Native Instruments Maschine 2.0 MK1 Getting Started Guide
Getting Started
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
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All other trade marks are the property of their respective owners and use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Document authored by: David Gover, Nicolas Sidi, Gustav Santo Tomas
Software version: 2.0 (10/2013)
Disclaimer
Hardware version: MASCHINE MK1
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
Germany
Native Instruments GmbH
Schlesische Str. 29-30
D-10997 Berlin
Germany
www.native-instruments.de
USA
Native Instruments North America, Inc.
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5th Floor
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www.native-instruments.com
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Tokyo 150-0001
Japan
www.native-instruments.co.jp
Contact
© Native Instruments GmbH, 2013. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Welcome to MASCHINE! ............................................................................................
1.1 Where to Start? ........................................................................................................................... 10
1.2 In This Document ........................................................................................................................12
1.3 Document Conventions ............................................................................................................... 14
1.1.1 Your First Stop: the Setup Guide ................................................................................ 10
1.1.2 MASCHINE Getting Started Guide .............................................................................. 11
1.1.3 Support Channel Videos ............................................................................................ 11
1.1.4 MASCHINE Manual ..................................................................................................... 11
1.1.5 MASCHINE Hardware Control Reference ..................................................................... 11
1.1.6 Controller Editor Manual ............................................................................................ 11
1.1.7 Other Online Resources ............................................................................................. 12
2 First Steps ................................................................................................................
2.1 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library .............................................................................. 18
2.2 Playing with the Pads ................................................................................................................. 22
2.3 Recording Your First Pattern ....................................................................................................... 24
2.4 Playing with Your Pattern ........................................................................................................... 26
2.5 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 29
2.6 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................30
2.4.1 Using Solo and Mute .................................................................................................. 26
Using Solo and Mute in the MASCHINE Software .......................................26
2.4.2 Using Note Repeat ..................................................................................................... 28
3 Building Your Own Drum Kit .......................................................................................
3.1 Opening Your Project .................................................................................................................. 31
3.2 Customizing Your Drum Kit ......................................................................................................... 34
3.2.1 Selecting another Snare Sample ................................................................................ 34
3.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth ................................................................................................ 39
9
17
31
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 4
Table of Contents
3.3 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 49
3.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................49
3.2.3 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo ......................................................................... 43
3.2.4 Changing the Color of a Group or Sound .................................................................... 46
3.2.5 Moving your Sounds and Groups ................................................................................ 48
4 Creating Beats ..........................................................................................................
4.1 Fine-tuning our First Pattern ...................................................................................................... 51
4.2 Adding a Second Pattern ............................................................................................................ 57
4.3 Editing Patterns in the Software ................................................................................................. 62
4.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 63
4.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................63
4.1.1 Our Pattern in the Software ....................................................................................... 52
4.1.2 Doubling the Pattern ................................................................................................. 53
4.1.3 Quantizing the Rhythm .............................................................................................. 54
4.1.3.2 Quantizing the Rhythm using the MASCHINE MK1 Controller .....................56
4.2.1 Selecting a Pattern Slot ............................................................................................. 57
4.2.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length ..................................................................................... 58
4.2.3 Recording a new Pattern using the Count-in ............................................................. 60
4.2.4 Switching Patterns .................................................................................................... 61
5 Adding a Bass Line ....................................................................................................
5.1 Selecting Another Group ............................................................................................................. 66
5.2 Renaming and Coloring the Group .............................................................................................. 67
5.3 Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass ................................................................................. 68
5.4 Recording a Bass Line ................................................................................................................ 76
5.3.1 Browsing the MASSIVE Presets .................................................................................. 69
5.3.2 Using Keyboard Mode ................................................................................................ 71
5.3.3 Adjusting the Base Key of the Pads on Your Controller .............................................. 74
5.4.1 Creating a Bass Pattern ............................................................................................ 76
51
65
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 5
Table of Contents
5.5 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters .............................................................................................. 78
5.6 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 82
5.7 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................82
5.4.2 Creating a Second Bass Pattern ................................................................................ 76
5.4.3 Loading an Additional Bass Sound ............................................................................ 77
6 Applying Effects ........................................................................................................
6.1 Loading Effects .......................................................................................................................... 85
6.2 Playing with Effects ....................................................................................................................90
6.3 Modulating Effect Parameters .................................................................................................... 94
6.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 96
6.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................97
6.1.1 The Plug-in List ......................................................................................................... 85
6.1.2 Loading an Effect into a Plug-in List ......................................................................... 86
6.2.1 Adjusting the Effect Parameters ................................................................................ 90
6.2.2 Practice Makes Perfect! ............................................................................................. 92
6.2.3 Bypassing Effects ...................................................................................................... 92
6.3.1 Recording Modulation ................................................................................................ 94
6.3.2 Editing Modulation .................................................................................................... 96
7 Creating Beats with the Step Sequencer .....................................................................
7.1 Building Up a Beat in Step Mode ................................................................................................ 99
7.2 Adjusting the Step Grid .............................................................................................................. 101
7.3 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 103
7.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................103
7.1.1 Using Step Mode ........................................................................................................ 99
7.1.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length in Step Mode ............................................................... 100
8 Creating a Song Using Scenes ...................................................................................
8.1 Creating Clips in the Arranger .................................................................................................... 105
8.1.1 Composing the First Scene ........................................................................................ 106
84
98
105
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 6
Table of Contents
8.2 Preparing Scenes ........................................................................................................................111
8.3 Using Scenes to Play Live ........................................................................................................... 114
8.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 118
8.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................119
8.1.2 Composing other Scenes ........................................................................................... 107
8.1.3 Pinning the Scene Mode ............................................................................................ 110
8.2.1 Renaming, Coloring, and Moving Scenes Slots .......................................................... 112
8.2.2 Duplicating and Deleting Scenes ............................................................................... 113
8.3.1 Selecting a Loop Range ............................................................................................. 115
8.3.2 Jumping to Other Scenes ........................................................................................... 116
9 Using Advanced Features ...........................................................................................
9.1 Changing the Sound, Group, and Master Channel Properties ..................................................... 120
9.2 Using Other Sound Sources ........................................................................................................ 126
9.3 Sampling .................................................................................................................................... 132
9.4 The Mix View ............................................................................................................................... 136
9.1.1 Creating Custom Sets of Parameters with the Macro Controls .................................. 121
9.1.2 Macro Control Overview ............................................................................................. 121
9.1.3 Assigning Macro Controls .......................................................................................... 122
9.2.1 Using Sounds and Groups as Sound Source .............................................................. 126
9.2.2 Using an External Sound Source ................................................................................ 130
9.3.1 How to Sample ........................................................................................................... 133
9.3.2 Editing, Slicing and Mapping Your Sample ............................................................... 136
9.4.1 Switching between Arrange View and Mix View ......................................................... 137
10 Quick Reference ........................................................................................................
10.1 Using Your MASCHINE Controller ................................................................................................ 139
10.2 Overview of a MASCHINE Project ................................................................................................. 143
10.1.1 Controller Modes and Mode Pinning .......................................................................... 139
10.1.2 Controlling the Software Views from Your Controller ................................................. 141
120
139
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 7
Table of Contents
10.3 MASCHINE Hardware Overview .................................................................................................. 147
10.4 MASCHINE Software Overview ..................................................................................................... 157
10.2.1 Sound Content ........................................................................................................... 145
10.2.2 Arrangement .............................................................................................................. 146
10.3.1 Hardware Overview of the MASCHINE MK1 Controller ................................................ 147
10.3.1.1 CONTROL Section .......................................................................................149
10.3.1.2 MASTER Section .........................................................................................151
10.3.1.3 GROUPS Section ........................................................................................151
10.3.1.4 TRANSPORT Section ...................................................................................152
10.3.1.5 PADS Section .............................................................................................154
10.4.1 Header ....................................................................................................................... 158
10.4.2 Browser ..................................................................................................................... 160
10.4.3 Arranger .................................................................................................................... 162
10.4.4 Control Area ............................................................................................................... 163
10.4.5 Pattern Editor ............................................................................................................ 164
11 Troubleshooting – Getting Help ..................................................................................
11.1 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................... 166
11.2 Getting Help ............................................................................................................................... 167
11.1.1 The MASCHINE Software Won’t Start .......................................................................... 166
11.1.2 Latency Issues ........................................................................................................... 166
11.1.3 The MASCHINE Software Crashes .............................................................................. 167
11.1.4 Updates ..................................................................................................................... 167
11.2.1 Knowledge Base ........................................................................................................ 168
11.2.2 Technical Support ...................................................................................................... 168
11.2.3 Registration Support ................................................................................................. 169
11.2.4 User Forum ................................................................................................................ 169
12 Glossary ...................................................................................................................
Index ........................................................................................................................
166
170
178
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 8
Welcome to MASCHINE!
1 Welcome to MASCHINE!
Thank you for buying MASCHINE!
MASCHINE is essentially the synergy of the MASCHINE controller hardware and the MASCHINE software combining the advantages of both worlds for making music, live as well as in
the studio. The intuitive, hands-on qualities of a dedicated Instrument, the MASCHINE controller, with the advanced editing features and the versatility of the MASCHINE software turn it
into the creative center of your musical productions.
You can create tight rhythms, harmonies and melodies — the highly enjoyable instrument
combines a pattern-based sequencer, professional sampler, multiple studio and creative effects, and VST/AU plug-in host. Everything is intuitively controllable via the fully integrated
hardware — once you touch the tactile controller the fun and intuitive workflow takes over, allowing you to stay focused on your music.
Since you can integrate it in any DAW that supports VST, Audio Units or the AAX format with
multiple instances, you can profit from its abilities 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 turning your ideas into full productions.
However, MASCHINE is a lot more than an ordinary drum machine or sampler: It comes with a
8-gigabyte Library programmed and created by well-known artists and a sophisticated, yet easy
to use tag-based Browser to give you instant access to the sounds you are looking for. But it
doesn’t stop there! You can create your own sounds and samples or use MASCHINE EXPANSION packs, available for purchase from the Native Instruments website to further enhance
your library of sounds.
You can also control your external MIDI Hardware and Software with the MASCHINE controller
and customize the functions of the pads, knobs and buttons to your needs, utilizing the Controller Editor Application.
We hope you enjoy the MASCHINE playground as much as we do. Now let’s get going!
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 9
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Where to Start?
1.1 Where to Start?
MASCHINE provides you with many information sources. The main documents should be read
in the following sequence:
1. MASCHINE Setup Guide
2. MASCHINE Getting Started (this document) and online video tutorials
3. MASCHINE Manual
MASCHINE documents are available in PDF format and located within the MASCHINE installation folder on your hard drive. You can also access these documents from the application’s Help menu or the following location:
www.native-instruments.com.
Please check Service Center or the Native Instruments website regularly for up-to-date and
localized versions of these documents.
Please check Service Center or the Native Instruments website regularly for up-to-date and
localized versions of these documents.
Additional documentation sources provide you with details on more specific topics:
▪ MASCHINE Hardware Control Reference
▪ Controller Editor Manual
Hereafter is a quick description of each of these documentation sources.
1.1.1 Your First Stop: the Setup Guide
The Setup Guide will guide you through the software and hardware installation of MASCHINE,
from the very beginning to the first sound coming through your speakers.
First read the Setup Guide. Then proceed with this MASCHINE Getting Started to get more familiar with MASCHINE.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 10
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Where to Start?
1.1.2 MASCHINE Getting Started Guide
After reading the Setup Guide and following its instructions, your MASCHINE should be up
and running. The next step is to read this MASCHINE Getting Started. This gives you a practical approach to MASCHINE via a set of tutorials covering easy and more advanced tasks in order to help you familiarize yourself with MASCHINE.
1.1.3 Support Channel Videos
You can find a number of support videos on The Official Native Instruments Support Channel
under the following url: https://www.youtube.com/NIsupportEN We recommend that you follow
along with these instructions while the respective application is running on your computer.
1.1.4 MASCHINE Manual
The MASCHINE Manual provides you with a comprehensive description of all MASCHINE software and hardware features.
1.1.5 MASCHINE Hardware Control Reference
The MASCHINE Hardware Control Reference provides an overview of a MASCHINE Project, the
quick access options performed using the MASCHINE hardware controller, and lots of keyboard shortcuts.
1.1.6 Controller Editor Manual
Besides using your MASCHINE hardware controller together with its dedicated MASCHINE
software, you can also use it as a powerful and highly versatile MIDI controller to pilot any other MIDI-capable application or device. This is made possible by the Controller Editor software,
a little application that allows you to precisely define all MIDI assignments for your MASCHINE
controller. The Controller Editor was installed during the MASCHINE installation procedure.
For more information on this, please refer to the Controller Editor Manual available as a PDF
file in the Documentation subfolder of the Controller Editor installation folder on your hard
disk.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 11
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Where to Start?
1.1.7 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 in chapter ↑9.3, Sampling.
1.2 In This Document
What you are reading now is the MASCHINE Getting Started. This document consists of a set
of tutorials that will guide you through common workflows in MASCHINE. Please follow these
tutorials in the described order. You will learn a little something in each of them which will be
essential later on. On the way, you will get to know the main objects and concepts of MASCHINE. After reading this, you should have the basic know-how allowing you to make music
with MASCHINE!
Even if you’re already familiar with MASCHINE, all tutorials are worth a read as every chapter may have little workflow hints of which you weren’t aware. Should you wish to revise a
specific task covered in a later tutorial, be sure to check the prerequisites listed at the beginning of each chapter!
This document is structured as follows:
▪ The first part is this introduction.
▪ The second part (Chapter 2 to 9) holds the tutorials:
◦ Chapter ↑2, First Steps: Load a drum kit from the factory library via the Browser, play
this kit with the pads and use it to record a simple rhythmic pattern — all this using
your MASCHINE controller only.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 12
Welcome to MASCHINE!
In This Document
◦ Chapter ↑3, Building Your Own Drum Kit: Customize your drum kit by quickly ex-
changing some of its sounds via the Browser and by adjusting some of the sounds’ basic settings.
◦ Chapter ↑4, Creating Beats: Record a second pattern and discover how to fine-tune
your patterns.
◦ Chapter ↑5, Adding a Bass Line: Add a bass line to your song using a VST/AU instru-
ment plug-in in MASCHINE.
◦ Chapter ↑6, Applying Effects: Add effects to the various instruments in your song and
quickly automate the effect parameters.
◦ Chapter ↑7, Creating Beats with the Step Sequencer: Create a Pattern, this time with
the step sequencer — another great way of creating grooves from your controller.
◦ Chapter ↑8, Creating a Song Using Scenes: Arrange your Patterns into Scenes, devel-
op your Scenes into a song and play your Scenes live!
◦ Finally, Chapter ↑9, Using Advanced Features lets you glimpse some more advanced
tasks and workflows covered in the MASCHINE Manual: changing Sound, Group, and
Master Channel properties; using advanced routings; sampling and the Mix view.
▪ The third and last part (Chapter 10 to 12) consists of useful global information on MA-
SCHINE to be used at any time:
◦ Chapter ↑10, Quick Reference provides you with a quick reference of the MASCHINE
hardware controller and the MASCHINE software. It gives you a good overview of the
main concepts and features of MASCHINE, along with lists of hardware shortcuts for
various tasks. You can use it as a quick reminder before you dive into the MASCHINE
Manual.
◦ Chapter ↑11, Troubleshooting – Getting Help gathers useful information for trouble-
shooting and getting help.
◦ Chapter ↑12, Glossary holds a glossary defining all important terms and concepts
used in MASCHINE.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 13
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Document Conventions
1.3 Document Conventions
This section introduces you to the signage and text highlighting used in this document. This
document 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:
Whenever this exclamation mark icon appears, you should read the corresponding note
carefully and follow the instructions and hints given there if applicable.
This light bulb icon indicates that a note contains useful extra information. This information may often help you to solve a task more efficiently, but does not necessarily apply to
the setup or operating system you are using; however, it’s always worth a look.
Furthermore, the following formatting is used:
▪ Text appearing in (drop-down) menus (such as Open…, Save as… etc.) and paths to loca-
tions on your hard drive or other storage devices is printed in italics.
▪ Text appearing elsewhere (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkboxes etc.) is
printed in blue. Whenever you see this formatting applied, you will find the same text appearing somewhere on the screen.
▪ Text appearing on labels of the MASCHINE 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.
▪ References to keys on your computer’s keyboard are in square brackets (e.g., “Press
[Shift] + [Return]”).
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.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 14
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Document Conventions
The term “effect” is sometimes be abbreviated as “FX” when referring to elements in the MASCHINE software and hardware. These terms have the same meaning.
Button Combinations and Shortcuts on Your Controller
Most instructions will use the “+” sign to indicate buttons (or buttons and pads) that must be
pressed simultaneously, starting with the button indicated first. E.g., an instruction such as:
“Press SHIFT + PLAY” means:
1. Press and hold SHIFT.
2. While holding SHIFT, press PLAY and release it.
3. Release SHIFT.
Displayed Products
Some images displayed in this document include products from the KOMPLETE and KOMPLETE ULTIMATE series. These products are not included with MASCHINE.
As an introduction the this range please install your free copy of KOMPLETE Selection. You
will find the serial number in the DVD booklet. For more information please refer to the Setup
Guide. For more information on KOMPLETE and KOMPLETE ULTIMATE please visit the Native Instruments website.
1.3.1 Unlabeled Buttons and Knobs on MASCHINE MK1
The buttons and knobs above and below the displays on your MASCHINE controller do not
have labels (all other elements on the controller do).
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 15
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Document Conventions
The unlabeled buttons and knobs on the MASCHINE controller.
For better reference, we applied a special formatting here: throughout the document, the elements are capitalized and numbered, so the buttons are written Button (1–8), while the knobs
are written Knob (1–8). E.g., whenever you see an instruction such as “Press Button 2 to open
the EDIT page,” you’ll know it’s the second button from the left above the displays.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 16
2 First Steps
In this first tutorial, we will load a drum kit from the factory library, play it with the pads and
record a simple rhythmic pattern.
For a complete overview of MASCHINE and its controls, please see section ↑10, Quick Ref-
erence.
Prerequisites
Please carefully follow the instructions of the Setup Guide which can be downloaded in PDF
format from the Native Instruments website. Once you have followed the Setup Guide, MASCHINE should be installed on your computer, its basic audio settings correctly configured,
and the hardware controller connected to your computer. If this is not the case, please return
to the Setup Guide for more information before going any further.
Please start MASCHINE via one of the usual ways on your operating system — for exam-
►
ple, by double-clicking the alias placed on your desktop during the installation procedure.
First Steps
A Project in MASCHINE
In MASCHINE, your whole song (or track) is called Project. A Project consists of all sounds,
instruments, effects, settings, along with all arrangement information you will create — in other words, a Project holds everything defining your song.
If you already started testing MASCHINE, please start again with a blank, new Project by
►
clicking the File menu and choosing New or by using the shortcut [Ctrl] + [N] ([Cmd] +
[N] on Mac OS X).
First we will show you how to load a drum kit using the MASCHINE software and then show
you the same procedure using your hardware controller. We are now ready to start!
For a complete overview of a MASCHINE project, please see section 10.2.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 17
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
2.1 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
We will first choose a complete drum kit from the huge factory library included with MASCHINE, and load it. To do this, we will use the MASCHINE Browser. The Browser is your tool
for finding, tagging and categorizing all types of objects used in MASCHINE.
A drum kit basically consists of several instruments — called Sounds in MASCHINE terminology. Those Sounds are put together into a Group, which represents the complete kit. In addition,
A MASCHINE Project can have any number of Groups which are organized into Banks. The first
Group bank is labeled A1 to H1 in the MASCHINE software and the second is labeled A2 to
H2, the third A3 to H3, and so on. So let’s look for a nice kit and load it into Bank 1 Group A
which is selected by default when you start a new project.
2.1.1 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library in the MASCHINE Software
In the MASCHINE software, the Browser is found in the left part of the window.
If you cannot see the Browser in the MASCHINE software, click the magnifying glass icon in
the Header at the top of the MASCHINE window in order to show the Browser:
First Steps
Enable the magnifying glass to display the Browser.
To load a drum kit, do the following:
1. Click the LIBRARY tab to open the LIBRARY pane.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 18
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
2. Click the Group icon to get a list of all available drum kits in the Library:
3. In the Content selector to the right, click the NI icon to select only Native Instruments
factory content:
First Steps
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 19
4. In the TYPES filter, select the Kits.
The Browser will then display only kits in the Result list.
First Steps
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
5. Select the Urban Kit sub-type tag below to further refine your search.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 20
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
6. Scroll down the Result list and double-click EK-TL A Kit to load this drum kit into Group
A.
2.1.2 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library using the MASCHINE MK1 Controller
On your controller, do the following:
First Steps
1. Press button A on the left of your controller to select the first Group slot. This is where we
are going to load our drum kit. Button A should be lit in blue to indicate that it is selected.
2. Press the BROWSE button at the top left of your controller.
The BROWSE button lights up. In the left display, you now are presented with a selection
of choices.
3. Press Button 1 or 2 above the displays to select GROUPS.
Now we can browse Groups only on the right display.
Press the right Page button to change the filter from PRODUCT to TYPES.
4.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 21
Playing with the Pads
5. Turn Knob 1 until KITS is selected. This will reduce the results list on the right to display
only kits.
6. Turn Knob 2 until URBAN KIT is selected. This will further reduce the results list on the right
display to the kits of that type.
7. Under the right display, turn Knob 5 to scroll down the list until EK-TL A KIT is selected.
8. Now press Button 7 above the displays so that +PAT is deselected (the Button must be off
— we’ll get back to this later).
9. Press Button 8 to select the LOAD command.
The drum kit is loaded into the first Group slot.
→
First Steps
As the last step, let’s leave the Browser and return to the default Control mode of your controller:
Press the lit BROWSE button to leave the Browser (the button is unlit).
►
That’s it! You just loaded a drum kit into a Group slot of MASCHINE. It is now ready to be
played from the pads, as we will see in the next section.
The process of loading from the Browser is the same for all kinds of objects: In the Browser, after choosing the desired object, you select the desired content, type, and subtype,
then you scroll through the result list and select an object for loading.
2.2 Playing with the Pads
As soon as a Group is loaded (here the EK-TL A Kit) and the corresponding Group slot selected
(here Group slot A), this Group can be played from the pads on your controller. Each pad triggers one of the Sounds included in the Group.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 22
Playing with the Pads
2.2.1 Playing with the Pads on your MASCHINE MK1 Controller
Play the pads to get the feel of your controller: reactivity, sensitivity to the force you ap-
►
ply while playing (called velocity), etc.
If you don’t hear any sound when playing on your pads, check that none of the buttons in
the column to the left of the pads is accidentally lit (if any button is lit, press it to disable
it).
While playing, take a look at your pads. You will note the following:
▪ When you press a pad, it flashes and then stays fully lit.
▪ At any time, only one pad is fully lit. This is the pad you pressed last.
▪ All other pads are half lit to indicate that they are loaded with a Sound ready to be played.
▪ An unlit pad would indicate that it has no Sound loaded — hence, pressing it would not
have any effect.
While playing on the pads, focus on the eight Group buttons on the left of your controller. You
will note the following:
First Steps
▪ All Group buttons except button A and B are off, indicating that they are not loaded with
anything.
▪ Button A is fully lit, indicating that Group slot A is selected. This means that the pads
currently trigger the Sounds of this Group.
▪ Button B is half lit to indicate the next Group can be created here.
As you can see, MASCHINE communicates in both directions: The commands you give via the
pads and buttons control the software, but the software also communicates information back
to you via the display and the LEDs.
Select Group A again by pressing button A and continue playing on the pads to get famil-
►
iar with them.
When you feel ready, move on to the next section, where we will record a little rhythmic pattern
using this drum kit!
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 23
Recording Your First Pattern
2.3 Recording Your First Pattern
Now that you feel comfortable with the pads, let’s use them to live record some rhythm into a
Pattern. A Pattern is a recorded sequence of notes played on the Sounds of the current Group.
In each Group you can have an unlimited number of Patterns which are grouped into Pattern
banks containing up to 16 Patterns each.
2.3.1 Recording Your First Pattern using the MASCHINE MK1 Controller
We will now use the transport controls, which are located at the bottom left of your controller:
First Steps
The TRANSPORT section on your controller.
1. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
The PLAY button lights up. You won’t hear anything yet because nothing has been recorded.
2. Press SHIFT + PLAY to activate the metronome so you get a rhythmical reference.
You now hear the metronome indicating each beat, the first beat of each bar being indicated by a different note.
3. Play along to the metronome to get a feel for the tempo.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 24
Recording Your First Pattern
4. If you’d like to increase or decrease the tempo to make your playing feel more comfortable, turn the TEMPO knob at the left of the controller.
The tempo value is indicated in the left display.
You can also adjust the volume of the metronome by pressing SHIFT + GRID and turning
Knob 1.
We recommend you to start with a simple sequence using a few Sounds only (e.g., the kick
and the snare on pads 1 and 2). You will have the possibility to enrich your Pattern later!
We recommend you to start with a simple sequence using a few Sounds only (e.g., the kick
and the snare on pads 1 and 2). You will have the possibility to enrich your Pattern later!
When you feel ready, start recording:
1. With the sequencer playing, press REC to enter recording mode.
REC lights up.
2. Play the desired rhythm on the pads. By default, the recorded Pattern is one bar long.
Your playing is recorded and directly played in a loop. As long as you don’t press PLAY
again, the new Pattern keeps playing.
3. Press REC again to stop recording.
First Steps
You just created your first Pattern!
→
You can now deactivate the metronome by pressing SHIFT + PLAY again and listen to your
newly created rhythm.
To stop the sequencer, press PLAY again.
►
Quick Edits on Your Pattern
At any time, you can undo your last action by pressing SHIFT + pad 1 — whether you are currently recording or not. You can redo it by pressing SHIFT + pad 2.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 25
Playing with Your Pattern
The undo and redo commands are global in MASCHINE: Almost any action in MASCHINE
can be undone/redone!
At any time, you can enrich your Pattern by activating PLAY and REC again, and playing the
pads. This way, you can progressively build up a complex Pattern step by step.
2.4 Playing with Your Pattern
Now that you have a nice Pattern, let’s introduce a few powerful tools for playing your Pattern
live.
2.4.1 Using Solo and Mute
Muting is used to bypass a Sound or a Group, whereas Solo is pretty much the opposite: Soloing a Sound or a Group mutes all other Sounds in that Group or all other Groups, respectively,
so that you can listen to the selected Sound or Group alone. The combination of both is a useful means to play live and to test different sequences together.
When used on Sounds, the Solo only applies to the current Group: The Sounds in other Groups
won’t be affected.
First Steps
Using Solo and Mute in the MASCHINE Software
Soloing a Sound
To solo a Sound, right-click (on Mac OS X: [Ctrl]-click) the number on the left side of the
►
Sound slot in the Pattern Editor.
Soloing the first kick Sound.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 26
To unsolo a Sound, right-click (on Mac OS X: [Ctrl]-click) the number again.
►
Muting a Sound
To mute a Sound, click the number on the left side of the Sound slot in the Pattern Edi-
►
tor.
Muting a Sound.
To unmute the Sound, click the number again.
►
First Steps
Playing with Your Pattern
By default, the Mute on Sounds is an event mute: events for muted Sounds are not triggered, but the audio coming from previous events might still be audible (reverb tail, etc.).
You can also activate audio mute for Sounds to mute both events and audio — see the beginning of this section for more information.
2.4.1.1 Solo and Mute Sounds using the MASCHINE MK1 Controller
1. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
Your Pattern starts playing. You see each pad flashing as the corresponding drum is triggered.
2. Press and hold the MUTE button at the bottom of your controller.
All pads become fully lit. They continue flashing with the rhythm.
3. While holding MUTE, press pad 1.
The pad turns half lit and you don’t hear the kick drum anymore.
4. While holding MUTE, press a few other pads to mute their Sound to your liking.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 27
Playing with Your Pattern
5. While holding MUTE, press pad 1 again.
The pad returns to being fully lit and the kick drum is playing again.
6. While holding MUTE, press again the pads you just muted to bring their Sounds back.
7. Release MUTE.
8. Now press and hold the SOLO button (just above MUTE).
Again, all pads turn fully lit and continue flashing with the rhythm.
9. While holding SOLO, press pad 1.
Pad 1 stays fully lit while all other pads turn half lit and you can’t hear their Sounds anymore.
10. Now release SOLO and hold MUTE again.
11. Press the half-lit pads one by one, progressively bringing each drum back in the mix.
The combination of muting and soloing Sounds allows you to create effective breaks on
→
the fly!
You can also solo and mute whole Groups by holding SOLO or MUTE and pressing the desired Group button — for now we only have one Group loaded, thus it would not make
much sense yet.
First Steps
2.4.2 Using Note Repeat
Note Repeat is a really handy way to play and program beats: it plays the selected Sound or
note repeatedly at a given rate. You just need to hold a pad and its Sound/note will be steadily
repeated until you release the pad.
▪ When using Note Repeat all pads will be both velocity and pressure sensitive, allowing for
expressive drum rolls or dynamic basslines.
▪ Note Repeat is a great way to play percussion and drums live to create build-ups and
breaks.
▪ Note Repeat can also come in handy to quickly record a regular beat when creating Pat-
terns.
▪ Note Repeat is also interesting to use with tonal Sounds and you can access it from Key-
board mode to create synthesizer-like arpeggios.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 28
Playing with Your Pattern
Note Repeat can only be enabled using the controller.
2.4.2.1 Using Note Repeat on the MASCHINE MK1 Controller
1. Check that your Pattern is playing — if not, press PLAY to start the sequencer.
2. Hold the NOTE REPEAT button.
3. While holding NOTE REPEAT, hold any pad.
The Sound of the pad is repeatedly triggered at the rate shown at the bottom of the controller’s display.
4. While holding NOTE REPEAT, press Button 5, 6, 7 or 8 above the right display to select
another repetition rate.
This is a handy way to add live ornaments to your Pattern!
→
Of course you can also use Note Repeat to program your Pattern (e.g., recording a continuous hi-hat).
2.5 Save Your Work!
A drum groove is an ideal starting point for the creation of a song. All the instruments you record afterwards will be based on the feeling of that rhythm. Before we get to adding new elements and editing your pattern, you should save your work right away.
First Steps
2.5.1 Saving your Work in the MASCHINE Software
1. Click File.
2. Click Save.
The Save Project As dialogue opens
3. On your computer keyboard, type a name (e.g., “My First Project”) in the field and press
[Enter] to confirm.
Your Project with its new Pattern is now saved on your hard disk. Should you close MASCHINE
or open another Project, you will still be able to open this Project later.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 29
Save Your Work!
2.5.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE MK1 Controller
1. To save your modifications to the Project, press SHIFT + SNAP.
A message will appear on your MASCHINE controller software that asks you to look at the
MASCHINE software. Since our current Project was not saved yet, MASCHINE asks you to
name it before saving. For this, you need to get back to your computer. A Save Project
As… dialog opened and is waiting for your input.
2. On your computer keyboard, type a name (e.g., “My First Project”) in the field and press
[Enter] to confirm.
Your Project with its new Pattern is now saved on your hard disk. Should you close MA-
→
SCHINE or open another Project, you will still be able to open this Project later.
2.6 To Sum Up…
In this first tutorial, we have learned to:
▪ Load a Group using the Browser.
▪ Use the pads to play the Sounds of that Group.
First Steps
▪ Record a simple Pattern with that Group.
▪ Use the Mute, Solo and Note Repeat features to create variations on the fly.
▪ Save the current Project for a later use.
Once you feel comfortable with these tasks, please proceed to the next tutorial, where we will
customize our drum kit, and have a closer look at the MASCHINE software user interface.
MASCHINE - Getting Started - 30
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