Native Instruments Maschine Mikro MK2 Operation Manual v2.8
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
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, Nicolas Sidi
Software version: 2.8 (02/2019)
Hardware version: MASCHINE MIKRO MK2
Disclaimer
Special thanks to the Beta Test Team, who were invaluable not just in tracking down bugs, but
in making this a better product.
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
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75011 Paris
France
www.native-instruments.com
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS North America, Inc.
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Los Angeles, CA 90028
USA
www.native-instruments.com
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London EC2A 4NU
UK
www.native-instruments.co.uk
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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 Documentation Overview ............................................................................................................ 10
1.2 Labeling on your MASCHINE Controller ....................................................................................... 14
1.1.1 In This Document ....................................................................................................... 11
1.1.2 Document Conventions .............................................................................................. 12
2 First Steps ................................................................................................................
2.1 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library .............................................................................. 17
2.2 Playing with the Pads ................................................................................................................. 22
2.3 Recording Your First Pattern ....................................................................................................... 24
2.4 Playing with Your Pattern ........................................................................................................... 26
2.5 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 29
2.6 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................30
2.4.1 Using Solo and Mute .................................................................................................. 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 ......................................................................................................... 35
3.3 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 52
3.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................52
3.2.1 Selecting Another Snare Sample ................................................................................ 36
3.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth ................................................................................................ 39
3.2.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List on the Controller ........................43
3.2.3 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo ......................................................................... 45
3.2.4 Changing the Color of Your Sounds ........................................................................... 49
3.2.5 Moving your Sounds and Groups ................................................................................ 51
9
16
31
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 4
Table of Contents
4 Creating Beats ..........................................................................................................
4.1 Fine-tuning your First Pattern ..................................................................................................... 54
4.2 Adding a Second Pattern ............................................................................................................ 60
4.3 Editing Patterns in the Software ................................................................................................. 64
4.4 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 65
4.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................66
4.1.1 Your Pattern in the Software ...................................................................................... 55
4.1.2 Doubling the Pattern and Adding a Variation ............................................................ 56
4.1.3 Quantizing the Rhythm .............................................................................................. 57
4.2.1 Selecting a Pattern Slot ............................................................................................. 60
4.2.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length ..................................................................................... 61
4.2.3 Recording a New Pattern Using the Count-in ............................................................ 63
4.2.4 Switching Patterns .................................................................................................... 63
5 Adding a Bass Line ....................................................................................................
5.1 Selecting Another Group ............................................................................................................. 68
5.2 Renaming and Coloring the Group .............................................................................................. 69
5.3 Using an Instrument Plug-in for the Bass .................................................................................. 71
5.4 Recording a Bass Line ................................................................................................................ 78
5.5 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters .............................................................................................. 80
5.6 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 85
5.3.1 Browsing the MASSIVE Presets .................................................................................. 71
5.3.2 Switching to Keyboard Mode ...................................................................................... 75
5.3.3 Adjusting the Root Note for the Pads ......................................................................... 77
5.4.1 Recording a Bass Pattern .......................................................................................... 78
5.4.2 Recording Another Bass Pattern ................................................................................ 79
5.4.3 Loading an Additional Bass Sound ............................................................................ 79
54
67
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 5
5.7 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................85
6 Applying Effects ........................................................................................................
6.1 Loading Effects .......................................................................................................................... 87
6.2 Playing with Effects ....................................................................................................................92
6.3 Modulating Effect Parameters .................................................................................................... 95
6.4 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 98
6.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................98
6.2.1 Adjusting the Effect Parameters ................................................................................ 92
6.2.2 Practice Makes Perfect! ............................................................................................. 93
6.2.3 Bypassing Effects ...................................................................................................... 94
6.3.1 Recording Modulation ................................................................................................ 96
6.3.2 Editing Modulation .................................................................................................... 97
7 Creating Beats with the Step Sequencer .....................................................................
7.1 Building Up a Beat in Step Mode ................................................................................................ 101
7.2 Adjusting the Step Grid .............................................................................................................. 104
7.3 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 107
7.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................107
7.1.1 Using Step Mode ........................................................................................................ 101
7.1.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length in Step Mode ............................................................... 102
8 Creating Scenes ........................................................................................................
Table of Contents
86
100
109
8.1 Working with Scenes ................................................................................................................... 109
8.2 Assigning Patterns to Scenes ..................................................................................................... 110
8.3 Managing Scenes ....................................................................................................................... 113
8.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................116
8.3.1 Renaming and Coloring Scene Slots .......................................................................... 114
8.3.2 Duplicating and Deleting Scenes ............................................................................... 114
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 6
8.5 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 116
9 Creating an Arrangement ...........................................................................................
9.1 Accessing Song view .................................................................................................................. 117
9.2 Managing Sections ..................................................................................................................... 121
9.3 Selecting a Loop Range .............................................................................................................. 126
9.4 Saving Your Project .................................................................................................................... 127
9.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................128
9.1.1 Creating your First Section ........................................................................................ 119
9.1.2 Assigning a Scene to a Section .................................................................................. 120
9.2.1 Adjusting the Length of a Section .............................................................................. 121
9.2.1.1 Adjusting the Length of a Section Using the Software ...............................122
9.2.1.2 Adjusting the Length of a Section Using the Controller .............................123
9.2.2 Duplicating and Removing Sections .......................................................................... 124
10 Playing Live ..............................................................................................................
Table of Contents
117
129
10.1 Performing with Scenes and Sections using the Pads ................................................................ 129
11 Quick Reference ........................................................................................................
11.1 Using Your Controller .................................................................................................................. 133
11.2 MASCHINE Project Overview ........................................................................................................ 138
11.3 MASCHINE Hardware Overview ................................................................................................... 143
11.1.1 Controller Modes and Mode Pinning .......................................................................... 133
11.1.2 Controlling the Software Views from Your Controller ................................................. 136
11.2.1 Sound Content ........................................................................................................... 138
11.2.2 Arrangement .............................................................................................................. 140
11.3.1 MASCHINE MIKRO Hardware Overview ....................................................................... 143
11.3.1.1 CONTROL Section .......................................................................................144
11.3.1.2 TRANSPORT Section ...................................................................................147
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 7
133
Table of Contents
11.4 MASCHINE Software Overview ..................................................................................................... 152
11.4.1 Header ....................................................................................................................... 153
11.4.2 Browser ..................................................................................................................... 155
11.4.3 Arranger .................................................................................................................... 157
11.4.4 Control Area ............................................................................................................... 160
11.4.5 Pattern Editor ............................................................................................................ 161
11.3.1.3 PADS Section .............................................................................................148
12 Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................
12.1 Knowledge Base ......................................................................................................................... 163
12.2 Technical Support .......................................................................................................................163
12.3 Registration Support .................................................................................................................. 164
12.4 User Forum ................................................................................................................................. 164
13 Glossary ...................................................................................................................
Index ........................................................................................................................
163
165
173
MASCHINE MIKRO - 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
an 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 MIKRO - Getting Started - 9
Welcome to MASCHINE
Documentation Overview
1.1 Documentation Overview
Native Instruments provide many information sources regarding MASCHINE. The main documents should be read in the following sequence:
1. MASCHINE Getting Started (this document): The MASCHINE Getting Started guide provides
a practical approach to MASCHINE via a set of tutorials covering simple tasks in order to
help you familiarize yourself with MASCHINE.
2. MASCHINE Manual: The MASCHINE Manual provides you with a comprehensive descrip-
tion of all MASCHINE software and hardware features.
Additional documentation sources provide you with details on more specific topics:
▪ 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, an 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 via the Help menu of Controller Editor.
▪ 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 ↑12, Troubleshooting.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 10
Welcome to MASCHINE
Documentation Overview
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.
1.1.1 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 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.
◦ 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.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 11
Welcome to MASCHINE
Documentation Overview
◦ 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, which is another great way of creating grooves from your controller.
◦ Chapter ↑8, Creating Scenes: Arrange your Patterns into Scenes and play them live.
◦ Chapter ↑9, Creating an Arrangement: Assign your Scenes to Sections and Arrange
your song.
▪ The third and last part consists of useful global information on MASCHINE to be used at
any time:
◦ Chapter ↑11, 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 ↑12, Troubleshooting gathers useful information for troubleshooting and get-
ting help.
◦ Chapter ↑13, Glossary holds definitions of all the important terms and concepts used
in MASCHINE.
1.1.2 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.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 12
Welcome to MASCHINE
Documentation Overview
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 in the software (labels of buttons, controls, text next to checkbox-
es 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.
▪ Text appearing on the display(s) of your controller is printed in gray. Whenever you see this
formatting applied, you will find the same text on the controller’s display(s).
▪ 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.
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 the 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:
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 13
Welcome to MASCHINE
Labeling on your MASCHINE Controller
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.
For more information on KOMPLETE and KOMPLETE ULTIMATE please visit the Native Instruments website.
1.2 Labeling on your MASCHINE Controller
Since its initial release the labels of the MASCHINE MIKRO MK2 controller have been revised.
The instructions in this document will only refer to the 2nd generation controller labels. If you
have a first generation MASCHINE MIKRO MK2 controller, please use the table below to reference the equivalent labels of the first and second generation controllers.
MASCHINE MIKRO MK2 Controller
MASCHINE MIKRO MK2 Controller
2nd Generation
1st Generation
BROWSE (MODULES) button BROWSE button
RESTART button RESTART (LOOP) button
PLAY (METRONOME) button PLAY (METRO) button
REC (COUNT IN) button REC (COUNT-IN) button
GRID button GRID (REC MODE) button
VIEW button VIEW (MIX) button
COMPARE pad 3 STEP UNDO pad 3
SPLIT pad 4 STEP REDO pad 4
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 14
Welcome to MASCHINE
Labeling on your MASCHINE Controller
Labels in brackets refer to the secondary function, available by pressing and holding SHIFT when
pressing the button or pad.
Label changes since first generation MASCHINE MIKRO MK2
If you have the original MASCHINE MIKRO MK1 controller please download the relevant documentation for that controller from the Native Instruments website.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 15
2 First Steps
In this first tutorial, you 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 ↑11, Quick Reference.
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] ([command]
+ [N] on macOS).
First you will learn how to load a drum kit using the MASCHINE software and then use your
hardware controller to carry out the same procedure.
For a complete overview of a MASCHINE Project, please see section ↑11.2, MASCHINE Project
Overview.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 16
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
2.1 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
First you will choose a complete drum kit from the huge factory library included with MASCHINE, and load it using 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 MIKRO - Getting Started - 17
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. Make sure the Content selector to the right is unlit, so you only see Native Instruments
factory content:
4. In the TYPES filter, select the Kits.
⇨ The Browser will then display only kits in the Result list:
First Steps
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 18
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
5. Select the Urban Kit sub-type tag below to further refine your search.
6. Scroll down the Result list and double-click EK-TL A Kit to load this drum kit into Group
A:
First Steps
2.1.2 Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library Using the Controller
On your controller, do the following:
1. Press GROUP + pad 13 (also labeled A) to select the first Group slot. This is where you
are going to load our drum kit. While you hold GROUP, the pad 13 should be lit in blue to
indicate that it is selected.
2. Press the BROWSE button at the left of your controller.
The BROWSE button lights up. In the display, you now are presented with a selection of
choices.
3. Press F1 above the display to select FILTER.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 19
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
4. Turn the Control encoder at the right of the display until you see GROUP at the bottom of
the display.
This will allow you to browse Groups only.
5. Press Right Arrow until you see 2/3: PRODUCT at the bottom of the display.
6. Turn the Control encoder until you see ALL.
First Steps
This way, you can browse all products.
7. Press Right Arrow again until you see 3/3: TYPE at the bottom of the display.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 20
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
8. Turn the Control encoder until you see KITS.
Now you can browse all kits.
9. Press Right Arrow until you see 4/4: SUB-TYPE at the bottom left of the display.
10. Turn the Control encoder until you see URBAN KIT, to further limit the result list to this
type of kits.
First Steps
11. Now press F2 above the display to select LIST.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 21
12. Press F3 above the display so that +PAT is deselected.
13. Turn the Control encoder until you see EK-TL A KIT at the bottom of the display.
14. Press the Control encoder to load that kit.
→ The drum kit is loaded into the first Group slot.
First Steps
Playing with the Pads
Now let’s leave the Browser and get back 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 you 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 (Project, Group, Sound, etc.), select the desired content, type, and subtype, then 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 MIKRO - Getting Started - 22
Playing with the Pads
► Play the pads to get the feel of your controller: reactivity, sensitivity to the force you apply
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.
► Now press and hold the GROUP button.
You will note the following:
▪ All pads 13–16 and 9–12 (A–H) except pad 13 (A) and pad 14 (B) are off, indicating that
they are not loaded with anything.
First Steps
▪ Pad 13 (A) is fully lit, indicating that Group slot A is currently selected. This means that
the pads currently trigger the Sounds of this Group.
▪ Pad 14 (B) is lit in white to indicate the next Group can be created here.
► While holding GROUP, press any other pad (9–16) to select it.
You will note the following:
▪ The newly pressed pad is fully lit. If you release GROUP the pads can be used to trigger
the Sounds of the selected Group. Since you haven’t loaded anything in the other Groups
yet, all the pads are unlit, except one of them (indicating that it is currently selected).
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 the Group A again by pressing GROUP + pad 13 (A) and continue playing on the
pads to get familiar with them.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 23
Recording Your First Pattern
When you feel ready, move on to the next section, where you can record a little rhythmic pattern using this drum kit!
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.
In addition to recording your own Patterns, you can also add audio loops to your Project. For more
information on how to add audio loops to your Project, and to learn about the MASCHINE Audio
plug-in, refer to the MASHINE Manual.
You can 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 green. 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.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 24
Recording Your First Pattern
3. Play along to the metronome to get a feel for the tempo.
4. If you’d like to increase or decrease the tempo to make your playing feel more comfortable, press MAIN (at the bottom right corner of the display), then F3 (above the display),
then turn the Control encoder at the right of the display.
The tempo value is indicated in the display.
When you’re done, press MAIN again to deactivate it.
You can also adjust the volume of the metronome by pressing SHIFT + GRID and turning the Control encoder.
It is recommended that 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.
First Steps
To start the recording:
1. With the sequencer playing, press REC to enter recording mode.
REC lights up red.
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.
→ 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.
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Playing with Your Pattern
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.
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
Mute can be used to bypass a Sound or Group, whereas Solo is the opposite: Solo will mute all
other Sounds in the Group, or all other Groups in the Project, so a selected Sound, or Group
can be heard alone. The combination of both is a useful means to play live and to test different sequences together.
First Steps
When used on Sounds, the Solo only applies to the current Group: The Sounds in other Groups
will not be affected.
2.4.1.1 Using Solo and Mute in the MASCHINE Software
Soloing a Sound
► To solo a Sound, right-click the number on the left side of the Sound slot in the Pattern
Editor.
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Playing with Your Pattern
Soloing the first kick Sound.
► To unsolo a Sound, right-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.
First Steps
Muting a Sound.
► To unmute the Sound, click the number again.
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 MASCHINE Manual for more
information.
2.4.1.2 Solo and Mute Sounds on Your Controller
1. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
2. Hold the MUTE button at the bottom of your controller.
3. While holding MUTE, press pad 1.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 27
Playing with Your Pattern
4. While holding MUTE, press a few other pads to mute their Sound to your liking.
5. While holding MUTE, press pad 1 again.
6. While holding MUTE, press the muted pads to bring their Sounds back.
7. Release MUTE.
8. Now hold the SOLO button (just above MUTE).
9. While holding SOLO, press pad 1.
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 + GROUP + pad (9–16); since
you only have one Group loaded, it would not make much sense yet.
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.
First Steps
▪ 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.
Note Repeat can only be enabled using the controller.
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Saving Your Project
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. Press F1, F2 or F3 above the 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 hihat).
2.5 Saving Your Project
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 you get to adding new elements and editing your Pattern, you should save your work right away.
First Steps
Saving your Work for the First Time in the MASCHINE Software
1. Click File.
2. Click Save.
⇨ The Save Project As dialog 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. If you close MASCHINE
or open another Project, you will still be able to open this Project later.
Saving your Work for the First Time on the Controller
1. To save your modifications to the Project, press SHIFT + SAMPLING.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 29
⇨ A message will appear on your controller 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. If you close MASCHINE
or open another Project, you will still be able to open this Project later.
2.6 To Sum Up…
In this first tutorial, you have learned to:
▪ Load a Group using the Browser.
▪ Use the pads to play the Sounds of that Group.
▪ Record a simple Pattern with that Group.
First Steps
To Sum Up…
▪ 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 you will
customize your drum kit, and have a closer look at the MASCHINE software user interface.
MASCHINE MIKRO - Getting Started - 30
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