... 33
2.1.2 Arrangement .............................................................................................................. 35
2.3.1 Header ....................................................................................................................... 39
2.3.2 Browser ..................................................................................................................... 41
2.3.3 Arranger .................................................................................................................... 43
2.3.4 Control Area ............................................................................................................... 46
2.3.5 Pattern Editor ............................................................................................................ 47
3 Basic Concepts .........................................................................................................
21
33
49
3.1 Important Names and Concepts ................................................................................................. 49
3.2 Adjusting the MASCHINE User Interface ..................................................................................... 52
3.2.1 Adjusting the Size of the Interface ............................................................................. 52
3.2.2 Switching between Ideas View and Song View ........................................................... 53
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 4
Table of Contents
3.3 Common Operations ................................................................................................................... 55
3.4 Native Kontrol Standard ............................................................................................................. 69
3.5 Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode ................................................................................................... 70
3.6 Preferences .................................................................................................................................73
3.7 Syncing MASCHINE using Ableton Link ....................................................................................... 103
3.2.3 Showing/Hiding the Browser ...................................................................................... 54
3.2.4 Showing/Hiding the Control Lane .............................................................................. 54
3.3.1 Adjusting Volume, Swing, and Tempo ........................................................................ 55
3.3.2 Undo/Redo ................................................................................................................. 56
3.3.3 Focusing on a Group or a Sound ................................................................................ 58
3.3.4 Switching Between the Master, Group, and Sound Level ........................................... 62
3.3.5 Navigating Channel Properties, Plug-ins, and Parameter Pages in the Control Area . 62
3.3.6 Navigating the Software Using the Controller ............................................................ 66
3.3.7 Using Two or More Hardware Controllers ................................................................... 67
3.5.1 Differences between Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode ................................................. 71
3.5.2 Switching Instances .................................................................................................. 72
3.6.1 Preferences – General Page ....................................................................................... 74
3.6.2 Preferences – Audio Page .......................................................................................... 77
3.6.3 Preferences – MIDI Page ............................................................................................ 79
3.6.4 Preferences – Default Page ....................................................................................... 81
3.6.5 Preferences – Library Page ........................................................................................ 85
3.6.6 Preferences – Plug-ins Page ..................................................................................... 93
3.6.7 Preferences – Hardware Page .................................................................................... 98
3.6.8 Preferences – Colors Page ......................................................................................... 100
3.7.1 Connecting to a Network ............................................................................................ 103
3.7.2 Joining and Leaving a Link Session ........................................................................... 103
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 5
Table of Contents
4 Browser ....................................................................................................................
4.1 Browser Basics ........................................................................................................................... 105
4.2 Searching and Loading Files from the Library ............................................................................ 107
4.3 Additional Browsing Tools .......................................................................................................... 129
4.4 Using Favorites in the Browser ................................................................................................... 133
4.5 Editing the Files’ Tags and Properties ........................................................................................ 136
4.1.1 The MASCHINE Library ............................................................................................... 105
4.1.2 Browsing the Library vs. Browsing Your Hard Disks ................................................... 106
4.2.1 Overview of the Library Pane ..................................................................................... 107
4.2.2 Selecting or Loading a Product and Selecting a Bank from the Browser .................... 110
4.2.3 Selecting a Product Category, a Product, a Bank, and a Sub-Bank ........................... 115
4.2.4 Selecting a File Type .................................................................................................. 119
4.2.5 Choosing Between Factory and User Content ............................................................. 120
4.2.6 Selecting Type and Character Tags ........................................................................... 120
4.2.7 Performing a Text Search ........................................................................................... 124
4.2.8 Loading a File from the Result List ............................................................................ 125
4.3.1 Loading the Selected Files Automatically .................................................................. 130
4.3.2 Auditioning Instrument Presets ................................................................................. 130
4.3.3 Auditioning Samples ................................................................................................. 131
4.3.4 Loading Groups with Patterns ................................................................................... 132
4.3.5 Loading Groups with Routing .................................................................................... 132
4.3.6 Displaying File Information ........................................................................................ 132
4.5.1 Attribute Editor Basics .............................................................................................. 136
4.5.2 The Bank Page ........................................................................................................... 138
4.5.3 The Types and Characters Pages ............................................................................... 138
4.5.4 The Properties Page ................................................................................................... 141
105
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 6
4.6 Loading and Importing Files from Your File System .................................................................... 142
4.7 Locating Missing Samples .......................................................................................................... 152
4.8 Using Quick Browse .................................................................................................................... 154
4.6.1 Overview of the FILES Pane ........................................................................................ 142
4.6.2 Using Favorites .......................................................................................................... 144
4.6.3 Using the Location Bar .............................................................................................. 145
4.6.4 Navigating to Recent Locations ................................................................................. 146
4.6.5 Using the Result List ................................................................................................. 147
4.6.6 Importing Files to the MASCHINE Library ................................................................... 150
5 Managing Sounds, Groups, and Your Project ...............................................................
5.1 Overview of the Sounds, Groups, and Master .............................................................................. 156
5.2 Managing Sounds .......................................................................................................................162
5.3 Managing Groups ....................................................................................................................... 173
5.1.1 The Sound, Group, and Master Channels ................................................................... 157
5.1.2 Similarities and Differences in Handling Sounds and Groups ................................... 158
5.1.3 Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups ......................................................................... 159
5.2.1 Loading Sounds ......................................................................................................... 164
5.2.2 Pre-listening to Sounds ............................................................................................. 164
5.2.3 Renaming Sound Slots .............................................................................................. 165
5.2.4 Changing the Sound’s Color ...................................................................................... 166
5.2.5 Saving Sounds ........................................................................................................... 167
5.2.6 Copying and Pasting Sounds ..................................................................................... 169
5.2.7 Moving Sounds .......................................................................................................... 171
5.2.8 Resetting Sound Slots ............................................................................................... 173
5.3.1 Creating Groups ........................................................................................................ 175
5.3.2 Loading Groups ......................................................................................................... 176
Table of Contents
156
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 7
Table of Contents
5.4 Exporting MASCHINE Objects and Audio ..................................................................................... 185
5.5 Importing Third-Party File Formats ............................................................................................. 195
5.3.3 Renaming Groups ...................................................................................................... 177
5.3.4 Changing the Group’s Color ....................................................................................... 177
5.3.5 Saving Groups ........................................................................................................... 179
5.3.6 Copying and Pasting Groups ..................................................................................... 181
5.3.7 Reordering Groups ..................................................................................................... 183
5.3.8 Deleting Groups ......................................................................................................... 184
5.4.1 Saving a Group with its Samples ............................................................................... 185
5.4.2 Saving a Project with its Samples ............................................................................. 187
5.4.3 Exporting Audio ......................................................................................................... 189
5.5.1 Loading REX Files into Sound Slots ........................................................................... 195
5.5.2 Importing MPC Programs to Groups ........................................................................... 196
6 Working with Plug-ins ...............................................................................................
6.1 Plug-in Overview ........................................................................................................................ 200
6.1.1 Plug-in Basics ........................................................................................................... 200
6.1.2 First Plug-in Slot of Sounds: Choosing the Sound’s Role ........................................... 204
6.1.3 Loading, Removing, and Replacing a Plug-in ............................................................ 205
6.1.4 Adjusting the Plug-in Parameters ............................................................................. 211
6.1.5 Bypassing Plug-in Slots ............................................................................................ 211
6.1.6 Using Side-Chain ...................................................................................................... 213
6.1.7 Moving Plug-ins ........................................................................................................ 213
6.1.8 Alternative: the Plug-in Strip ..................................................................................... 214
6.1.9 Saving and Recalling Plug-in Presets ....................................................................... 214
6.1.9.1 Saving Plug-in Presets ..............................................................................215
6.1.9.2 Recalling Plug-in Presets ..........................................................................216
200
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 8
Table of Contents
6.2 The Sampler Plug-in ................................................................................................................... 218
6.3 Using Native Instruments and External Plug-ins ........................................................................ 230
6.2.1 Page 1: Voice Settings / Engine ................................................................................. 220
6.2.2 Page 2: Pitch / Envelope ............................................................................................ 222
6.2.3 Page 3: FX / Filter ...................................................................................................... 224
6.2.4 Page 4: Modulation .................................................................................................... 226
6.2.5 Page 5: LFO ............................................................................................................... 227
6.2.6 Page 6: Velocity / Modwheel ...................................................................................... 229
6.3.1 Opening/Closing Plug-in Windows ............................................................................. 230
6.3.2 Using the VST/AU Plug-in Parameters ....................................................................... 233
6.3.3 Setting Up Your Own Parameter Pages ...................................................................... 234
6.3.4 Using VST/AU Plug-in Presets .................................................................................... 239
6.3.5 Multiple-Output Plug-ins and Multitimbral Plug-ins ................................................. 241
6.1.9.3 Removing a Default Plug-in Preset ............................................................217
7 Using the Audio Plug-in .............................................................................................
7.1 Loading a Loop into the Audio Plug-in ........................................................................................ 247
7.2 Editing Audio in the Audio Plug-in ..............................................................................................248
7.3 Using Loop Mode ........................................................................................................................ 249
7.4 Using Gate Mode ........................................................................................................................ 251
8 Using the Drumsynths ................................................................................................
243
253
8.1 Drumsynths – General Handling ................................................................................................. 254
8.1.1 Engines: Many Different Drums per Drumsynth ......................................................... 254
8.1.2 Common Parameter Organization .............................................................................. 254
8.1.3 Shared Parameters .................................................................................................... 257
8.1.4 Various Velocity Responses ....................................................................................... 257
8.1.5 Pitch Range, Tuning, and MIDI Notes ........................................................................ 257
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 9
8.2 The Kicks .................................................................................................................................... 258
8.3 The Snares ..................................................................................................................................277
8.4 The Hi-hats .................................................................................................................................298
8.2.1 Kick – Sub ................................................................................................................. 260
8.2.2 Kick – Tronic .............................................................................................................. 262
8.2.3 Kick – Dusty .............................................................................................................. 265
8.2.4 Kick – Grit ................................................................................................................. 266
8.2.5 Kick – Rasper ............................................................................................................ 269
8.2.6 Kick – Snappy ............................................................................................................ 270
8.2.7 Kick – Bold ................................................................................................................ 272
8.2.8 Kick – Maple .............................................................................................................. 274
8.2.9 Kick – Push ............................................................................................................... 275
8.3.1 Snare – Volt ............................................................................................................... 279
8.3.2 Snare – Bit ................................................................................................................ 281
8.3.3 Snare – Pow .............................................................................................................. 283
8.3.4 Snare – Sharp ........................................................................................................... 284
8.3.5 Snare – Airy ............................................................................................................... 286
8.3.6 Snare – Vintage ......................................................................................................... 288
8.3.7 Snare – Chrome ......................................................................................................... 290
8.3.8 Snare – Iron ............................................................................................................... 292
8.3.9 Snare – Clap ............................................................................................................. 294
8.3.10 Snare – Breaker ......................................................................................................... 296
8.4.1 Hi-hat – Silver ........................................................................................................... 299
8.4.2 Hi-hat – Circuit ......................................................................................................... 301
8.4.3 Hi-hat – Memory ........................................................................................................ 303
8.4.4 Hi-hat – Hybrid .......................................................................................................... 305
Table of Contents
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 10
Table of Contents
8.5 The Toms .................................................................................................................................... 308
8.6 The Percussions ..........................................................................................................................319
8.7 The Cymbals ............................................................................................................................... 330
8.4.5 Creating a Pattern with Closed and Open Hi-hats ..................................................... 307
8.5.1 Tom – Tronic .............................................................................................................. 310
8.5.2 Tom – Fractal ............................................................................................................ 312
8.5.3 Tom – Floor ................................................................................................................ 316
8.5.4 Tom – High ................................................................................................................ 318
8.6.1 Percussion – Fractal .................................................................................................. 321
8.6.2 Percussion – Kettle .................................................................................................... 324
8.6.3 Percussion – Shaker .................................................................................................. 326
8.7.1 Cymbal – Crash ......................................................................................................... 332
8.7.2 Cymbal – Ride ........................................................................................................... 334
9 Using the Bass Synth .................................................................................................
9.1 Bass Synth – General Handling .................................................................................................. 338
9.1.1 Parameter Organization ............................................................................................. 338
9.1.2 Bass Synth Parameters ............................................................................................. 340
10 Working with Patterns ...............................................................................................
337
342
10.1 Pattern Basics ............................................................................................................................ 342
10.1.1 Pattern Editor Overview ............................................................................................. 343
10.1.2 Navigating the Event Area ......................................................................................... 345
10.1.3 Following the Playback Position in the Pattern .......................................................... 347
10.1.4 Jumping to Another Playback Position in the Pattern ................................................. 347
10.1.5 Group View and Keyboard View .................................................................................. 349
10.1.6 Adjusting the Arrange Grid and the Pattern Length ................................................... 351
10.1.7 Adjusting the Step Grid and the Nudge Grid .............................................................. 353
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 11
10.2 Editing Events ............................................................................................................................ 356
10.3 Recording and Editing Modulation ............................................................................................. 371
10.4 Creating MIDI Tracks from Scratch in MASCHINE ....................................................................... 379
10.5 Managing Patterns ..................................................................................................................... 381
10.6 Importing/Exporting Audio and MIDI to/from Patterns ................................................................ 395
10.2.1 Editing Events with the Mouse: an Overview ............................................................. 357
10.2.2 Creating Events/Notes ............................................................................................... 359
10.2.3 Selecting Events/Notes .............................................................................................. 360
10.2.4 Editing Selected Events/Notes ................................................................................... 362
10.2.5 Deleting Events/Notes ............................................................................................... 365
10.2.6 Cut, Copy, and Paste Events/Notes ............................................................................ 365
10.2.7 Quantizing Events/Notes ........................................................................................... 368
10.2.8 Quantization While Playing ........................................................................................ 369
10.2.9 Adding Variation to Patterns ..................................................................................... 370
10.3.1 Which Parameters Are Modulatable? ......................................................................... 372
10.3.2 Recording Modulation ................................................................................................ 373
10.3.3 Creating and Editing Modulation in the Control Lane ................................................ 374
10.5.1 The Pattern Manager and Pattern Mode .................................................................... 382
10.5.2 Selecting Patterns and Pattern Banks ....................................................................... 383
10.5.3 Creating Patterns ...................................................................................................... 385
10.5.4 Deleting Patterns ....................................................................................................... 386
10.5.5 Creating and Deleting Pattern Banks ........................................................................ 387
10.5.6 Naming Patterns ....................................................................................................... 389
10.5.7 Changing the Pattern’s Color .................................................................................... 391
10.5.8 Duplicating, Copying, and Pasting Patterns .............................................................. 392
10.5.9 Moving Patterns ........................................................................................................ 394
Table of Contents
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 12
Table of Contents
10.6.1 Exporting Audio from Patterns ................................................................................... 395
10.6.2 Exporting MIDI from Patterns ..................................................................................... 397
10.6.3 Importing MIDI to Patterns ........................................................................................ 399
11 Audio Routing, Remote Control, and Macro Controls ....................................................
11.1 Audio Routing in MASCHINE ....................................................................................................... 409
11.2 Using MIDI Control and Host Automation .................................................................................... 431
11.3 Creating Custom Sets of Parameters with the Macro Controls ................................................... 452
11.1.1 Sending External Audio to Sounds ............................................................................. 410
11.1.2 Configuring the Main Output of Sounds and Groups ................................................. 414
11.1.3 Setting Up Auxiliary Outputs for Sounds and Groups ................................................. 419
11.1.4 Configuring the Master and Cue Outputs of MASCHINE ............................................. 422
11.1.5 Mono Audio Inputs ..................................................................................................... 427
11.1.5.1 Configuring External Inputs for Sounds in Mix View ..................................428
11.2.1 Triggering Sounds via MIDI Notes .............................................................................. 432
11.2.2 Triggering Scenes via MIDI ........................................................................................ 438
11.2.3 Controlling Parameters via MIDI and Host Automation .............................................. 439
11.2.4 Selecting VST/AU Plug-in Presets via MIDI Program Change ..................................... 447
11.2.5 Sending MIDI from Sounds ........................................................................................ 448
11.3.1 Macro Control Overview ............................................................................................. 452
11.3.2 Assigning Macro Controls Using the Software ........................................................... 453
12 Controlling Your Mix ..................................................................................................
408
460
12.1 Mix View Basics .......................................................................................................................... 460
12.2 The Mixer .................................................................................................................................... 462
12.1.1 Switching between Arrange View and Mix View ......................................................... 460
12.1.2 Mix View Elements ..................................................................................................... 461
12.2.1 Displaying Groups vs. Displaying Sounds .................................................................. 464
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 13
Table of Contents
12.3 The Plug-in Chain .......................................................................................................................476
12.4 The Plug-in Strip ........................................................................................................................ 477
12.2.2 Adjusting the Mixer Layout ........................................................................................ 466
12.2.3 Selecting Channel Strips ........................................................................................... 467
12.2.4 Managing Your Channels in the Mixer ....................................................................... 468
12.2.5 Adjusting Settings in the Channel Strips ................................................................... 470
12.2.6 Using the Cue Bus ..................................................................................................... 474
12.4.1 The Plug-in Header .................................................................................................... 479
12.4.2 Panels for Drumsynths and Internal Effects .............................................................. 481
12.4.3 Panel for the Sampler ................................................................................................ 482
12.4.4 Custom Panels for Native Instruments Plug-ins ........................................................ 485
12.4.5 Undocking a Plug-in Panel (Native Instruments and External Plug-ins Only) ............ 489
13 Using Effects .............................................................................................................
13.1 Applying Effects to a Sound, a Group or the Master .................................................................... 492
13.2 Applying Effects to External Audio .............................................................................................. 503
13.3 Creating a Send Effect ............................................................................................................... 505
13.4 Creating Multi-Effects ................................................................................................................ 509
13.1.1 Adding an Effect ........................................................................................................ 492
13.1.2 Other Operations on Effects ....................................................................................... 499
13.1.3 Using the Side-Chain Input ....................................................................................... 500
13.2.1 Step 1: Configure MASCHINE Audio Inputs ................................................................ 503
13.2.2 Step 2: Set up a Sound to Receive the External Input ................................................ 504
13.2.3 Step 3: Load an Effect to Process an Input ................................................................ 504
13.3.1 Step 1: Set Up a Sound or Group as Send Effect ........................................................ 506
13.3.2 Step 2: Route Audio to the Send Effect ...................................................................... 508
13.3.3 A Few Notes on Send Effects ...................................................................................... 508
492
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 14
Table of Contents
14 Effect Reference ........................................................................................................
14.1 Dynamics ....................................................................................................................................513
14.2 Filtering Effects .......................................................................................................................... 528
14.3 Modulation Effects ..................................................................................................................... 536
14.4 Spatial and Reverb Effects ......................................................................................................... 542
14.1.1 Compressor ............................................................................................................... 513
14.1.2 Gate ........................................................................................................................... 516
14.1.3 Transient Master ....................................................................................................... 519
14.1.4 Limiter ....................................................................................................................... 521
14.1.5 Maximizer .................................................................................................................. 525
14.2.1 EQ .............................................................................................................................. 528
14.2.2 Filter .......................................................................................................................... 530
14.2.3 Cabinet ...................................................................................................................... 534
14.3.1 Chorus ....................................................................................................................... 536
14.3.2 Flanger ...................................................................................................................... 537
14.3.3 FM ............................................................................................................................. 538
14.3.4 Freq Shifter ................................................................................................................ 540
14.3.5 Phaser ....................................................................................................................... 541
14.4.1 Ice ............................................................................................................................. 542
14.4.2 Metaverb ................................................................................................................... 544
14.4.3 Reflex ........................................................................................................................ 545
14.4.4 Reverb (Legacy) ......................................................................................................... 546
14.4.5 Reverb ....................................................................................................................... 548
14.4.5.1 Reverb Room .............................................................................................548
14.4.5.2 Reverb Hall ................................................................................................551
14.4.5.3 Plate Reverb ..............................................................................................554
512
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 15
14.5 Delays .........................................................................................................................................555
14.6 Distortion Effects ........................................................................................................................ 563
14.7 Perform FX .................................................................................................................................. 570
14.5.1 Beat Delay ................................................................................................................. 555
14.5.2 Grain Delay ................................................................................................................ 557
14.5.3 Grain Stretch ............................................................................................................. 559
14.5.4 Resochord .................................................................................................................. 561
14.6.1 Distortion ................................................................................................................... 563
14.6.2 Lofi ............................................................................................................................ 565
14.6.3 Saturator ................................................................................................................... 566
14.7.1 Filter .......................................................................................................................... 571
14.7.2 Flanger ...................................................................................................................... 573
14.7.3 Burst Echo ................................................................................................................. 575
14.7.4 Reso Echo .................................................................................................................. 578
14.7.5 Ring ........................................................................................................................... 581
14.7.6 Stutter ....................................................................................................................... 583
14.7.7 Tremolo ...................................................................................................................... 586
14.7.8 Scratcher ................................................................................................................... 589
15 Working with the Arranger .........................................................................................
Table of Contents
592
15.1 Arranger Basics .......................................................................................................................... 592
15.2 Using Ideas View ........................................................................................................................ 600
15.1.1 Navigating Song View ................................................................................................ 595
15.1.2 Following the Playback Position in Your Project ......................................................... 597
15.1.3 Performing with Scenes and Sections using the Pads ............................................... 597
15.2.1 Scene Overview .......................................................................................................... 600
15.2.2 Creating Scenes ........................................................................................................ 601
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 16
Table of Contents
15.3 Using Song View ......................................................................................................................... 612
15.2.3 Assigning and Removing Patterns ............................................................................. 601
15.2.4 Selecting Scenes ....................................................................................................... 603
15.2.5 Deleting Scenes ......................................................................................................... 604
15.2.6 Creating and Deleting Scene Banks .......................................................................... 605
15.2.7 Clearing Scenes ......................................................................................................... 605
15.2.8 Duplicating Scenes .................................................................................................... 605
15.2.9 Reordering Scenes ..................................................................................................... 606
15.2.10 Making Scenes Unique .............................................................................................. 608
15.2.11 Appending Scenes to Arrangement ............................................................................ 608
15.2.12 Naming Scenes .......................................................................................................... 609
15.2.13 Changing the Color of a Scene .................................................................................. 610
15.3.1 Section Management Overview .................................................................................. 612
15.3.2 Creating Sections ...................................................................................................... 614
15.3.3 Assigning a Scene to a Section .................................................................................. 615
15.3.4 Selecting Sections and Section Banks ....................................................................... 615
15.3.5 Reorganizing Sections ............................................................................................... 618
15.3.6 Adjusting the Length of a Section .............................................................................. 619
15.3.6.1 Adjusting the Length of a Section Using the Software ...............................620
15.3.7 Clearing a Pattern in Song View ................................................................................ 622
15.3.8 Duplicating Sections ................................................................................................. 622
15.3.8.1 Making Sections Unique ............................................................................623
15.3.9 Removing Sections .................................................................................................... 624
15.3.10 Renaming Scenes ...................................................................................................... 625
15.3.11 Clearing Sections ...................................................................................................... 626
15.3.12 Creating and Deleting Section Banks ........................................................................ 627
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 17
Table of Contents
15.4 Playing with Sections ................................................................................................................. 632
15.5 Triggering Sections or Scenes via MIDI ....................................................................................... 633
15.6 The Arrange Grid .........................................................................................................................635
15.7 Quick Grid ...................................................................................................................................636
15.3.13 Working with Patterns in Song view ........................................................................... 627
15.3.13.1 Creating a Pattern in Song View ................................................................627
15.3.13.2 Selecting a Pattern in Song View ...............................................................628
15.3.13.3 Clearing a Pattern in Song View ................................................................628
15.3.13.4 Renaming a Pattern in Song View ............................................................. 628
15.3.13.5 Coloring a Pattern in Song View ................................................................ 628
15.3.13.6 Removing a Pattern in Song View ..............................................................629
15.3.13.7 Duplicating a Pattern in Song View ...........................................................629
15.3.14 Enabling Auto Length ................................................................................................ 629
15.3.15 Looping ...................................................................................................................... 630
15.3.15.1 Setting the Loop Range in the Software .....................................................631
15.4.1 Jumping to another Playback Position in Your Project ............................................... 632
16 Sampling and Sample Mapping ..................................................................................
638
16.1 Opening the Sample Editor ......................................................................................................... 638
16.2 Recording Audio ......................................................................................................................... 639
16.3 Editing a Sample ........................................................................................................................ 649
16.2.1 Opening the Record Page .......................................................................................... 639
16.2.2 Selecting the Source and the Recording Mode ........................................................... 640
16.2.3 Arming, Starting, and Stopping the Recording .......................................................... 644
16.2.4 Checking Your Recordings ......................................................................................... 646
16.2.5 Location and Name of Your Recorded Samples .......................................................... 648
16.3.1 Using the Edit Page ................................................................................................... 650
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 18
Table of Contents
16.4 Slicing a Sample ........................................................................................................................ 657
16.5 Mapping Samples to Zones ........................................................................................................ 668
16.3.2 Audio Editing Functions ............................................................................................. 653
16.4.1 Opening the Slice Page .............................................................................................. 657
16.4.2 Adjusting the Slicing Settings ................................................................................... 658
16.4.3 Manually Adjusting Your Slices ................................................................................. 660
16.4.4 Applying the Slicing ................................................................................................... 664
16.5.1 Opening the Zone Page .............................................................................................. 668
16.5.2 Zone Page Overview ................................................................................................... 669
16.5.3 Selecting and Managing Zones in the Zone List ........................................................ 670
16.5.4 Selecting and Editing Zones in the Map View ............................................................ 675
16.5.5 Editing Zones in the Sample View ............................................................................. 679
16.5.6 Adjusting the Zone Settings ...................................................................................... 681
16.5.7 Adding Samples to the Sample Map .......................................................................... 684
17 Appendix: Tips for Playing Live ..................................................................................
17.1 Preparations ............................................................................................................................... 686
17.2 Basic Techniques ....................................................................................................................... 687
17.1.1 Focus on the Hardware .............................................................................................. 686
17.1.2 Customize the Pads of the Hardware ......................................................................... 686
17.1.3 Check Your CPU Power Before Playing ....................................................................... 686
17.1.4 Name and Color Your Groups, Patterns, Sounds and Scenes ..................................... 687
17.1.5 Consider Using a Limiter on Your Master ................................................................... 687
17.1.6 Improvise ................................................................................................................... 687
17.2.1 Use Mute and Solo ..................................................................................................... 687
17.2.2 Create Variations of Your Drum Patterns in the Step Sequencer ................................ 688
17.2.3 Use Note Repeat ........................................................................................................ 688
686
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 19
Table of Contents
17.3 Special Tricks ............................................................................................................................. 688
17.2.4 Set Up Your Own Multi-effect Groups and Automate Them ........................................ 688
17.3.1 Changing Pattern Length for Variation ...................................................................... 688
17.3.2 Using Loops to Cycle Through Samples ..................................................................... 689
17.3.3 Load Long Audio Files and Play with the Start Point .................................................. 689
18 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................
18.1 Knowledge Base ......................................................................................................................... 690
18.2 Technical Support .......................................................................................................................690
18.3 Registration Support .................................................................................................................. 691
18.4 User Forum ................................................................................................................................. 691
19 Glossary ...................................................................................................................
Index ........................................................................................................................
690
692
700
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 20
Welcome to MASCHINE
1 Welcome to MASCHINE
Thank you for buying MASCHINE!
MASCHINE is a groove production studio that implements the familiar working style of classical groove boxes along with the advantages of a computer based system. MASCHINE is ideal
for making music live, as well as in the studio. It’s the hands-on aspect of a dedicated instrument, the MASCHINE hardware controller, united with the advanced editing features of the
MASCHINE software.
Creating beats is often not very intuitive with a computer, but using the MASCHINE hardware
controller to do it makes it easy and fun. You can tap in freely with the pads or use Note Repeat to jam along. Alternatively, build your beats using the step sequencer just as in classic
drum machines.
Patterns can be intuitively combined and rearranged on the fly to form larger ideas. You can try
out several different versions of a song without ever having to stop the music.
Since you can integrate it into any sequencer that supports VST, AU, or AAX plug-ins, you can
reap the benefits in almost any software setup, or use it as a stand-alone application. You can
sample your own material, slice loops and rearrange them easily.
However, MASCHINE is a lot more than an ordinary groovebox or sampler: it comes with an
inspiring 7-gigabyte library, and a sophisticated, yet easy to use tag-based Browser to give you
instant access to the sounds you are looking for.
What’s more, MASCHINE provides lots of options for manipulating your sounds via internal effects and other sound-shaping possibilities. You can also control external MIDI hardware and
3rd-party software with the MASCHINE hardware controller, while customizing the functions of
the pads, knobs and buttons according to your needs utilizing the included Controller Editor
application. We hope you enjoy this fantastic instrument as much as we do. Now let’s get going!
—The MASCHINE team at Native Instruments.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 21
Welcome to MASCHINE
MASCHINE Documentation
1.1 MASCHINE Documentation
Native Instruments provide many information sources regarding MASCHINE. The main documents should be read in the following sequence:
► MASCHINE Manual (this document): The MASCHINE Manual provides you with a compre-
hensive description of all MASCHINE software features.
Additional documentation sources provide you with details on more specific topics:
▪ Online Support Videos: You can find a number of support videos on The Official Native In-
struments Support Channel under the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/NIsupport-
EN. We recommend that you follow along with these instructions while the respective ap-
plication is running on your computer.
Other Online Resources: If you are experiencing problems related to your Native Instruments
product that the supplied documentation does not cover, there are several ways of getting help:
▪ Knowledge Base
▪ User Forum
▪ Technical Support
▪ Registration Support
You will find more information on these subjects in the chapter Troubleshooting.
MASCHINE documents are available in PDF. You can also access these documents from the application’s Help menu or the following location:
www.native-instruments.com.
Please check the Native Instruments website regularly for up-to-date and localized versions of these
documents.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 22
Welcome to MASCHINE
Document Conventions
1.2 Document Conventions
This section introduces you to the signage and text highlighting used in this manual. This manual uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential issues.
The icons introducing these notes let you see what kind of information is to be expected:
This document uses particular formatting to point out special facts and to warn you of potential issues. The icons introducing the following notes let you see what kind of information can
be expected:
The speech bubble icon indicates a useful tip that may often help you to solve a task more efficiently.
The exclamation mark icon highlights important information that is essential for the given context.
The red cross icon warns you of serious issues and potential risks that require your full attention.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
▪ Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) in the software and
paths to locations on your hard disk or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪ Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes etc.) in the
software is printed in blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the
same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
▪ Text appearing on the displays of the controller is printed in light grey. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on a controller display.
▪ Text appearing on labels of the hardware controller is printed in orange. Whenever you see
this formatting applied, you will find the same text on the controller.
▪ Important names and concepts are printed in bold.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 23
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.8
▪ References to keys on your computer’s keyboard you’ll find put in square brackets (e.g.,
“Press [Shift] + [Enter]”).
► Single instructions are introduced by this play button type arrow.
→ Results of actions are introduced by this smaller arrow.
Naming Convention
Throughout the documentation we will refer to MASCHINE controller (or just controller) as the
hardware controller and MASCHINE software as the software installed on your computer.
The term “effect” will sometimes be abbreviated as “FX” when referring to elements in the MASCHINE software and hardware. These terms have the same meaning.
1.3 New Features in MASCHINE 2.8
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
Sounds.com Integration
▪ Browse on Sounds.com, create your own collections of loops and one-shots and send them
directly to the MASCHINE browser.
Improvements to the Browser
▪ Samples are now cataloged in separate Loops and One-shots tabs in the Browser.
▪ Previews of loops selected in the Browser will be played in sync with the current project.
When a loop is selected with Prehear turned on, it will begin playing immediately in-sync
with the project if transport is running. If a loop preview starts part-way through the loop,
the loop will play once more for its full length to ensure you get to hear the entire loop
once in context with your project.
▪ Filters and product selections will be remembered when switching between content types
and Factory/User Libraries in the Browser.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 24
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.10
▪ Browser content synchronization between multiple running instances. When running multi-
ple instances of MASCHINE, either as Standalone and/or as a plug-in, updates to the Library will be synced across the instances. For example, if you delete a sample from your
User Library in one instance, the sample will no longer be present in the other instances.
Similarly, if you save a preset in one instance, that preset will then be available in the other instances, too.
▪ Edits made to samples in the Factory Libraries will be saved to the Standard User Directo-
ry.
For more information on these new features, refer to the following chapter ↑4, Browser.
Improved Support for A-Series Keyboards
▪ When Browsing with A-Series keyboards, you can now jump quickly to the results list by
holding SHIFT and pushing right on the 4D Encoder.
▪ When Browsing with A-Series keyboards, you can fast scroll through the Browser results list
by holding SHIFT and twisting the 4D Encoder.
▪ Mute and Solo Sounds and Groups from A-Series keyboards. Sounds are muted in TRACK
mode while Groups are muted in IDEAS.
▪ Adjust Pattern Length with A-Series keyboards. Push the 4D Encoder on a Pattern in
IDEAS. Twist for 1 bar increments, or hold SHIFT and twist for finer increments. Press
again to set.
▪ Clear patterns from A-Series keyboards by holding SHIFT and pressing STOP.
1.4 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.10
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
New Hardware Support
▪ Support for KOMPLETE KONTROL A-Series keyboards.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 25
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.8
Audio Plug-in Improvements
▪ Added Edit Tab to Audio plug-in: Like the Sampler plug-in, you can now perform destruc-
tive audio edits to loops loaded into the Audio plug-in via the new Edit tab.
▪ Added Usable Play Range for Audio plug-in: in the Edit tab of the Audio plug-in, there are
now Playable Range Start and End markers which can be used to isolate only a portion of
the loaded audio file that you wish to loop. The timeline along the top of the waveform now
shows musical units rather than samples.
For more information on editing audio, refer to ↑7, Using the Audio Plug-in.
General Improvements
▪ Items can now be dragged from the Browser to external locations.
1.5 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.8
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
New Hardware Support
▪ Support for KOMPLETE KONTROL S88 MK2
▪ Support for MASCHINE MIKRO MK3 hardware
1.6 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.7
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
Audio plug-in Improvements
▪ Added a Formant mode to the Audio plug-in which preserves formants when pitching an
audio loop up or down. This can be particularly useful when working with vocal material.
For more information, refer to ↑7, Using the Audio Plug-in.
▪ The Engine Modes are now listed in order of CPU load, from lowest (Re-pitch) to highest
(Formant).
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 26
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.7
▪ The Take Recording workflow has been improved by muting the previously-playing Take
when you trigger a new recording so you're not distracted hearing the old Take while trying
to record a new one. If you abort the recording, the previously-playing Take will be restored.
▪ The Pattern Recording workflow has been improved by muting the previously-playing Pat-
tern when you trigger a new recording so you're not distracted hearing the old Pattern while
trying to record a new one. If you abort the recording, the previously-playing Pattern will be
restored.
▪ When you drag a bounced audio file from the Pattern Editor dragger to a Sound Slot or
Group, MASCHINE will now load this into an Audio plug-in instead of a Sampler.
▪ When Exporting loop content from MASCHINE, the Project Tempo will now be written into
the files. MASCHINE will read this tempo when later loading this file into the Audio plugin.
▪ MASCHINE now writes both the Tempo and Loop tags to recordings made with Loop mode.
Tempo is attached to recordings made in Sync mode. These recordings will therefore always be in sync with the project when loading them into an Audio plug-in.
Pattern Editor
▪ The number of tools available in the software for editing the Patterns has been reduced
due to redundant functionality. Instead of an arrow, a pencil, and an eraser, there is now
just a pencil tool which can be toggled on and off. When the pencil is off, the mouse will
behave as it did when using the arrow tool (and the mouse will look like a normal arrow in
this mode). When the pencil is on, this enables the same pencil/paint functionality as before (and the mouse will look like a pencil when in this mode). For more information, see
↑10.2.1, Editing Events with the Mouse: an Overview.
▪ There are some changes to keyboard shortcut behavior as they relate to view switching in
the pattern editor:
◦ W = toggle between Group view and Keyboard view
◦ S = toggle Sampling view on/off
◦ E = toggle Pencil/Paint on/off
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 27
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.4
Recording
▪ You can now engage count-in recording from the software while the playhead is moving via
Command + Shift + Space (macOS) or Ctrl + Shift + Space (Windows).
General Improvements
▪ There are now previews of all Groups/Kits and Sounds in the MASCHINE Factory Library. In
order for the previews to be available, you must first install the Factory Library v1.3.2 update.
▪ The "Use latest version of NI plug-ins" preference has had its functionality extended to
project loading (previously, it was limited to the loading of presets). For example, if you
made a project that used REAKTOR 5 but you also have REAKTOR 6 installed, enabling
this preference will cause REAKTOR 6 to be loaded in all instances when loading up the
project. When running in Standalone mode, a dialog box will be presented showing which
plug-ins were updated. This function will also happen automatically if you only have the
newest plug-in version installed, regardless of whether the preference is enabled or not, to
ensure you can load the older project rather than getting the annoying "Could not load 1 or
more plug-ins" error. For more information, see ↑3.6.6, Preferences – Plug-ins Page.
1.7 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.4
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
Audio Plug-in Improvements
▪ Added a new Target parameter to the Loop recording mode of the Sampling Page which de-
termines what should be done with a new recording when the recording is complete. Take
simply adds the new recording to the Audio Pool of the current plug-in, Sound puts the
new recording into an Audio plug-in in the next unoccupied Sound Slot (useful for layering
the recording with whatever else is in the current Pattern, like a guitar looper pedal), and
Pattern puts the new recording into an Audio plug-in in the next unoccupied Sound Slot
and additionally creates a new Pattern where only this loop is being played (useful for capturing different versions of a part and quickly reviewing them by switching Patterns). For
more information, refer to ↑16.2, Recording Audio.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 28
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.4
▪ Added a new workflow to MASCHINE JAM which automates the use of the new Target pa-
rameter for fast sampling and layering. Holding the IN 1 button enables this new Loop Recording mode (it’s also helpful to pin this mode on by holding IN 1 and pressing the SONG
button). While this new Loop Recording mode is active, pressing an existing Pattern will
trigger a recording of a new loop which is then added as a new Sound in the existing Pattern; doing this repeatedly allows you to quickly layer recordings on top of each other. Alternatively, pressing an empty Pattern button will trigger a recording and will then place
that recording in a new Sound Slot and a new Pattern will be created where only the new
loop is playing back. When pressing the IN 1 button, External Input 1 is selected as the
source for the recording. Pressing GRP while in the Loop Recording mode will select the
focused Group as the source. Pressing MST will select MASCHINE’s Master output as the
source (for resampling what is currently playing). For more information, refer to the MASCHINE JAM Manual available from Help menu.
▪ Added footswitch control of Sampling. When in the Sampling page, or when the Loop Re-
cording mode is enabled on MASCHINE JAM, a connected footswitch can be used to control recording. Pressing the footswitch will arm a recording according to the current settings. Pressing the footswitch again before recording has actually started will cancel the recording. If recording is in progress, pressing the footswitch once will stop the recording,
double-pressing will abort the recording (any recorded audio to that point will be discarded). If the recording is complete, holding the footswitch down for a few moments will trigger Undo so you can try another take. For more information, refer to the MASCHINE JAM
Manual available from Help menu, or to the following section when using MASCHINE MK3
or MASCHINE STUDIO: Using the Footswitch for Recording Audio.
▪ Improved the automatic tempo detection of the Audio plug-in so that it now chooses a tem-
po that’s closest to your current project tempo. For example, if your project tempo is 170
BPM and you load a loop which should be 174 BPM, MASCHINE will now set the Source
Tempo as 174 BPM instead of 87 BPM as it did previously.
▪ Added a Re-Pitch sync mode to the Audio plug-in which simply retunes/repitches the loop
(like speeding up or slowing down a record) to make it conform to the Project tempo. This
mode requires significantly less CPU power than the default mode, but you will not be able
to retune the loop at all (any pitches programmed in Gate mode will be ignored—only the
timing of the programmed notes will be used to gate the playing audio). For more information refer to ↑7, Using the Audio Plug-in.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 29
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.3
MASCHINE MK3 Improvements
▪ Added Ableton Live DAW Integration for MASCHINE MK3 - Mixer and basic DAW Control.
Access Ableton Live Mixer via MASCHINE MK3 hardware: Volume, Pan, Mute / Solo / Arm
states are visible on screens. Also access essential controls: Play / Stop / Record / Session
record, Clip Navigation, Launch & Record, Quantize, Undo / Redo, Automation Toggle, Tap
Tempo, and Loop Toggle. For more information refer to Host Integration.
General Improvements
▪ Improved the Take management system (previously called “Recording History”) for the
Sampler and Audio plug-ins such that Takes are now saved and recalled as part of the
Project.
▪ Improved external audio recording by implementing basic recording latency compensation.
This compensation will be in effect when recording from an External Input and with the
Monitoring parameter turned Off. The system currently works based upon the overall latency reported by the selected audio interface.
▪ Removed the function where a right click will remove Events in the Pattern Editor. Instead,
the context menu is opened. Events can still be deleted using double-click as well as using
the "Paint" and "Erase" tools. For more information refer to ↑10.2.5, Deleting Events/Notes.
▪ Changed the behavior of right-click in the Arranger. This no longer removes Patterns from
Scenes. It now opens a context menu with many useful options for arranging. For more information on using the Pattern context menu within Song view refer to ↑15.3.13, Working
with Patterns in Song view.
▪ Improved behavior and cursor icons for resizing Events in the Pattern Editor. The active
area for resizing Events is increased.
1.8 New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.3
The following new features have been added to MASCHINE:
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 30
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.3
Audio Plug-in Improvements
▪ Added the ability to enable and disable Audio plug-in playback per Pattern when in Loop
mode. Double-clicking the waveform will toggle playback for the selected Pattern. Alternatively, the loops can be enabled or disabled via the STEP page on the hardware controllers.
For more details see ↑7.3, Using Loop Mode.
▪ Added a Loop recording mode to the Record tab, and the Record tab is now available for
both Sampler and Audio plug-ins. When choosing the new Loop mode, the start of recording will be quantized to the start of the Pattern. Furthermore, when the recording is complete, the loop will automatically be loaded into an Audio plug-in and will immediately begin playback. For more details see ↑16.2, Recording Audio.
MASCHINE Controller Improvements
▪ Added Ideas View on MASCHINE MK3 and MASCHINE STUDIO. Access Ideas view with
the MASCHINE MK3 hardware. For more details see ↑15.2, Using Ideas View.
▪ Added Event Editing on MASCHINE MK3 with 4-Directional Encoder. Select, nudge, pitch-
shift and change the length of notes with the 4-Directional Encoder in the events window
(on hardware screens). For more details see ↑10.2, Editing Events.
▪ Added Apple Logic DAW Integration for MASCHINE MK3, Mixer and basic DAW Control.
◦ Access Logic Mixer via MASCHINE MK3 hardware (Volume, Pan, Mute / Solo states
are visible on screens).
◦ Access Essential Controls: Play / Stop / Record / Quantize, Undo / Redo, Automation
Toggle, Tap Tempo, and Loop Toggle.
General Improvements
▪ Added additional Scales from KOMPLETE KONTROL into MASCHINE. For more details see
Selecting a Scale and Creating Chords.
▪ Added loading of Perform FX at the end of a Group plug-in chain.
▪ Fixed an issue the broke Pattern Duplicate on the MASCHINE MIKRO.
▪ Fixed an issue where the MASCHINE Transport Loop would influence Ideas View playback
when hosted in a DAW.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 31
Welcome to MASCHINE
New Features in MASCHINE 2.7.3
▪ Fixed a crash that could occur when zooming horizontally in the Arranger with special char-
acters in Section names.
▪ Fixed some issues around renaming Scenes and Sections.
▪ Removed 32-bit versions of standalone application and plug-in.
▪ Added Velocity Curves to Controller Editor for MASCHINE MK3.
▪ Removed the modal dialog at startup that suggests to download sound preview files from
Native Access. The preview files are still available for installation in Native Access.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 32
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Project Overview
2 Quick Reference
This chapter introduces you to the main areas and concepts of MASCHINE. In the following
sections, you will find:
▪ Information that will help you in your every-day work with your controller (Using Your Con-
troller).
▪ An overview of a MASCHINE Project and a description of both its structure and content
(↑2.1, MASCHINE Project Overview).
▪ A basic reference of your hardware controller, naming and quickly describing each of its
control elements (↑2.2, MASCHINE Hardware Overview).
▪ A basic reference of the MASCHINE software (↑2.3, MASCHINE Software Overview).
For a comprehensive description of every feature and setting, please refer to the Manual.
2.1 MASCHINE Project Overview
A MASCHINE Project contains all the information stored with a MASCHINE-produced piece of
music.
▪ The Project references all the sound content: the instruments, sounds and samples, and all
the effects that you apply to them.
▪ The Project also contains the arrangement of your song: how Patterns are built from events
which trigger Sounds, and how they are arranged into a song structure using Scenes and
Sections.
The following section will explain these two aspects in detail.
2.1.1 Sound Content
The sound content aspect of a MASCHINE Project includes all the instruments and effects
contained in your Project file, and how these are structured.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 33
2
3
1
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Project Overview
The sound content aspect of a MASCHINE Project with Ideas view selected.
▪ Groups (1) are available in Banks. Each Bank contains eight Groups (A-H) and each Group
contains sixteen Sound slots (1–16) (2). Each Sound slot can be filled with samples or
plug-ins.
▪ You can influence the sound on these three channels: the Project (or Master) channel, the
Group channel, and the Sound channel. The relevant controls are situated in the Control
area (3), which can be used for accessing Plug-in parameters or Channel properties.
▪ The Control area has three tabbed sections corresponding to each channel: MASTER,
GROUP, and SOUND.
◦ The controls in the SOUND section affect the sound of the selected Sound (1–16).
◦ The controls in the GROUP section affect the sound of the selected Group (A–H), i.e.
the sound of all its Sound slots.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 34
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Project Overview
◦ The controls in the MASTER section affect the sound at the main outputs of MA-
SCHINE, i.e. the sound of all Groups and all Sounds.
2.1.2 Arrangement
The MASCHINE Project is about building patterns, and putting those patterns into a loop or a
song structure. In MASCHINE, the process of creating ideas is separated from the process of
arrangement to provide a more flexible and creative approach. To reflect this the Arrangement
area is split into two views: Ideas view and Song view which you can easily switch between using your controller. The two views reflect the same content but in different ways.
Ideas View
The Ideas view is best equipped to help you develop your Patterns and Scenes. Here you create and record your Patterns and then combine them by assigning them to Scenes. Once you
have created a number of Scenes that are ready to be arranged you can add them to the Song
view.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 35
1 2 3
4
5
67
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Project Overview
The Ideas view of a MASCHINE Project optimized for creating Patterns and building Scenes.
The workflow of creating ideas in MASCHINE is as follows:
▪ You load samples or plug-ins into the Sound slots (7) of the selected Group (2).
▪ You record instances of your Sounds by playing the pads (1-16). A recorded instance of a
Sound is called an event (6).
▪ Together, the events add up to a Pattern (1) for the selected Group.
▪ All of this takes place in the Pattern Editor (5), where you can create several Patterns for
each of your Groups.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 36
1
2
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Project Overview
▪ In the upper half of the software, the Ideas view (4) allows you to combine your Patterns
from each Group.
▪ Here you combine your Patterns (1) into Scenes (3).
Song view
In the Song view Scenes are assigned to Sections and placed on the Timeline of the Arranger,
where you can move them around to develop an arrangement.
The Song view of a MASCHINE Project.
The workflow of creating an arrangement in MASCHINE is as follows:
▪ Create Sections on the Timeline of the Arranger (1).
▪ Assign each Scene to a Section (2).
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 37
▪ Change the position of a Section by dragging the Sections slot.
1
2
3
4
5
2.2 MASCHINE Hardware Overview
2.3 MASCHINE Software Overview
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Hardware Overview
The MASCHINE software.
(1) Header: The Header contains the main controls for the MASCHINE software including the
Display area, the Transport controls, and the Master Volume slider. You can also use this area
to toggle the Browser, toggle the Mixer view, connect to your hardware controller and monitor
the CPU usage of your computer.
(2) Browser: The Browser is your tool for managing, finding, tagging and categorizing Projects,
Groups, Sounds, Instruments, Effects and Samples. Using the search facility you can quickly
find things and Prehear (audition) Samples.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 38
1
2
3
4
5
7
8
9
10
6
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
(3) Arranger: This area has two views: Ideas view and Song view. Ideas view is for creating and
experimenting with musical ideas free from the timeline. Song view is for organizing your musical ideas into a song on the Timeline.
(4) Control area: The Control area allows you to control parameters and settings for each of the
Plug-in slots at each Project level (Sound, Group and Master). This area can hold settings for
Groups, Sounds, Plug-ins (internal or VST/AU plug-ins), MIDI, routing.
(5) Pattern Editor: The Pattern Editor features both step programming and real-time recording
and is the basis for each Pattern. Patterns for each Group can be created here and then assigned to Scenes in the Arranger. The Pattern Editor also lets you edit modulation for the
Sound, Group, and Plug-in (Internal or External) parameters.
2.3.1 Header
The Header.
(1) MASCHINE menu: Click the MASCHINE menu to access the software menus. This menu is
particularly useful in Full screen mode and when MASCHINE is used as a plug-in in a host application.
(2) Browser button: Use the Browser button to toggle the Browser. The Browser is your tool for
managing, finding, tagging and categorizing Projects, Groups, Sounds, Instruments, Effects
and Samples. From the Browser you can directly search your computer or an external drive to
add new files. You may also prehear (audition) Samples directly from the Browser and apply
new tags.
(3) Mix view button: Click the Mix view button to access the Mix view. The Mix view provides
you with quick access to the level and routing settings of all your Sounds, Groups, and the
Master. In addition, it provides you with an intuitive interface for adjusting the parameters of
all your Plug-ins.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 39
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
(4) Transport controls: The Transport controls contain buttons such as Play, Restart, Record and
Loop.
(5) Display area: The Display area provides control regarding Ableton Link, time signature, tempo, global swing, Follow and Performance Grid (Including Retrigger)
(6) Controller icon: This area displays an icon each MASCHINE controllers connected to your
computer.
(7) Master Volume slider: Shows and adjusts the level of the MASCHINE audio output.
(8) CPU meter: The CPU meter represents the current load on your computer’s processor and is
constantly measured; it should not go above 70% to avoid clicks and interruptions. You can
save CPU power by sampling the audio output of MASCHINE if necessary using export (for
more information, please refer to the Manual).
(9) Audio Engine button: Click the Audio Engine button to disable the entire sound processing of
MASCHINE.
(10) NI logo: The NI logo and MASCHINE logo open the About screen which displays the version number and edition of your MASCHINE software.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 40
2.3.2 Browser
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
12
9
10
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
The Browser.
(1) Library tab: Use the Library tab to access your computer's hard drives via MASCHINE's selectors and filters.
(2) Files tab: Use the Files tab to access your computer’s hard drives.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 41
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
(3) File Type selector: This contains seven icons representing the different file types of MASCHINE. From left to right the file types are: Projects, Groups, Sounds, Instruments, Effects,
Loops and One-shots. Clicking one of them causes only the files of the selected type to be displayed.
(4) Content selector: Use the Content selector to switch between Factory Content (button off)
and User Content (button on).
(5) Product selector: The Product selector allows you to browse and select any content of the
same File Type as is selected in the File Type selector above.
(6) Tag Filter: The Tag Filter allows you to search based on tags. You can quickly find files
based on the Types and Characters categories by clicking the tags.
(7) Search field: Use the Search field to quickly find files based on their name or tagged attribute. Select the type of file you are looking for from the File Type selector and enter the name
or category of a file into the Search field to perform a search. Results are displayed in the Results list below.
(8) Results list: The Results list displays all files that match your query.
(9) Autoload: This button automatically loads the selected loop or one-shot in the Results list
so you can to listen in context and in tempo with your Project while it is playing.
(10) The Prehear button (speaker icon) allows you to quickly audition the item selected in the
Results list when Preview files have been downloaded and installed using Native Access. The
volume level of the file being auditioned is set by the slider.
Audition control volume slider.
When browsing Groups, the +PATTERNS and +ROUTING buttons appear in the Control bar of
the Browser.
+PATTERNS and +ROUTING in the Control bar of the Browser.
Use the +ROUTING button to load the audio and MIDI routings stored in the Group (potentially
overwriting previous routings in the selected Group). When the +ROUTING button is off, any
audio and MIDI routings saved in the Group will not be loaded, preserving any existing routings
in the active Group.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 42
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
Use the +PATTERNS button to load a Group with its saved Pattern. When +PATTERNS is selected the Sounds and Patterns of the selected Group are loaded. When +PATTERNS is deselected, only the Sounds of the selected Group are loaded so you can try them with your existing
pattern.
(11) Information: Click the Information icon to view details of the selected file.
(12) Tag Editor: Use the Tag Editor to edit Tags applied to files and to add Tags to new files.
Native Instruments content is read only, however, Types and Characters properties can be edited in User content. You can show/hide the Tag Editor by clicking the EDIT button at the bottom right.
2.3.3 Arranger
The Arranger is has two different views: Ideas view and Song view. Each view has a specific
purpose in the workflow of creating a song, but essentially they represent the same content.
The Ideas view allows you to experiment with your musical ideas without being tied to a timeline or any kind of arrangement. Here you can create Patterns for each Group and combine
them into a Scene. The Song view allows you to structure your song by allowing you to assign
the Scenes you created in the Ideas view to Sections, and move them around to quickly create
a larger musical structure.
Switching between Ideas View and Song view
The Arranger View button.
► Click the Arranger View button to switch between the Ideas view and the Song view.
→ When the button is unlit Ideas view is active, when the button is lit Song view is active.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 43
1
2
3
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
The Ideas View
The Ideas view for creating and experimenting with musical ideas free from the Timeline.
(1) Scenes: This area displays all the current Scenes in your project. After creating a Scene by
clicking the + symbol, you can build the Scene by selecting a Pattern from each Group. By
clicking each Scene name (Scene slot) you can switch between Scenes to see how your musical ideas work together.
Using your mouse you can right-click the Scene slot and select to Append to Arrangement from
the menu and then arrange your song in the Song view. You can also use the right-click menu
to Clear, Duplicate, or Delete Scenes, as well as organize your Scenes by selecting the Rename
or Color options
(2) Pattern area: All Patterns in your Song are represented here. You can double-click a blank
slot to create and new Pattern or click an existing Pattern to assign it to the selected Scene.
Once assigned, a Pattern will become highlighted, click it again to remove it from the selected
Scene. Using your mouse you can right-click the name of a Pattern and select to Clear, Dupli-
cate, or Delete a Pattern. You can also organize your Patterns by selecting the Rename or Color
options.
(3) Groups: The Group slots can hold one Group each. Select the desired slot to load a Group
into it and display the Group’s content (Sounds, Patterns…) in the Pattern Editor (see ↑2.3.5,
Pattern Editor) and the Group’s Channel properties and Plug-in parameters in the Control area
(see ↑2.3.4, Control Area). To mute a Group click the Group letter, for example A1, and rightclick on the letter to solo the Group. Using your mouse you can also right-click the name of a
Group to access the many options available to manage them.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 44
3
4
2
1
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
The Song view
The Song view for organizing your musical ideas into a song on the Timeline.
(1) Groups: The Group slots can hold one Group each. Select the desired slot to load a Group
into it and display the Group’s content (Sounds, Patterns…) in the Pattern Editor (see ↑2.3.5,
Pattern Editor) and the Group’s Channel properties and Plug-in parameters in the Control area
(see ↑2.3.4, Control Area).
(2) Arranger timeline: This area displays the current position within the track and allows you to
set the loop range.
(3) Section slots: This area displays Section slots. A Section is a container for Scene placed on
the Timeline. A Section can be moved freely by clicking the name of the Section and dragging
and dropping it into place. You can change the length of a Section by dragging the Section end
marker to the left to shorten it, or to the right to lengthen it. Using your mouse you can rightclick a Section and use Select in the menu to assign a Scene to a Section. It is also possible to
use the menu to Insert, Duplicate, Delete, Clear or Remove Sections as well as organize them
by selecting the Rename or Color options.
(4) Pattern area: In each Section of the Arrangement, you can see the name of the Scene assigned to the Section along with the Scene’s Patterns stacked vertically for each Group in the
Project. The Patterns seen here are the same as those seen when viewing the same Scene in
the Ideas view.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 45
2 3 4 5
1
8
6
7
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
2.3.4 Control Area
The Control area.
(1) Plug-in icon: Click the Plug-in icon to access Plug-ins and their parameters.
(2) Channel icon: Click the Channel icon to access Channel properties where you can display
and adjust various properties for the selected Sound/Group or Master channel in the Parameter
area.
(3) MASTER tab: Click the MASTER tab to control sound at the main outputs of MASCHINE (including all Groups and Sounds).
(4) GROUP tab: Click the GROUP tab to gain access to Plug-ins and Channel properties of the
Group loaded in the selected Group slot (A–H).
(5) SOUND tab: Click the SOUND tab to gain access to Plug-ins and Channel properties of the
Sound in the selected Sound slot (1-16).
(6) Parameter area: Displays the parameters for the selected Plug-in or Channel properties. Depending on the number of parameters to display, these can be split into several pages. In this
case, click the name of the parameter page to display it.
(7) Quick Browse Icon: Use the Quick Browse icon to recall the search query you performed to
find the currently loaded file/preset.
(8) Plug-in List: There are Plug-in slots on each channel level (Sound, Group and Master). Each
of them can hold one effect Plug-in. The first Plug-in slot of the Sound level can also hold a
plug-in instrument. Select the desired Plug-in to display its parameters in the Parameter area.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 46
2.3.5 Pattern Editor
3
2
1
6
8
7
4
5
9
10
11
12
1314
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
The Pattern Editor.
(1) Sample Editor button: Click this button to open/close the Sample Editor.
(2) Keyboard view button: Click this button to display the Keyboard view.
(3) Group view button: Click this button to display the Group view.
(4) Audition button: Click this button to audition a Sound when it is selected from the Sound
slots (6).
(5) Sound properties icon: Click this icon to quickly access the Key, Choke, and Link settings
for the selected Sound.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 47
Quick Reference
MASCHINE Software Overview
(6) Sound slots: Sounds slots 1–16 of the selected Group are listed here. Click a Sound slot to
bring it into focus and display its Plug-ins and Channel properties in the Control area (see
↑2.3.4, Control Area). In Keyboard view (2), click a Sound slot to display its events in the Step
Grid (11).
(7) Pattern slots: Each Group has an unlimited number of Patterns available. Each Pattern slot
can hold one Pattern. A Pattern contains the events that make up a groove or a musical phrase
for the selected Group. Click the drop-down arrow to open the Pattern Manager and select a
Pattern slot to display and edit its Pattern. Upon slot selection this Pattern is also referenced
for that Group in the selected Scene in the Arranger (see ↑2.3.3, Arranger). Select various Patterns from each Group to form an arrangement.
(8) Pattern Length controls: The Pattern Length controls allow you to choose the unit by which
the length of the Pattern can be adjusted and to adjust the length of the displayed Pattern according to that unit.
(9) Dragger icons: The Dragger icons allow you to conveniently drag and drop audio or MIDI
from your Patterns to your desktop or host software.
(10) Pattern timeline: The timeline at the top of the Step Grid (11) displays musical time units,
including bars and beats. Click the timeline to resize the currently selected Pattern.
(11) Step Grid: Displays the content of the selected Pattern slot (7). Here you can see your recorded events as rectangular blocks. In Group view (3) these represent the Sounds of your
Group. In Keyboard view (2) they represent musical notes of the selected Sound. The events
can be edited using your mouse; they can be dragged to a new position, elongated, shortened
or deleted.
(12) Control Lane: The Control Lane provides a visual overview and editing tools for the automation of each parameter and modulation of each MIDI control change.
(13) Edit controls: Use the Step menu to change the step size in which events can be moved/
resized and click the Pencil icon to toggle the Pencil mode on/off.
(14) Control Lane button: The Control Lane button allows you to show/hide the Control Lane
(12).
For a detailed explanation of each section please refer to the MASCHINE Manual.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 48
Basic Concepts
Important Names and Concepts
3 Basic Concepts
This chapter will reintroduce you to MASCHINE’s main elements and terminology and explain
how they relate to one another. You will also learn how to set up your audio interface and how
to connect MIDI devices.
Before reading this chapter it is strongly recommended that you read the MASCHINE Getting Started first.
3.1 Important Names and Concepts
We will start with a list (in alphabetical order) of the most important concepts and names.
Arranger
The Arranger is the big area located in the upper part of the MASCHINE window, right under
the Header. The Arranger has two views: Ideas view and Song view. Ideas view allows you to
develop your ideas independent from the timeline. The song view will enable you to combine
Sections (references to Scenes) and arrange them into a song.
Browser
The Browser is the front end for accessing all the elements of your MASCHINE Projects:
Projects, Groups, Sounds, instruments and effect presets, and Samples. Each of these can be
stored and tagged in a way that allows you easy access to all of them. MASCHINE’s factory
library has already been completely tagged, including the factory libraries of any Native Instruments products installed on your computer. You can also import your files into the Library and
tag them as well. To learn more about the Browser, please read chapter ↑4, Browser.
Effect
MASCHINE comes with many different effects in the form of Internal Plug-ins. You may also
use Native Instruments or third-party VST/AU effect plug-ins. Each Sound, each Group, and
the Master can hold any number of effects that can be applied as insert effects. The flexible
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 49
Basic Concepts
Important Names and Concepts
routing system also allows you to create send effects, multi-effects, and side-chains. For more
details on using effects in MASCHINE, refer to chapter ↑13, Using Effects. You will find an
exhaustive description of all internal effects included in MASCHINE in chapter ↑14, Effect
Reference.
Event
Events are the individual drum hits or notes that make up a Pattern. In the Pattern Editor,
events are visually represented by rectangles in the Event area. Depending on the current view
in the Pattern Editor, you can see events for all Sounds slots (Group view) or for the selected
Sound slot only (Keyboard view). Events are described in more detail in chapter ↑10, Working
with Patterns.
Group
A Group contains 16 Sound slots. In addition to the Effect Plug-ins applied to each individual
Sound, a Group can have its own insert effect. These affect all the Sounds in the Group. A
Group can also contain any number of Patterns (grouped into banks of 16 Patterns each). Refer to chapter ↑5, Managing Sounds, Groups, and Your Project for more information on Groups.
Ideas View
The Ideas view allows you to experiment with your musical ideas without being tied to a timeline or arrangement. You can create Patterns for each Group and combine them into a Scene.
Scenes can then be added to Sections in the Song view to create a larger musical structure.
Master
This is where all audio signals from each of the Groups and Sounds come together and get
mixed. The Master channel can also host any number of insert effects of its own, these effects
are applied to all Groups and the Sounds within them. More information on the Master can be
found in chapter ↑5, Managing Sounds, Groups, and Your Project.
Pattern
A Pattern is a sequence that plays Sounds from a Group. It belongs to that Group and will be
saved together with the Group. In every Scene you can choose for each Group which of its Patterns has to be played. More information on Patterns can be found in chapter ↑10, Working
with Patterns.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 50
Basic Concepts
Important Names and Concepts
Plug-in
Each Sound, each Group, and the Master can hold any number of Plug-ins. Plug-ins can be
instruments or effects, and they can be internal (included with MASCHINE), from other Native
Instruments products (instruments or effects), or external (third-party VST/AU plug-ins). Instrument and Effect Plug-ins can be loaded in the first Plug-in slot of Sounds. The other Plug-in
slots of Sounds, as well as the Plug-in slots of Groups and of the Master can hold Effect Plugins only. At each level (Sound, Group, and Master), Plug-ins process the audio in series, according to the order in which they are stacked up. Refer to chapter ↑6, Working with Plug-ins.
Project
A Project contains all data needed for a song: Groups with their Patterns, all Scenes and all
settings, modulation, effects, routings, Sounds, and Samples. It’s like a snapshot of the entire
state of MASCHINE. Please read the MASCHINE Getting Started for a complete overview of
the MASCHINE Project structure.
Scene
A Scene is a combination of Patterns for each Group. They can be used to combine Patterns in
order to create musical ideas. Scenes are created in the Ideas view and then added to Sections
in the Song view to create an arrangement. Refer to chapter ↑15.3, Using Song View for more
information on Scenes.
Section
A Section is a reference to a specific Scene on the Timeline of the Song view. They are used to
arrange the Scenes into a larger musical structure. The benefit of using Sections is that any
changes made to a Scene are replicated in each Section where the Scene is referenced therefore making the process of changing parts of a song quick and easy.
Song view
Song view will enable you to combine Sections (references to Scenes) and arrange them into a
song in the Arranger.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 51
Basic Concepts
Adjusting the MASCHINE User Interface
Sound
Sounds are the building blocks of all sound content in MASCHINE. A Sound is made up of any
number of Plug-ins. Each Sound of the selected Group is mapped to one of the 16 pads on the
hardware controller, so you can play the Sounds by pressing the pads. Refer to chapter ↑5,
Managing Sounds, Groups, and Your Project for more information on Sounds.
Please refer to chapter ↑19, Glossary at the end of this Manual for more definitions.
3.2 Adjusting the MASCHINE User Interface
The MASCHINE software user interface is very flexible. You can choose what to display and
what not, allowing you to focus on your workflow. This section shows you how to adjust the MASCHINE GUI to suit your needs.
3.2.1 Adjusting the Size of the Interface
From the View menu in the Application Menu Bar and from the View submenu in the MASCHINE menu you can select one of four different sizes to display MASCHINE’s software GUI:
The View menu in the Application Menu Bar (Windows depicted).
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 52
Basic Concepts
Adjusting the MASCHINE User Interface
The View submenu in the MASCHINE menu.
Full screen view is also available from your computer keyboard via [Ctrl]+[F] (macOS: [Cmd]+[F]).
3.2.2 Switching between Ideas View and Song View
At any time you can quickly switch between the Ideas view and the Song view, using the Arranger View button.
The Arranger View button in the top left corner.
► Press the Arranger view button to toggle between Song view and Ideas view.
→ The Arrangement area switches from Ideas view (default view) to Song view.
For more information about Ideas view and Song view see ↑15, Working with the Arranger.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 53
Basic Concepts
Adjusting the MASCHINE User Interface
3.2.3 Showing/Hiding the Browser
► Click the Browser button (with the magnifier symbol) in the Header to show and hide the
Browser. You can also select Browser from the View menu in the Application Menu Bar or
from the View submenu in the MASCHINE menu.
The Browser button in the Header.
You can also show/hide the Browser from your computer keyboard via the [F4] function key.
3.2.4 Showing/Hiding the Control Lane
When MASCHINE is in Arrange view, you can show/hide the Control Lane under the Pattern
Editor:
► Click the arrow button on the bottom left of the Pattern Editor to show and hide the Con-
trol Lane.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 54
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Click the arrow button at the bottom left of the Pattern Editor to show/hide the Control Lane.
3.3 Common Operations
This sections introduces a few very common operations in MASCHINE you will encounter in
numerous situations.
3.3.1 Adjusting Volume, Swing, and Tempo
At any time you can quickly adjust volume levels, swing, and the overall tempo of your Project
using the Quick Edit buttons.
3.3.1.1 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo in the MASCHINE Software
Adjusting Volume
To adjust the various volume levels in the software, the following controls are at your disposal:
► To adjust the overall output level, click and drag the Master Volume slider located on the
right part of the Header, at the top of the window.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 55
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Use the Master Volume slider in the Header to adjust the overall volume of MASCHINE.
You can also use Mix view to adjust your Sound and Group levels. Mix view gives you quick access
to the level and routing settings of all your Sounds, Groups, and the Master. In addition, it provides
you with an intuitive interface for adjusting the parameters of all your Plug-ins. More on this in section The Mix View.
Adjusting Swing
To adjust the overall Swing of your song, you can use the display in the Header, at the top of
the MASCHINE window:
The SWING control in the Header.
► To adjust the Swing value of your Project, click the SWING value, hold the mouse button
and drag vertically.
Adjusting Tempo
To adjust the overall Tempo of your song, you can use the display in the Header, at the top of
the MASCHINE window:
The BPM control in the Header.
► To adjust the Tempo (Beats Per Minute) value of your Project, click the BPM value, hold
the mouse button and drag vertically.
3.3.2 Undo/Redo
Undoing and re-doing your last actions can be useful to cancel operations you have performed
or to compare two versions before and after a change. You can undo nearly everything you did
after loading or creating your Project.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 56
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Note: If you save your Project, you will no longer be able to undo or redo any actions performed before saving!
MASCHINE provides two different undo/redo features, each of them being suited for specific
situations:
▪ Step Undo allows you to cancel your last single action.
▪ Take Undo allows you to cancel your last group of actions.
Step Undo
Step Undo/Redo is the classic undo/redo found in most applications. It cancels or re-executes
each single action you have performed.
In the software use the following keyboard shortcuts for the Step Undo and Step Redo functions:
► To cancel your last action (Step Undo), press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Z] ([Cmd]+ [Shift]+ [Z] on
macOS). To re-execute your last action (Step Redo), press [Ctrl]+ [Shift]+ [Y] ([Cmd]+
[Shift]+ [Y] on macOS). You can also select Undo Step and Redo Step from the Edit
menu in the Application Menu Bar or from the Edit submenu in the MASCHINE menu.
The commands in the Edit menu additionally shows which action will be undone/redone!
Take Undo
Suppose you have just recorded a 16th-note hi-hat beat over four bars, but then decide to cancel it. Normally you would have to cancel the 64 notes one at a time, repeatedly calling the
undo function 64 times in a row. This is what Take Undo has been made for!
Take Undo/Redo is an extended undo/redo available while recording that allows you to cancel
or re-execute a whole group of actions at once.
Take Undo/Redo is the default undo/redo in MASCHINE. In the software use the common keyboard shortcuts for the Undo and Redo functions:
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 57
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
► To cancel your last group of actions, press [Ctrl]+[Z] ([Cmd]+[Z] on macOS). To re-exe-
cute your last group of actions, press [Ctrl]+[Y] ([Cmd]+[Y] on macOS). You can also select Undo and Redo from the Edit menu in the Application Menu Bar or from the Edit
submenu in the MASCHINE menu.
The commands in the Edit menu additionally shows which action will be undone/redone!
Take Undo is available in following situations:
▪ Recording in Control mode
▪ Recording in Step mode
▪ Recording modulation
Outside of these three situations, Take Undo has the same effect as Step Undo (see above).
3.3.3 Focusing on a Group or a Sound
To display the content and parameters of a particular Sound or Group, you first need to put it
in focus.
Setting the focus on a Sound or Group is slightly different than selecting it: The focus defines
what will be displayed, whereas the selection defines what will be affected by your edits. Note
that a focused Sound/Group is always selected. The distinction is of importance because you
can select multiple Sounds or Groups to apply your edits to all of them at once! See section
↑5.1.3, Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more on this.
We show here how to put Sounds and Groups in focus when the MASCHINE software is in Arrange
view (default view). For instructions on putting Sounds and Groups in focus in Mix view, please refer to chapter ↑12.2.3, Selecting Channel Strips.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 58
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Setting the Focus on a Group
► To put a Group in focus, click this Group in the Group List of the Arranger:
→ The focused Group is highlighted. The Pattern Editor displays the Sounds and Patterns of
that Group.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 59
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
The focused Group is highlighted and the Pattern Editor show its content.
If the desired Group does not appear in the Group List, use the scroll bar at the right end of the
Arranger or turn your mouse wheel while hovering the Arranger to display any hidden Groups. You
can also extend the Arranger by dragging its lower right corner vertically with the mouse.
You can also select multiple Groups at once to apply changes to all of them. See section ↑5.1.3,
Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more information.
Setting the Focus on a Sound
To put a Sound in focus:
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 60
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
1. Set the focus to the Group containing the desired Sound by clicking it in the Group List
on the left of the Arranger (see above).
The focused Group is highlighted. The Pattern Editor displays the Sounds and Patterns of
that Group.
2. Click the desired Sound slot in the Sound List of the Pattern Editor:
→ The focused Sound slot is highlighted.
The focused Sound slot is highlighted.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 61
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
If the desired Sound does not appear in the Sound List, use the scroll bar at the right end of the
Pattern Editor or turn your mouse wheel while hovering the Pattern Editor to display any hidden
Sounds.
You can also select multiple Sounds at once to apply changes to all of them. See section ↑5.1.3,
Selecting Multiple Sounds or Groups for more information.
3.3.4 Switching Between the Master, Group, and Sound Level
At any time you can quickly switch the Control area between the parameters of the Master, the
focused Group, and the focused Sound.
Click the desired tab to switch the display of the Control area.
► Click the MASTER, GROUP or SOUND tab in the top left corner of the Control area to dis-
play the Plug-in parameters or Channel properties of the Master, the focused Group or the
focused Sound, respectively.
→ The selected tab lights up. The name of your Project, the focused Group or the focused
Sound appears under the MASTER, GROUP, and SOUND tabs (the Muddy Matt Sound in
the picture above), and the rest of the Control area displays the Plug-in parameters and
Channel properties of the Master, the focused Group or the focused Sound, respectively.
3.3.5 Navigating Channel Properties, Plug-ins, and Parameter Pages in the Control Area
We describe here how to display/edit any Plug-in parameters or Channel properties located in
any Sound, Group or the Master.
To select a particular Plug-in or a particular set of Channel properties, you first need to display
the parameters of the Master, the desired Group or Sound.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 62
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
1. To display the parameters of a particular Group or Sound, put it in focus by clicking it in
the Group List or Sound List, respectively (see section ↑3.3.3, Focusing on a Group or a
Sound).
2. In the top left corner of the Control area, click the MASTER, GROUP or SOUND tab to
display the parameters of the Master, the focused Group or the focused Sound, respectively.
→ The Control area now displays the Plug-in parameters and Channel properties of the de-
sired Sound, desired Group or the Master.
Selecting Channel Properties
1. At the far left of the Control area, click the Channel icon (showing a little knob) to display
the Channel properties:
The button lights up. The Channel Property selector appears in the left part of the Control
area, showing a square of four buttons representing the various sets of Channel properties
available for the selected Sound, Group or the Master:
2. Click the desired button (Input, Output, Groove, or Macro) in the Channel Property selector to select that set of Channel properties.
→ The selected button is highlighted and the parameters of the selected Channel properties
appear in the Parameter area (the right and biggest part of the Control area).
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 63
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Selecting a Plug-in
1. At the far left of the Control area, click the little Plug-in icon to display the Plug-ins:
The icon lights up. The Plug-in List appears in the left part of the Control area, showing a
stack of all Plug-ins loaded in the selected Sound, Group or the Master:
2. Click the desired Plug-in slot in the Plug-in List to select that Plug-in.
→ The parameters of the selected Plug-in appear in the Parameter area (the right and biggest
part of the Control area).
If the Plug-in List only shows a “+” sign, it means that there are no Plug-ins loaded in this Sound,
Group or the Master. Clicking the “+” sign allows you to load a new Plug-in: see section ↑6.1.3,
Loading, Removing, and Replacing a Plug-in for more on this.
Navigating Parameter Pages
In some situations, the selected Plug-in or Channel properties provide more parameters than
the display(s) of your controller and the Parameter area in the software can show at once. Examples of this are the parameters for the Groups’ or Sounds’ Output properties and those for
the Sampler Plug-in. In these cases, the parameters are divided into several Parameter pages
that you can easily navigate with the hardware and software.
In the software the names of the available pages are displayed at the top of the Parameter
area. The name of the page currently displayed is highlighted.
► Click the desired page name at the top of the Parameter area to show the corresponding
Parameter page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 64
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
The Parameter pages of the Sound’s Output properties: Audio (currently displayed), Aux, and MIDI.
If all page names cannot be displayed at once at the top of the Parameter area, two small arrows are displayed on the left to click through the pages:
► Click the left or right arrow to access additional pages.
Adjusting the Parameters
In the Parameter area, each parameter includes a control element and a label. Following types
of control elements are available:
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 65
Element Action
Knob: Click the knob and drag your mouse vertically to change
the parameter value. Hold [Shift] on your computer keyboard and
drag your mouse to adjust the value in finer increments.
Button: Click the button to switch its state. When the button is
enabled, it shows a small colored LED.
Selector: Click the displayed value to open the drop-down list,
and click another value in the list to select it.
3.3.6 Navigating the Software Using the Controller
You can use the controller to adjust the position and zoom factor in the software.
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
To access the Navigation mode:
► Press SHIFT + VARIATION (Navigate).
Navigating the Pattern Editor
To control the position and zoom factor in the Pattern Editor from your controller:
Action Shortcut
Scroll Pattern Editor left Press pad 1
Scroll Pattern Editor right Press pad 3
Zoom in to Pattern Editor Press pad 6
Zoom out of Pattern Editor Press pad 2
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 66
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Navigating Song View
To control the position and zoom factor in the Song view from your controller:
Action Shortcut
Scroll Arranger left Press pad 9
Scroll Arranger right Press pad 11
Zoom in (Arranger) Press pad 14
Zoom out (Arranger) Press pad 10
3.3.7 Using Two or More Hardware Controllers
If two or more MASCHINE controllers of different types are connected to your computer, only
one controller can be used to control the MASCHINE software at a time.
If you have more than one instance of the MASCHINE software running on your computer, you can
control each instance with a different controller. See Controlling Various Instances with Different
Controllers for more information.
A controller not connected to any MASCHINE software instance can be used in MIDI mode (i.e. as a
MIDI controller) at the same time as the other controller(s). See the Controller Editor Manual for
more information on MIDI mode.
You can choose which controller you want to use with the MASCHINE software. This can be
done both from your controller and in the software.
You can select the desired controller from the Controller menu in the Application Menu Bar or
from the Controller submenu in the MASCHINE menu:
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 67
Basic Concepts
Common Operations
Click the MASCHINE menu and select the controller you want to use.
Hardware
On the controller you want to use with the MASCHINE software, do the following:
▪ MASCHINE (MK3) controller: Press SHIFT + PLUG-IN, turn the 4-D encoder to select the
desired instance, and press the 4-D encoder or Button 4 to load it.
▪ MASCHINE STUDIO controller: Press SHIFT + PLUG-IN, turn the jog wheel to select the
desired instance, and press the jog wheel or Button 8 to load it.
▪ MASCHINE (MK1 & MK2) controller: Press SHIFT + STEP, turn Knob 8 (or press But-
ton 5/6) to select the desired instance, and press Button 8 to load it.
▪ MASCHINE MIKRO (MK1 & MK2) controller: Press SHIFT + F2, turn the Control encoder
to select the desired instance, and press the Control encoder to load it.
▪ MASCHINE JAM controller: Press SHIFT + H (INSTANCE), turn the Control encoder to se-
lect the desired instance, and press the Control encoder to load it.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 68
Basic Concepts
Native Kontrol Standard
▪ KOMPLETE KONTROL Keyboard MK1: Press INSTANCE and turn the Control encoder to
select the desired instance, and press the Control encoder to load it.
▪ KOMPLETE KONTROL Keyboard MK2: Press INSTANCE and turn the 4-D encoder to se-
lect the desired instance, and press the 4-D encoder to load it.
3.4 Native Kontrol Standard
Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) is a software instrument format that allows third-party developers to integrate with MASCHINE and KOMPLETE KONTROL hardware and software at the
same deep level as KOMPLETE Instruments.
The Native Kontrol Standard includes:
▪ Seamless integration into the MASCHINE and KOMPLETE KONTROL Browser for a unified
browsing experience.
▪ Full parameter mapping for instant hands-on control.
▪ Support of KOMPLETE KONTROL S-SERIES features such as the Light Guide.
NKS instruments can be found in the MASCHINE Browser next to your KOMPLETE Instruments. All of their presets are fully tagged, so filtering in the Browser gives you matching results from both KOMPLETE Instruments and NKS instruments (see section ↑4.2.6, Selecting
Type and Character Tags). And when you load a preset from an NKS instrument, its parameters
are mapped to the controls on your KOMPLETE KONTROL S-SERIES keyboard in a meaningful
way, just like any preset from your KOMPLETE Instruments.
NKS instruments are automatically added to your Library when you start MASCHINE or KOMPLETE KONTROL for the first time after installing the instrument (except KONTAKT instruments with NKS support, see below). The folders containing the preset files for NKS support
can be managed in the Factory pane on the Library page of the Preferences (see section
↑3.6.5, Preferences – Library Page).
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 69
Basic Concepts
Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode
Installing KONTAKT Instruments with NKS Support
Third-party developers of KONTAKT instruments provide you with a folder that contains all instrument files, including presets and samples. Instead of running an installer, this folder needs
to be stored on the hard drive. The instrument can then be activated with Native Access, which
also adds it to the MASCHINE and KOMPLETE KONTROL Libraries. If you are using KONTAKT, the instrument is automatically added to your KONTAKT Browser too.
To activate your KONTAKT instrument with NKS support and add it to the MASCHINE Library,
follow the steps below:
1. Start the stand-alone version of the MASCHINE software.
2. In the File menu click on Manage Products….
3. Click on Add a serial in the top-left corner of Native Access.
4. Enter the serial number of the instrument and click ADD SERIAL.
5. Click BROWSE and open the folder containing the instrument files in the file dialog.
6. Click on INSTALL to add the instrument to your MASCHINE Library.
→ The instrument is installed. MASCHINE automatically scans for the new content and adds
it to the MASCHINE Browser.
The MASCHINE, and KOMPLETE KONTROL Libraries, and the KONTAKT Browser reference the instrument files contained in the folder. It is recommended to not delete or move the folder afterwards, or otherwise MASCHINE, KOMPLETE KONTROL, and KONTAKT will not be able to find the
instrument files. If an instrument cannot be found, use the Rescan function on the Preferences’
Library page to update the Library with the correct folder location (see section ↑3.6.5, Preferences
– Library Page).
3.5 Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode
You can run the MASCHINE software as a stand-alone application or integrate it into your favorite host by loading it as a plug-in. The MASCHINE software is available in the VST, Audio
Unit, and AAX plug-in formats. For further information on plug-in compatibility and for a detailed description of how to use plug-ins in your host, please refer to the documentation included with your host software.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 70
Basic Concepts
Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode
3.5.1 Differences between Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode
Transport Functions
The most noticeable difference between the stand-alone and plug-in mode of MASCHINE relates to the interaction with MASCHINE’s sequencer. Indeed, when MASCHINE is used as a
plug-in within a host sequencer software (e.g., Cubase or Pro Tools), MASCHINE’s sequencer
is exclusively controlled by the host application: you cannot, e.g., manually start, stop or restart the playback in MASCHINE, nor modify the tempo or the time signature of your Project
within the MASCHINE plug-in itself — these are synchonized to your host’s own transport
functions and tempo settings. As a direct consequence, when MASCHINE is used as a plug-in
the Restart and Play buttons as well as the Tempo and Time Signature fields are grayed out
and inactive in the MASCHINE Header. Obviously you cannot control MASCHINE’s playback
and tempo settings from your MASCHINE controller either.
However from your controller you can directly control the transport functions of your host application instead. See section Controlling your Host’s Transport Functions in Plug-in Mode for more information.
Audio and MIDI Handling
When MASCHINE is used in stand-alone mode, it directly communicates with your audio and
MIDI interface. You can select which physical audio/MIDI ports have to be used on your interface, and configure crucial audio settings like the sample rate. All this is done via the Audio
and MIDI Settings panel (for more information on this, please refer to Integrating MASCHINE
into a MIDI Setup).
On the contrary, When MASCHINE is used as a plug-in within a host application, the communication with your audio and MIDI interfaces is managed by the host — the MASCHINE plugin only communicates with the host. Native Instruments’ Online Knowledge Base provides
how-tos that will help you route the MASCHINE plug-in to multiple tracks/outputs in the major
hosts:
▪ How to route MASCHINE to multiple outputs in Ableton Live:
http://www.native-instruments.com/knowledge/questions/1705
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 71
Basic Concepts
Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode
▪ How to route MASCHINE to multiple outputs in Cubase:
http://www.native-instruments.com/knowledge/questions/1707
▪ How to route MASCHINE to multiple outputs in Pro Tools:
http://www.native-instruments.com/knowledge/questions/1709
▪ How to route MASCHINE to multiple outputs in Logic Pro:
http://www.native-instruments.com/knowledge/questions/1711
For all details on the audio and MIDI configuration of your host application, please refer to its documentation.
Multiple Plug-in Instances
When you are using MASCHINE as a plug-in within a host application, you can open multiple
MASCHINE instances. Actually, you can load as many instances of MASCHINE as your computer and your host application can handle CPU-wise. In contrast to the stand-alone application, they are always synced to the host. In plug-in mode you can also send MIDI Program
Change messages from your host to switch between MASCHINE’s Scenes or between patches
of other plug-ins loaded into MASCHINE, or record automation for MASCHINE parameters. To
learn more about these, have a look at chapter ↑15.5, Triggering Sections or Scenes via MIDI
and ↑11.2, Using MIDI Control and Host Automation.
3.5.2 Switching Instances
When two or more instances of the MASCHINE software are running (e.g., as plug-ins on different tracks of your DAW), you must choose which instance you want to control from your
hardware controller. You can do this both from your controller and in the software.
► To select your controller from a particular MASCHINE instance, click the Connect button
in the MASCHINE Header of that instance.
Click the Connect button to connect the controller to that instance.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 72
Basic Concepts
3.6 Preferences
The Preferences panel lets you specify various settings for MASCHINE.
► To open the Preferences panel, click Preferences… in the Maschine menu (macOS) or
File menu (Windows) of the Application Menu Bar, or in the File submenu of the MA-
SCHINE menu:
Preferences
Preferences… in the File menu of the Application Menu Bar (Windows depicted), and in the File submenu of the MASCHINE menu.
The following pages are available in the Preferences panel:
▪ General: see ↑3.6.1, Preferences – General Page.
▪ Audio: see ↑3.6.2, Preferences – Audio Page.
▪ MIDI: see ↑3.6.3, Preferences – MIDI Page.
▪ Default: see ↑3.6.4, Preferences – Default Page.
▪ Library: see ↑3.6.5, Preferences – Library Page.
▪ Plug-ins: see ↑3.6.6, Preferences – Plug-ins Page.
▪ Hardware: see ↑3.6.7, Preferences – Hardware Page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 73
▪ Colors: see ↑3.6.8, Preferences – Colors Page.
3.6.1 Preferences – General Page
The General page holds all of the global settings for MASCHINE.
► To display the General page, click the General tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences – General page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 74
Setting Description
Startup
Reload Last Project Click this checkbox to automatically reload the last Project on
startup.
Recording Audio
Prefer Project Folder If this checkbox is marked, the Samples you record will be put
in a subdirectory of the folder where your Project is saved. If
not, your recordings will be saved in the generic Recordings
folder in your standard user directory (see section ↑3.6.4,
Preferences – Default Page).
Metronome
Enabled Check this box to activate the metronome. You can also enable
the metronome by clicking the Metronome button in the
MASCHINE Header, for more information see section: Using the
Metronome.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Auto-Enable when
Recording
Volume
Click the checkbox to enable the Auto-Enable option. This
automatically turns on the metronome when you start recording
a Pattern.
When you start recording a Pattern (typically by pressing REC on
your controller), the metronome is automatically enabled. When
you exit recording (e.g., by pressing the lit REC button) the
metronome returns to its state before the recording (this can be
on or off).
The Auto-Enable option can be activated/deactivated both in the
software and from your controller.
The Auto-Enable option does not affect the Count-in: Even if
Auto-Enable is disabled, the metronome turns on when you
press SHIFT + REC to start the Count-in. For more information
on configuring Count-in, refer to section: Recording with Countin.
Click the slider to adjust the volume of the metronome.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 75
Setting Description
Signature Select the time interval between each tick of the metronome. By
default the metronome indicates the beats (the quarter notes,
1/4). Here you can select another note value for the ticks.
Count-in Length Select the duration of the Count-in, i.e. how long the
metronome will sound before the recording actually starts.
Link
Enabled Click the checkbox to enable the Link protocol by default.
Applications that support Ableton Link can join a Link session
when connected to the same network. For more information on
Link please refer to section: ↑3.7, Syncing MASCHINE using
Ableton Link.
Input
Quantize Input Quantize automatically quantizes your input to
MASCHINE as you record.
Select one of the following Input Quantization modes:
Basic Concepts
Preferences
None: Input Quantization is disabled. Events you play or record
on the pads are not quantized.
Record: Input Quantization is applied only when you record the
pads.
Play/Rec: Input Quantization is applied both when you play on
the pads and when you record them.
In Play/Rec mode the quantization applied while playing is
slightly different from the quantization applied while recording:
When recording, all events are quantized to the closest step —
possibly ahead of the event. When playing, on the other hand,
events occurring in the first half of the steps are left untouched
(since you cannot bring them forward in the timeline!) whereas
events occurring in the second half of the steps are quantized to
the next step.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 76
Setting Description
Usage Data Tracking
Allow usage data tracking Here you can select to enable or disable Usage Data Tracking.
Usage Data Tracking technology enables MASCHINE to
automatically track anonymous usage data that you can choose
to share with us.
All users should keep Data Tracking enabled as it provides a
valuable tool for understanding the performance of Native
Instruments applications when they are used in real life
situations. The data sent to Native Instruments is one hundred
percent anonymous and will not affect performance.
For more detailed information about Usage Data Tracking,
please refer to the following Knowledge Base article on the
Native Instruments website:
https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/
209545029
Basic Concepts
Preferences
3.6.2 Preferences – Audio Page
The Audio page holds settings related to your audio interface.
The Routings section allows you to configure the connections between the virtual inputs/outputs of MASCHINE and the physical inputs/outputs of your audio interface.
► To display the Audio page, click the Audio tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
Setting Description
Interface
Driver Select your audio driver from the drop-down menu.
Device Select the available devices if you have more than one audio
interface connected.
Status This confirms whether your audio interface is currently running.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 77
Setting Description
Sample Rate This displays the selected sample rate of your audio interface.
Restart MASCHINE after changing the sample rate.
ASIO Config (Windows only) Click Open Panel to access specific controls related to your
audio interface. Please consult the documentation that came
with your audio interface for more information.
Latency macOS: This slider allows you to adjust the latency of your audio
interface in samples. Lower values result in a more immediate
playing response but are heavier on both the CPU and the audio
driver, and may result in audible clicks and pops. Larger values
are easier on the CPU, but introduce a larger latency (i.e., there
may be a small delay in sound playback when you play on the
pads). You should therefore experiment with this setting so that
it is as low as possible without overloading your CPU or
introducing any audio artifacts.
Windows: When using an ASIO driver, the Audio and MIDI
Settings panel displays an ASIO Config button instead of the
Latency slider. Click this button to open the settings window of
the selected ASIO driver.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Routings
Input Click Inputs to display the Routing Inputs. Here you can select
which inputs on your audio interface should be used for the four
stereo inputs of MASCHINE. Select the inputs of your audio
interface on the right column by clicking the fields: you will be
presented with a drop-down menu with all the available Inputs.
The choices made here will determine which inputs can be used
when sampling external sources, for example.
Output Click Output to display the Routing Outputs. Here you are
presented with a list of the 16 stereo outputs from MASCHINE:
In the right column, you can assign them to the outputs of your
audio interface. Click the fields in the right column to select the
desired outputs via a drop-down menu.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 78
Basic Concepts
3.6.3 Preferences – MIDI Page
The MIDI page allows you to set up the MIDI input and output ports that you want to use with
MASCHINE.
► To display the MIDI page, click the MIDI tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
Preferences
The Preferences – MIDI page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 79
Setting Description
Sync
Mode Click the drop-down menu to set the MIDI Sync mode preference
for MASCHINE:
Off: No MIDI sync mode is selected.
Master (Send Clock): If MASCHINE is running as a stand-alone
application, it can also send a MIDI Clock signal to any device that
is capable of receiving MIDI Clock. This could be hardware such as
a drum machine, another groove box, or even another software
sequencer.
Slave (Receive Clock): If MASCHINE is running as a stand-alone
application, it can be controlled externally via MIDI Clock by any
device that is capable of sending MIDI Clock. This could be
hardware such as a drum machine, another groove box or
sequencer, or even another software sequencer.
Please note that the Slave (Receive Clock) option is not available
when LINK is active. For more information on Link see ↑3.7,
Syncing MASCHINE using Ableton Link.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Clock Offset (appears
when Mode is set to
Slave)
Click and move the Clock Offset slider to compensate for delay that
may occur during MIDI data transmission. Delayed MIDI Clock data
will cause external devices to respond too late, thus making your
track sound out of sync.
By adjusting the Clock Offset value you can set an amount of
latency to be compensated (in milliseconds). MASCHINE will then
send MIDI Clock events ahead of time as defined.
Devices
Inputs Click Input to display a list of all the available MIDI inputs of your
system. You can activate/deactivate each input by clicking the
fields in the Status column, which displays the current status of the
corresponding port.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 80
Basic Concepts
Setting Description
Outputs Click Output to display a list of all the available MIDI outputs of
your system. You can activate/deactivate each output by clicking
the fields in the Status column, which displays the current status of
the corresponding port.
3.6.4 Preferences – Default Page
The Default page allows you to define the default settings that will be used for each new
Project.
► To display the Default page, click the Default tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
Preferences
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 81
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences – Default page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 82
Setting Description
Project
Standalone Here you can select a Project to load automatically when you
start a new Project in MASCHINE used as a stand-alone
application. The field displays the location of the Template
Project selected for use. Click the folder icon to select another
Template Project. Any Project file can be used as a template;
this can be from the MASCHINE Library, or you could create a
file, for example with your preferred instruments and effects
already loaded into the Plug-in slots. If you have already set a
Template Project, click the cross icon to unset it and start new
Projects from scratch instead.
Plug-in Here you can select a Project to load automatically when
MASCHINE is used as a plug-in within a Digital Audio
Workstation. The field displays the location of the Template
Project selected for use. Click the folder icon to select another
Template Project. Any Project file can be used as a template;
this can be from the MASCHINE Library, or you can create a
file, for example with your preferred instruments and effects
loaded into the Plug-in slots. If you have already set a Template
Project, click the cross icon to unset it and start new Projects
from scratch instead.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Metronome Settings
Down Beat Sample and Up
Beat Sample
Scene / Section
Here you can select audio files to be used as up and down beat
of the metronome, respectively. The fields display the locations
of the audio files selected for use. Click the fields to select
other files. Click the little crosses on the right of the fields to
remove the custom audio files and use the default metronome
sounds instead.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 83
Setting Description
Duplicate Select from the drop-down menu how the Duplicate function in
MASCHINE will operate when duplicating Scenes.
Scene Only
Only the Scene is duplicated. The result is a new unlinked
Scene with the same Patterns referenced.
Scene and Patterns
The Scene itself and additionally all Patterns are duplicated.
The new Scene and Patterns are now completely independent
from the originals.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Link when duplicating
Sections
Click the checkbox to enable a linked copy of a Section when
using the Duplicate function. By default this feature is disabled.
When enabled, the Duplicate function will create a linked copy
of a Section. A linked copy will automatically be updated when
any instance of a linked Section is edited. This way, you don’t
need to keep track of which Section is the “original.”
Pattern
Length Enter the default length of new Patterns. The length is
measured in bars, beats, and sixteenths. To adjust the value,
click the desired number (bars, beats or sixteenths) and drag
your mouse vertically. For more information on Pattern Length
refer to: ↑10.1.6, Adjusting the Arrange Grid and the Pattern
Length.
Sound Lane Height Select the default height of the Sound lane in the Pattern Editor
by choosing between normal 1x or 2x zoom from the menu. 1x
displays all sixteen sounds, and 2x displays only the first eight
Sounds of a Group, making it easier to edit events.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 84
Basic Concepts
Setting Description
Sound
Default MIDI Input Mode MASCHINE allows you to play your Sound(s) via MIDI notes, for
example, from a MIDI keyboard. By default and without any
configuration, incoming MIDI notes on any MIDI port and any
MIDI channel will trigger the pitch of the focused Sound. In
addition, you can select that a Sound receives no MIDI input,
and also define the default setting for MIDI input by selecting
the Default MIDI Input Mode preference.
Select one of the following MIDI input mode options from the
drop-down menu:
Focus: MIDI input from any connected controller can be used to
trigger the focused (selected) Sound slot.
None: The selected Sound will not receive MIDI data.
3.6.5 Preferences – Library Page
The Library page allows you to edit the locations of all MASCHINE library files (both factory
and user) that appear in the LIBRARY pane of the Browser.
Preferences
The LIBRARY pane of the Browser is described in section ↑4.2, Searching and Loading Files from
the Library.
► To display the Library page click the Library tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
At the top of the page, the Factory and User buttons allow you to switch between the Factory
pane and the User pane.
Factory Pane
► To display the Factory pane, click the Factory button at the top of the Library page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 85
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences panel – the Library page’s Factory pane.
The Factory pane displays all factory libraries available. These includes the MASCHINE Factory
Library, libraries imported from other NI products, as well as installed MASCHINE EXPANSIONS.
These libraries will appear in the Factory view of the Browser’s Library pane.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 86
Element Description
Location column Displays the path of each library. If you have moved any library to
another location on your computer, click the folder icon on the left of
that library and select its new path.
Product column Displays the name of each product. These names cannot be edited.
Rescan button If you have made any change to a library (e.g., changed its location),
select it in the list and click the Rescan button to rescan that library.
User Pane
► To display the User pane, click the User button at the top of the Library page.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 87
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences panel – the Library page’s User pane.
The User pane displays all user libraries currently in use. This includes the standard MASCHINE user directory as well as any other user directory you might have defined. These libraries will appear in the User view of the Browser’s Library pane.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 88
Element Description
Location column Displays the path of each library. If you have moved any library to
another location on your computer, click the folder icon on the left of
that library and select its new path.
Alias column Displays the alias stored for each library. Click an alias to edit it.
Defining aliases for your user folders is not mandatory, but it can be
of great help when working on different computers (see description
below). After adding a location (see Add below), click the field in the
new row and in the Alias column to set the alias for that new
location. The alias of the default user folder, Standard User
Directory, cannot be edited — this is the location where all your user
files will be stored by default.
Add button Click Add to manually add directories to the user library. See below
for more details.
Remove button Click Remove to remove the selected user library. Files will only be
removed from the MASCHINE Browser, not from your hard disk.
Rescan button If you have made any change to a library (e.g., added/removed files),
select it in the list and click the Rescan button to rescan that library.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Scan user content for
changes at start-up
Click this checkbox to allow MASCHINE to scan for changes to the
User content directory during start-up.
checkbox
You can resize the Preferences panel at your convenience using the usual method on your operating
system. You can also resize each column by clicking and dragging the border between both column
headers.
User Content Folder Included in MASCHINE’s User Paths
Products from Native Instruments will store user-generated content in a centralized User Content folder. In MASCHINE this User Content folder is automatically added to the list of user
directories in the User pane of the Library page in the Preferences panel, and as a consequence its files are available in the MASCHINE Browser.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 89
Basic Concepts
The User Content folder can neither be renamed nor removed from the list. You can modify its
path in the Location column.
Standard User Directory Cannot Be Removed
The Standard User Directory can neither be renamed nor removed from the list in the User
pane of the Library page in the Preferences panel. You can modify its path in the Location column.
Cancelling Library Rescan
In the Library page of the Preferences panel, the Rescan button allows you to rescan the selected library (or all your libraries if none is selected) so that the MASCHINE Browser mirrors
any changes you have made to the files. Clicking this Rescan button triggers the scan and an
Updating Database dialog shows you the progress of the scan.
The Updating Database dialog includes a CANCEL button allowing you to interrupt the scanning process without harming the database permanently:
Preferences
The Updating Database dialog now includes a Cancel button.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 90
Basic Concepts
► Click CANCEL in the Updating Database dialog to interrupt the scan.
A Cancel Rescan dialog opens up asking you to confirm that you want to cancel the scan:
The dialog warns you that cancelling the scan may lead to inconsistencies or missing
items in your MASCHINE Library.
▪ If you still want to cancel the scan, click CANCEL RESCAN at the bottom right, and the
scan will be cancelled.
▪ If you prefer instead not to cancel the scan, click CONTINUE or press [Esc] on your com-
puter keyboard, and the scan will go on.
If you cancelled the scan, any inconsistencies or missing items in your MASCHINE Library will
be resolved by rescanning the same path(s) again (via the Rescan button mentioned above).
Preferences
In opposition to the rescan process described here, you cannot cancel the import of files into the
MASCHINE Library (via the FILES pane of the Browser or via the Library page of the Preferences
panel) nor the process of applying changes to the file tags and properties (via the Attribute Editor in
the Browser).
Using Aliases
The aliases available in the Alias column act as references to the paths shown in the Location
column. When you save a Project, the saved data includes both the path and the alias for each
file used in the Project. This will allow you to use a Project on different computers even if the
files used in the Project (e.g., Samples) are stored in different locations on each computer:
Simply define the same alias for these locations on each computer, and MASCHINE will replace the path saved on the first computer with the path set to the same alias on the second
computer in order to retrieve the files on this second computer, therefore avoiding the possibility of missing Samples.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 91
Basic Concepts
Adding Folders to the User Library
In the User pane of the Library page, you can add other folders to the user content of your MASCHINE Library. To do this:
1. Click Add at the bottom of the pane.
A folder selection dialog opens up.
2. In the dialog, navigate to the desired folder on your computer and click OK (Choose on
macOS).
→ All MASCHINE-compatible files found in the selected folder are added to your user con-
tent in MASCHINE.
Furthermore, the imported files will have their attributes (product/bank/sub-bank, Type/SubType/Mode tags, as well as properties) set as follows:
▪ For all file types, any attributes already in the files will be retained.
▪ For Samples, if the product/bank/sub-bank attributes are empty, they will be set to the
folders in which the Samples are located:
◦ The product will be set to the name of the folder you have selected.
Preferences
◦ If Samples reside in a subfolder of this folder, the subfolder name will be used as
bank.
◦ If Samples reside in a subfolder of this subfolder, the name of the lower subfolder will
be used as sub-bank.
By adding a folder to the user content of your MASCHINE Library, you make their files available in the Browser’s LIBRARY pane for quick searching and loading! For more information on
how to use the LIBRARY pane of the Browser, please refer to section ↑4.2, Searching and
Loading Files from the Library.
Paths to folders added via the IMPORT button in the Browser’s FILES pane will also show up here.
The only difference between adding folders via the Add button in Preferences panel, described
here, and via the IMPORT button in the FILES pane of the Browser is that the latter allows you to
directly tag the files as they are imported. See section ↑4.6.5, Using the Result List for more information on how to import folders via the FILES pane.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 92
Basic Concepts
Please note that the selected folder cannot contain, or be contained within, a folder already
listed in the User or Factory pane. If MASCHINE detects such a folder as you press OK
(Choose on macOS) in the folder selection dialog, a Duplicate Location message appears: Click
OK to return to the folder selection dialog and select another folder on your computer.
Removing Folders from the User Library
You can also remove any user folder from your Library — except the default user.
3.6.6 Preferences – Plug-ins Page
The Plug-ins page allows you to manage the Native Instruments and External Plug-ins you want
to use in MASCHINE.
► To display the Plug-ins page, click the Plug-ins tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
At the top of the page, the Manager and Locations buttons allow you to switch between the
Manager pane and the Locations pane.
Manager Pane
► To display the Manager pane, click the Manager button at the top of the Plug-ins page.
Preferences
In the Manager pane of the Plug-ins page, you can enable/disable VST/AU plug-ins, rescan
their directories, and set default presets for your Native Instruments and External Plug-ins.
When a Native Instruments or External Plug-in is disabled, it will not be available for loading
(from the various Plug-in menus in the software and from the Plug-in Browser on your controller). If, for example, you do not use certain VST plug-ins in MASCHINE, it could be useful to
disable them so that they do not overload the list of available Plug-ins.
For more information on Native Instruments Plug-ins, External Plug-ins, and other Plug-ins in MASCHINE, please refer to chapter ↑6, Working with Plug-ins.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 93
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences panel – the Plug-ins page’s Manager pane.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 94
Element Description
Plug-in column Lists all available VST/AU plug-ins from the directories specified in
the Locations pane (see below). This includes all enabled or disabled
32-bit VST/AU plug-ins, when MASCHINE is running in 32-bit mode
or otherwise all enabled or disabled VST/AU 64-bit plug-ins, when
MASCHINE is running in 64-bit mode.
On the left of each plug-in in the list, a checkbox allows you to
enable/disable this plug-in in MASCHINE. When a plug-in is disabled,
it will not be available for loading in MASCHINE.
Default Config column For each plug-in you can set a default preset that will be loaded with
this plug-in when you load it. Click the folder icon on the left to
choose a default plug-in preset. You can also save a preset as default
for the plug-in via the Save As Default… entry in the Plug-in menu. If
no default is set here, the parameters of this plug-in will be automapped when loading it into a plug-in slot.
To remove a default plug-in preset, click the little cross on the right.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
Always Use Latest
Version of NI Plug-ins
checkbox
If a project was saved using older versions of plug-ins, such as older
versions of REAKTOR or KONTAKT, the newest installed versions will
be used when loading the project while this preference is enabled. If
the preference is off, MASCHINE will attempt to load using the
versions originally used when creating the project. Additionally, if only
the newest versions of the required plug-ins are installed on the
system, the newest versions will be used even if this preference is
turned off.
Rescan button If you have changed the content of any directory specified in the
Locations pane (see below), you should rescan your plug-in
directories in order to keep the list of available external plug-ins up to
date. Clicking Rescan will check the integrity of your plug-ins and
allow you to automatically detect plug-ins that were added or
removed, or deselect any plug-ins that are not working correctly for
any reason. Note that the scan will ignore the plug-ins that are
disabled in the list above.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 95
Basic Concepts
Manager Pane: Use NI Audio Units Checkbox (macOS Only)
On macOS, the Manager pane contains an additional Use NI Audio Units checkbox. Check this
box to include the Audio Units (AU) versions of your Native Instruments plug-ins in the software’s Plug-in menus and in the controller’s Plug-in Browser:
▪ If this checkbox is disabled (default setting), the AU versions of your Native Instruments
plug-ins are still listed in the list above but they are disabled (checkbox unchecked): These
plug-ins won’t appear in the Native Instruments submenu of the Plug-in menus (software)
or in the Plug-in Browser (controller). Additionally, the remaining entries for Native Instruments plug-ins (all of them VST) won’t display the (VST) mention next to their name.
▪ If you enable the Use NI Audio Units checkbox, all Native Instruments’ AU plug-ins are en-
abled in the list above and are available for loading in MASCHINE. In order to distinguish
them from the VST versions, plug-in entries in the Native Instruments submenu of the
Plug-in menus and in the Plug-in Browser will display either (VST) or (AU) after their name.
You can also enable or disable Native Instruments’ AU plug-ins individually in the list via the
checkboxes described above — as soon as you enable one of them, the Use NI Audio Units
checkbox is automatically activated.
The Use NI Audio Units checkbox relates only to AU plug-ins from Native Instruments. AU plug-ins
from third-party manufacturers are not affected by this setting.
Preferences
When the Use NI Audio Units checkbox is disabled or the AU version of a Native Instruments plugin is disabled, you can still load Projects that use AU plug-ins.
Location Pane
► To display the Location pane, click the Location button at the top of the Plug-ins page.
In the Locations section of the Plug-ins page, you can manage the various plug-in directories
you want to use in MASCHINE.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 96
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences panel – the Plug-ins page’s Locations pane.
The Locations pane also contains the following controls:
Element
Description
Plug-in column Lists all plug-in directories used in MASCHINE. Click the folder icon
on the left of an entry to change the path of that plug-in directory.
Add button Click Add to add plug-in directories.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 97
Basic Concepts
Element Description
Remove button Click Remove to remove the selected directory.
Rescan button If you have changed the content of a directory (such as installed or
removed plug-ins), you should rescan your plug-in directories in order
to keep the list of available plug-ins up to date. Click Rescan to
check the integrity of your plug-ins, this will allow you to
automatically detect plug-ins that are added or removed, or disable
any plug-ins that are not working correctly for any reason.
3.6.7 Preferences – Hardware Page
The Hardware page enables you to customize how the pads react to your playing and to adjust
the brightness of the displays.
► To display the Hardware page, click the Hardware tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
→ The settings of connected Native Instruments controllers can be selected and adjusted.
Preferences
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 98
Basic Concepts
Preferences
The Preferences panel – Hardware page.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 99
Setting Description
Controller The Controller menu allows you to select a connected device
and modify its settings. You can have two devices
simultaneously focused on a MASCHINE instance: a controller
from the MASCHINE family and a KOMPLETE KONTROL SSERIES keyboard. After a new device has been selected from
the Controller menu, the Hardware page will update to display
the available options.
Pad Matrix
White Pattern Focus Click the checkbox to set White Pattern Focus on or off. When
selected, Patterns will be displayed as white on the 8x8 clickpad matrix. This provides a clearer overview of which pattern is
selected for each Group.
3.6.8 Preferences – Colors Page
The Colors page enables you to choose default colors for your Scenes, Groups, and Sounds.
Basic Concepts
Preferences
► To display the Colors page click the Colors tab on the left of the Preferences panel.
MASCHINE 2 - Manual - 100
Loading...