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 STUDIO
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.
6725 Sunset Boulevard
5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90028
USA
www.native-instruments.com
Japan
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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 ................................................................................................................. 23
2.3 Recording Your First Pattern ....................................................................................................... 25
2.4 Playing with Your Pattern ........................................................................................................... 27
2.5 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 30
2.6 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................31
2.4.1 Using Solo and Mute .................................................................................................. 27
2.4.2 Using Note Repeat ..................................................................................................... 29
3 Building Your Own Drum Kit .......................................................................................
3.1 Opening Your Project .................................................................................................................. 33
3.2 Customizing Your Drum Kit ......................................................................................................... 36
3.2.1 Selecting another Snare Sample ................................................................................ 36
3.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth ................................................................................................ 41
3.2.3 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo ......................................................................... 46
9
17
33
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 4
Table of Contents
3.3 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 53
3.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................53
3.2.4 Changing the Color of a Group or Sound .................................................................... 50
3.2.5 Moving your Sounds and Groups ................................................................................ 52
4 Creating Beats ..........................................................................................................
4.1 Fine-tuning our First Pattern ...................................................................................................... 55
4.2 Adding a Second Pattern ............................................................................................................ 61
4.3 Editing Patterns in the Software ................................................................................................. 66
4.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 67
4.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................67
4.1.1 Our Pattern in the Software ....................................................................................... 56
4.1.2 Doubling the Pattern ................................................................................................. 57
4.1.3 Quantizing the Rhythm .............................................................................................. 58
4.2.1 Selecting a Pattern Slot ............................................................................................. 61
4.2.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length ..................................................................................... 62
4.2.3 Recording a new Pattern using the Count-in ............................................................. 64
4.2.4 Switching Patterns .................................................................................................... 65
5 Adding a Bass Line ....................................................................................................
5.1 Selecting Another Group ............................................................................................................. 70
5.2 Renaming and Coloring the Group .............................................................................................. 71
5.3 Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass ................................................................................. 72
5.4 Recording a Bass Line ................................................................................................................ 79
5.3.1 Browsing the MASSIVE Presets .................................................................................. 73
5.3.2 Using Keyboard Mode ................................................................................................ 75
5.3.3 Adjusting the Base Key of the Pads on Your Controller .............................................. 78
5.4.1 Creating a Bass Pattern ............................................................................................ 79
5.4.2 Creating a Second Bass Pattern ................................................................................ 79
5.4.3 Loading an Additional Bass Sound ............................................................................ 80
55
69
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 5
5.5 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters .............................................................................................. 81
5.6 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 85
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 .................................................................................................... 97
6.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 99
6.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................100
6.1.1 The Plug-in List ......................................................................................................... 87
6.1.2 Loading an Effect into a Plug-in List ......................................................................... 88
6.2.1 Adjusting the Effect Parameters ................................................................................ 93
6.2.2 Practice Makes Perfect! ............................................................................................. 94
6.2.3 Bypassing Effects ...................................................................................................... 95
6.3.1 Recording Modulation ................................................................................................ 97
6.3.2 Editing Modulation .................................................................................................... 98
7 Creating Beats with the Step Sequencer .....................................................................
7.1 Building Up a Beat in Step Mode ................................................................................................ 102
7.2 Adjusting the Step Grid .............................................................................................................. 104
7.3 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 106
7.4 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................107
7.1.1 Using Step Mode ........................................................................................................ 102
7.1.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length in Step Mode ............................................................... 103
8 Creating a Song Using Scenes ...................................................................................
8.1 Creating Clips in the Arranger .................................................................................................... 108
8.1.1 Composing the First Scene ........................................................................................ 109
8.1.2 Composing other Scenes ........................................................................................... 110
8.1.3 Pinning the Scene Mode ............................................................................................ 114
Table of Contents
86
101
108
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 6
8.2 Preparing Scenes ........................................................................................................................115
8.3 Using Scenes to Play Live ........................................................................................................... 118
8.4 Save Your Work! ......................................................................................................................... 122
8.5 To Sum Up… ..............................................................................................................................122
8.2.1 Renaming, Coloring, and Moving Scenes Slots .......................................................... 115
8.2.2 Duplicating and Deleting Scenes ............................................................................... 116
8.3.1 Selecting a Loop Range ............................................................................................. 119
8.3.2 Jumping to Other Scenes ........................................................................................... 120
9 Using Advanced Features ...........................................................................................
9.1 Changing the Sound, Group, and Master Channel Properties ..................................................... 124
9.2 Using Other Sound Sources ........................................................................................................ 130
9.3 Sampling .................................................................................................................................... 136
9.4 The Mix View ............................................................................................................................... 140
9.1.1 Creating Custom Sets of Parameters with the Macro Controls .................................. 125
9.1.2 Macro Control Overview ............................................................................................. 126
9.1.3 Assigning Macro Controls .......................................................................................... 127
9.2.1 Using Sounds and Groups as Sound Source .............................................................. 131
9.2.2 Using an External Sound Source ................................................................................ 134
9.3.1 How to Sample ........................................................................................................... 137
9.3.2 Editing, Slicing and Mapping Your Sample ............................................................... 140
9.4.1 Switching between Arrange View and Mix View ......................................................... 141
10 Quick Reference ........................................................................................................
10.1 Using Your MASCHINE Controller ................................................................................................ 143
10.2 Overview of a MASCHINE Project ................................................................................................. 147
10.1.1 Controller Modes and Mode Pinning .......................................................................... 143
10.1.2 Controlling the Software Views from Your Controller ................................................. 145
10.2.1 Sound Content ........................................................................................................... 149
10.2.2 Arrangement .............................................................................................................. 150
Table of Contents
124
143
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 7
10.3 MASCHINE Hardware Overview .................................................................................................. 151
10.4 MASCHINE Software Overview ..................................................................................................... 164
10.3.1 Hardware Overview of the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller ............................................ 151
10.3.1.1 CONTROL Section .......................................................................................153
10.3.1.2 LEVEL Section ............................................................................................155
10.3.1.3 PERFORMANCE Section ..............................................................................157
10.3.1.4 GROUPS Section ........................................................................................158
10.3.1.5 TRANSPORT Section ...................................................................................158
10.3.1.6 PADS Section .............................................................................................160
10.3.1.7 EDIT CONTROL Section ...............................................................................162
10.4.1 Header ....................................................................................................................... 165
10.4.2 Browser ..................................................................................................................... 167
10.4.3 Arranger .................................................................................................................... 169
10.4.4 Control Area ............................................................................................................... 170
10.4.5 Pattern Editor ............................................................................................................ 171
11 Troubleshooting – Getting Help ..................................................................................
11.1 Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................... 173
11.2 Getting Help ............................................................................................................................... 174
11.1.1 The MASCHINE Software Won’t Start .......................................................................... 173
11.1.2 Latency Issues ........................................................................................................... 173
11.1.3 The MASCHINE Software Crashes .............................................................................. 174
11.1.4 Updates ..................................................................................................................... 174
11.2.1 Knowledge Base ........................................................................................................ 175
11.2.2 Technical Support ...................................................................................................... 175
11.2.3 Registration Support ................................................................................................. 176
11.2.4 User Forum ................................................................................................................ 176
12 Glossary ...................................................................................................................
Index ........................................................................................................................
Table of Contents
173
177
185
MASCHINE STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO
The buttons and knobs above and below the displays on your MASCHINE STUDIO controller do
not have labels (all other elements on the controller do).
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 15
The unlabeled buttons and knobs on the MASCHINE STUDIO controller.
Welcome to MASCHINE!
Document Conventions
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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO - 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 STUDIO 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 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.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 21
Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library
3. Press Button 1 or Button 2 above the displays to select GROUPS.
By selecting this, a list of Groups will become visible on the right display.
4. Check that Button 4 above the displays is not fully lit and that the USER label underneath
is not highlighted — if necessary, press Button 4 to disable it.
This will now allow us to select only Native Instruments factory content.
Turn Knob 5 until Kits is selected, so that only drum kits are shown on the right display.
5.
Turn Knob 6 until Urban Kit is selected, this will further reduce the results list on the right
6.
display to the kits of that sub-type.
First Steps
7. Turn the jog wheel (the bigger knob with a bright LED ring on the right of your controller)
or Knob 8 (under the right display) to scroll down the list until EK-TL A KIT is selected.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 22
Playing with the Pads
8. Now press Button 7 above the displays so that +PATTERNS is deselected (the Button must
be off — we’ll get back to this later).
9. Press the jog wheel or Button 8 (above the displays) to load the selected entry.
The drum kit is loaded into the Group A.
→
For the last step, 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. It is now ready to be played from the pads,
as we will see in the next section.
First Steps
The process of loading from the Browser is the same for all kinds of objects: In the Browser, after choosing the desired object, you choose between factory and user content, you optionally select a particular product (or product category), 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 STUDIO - Getting Started - 23
Playing with the Pads
2.2.1 Playing with the Pads on your MASCHINE STUDIO 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 now on the eight Group buttons on the left of your controller.
You will note the following:
First Steps
▪ All Group buttons except the button A are off, indicating that they are not loaded with
anything.
▪ Button A is fully lit, indicating that Group A is selected. This means that the pads cur-
rently trigger the Sounds of this Group.
▪ Group button B is lit in white indicating it is the next group to be created when 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 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 STUDIO - Getting Started - 24
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 STUDIO 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 (here while recording).
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 METRO 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 STUDIO - Getting Started - 25
Recording Your First Pattern
4. If you’d like to increase or decrease the tempo to make your playing feel more comfortable, press the TAP button at the left of the controller (the button lights up) and turn the
jog wheel (the jog wheel lights up) to set your desired tempo. Alternatively, you can also
set the tempo by repeatedly pressing the TAP button.
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!
First Steps
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 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 METRO again and listen to your newly created rhythm.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 26
Playing with Your Pattern
To stop the sequencer, press PLAY again.
►
Quick Edits on Your Pattern
At any time, you can undo your last action by pressing UNDO — whether you are currently recording or not. You can redo it by pressing REDO.
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.
First Steps
When used on Sounds, the Solo only applies to the current Group: The Sounds in other Groups
won’t be affected.
2.4.1.1 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.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 27
Soloing the first kick Sound.
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.
First Steps
Playing with Your Pattern
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 beginning of this section for more information.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 28
Playing with Your Pattern
2.4.1.2 Solo and Mute Sounds using the MASCHINE STUDIO 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.
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.
First Steps
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.
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.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 29
Playing with Your Pattern
▪ 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.
2.4.2.1 Using Note Repeat on the MASCHINE STUDIO 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.
First Steps
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.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 30
Save Your Work!
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.
2.5.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. To save your modifications to the Project, press SHIFT + ALL.
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 MASCHINE
or open another Project, you will still be able to open this Project later.
First Steps
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.
▪ 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.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 31
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.
First Steps
To Sum Up…
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 32
Building Your Own Drum Kit
Opening Your Project
3 Building Your Own Drum Kit
In this tutorial, we will exchange some of the Sounds of our drum kit, and adjust a few settings
for our Project and our Group. On the way, we will discover some features of the MASCHINE
software user interface.
Prerequisites
We assume here that you followed the previous tutorial. In particular, you already know how to:
▪ Load a Group using the Browser.
▪ Use the pads to play the Sounds of that Group.
▪ Record a simple Pattern with that Group.
▪ Save the current Project for a later use.
If you have any doubts about these tasks, please refer to chapter ↑2, First Steps before proceeding!
3.1 Opening Your Project
If for any reason our tutorial Project is not currently open in MASCHINE (e.g., you opened another Project in the meantime), you first need to open it again. You can do this with the controller or in the software, for example using the MASCHINE Browser.
If you closed MASCHINE and started it again, your last Project should automatically load
by default. If you changed this setting, follow these instructions to load the tutorial Project
again!
If the tutorial Project is already open in MASCHINE, you can skip to section ↑3.2, Customizing
Your Drum Kit.
Available both on your controller and in the software, the Browser will be the preferred way to
open a project when working on your controller. Here we will use a nice feature of MASCHINE:
Each file you created and saved in MASCHINE is automatically put in “User” content. Hence,
we will select the User icon in the Content selector to quickly find our tutorial Project again.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Opening Your Project
3.1.1 Opening a Project 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 little magnifying glass in
the Header at the top of the MASCHINE window in order to show the Browser:
Enable the magnifying glass to display the Browser.
To open the tutorial Project, do the following:
1. At the top left, click the button showing the Project icon to get a list of all available
Projects in the Library:
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Opening Your Project
2. In the Content selector to the right, click the User icon to select only the user-created
Projects:
In the result list below, we now have one unique Project left — our “My First Project”:
3. Double-click this unique entry to load the Project in MASCHINE.
Of course, if you have already created other Projects in MASCHINE, they will also appear in
the result list along with our tutorial Project.
3.1.2 Opening a Project using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Now try operating MASCHINE via the MASCHINE STUDIO controller wherever possible. To
open a Project via the controller, we will follow the same process as above, filtering MASCHINE objects to narrow our search until we find our tutorial Project. This is similar to what
we did when loading a drum kit in the previous tutorial. Do the following:
1. Press BROWSE to show the Browser.
The BROWSE button lights up.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
2. Press Button 1 or Button 2 above the displays to select PROJECTS.
By selecting this, a list of Projects will become visible on the right display.
3. Check that Button 4 above the displays is fully lit and that the USER label underneath is
highlighted — if necessary, press Button 4 to enable it.
This will select only User content.
4. In case you already created more than one Project, turn Knob 8 or the Control encoder
until My First Project is selected on the right display.
5. Press Button 8 to load the Project.
6. Press BROWSE to leave the Browser.
That’s it! Now we can continue to work on our tutorial Project.
You will note that every action we did on the controller is directly mirrored in the Browser
of the MASCHINE software. This is true in both directions!
3.2 Customizing Your Drum Kit
You might want to replace one or more drums from the Group “EK-TL A Kit” with ones that
sound better with your Pattern. To do this, let’s make use of the Browser again.
3.2.1 Selecting another Snare Sample
For the sake of providing an example, we will replace the Sample “Snare Ektl A 2” used in the
Sound of the pad 6. We want something less intrusive.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
3.2.1.1 Selecting another Snare Sample in the MASCHINE Software
We have already used the Browser in the software to open our tutorial Projects. Now let's use it
for something else: This time, we won’t select Types, but instead use the text search. This
powerful feature allows you to instantly find items by name.
1. Click the Sound slot containing the “Snare Ektl A 2” that we want to replace:
The Sound slot 6 gets highlighted to indicate that it is selected.
2. Click the Browser button in the top row to show the Browser within the MASCHINE window (the button becomes highlighted):
3. In the top row of the Browser, click the Sample icon on the far right to get a list of all the
available samples in the Library:
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
4. Since we want to find a side stick, type “side stick” into the empty field above the list of
Samples. As soon as you start typing, you will see the list below being updated to display
Samples matching your query.
5. Now activate Prehear by clicking the Prehear button (with the loudspeaker symbol on it) at
the bottom of the Browser:
6. Now you can listen to the available side sticks by clicking on their names in the list and
choose one you like.
7. When you have found a nice side stick Sample, double-click it to load it in the Sound
slot. You can also drag and drop it on the Sound slot.
You can also mix both search methods: You can simultaneously select specific Banks (and
Types, Subtypes…) and type the desired search query in the Search field.
As with your controller, you can activate the Autoload feature to listen how the selected Sample
work with the other percussions in your Pattern. To do this:
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
1. Click the Autoload button at the bottom left corner of the Browser to activate it (you can
deactivate the Prehear button next to it):
2. Now click any Sample in the result list: It will automatically load in the selected Sound
slot, replacing the previously loaded Sample. If the Pattern is playing, you can directly
hear the new Sample in context.
Try to exchange a few Samples to familiarize yourself with the procedure described above, both
on your controller and in the software. This should allow you to build a custom drum kit that
fits your needs!
Note that you can also start from a blank Group and entirely fill it up with the Sounds of your
choice!
3.2.1.2 Selecting another Snare Sample using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
On your controller, do the following:
1. Press BROWSE to show the Browser. The BROWSE button should be lit.
2. Press pad 6 to select its Sound.
3. Press Button 1 or Button 2 above the displays to select SAMPLES.
By selecting this, a list of Samples will become visible on the right display.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
4. Check that Button 4 above the displays is not fully lit and that the USER label underneath
is not highlighted — if necessary, press Button 4 to disable it.
This will select only Native Instruments factory content.
5. Turn Knob 5 until the All Types selector is set to Snare.
6. Turn Knob 6 until the All Sub-Types selector is set to Side Stick.
On the right display, you now see that the side stick samples are ready to be browsed.
7. Press Button 7 to activate the Prehear feature.
8. Turn Knob 8 or the jog wheel to scroll through all side stick samples. You can hear each
sample that you select thanks to the enabled Prehear feature.
9. Once you have found a nice side stick sample, press Button 8 or the Control encoder to
load it into the Sound slot currently selected (the one triggered by pad 6).
To help you decide which sample would fit best, MASCHINE offers you an additional, convenient help: Autoload. This allows you to replace the selected Sound on the fly with the Sound
currently selected in the Browser’s result list while your Pattern is playing. Thus, you can listen
to each sample in the context of your Pattern. To do this:
1. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
The Pattern you created starts playing.
2. Press Button 7 to deactivate the Prehear feature. In the display, PREHEAR should not be
enabled anymore.
3. Now, instead of using Knob 8 or the jog wheel (you may need to use the FUNCTION left
and right arrows to move the focus to the results list) for scrolling through the Samples,
use Buttons 5 and 6 above the right display.
The selected Sample will automatically load into the Sound slot triggered by the pad 6.
→
Since your Pattern is playing, you will hear the selected Sample in place of the former
“Snare Ektl A 2” Sample in the context of your recorded Pattern.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
When you have found a nice Sample you don’t need to explicitly load it, with Auoload it is
already loaded in the Sound slot. Use button 5 PREV and button 6 NEXT to audition other
Sounds in the MASCHINE library.
Don’t forget to press BROWSE again to leave the Browser once you have found the ideal
►
Sample.
3.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth
In this section we will show you how to load Drumsynths in MASCHINE using the Plug-in List.
The Plug-in List
Before we load a Drumsynth, let’s have a quick look at the Control area in the software:
1. Select the Group “EK-TL A Kit” (Group A1).
2. Select the Sound “Kick Ektl A 2”
Now have a look at the Control area:
The Control area showing some Sampler Plug-in parameters for our kick drum Sound.
To the left of the Control area, you can load an Internal, Native Instruments or External Plug-in
into the Plug-in List. The Plug-in List allows you to load as many Plug-ins into its slots as you
want. The processing order is from top to bottom (from the first Plug-in to the last).
Here is an example:
▪ In each Sound of the Group “EK-TL A Kit,” the first slot of the Plug-in List is the Sampler
— the MASCHINE internal sampler. The Sampler is the sound source of each of these
Sounds.
In MASCHINE, Plug-in slots are available at three different levels of your Project:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 41
Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
▪ Sound level: The first Plug-in slot is the only slot that can contain a sound source (e.g., a
(Sampler, Drumsynth, Native Instruments or External Instrument) or an effect. The other
Plug-in slots can only contain effects (Internal, Native Instruments or External).
▪ Group level: Each Group also offers slots for effects that will process all Sounds of that
Group together.
▪ Master level: There are additional slots for effects that will process the overall audio of
your Project before it is sent to the master output.
Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List
We would like to further customize our drum kit by fattening its low frequency content with
another kick drum. For this, we will use one of the Internal Plug-ins included with MASCHINE:
Drumsynth.
In MASCHINE, there are two different ways to load Plug-ins into the Plug-in List:
▪ Using the Browser: We have already used the Browser to load Projects, Groups, Samples,
and Plug-ins. Similarly, you can use it to search for plug-in effects.
▪ Using the Plug-in menu: You can also choose the desired Plug-in directly from the Plug-in
slot itself via the Plug-in menu.
Note that these methods work for the Sound, Group and Master level. However, Drumsynth can
only be loaded into slots on the Sound level.
The difference between the two methods of loading a Plug-in is that the Browser allows you
to find presets (from the factory library or user-created), while the Plug-in menu allows you
to load Plug-ins in their default state.
Since you should be familiar with the Browser (if not, check for example section ↑2.1, Loading
a Drum Kit from the Factory Library, ↑3.2.1, Selecting another Snare Sample), we will use the
Plug-in menu method of loading a Drumsynth.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
3.2.2.1 Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List in the Software
1. At the left of the Pattern Editor, click the Sound slot’s name (Kick Ektl A 2) to select that
Sound slot.
2. In the Control area above, click the SOUND tab to select the Sound level, since this is the
only level at which Drumsynths can be loaded.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
3. At the far left of the Control area, click the small Plug-in icon to display the Plug-ins.
This displays the Plug-in List on the left of the Control area:
The Plug-in List in this instance contains Sampler.
4. Click the down-pointing arrow at the right to open the Plug-in menu.
The Plug-in menu opens and displays a list of all available effects.
5. In this menu, click the Drumsynth submenu to display the Drumsynths.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
6. Click the Kick entry to load it into the Plug-in List.
The Kick Plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.
→
3.2.2.2 Loading a Drumsynth into a Plug-in List using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press the PLUG-IN button to enter Control mode and display the Plug-in slots.
2. Press SELECT + pad 5 to select the Sound “Kick Ektl A 2.”
3. Press Button 3 to select the SOUND tab.
4. Press SHIFT + BROWSE to select a Plug-in.
If we would have pressed BROWSE alone here, we would have accessed the Browser. By
additionally holding SHIFT, we access the Plug-in menu instead!
5. Turn Knob 1 until the TYPE field is set to Internal (for MASCHINE Internal Plug-ins) and
then Knob 2 until the SUBTYPE field is set to Instr. (for Plug-in instruments).
If you have NI VST/AU plug-ins installed you may browse them by selecting NI. If you have
external plug-ins installed you can browse them by selecting External.
The right display shows you the available MASCHINE instruments.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
6. Turn Knob 8 to select Kick, and press Button 8 to load it.
7. Press SHIFT + BROWSE again to leave the Plug-in menu.
The Kick Plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.
→
3.2.3 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo
After selecting the right Samples for your drum kit, you might need to adjust their levels. MASCHINE holds a powerful sampler that allows you to fine-tune many settings for each generated sound. Without entering into too many details yet, let's look at a quick way to adjust the
volume level and swing for each Sound in your Group.
3.2.3.1 Adjusting Volume, Swing and Tempo in the MASCHINE Software
Adjusting Volume
To adjust the various volume levels in the software, the following controls are at your disposal:
To adjust the overall output level, click and drag the Master Volume slider located on the
►
right part of the Header, at the top of the window.
Use the Master Volume slider in the Header to adjust the overall volume of MASCHINE.
To adjust the volume of a particular Group, click and drag the left knob in the Group.
►
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 46
Use the left knobs in the Groups to adjust the volume of each Group.
To adjust the volume of an individual Sound, click and drag the left knob in the Sound
►
slot.
Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
Use the left knobs in the Sound slots to adjust the volume of each Sound.
In each Group or Sound slot, the right knob allows you to adjust the panoramic position of
that Group or Sound!
You can also use Mix view to adjust your Sound and Group levels. Mix view gives you quick
access to the level and routing settings of all your Sounds, Groups, and the Master. In addition, it provides you with an intuitive interface for adjusting the parameters of all your
Plug-ins. More on this in section ↑9.4, The Mix View.
Adjusting Swing
To adjust the overall Swing of your song, you can use the display in the Header, at the top of
the MASCHINE window:
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
The SWING control in the Header.
To adjust the Swing value of your Project, click the SWING value, hold the mouse button
►
and drag vertically.
Adjusting Tempo
To adjust the overall Tempo of your song, you can use the display in the Header, at the top of
the MASCHINE window:
The BPM control in the Header.
To adjust the Tempo (Beats Per Minute) value of your Project, click the BPM value, hold
►
the mouse button and drag vertically.
3.2.3.2 Adjusting Volume, Tune and Swing using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Adjusting Volume
To adjust the overall volume level:
1. Select MST (Master) in the Input/Metering section on the right-hand side of your controller.
2. Turn the Level knob
Hold SHIFT and turn the Level knob to adjust the value in finer increments.
To adjust the volume of a particular Group:
1. Press the Group button you want to adjust.
2. Press the GRP button in the Input/Metering section on the right.
3. Turn the Level knob to adjust the volume of the group you selected.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
Hold SHIFT additionally to adjust the value in finer increments.
To adjust the volume of an individual Sound:
1. Press the pad you want to adjust.
2. Press the SND button in the Input/Metering section.
3. Turn the Level knob to adjust the volume of the sound you selected.
Hold SHIFT additionally to adjust the value in finer increments.
As you adjust the volume, the left display indicates the current value.
We recommend you try this while your Pattern is playing, you will immediately hear the effect of your changes!
Adjusting Tune
To adjust the tune (pitch) of an individual Group or Sound:
1. Press and hold a Group button or pad then press the FUNCTION buttons (below the jog
wheel) to select TUNE.
2. Turn the jog wheel to adjust the tune of the selected Sound.
Hold SHIFT additionally to adjust the value in finer increments.
As you adjust the tune, the left display indicates the current value.
We recommend you try this while your Pattern is playing, you will immediately hear the effect of your changes!
Adjusting Swing
Let’s adjust the overall swing of our Project, too. The Swing feature shifts some of the played
notes, hereby adding some “groove” to your Pattern.
To adjust the swing of your project:
1. Press the CHANNEL button.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
2. Press Button 1 to select MASTER.
3. Press Button 5 or 6 to select GROOVE.
4. Turn Knob 1 to change the global swing amount.
Hold SHIFT additionally to adjust the value in finer increments.
You can also adjust the individual Swing values for Sounds and Groups by holding the desired
Group button or pad as described above for the volume.
In the same manner, pressing the TAP button allows you to adjust the overall tempo of
►
your song by turning the jog wheel.
3.2.4 Changing the Color of a Group or Sound
MASCHINE allows you to change the color of each Group or Sound. It can be very useful to see
at a glance to identify certain groups or sounds.
3.2.4.1 Changing the Color of a Group or Sound in the MASCHINE Software
Let’s assign different colors to the different types of percussions in our drum kit:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 50
Right-click ([Cmd] + click on Mac OS X) on the desired Sound slots or Group, select Col-
►
or in the context menu, and select the desired color according to the type of percussion
in that Sound slot.
Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
Here is an example of how you could colour sounds:
Our drum kit full of colors.
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Building Your Own Drum Kit
Customizing Your Drum Kit
This helps you see much quicker where the kicks, the snares, etc., are.
You can assign colors to your Sounds, Groups, Patterns, and Scenes — we will describe
Scenes later. It’s up to you to decide which colors to use. You can use colors to distinguish
different sound types, purposes, or anything else that best fits your needs and workflow!
Changing the color of items is a software only feature.
3.2.5 Moving your Sounds and Groups
You can exchange the position of your Sounds and Groups at any time. This can be done in the
MASCHINE software only. It can be helpful to organize your Sounds or Groups more conveniently. Notably, this allows you to move your Sounds to other pads, and create a Group that is
easier to play from the pads.
3.2.5.1 Moving your Sounds and Groups in the Software
Let’s exchange the positions of the “Kick Ektl A 2” and the “Snare Ektl A 1” in order to have
both kicks on pads 1 and 2, and both snares on pads 5 and 6:
1. Click and hold the Sound slot 5 containing the “Kick Ektl A 2.”
2. While holding the mouse button, drag your mouse up.
As the mouse cursor moves up, an insertion line appears at the places where you can drop
your Sound.
3. When the insertion line appears under the other kick, release the mouse button.
Your second kick takes place under the first kick in the Sound slot 2. It will now be trig-
→
gered by the pad 2 on your controller.
In a similar manner, we will now move the “Snare Ektl A 1” to pad 5:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 52
Building Your Own Drum Kit
Save Your Work!
1. Click and hold the Sound slot 3, which now contains the “Snare Ektl A 1.”
2. While holding the mouse button, drag your mouse down. When the insertion line appears
above the other snare, release the mouse button.
Your first snare takes place above the second snare in the Sound slot 5. It will now be
→
triggered by pad 5 on your controller.
Keep in mind that any change in the Sound slot positions also affects the pads triggering
the corresponding Sounds! Hence, we recommend you practice with your new mapping to
avoid confusion.
3.3 Save Your Work!
Again, it is recommended to regularly save your work. You can then open another Project or
close MASCHINE and take a break. Your tutorial Project will be recalled as is the next time you
open it.
3.3.1 Saving your Work in the MASCHINE Software
Press [Ctrl] + [S] ([Cmd] + [S] on Mac OS X) to save your Project.
►
3.3.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Press SHIFT + ALL to save your Project.
►
3.4 To Sum Up…
In this tutorial, we have learned to:
▪ Open a Project using the Browser (both on your controller and in the software).
▪ Replace one of the Sounds from the original Group with another Sample taken from the
factory library using the Browser.
▪ Replace one of the Sounds from the original Group with a Drumsynth.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 53
Building Your Own Drum Kit
▪ Adjust the overall volume of MASCHINE along with the individual volume levels of your
Groups and Sounds, both on your controller and in the software.
▪ Adjust the overall Swing of your song, both on your controller and in the software.
▪ Change the colors of your Sounds, and possibly of your Groups, Patterns and Scenes
(more on Scenes later).
▪ Move your Sounds across your Group to assign them to other pads on your controller.
Once you feel comfortable with these few tasks, proceed to the next tutorial, where we will
learn more on Patterns!
To Sum Up…
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 54
Creating Beats
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
4 Creating Beats
In this tutorial, we will further enhance our tutorial Project with the following:
▪ We will double our Pattern and fine-tune it.
▪ We will add a second Pattern for breaks.
Even though we have only dealt with drum kits until now, MASCHINE is much more than a
rhythm box. Indeed, it also does a great job with melodic instruments! For those who can’t
wait: Please be patient, we will add a bass line in the next tutorial.
Prerequisites
We assume here that you followed the previous tutorials in chapter ↑2, First Steps and ↑3,
Building Your Own Drum Kit. In particular, you already know how to:
▪ Open a Project (↑3.1, Opening Your Project).
▪ Use the pads to play the Sounds of the loaded Group (↑2.2, Playing with the Pads).
▪ Record a simple Pattern with that Group (↑2.3, Recording Your First Pattern).
▪ Save the current Project for a later use (↑2.5, Save Your Work!).
If you have any doubts about these tasks, please refer to the previous tutorials before proceeding!
In case your tutorial Project “My First Project” is not open, please open it now:
Open the tutorial Project “My First Project.”
►
4.1 Fine-tuning our First Pattern
We will start by improving our first Pattern using some of the powerful editing features of MASCHINE.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 55
4.1.1 Our Pattern in the Software
First of all, let’s have a quick look at the Pattern Editor in the software:
Creating Beats
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
Our first Pattern displayed in the Pattern Editor.
In the Pattern Editor, you will note the following:
▪ At the top left (1), EK-TL A Kit indicates the name of the Group currently selected — that
is, our customized drum kit.
▪ Under the Group name, you see a vertical list of all Sounds included in the Group (2). If
the list does not fit into the screen, a vertical scroll bar at the right end of the Pattern
Editor allows you to display the missing Sounds. At any time, the selected Sound slot is
highlighted (in the picture above, the Clap Ektl A 1, triggered by the pad 1).
At the right of the Group name, you find a drop-down menu which reveals the Pattern Manager. This comprises the Pattern List view and Pattern Pad view (3). These represent the Pattern
slots for that Group. At any time, the selected Pattern slot is highlighted both in the List view
and in the Pad view (in the picture above, the Pattern slot 1). A Pattern contains the events
(the notes) that plays Sounds from the current Group. More typically this is known as a sequence.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 56
Creating Beats
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
▪ The biggest area of the Pattern Editor (4), in the lower right part, displays the events (the
notes) of the selected Pattern. In other terms, you see here what you recorded in ↑2.3,
Recording Your First Pattern. Events mirror the colors of their respective Sounds. Vertical
lines indicate the beats and their subdivisions. The thin white line at the top of the pattern indicates the current play position and the thin white line with a triangle is the pattern end marker. At the bottom, a horizontal scroll bar allows you to display other parts of
the Pattern, in case it is too long to fit on your screen.
Now that we have a better overview of our Pattern, we can start fine-tuning it.
4.1.2 Doubling the Pattern
For now, our Pattern is one bar long. When played in a loop, it might get a bit monotonous. To
solve this, we will exclusively use the controller to double the pattern length and add a little
variation at its end.
This feature is only available when using your controller.
4.1.2.1 Doubling the Pattern using MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press PATTERN and hold it.
The displays turn to Pattern mode and provide you with Pattern-specific options.
2. While holding PATTERN, press Button 3 above the displays to select DOUBLE.
In the software, you see that the Pattern now is twice as long, and all its events have been
replicated in the second half of the Pattern.
3. Release the PATTERN button.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 57
Creating Beats
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
4. Press PLAY to listen to your Pattern.
You don’t hear any difference yet, since both halves are exactly identical.
5. Check that the PLUG-IN button at the top left corner of your controller is lit — if not,
press it to enter Control mode.
6. Press REC to start recording (the button lights up), and add a few notes with the pads
when the second half of the Pattern is playing.
7. At any time, don’t hesitate to undo/redo your last action(s) by pressing UNDO and REDO
buttons, respectively.
8. Once you are satisfied with the ending of your extended Pattern, disable REC to stop recording.
You now have a 2-bar Pattern containing a new variation!
Our Pattern after doubling and having added a few kicks in the second half.
When recording, you don’t necessarily need to be super-accurate in your playing: The next section will show you how the Quantize functions can correct the timing of your playing to a set of
discrete values.
4.1.3 Quantizing the Rhythm
It takes a little practice to be very precise when playing the pads. Sometimes (especially if
you’re new to MASCHINE) your timing may be slightly off and this will be evident when you
record your Pattern. MASCHINE has a solution for this! It's called quantization.
A Few Notes on Quantization
Here are a few points worth noting on quantization:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 58
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
▪ The use of quantization notably depends on the music style of your song: In some cases,
the rhythm must be perfectly tight, while in other cases, half-quantization (or even no
quantization at all) would fit best.
▪ For now, we haven’t selected any event yet, and quantization (or half-quantization) was
applied to all events — in other terms, to the whole Pattern. If by chance you selected
some events in your Pattern, quantization would be applied to these events only! This can
be very useful if you want to build a tight rhythmic basis (e.g., kick and snare) while keeping specific events or Sounds “out of rhythm” (e.g., ornaments, slightly shifted hi-hat…).
This can help create a powerful groove. For more information on selecting particular
events in a Pattern, please refer to the Manual.
▪ You can change the resolution of the subdivisions to which events will be quantized. We
will tackle this in ↑7.2, Adjusting the Step Grid.
▪ You can also quantize events directly when playing on the pads and/or recording! By de-
fault, this option is disabled. You can enable it in Preferences > Defaults > Input > Quan-
tize. Please refer to the Manual for more information.
4.1.3.1 Quantizing the Rhythm in the MASCHINE Software
Creating Beats
Zooming In Your Pattern
To check this, let’s zoom on specific parts of our Pattern in the software. Go to the bottom of
the Pattern Editor in the software where you find the horizontal scroll bar which can also be
used as a Zoom tool:
The Zoom Tool in the Pattern Editor.
Click either end of the horizontal scroll bar, hold the mouse button, and then drag your
►
mouse left or right to zoom in/out.
Alternatively, you can click anywhere on the scroll bar and drag upwards or downwards to
zoom in and out of your pattern.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 59
Creating Beats
Fine-tuning our First Pattern
At any time, you can click the middle of the horizontal and vertical scroll bars to display another part of the Pattern.
If you zoom in, you can see that some of our hits were not really accurate:
A detailed view of our live recorded Pattern: The first two kicks are late, the third one is in advance.
MASCHINE provides you with a powerful quantization feature that allows you to correct this to
the desired extent.
4.1.3.2 Quantizing the Rhythm using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Quantizing Your Pattern
The process of quantization (sometimes called “note snap”) consists of forcing events to stick
to the beats or to their subdivisions. This ensures that the rhythm is perfectly tight. On your
controller, do the following:
To quantize the events of your Pattern, press the QUANTIZE button (above the jog wheel) in
the EDIT section.
Your Pattern now plays perfectly tight. In the Pattern Editor, you can see that all events
►
now are exactly on the beats or their subdivisions.
Quantizing Your Pattern, but Not Too Much
Sometimes, having beats perfectly tight might sound too “mechanical” and dull. Indeed, the
groove often comes from all these little imperfections in the rhythm. Hence, to avoid losing the
Pattern’s groove, MASCHINE lets you half-quantize your events: Events are moved half way toward the closest beat/subdivision. Thus, you get a tighter rhythm while keeping its human
touch and groove.
To half-quantize the events of your Pattern, press SHIFT + QUANTIZE.
►
You can apply half quantization several times in a row: Each time, events will move half of the
remaining way to the beats/subdivisions.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 60
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
Here is the effect of half-quantization and quantization on an event:
Original event, half-quantized event, and quantized event.
At any time, don’t hesitate to undo/redo your last action(s) by pressing UNDO/REDO, respectively.
4.2 Adding a Second Pattern
We now want to create another Pattern that we could use as a break in our song. This will allow
us to introduce a few other tasks and features of MASCHINE, namely the selection of Patterns,
the Pattern Length, and the Count-in.
4.2.1 Selecting a Pattern Slot
Until now, we only used the first of the 64 Pattern slots available in our Group. We will now
select another Pattern slot, in which we will later record our second Pattern.
4.2.1.1 Selecting a Pattern Slot in the MASCHINE Software
At the top of the Pattern Editor, click an empty Pattern slot from the drop-down Pattern
►
Manager menu.
Click the slot below slot 1 to create a new empty pattern
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 61
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
Pattern slot 2 is now selected. Selecting an empty Pattern slot automatically creates a
→
blank Pattern in it.
You will note that the slots’ lighting behavior in the software mirrors the pads’ lighting behavior
on the controller:
▪ Pattern slot 1 is half lit: There is a Pattern inside but the slot is not selected.
▪ Pattern slot 2 is fully lit: There is a blank Pattern inside and the slot is selected.
▪ All other Pattern slots are dark: They contain no Pattern.
4.2.1.2
Selecting a Pattern Slot using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press PATTERN and hold it.
All pads light off except pad 1, which is fully lit. This indicates that all Pattern slots are
empty except the first Pattern slot, which is additionally selected.
2. While holding PATTERN, press pad 2.
Pattern slot 2 is now selected. Selecting an empty Pattern slot automatically creates a
→
blank Pattern in it.
Have a look at the pads:
▪ Pad 1 is half lit: There is a Pattern inside but the slot is not selected.
▪ Pad 2 is fully lit: There is a blank Pattern inside and the slot is selected.
▪ All other pads are unlit: They contain no Pattern.
4.2.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length
You have already learned how to change the Pattern Length by doubling the Pattern: the Pattern’s length was doubled and its content reproduced in the second half (see ↑4.1.2, Doubling
the Pattern). Here we will show you how to adjust the Pattern Length without affecting its
events, if any.
You can adjust the Pattern Length at any time, even if you already put events in the Pattern. If you reduce the Pattern Length so that some events are not included in the Pattern
anymore, these events have not been deleted: They stay at their location — if you extend
your Pattern again, you can include them again.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 62
4.2.2.1 Adjusting Pattern Length in the MASCHINE Software
In the software, you can change the Pattern Length in two ways:
In the timeline of the Pattern Editor, click the right limit of the Pattern (indicated by a
►
little triangle pointing to the left) and drag your mouse horizontally in the timeline to
change the Pattern Length.
At the top right of the Pattern Editor, click the value and drag your mouse vertically to
►
change the Pattern Length.
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
To adjust the Pattern Grid resolution, click the value near the Grid label in the Pattern
►
Grid controls and select the desired setting from the menu.
The divisions of the Pattern Grid now have the size you have just selected.
→
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 63
You can change the Pattern Grid resolution used to adjust the pattern length by clicking on
1 Bar in the Grid value on the right and selecting another value in the menu that opens.
For more information on this, please refer to the Manual.
4.2.2.2 Adjusting the Pattern Length using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press PATTERN and hold it.
At the bottom of the left display, you see that the LENGTH parameter is currently set to
1:0:0, which means one bar.
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
2. While holding
The empty Pattern in Pattern slot 2 now has a new length, as you can see in the soft-
→
PATTERN, turn Knob 1 to set a new value for the Pattern Length.
ware’s Pattern Editor.
To change the resolution of the Pattern Grid (the resolution at which the Patten Length can
be resized) turn Knob 2 GRID. For detailed information on the Pattern Grid and Pattern
Length please refer to the Manual.
4.2.3 Recording a new Pattern using the Count-in
Once your empty Pattern in Pattern slot 2 has the desired length, you are ready for recording.
You have already learned how to record a Pattern by starting the sequencer hen enabling the
record mode, also using the metronome (see ↑2.3, Recording Your First Pattern). Here we will
show you another useful aid for recording: the Count-in.
You can change the Count-in Preferences > General > Default Metronome Settings.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 64
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
Activation of Count-in is unavailable from the software. Please use your controller as described below.
4.2.3.1 Recording a new Pattern with Count-in on the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Check that the PLUG-IN button at the top left corner of your controller is lit — if not,
press it to enter Control mode.
2. Press METRO.
3. Press SHIFT + REC to start recording using the Count-in.
The metronome is automatically activated and plays a full bar before the sequencer and
the recording actually start.
4. Play on the pads.
Once the sequencer has started, your playing is recorded.
5. To stop the metronome, press METRO. To stop the recording, press REC to disable it. To
stop the sequencer, press PLAY to disable it.
The Count-in notably allows you to prepare yourself and e.g. get the downbeat on time!
You can change the Count-in Preferences > General > Default Metronome Settings.
4.2.4 Switching Patterns
Once you have recorded something in the second Pattern slot, you can check that both Patterns fit well together by instantly switching between both:
4.2.4.1 Switching Patterns in the MASCHINE Software
1. Click the Play button in the Header at the very top of the MASCHINE window to start the
sequencer (the Play button must be lit).
2. Click the drop-down pattern manager
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 65
Creating Beats
Adding a Second Pattern
3. Click Pattern slot 1 and 2 alternatively and listen how both Patterns fit together.
4.2.4.2 Switching Patterns using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
2. Press and hold PATTERN.
3. Press pad 1 and pad 2 alternatively and listen how both Patterns fit together.
4.3 Editing Patterns in the Software
In the MASCHINE software, the Pattern Editor allows you to precisely tailor new or existing
Patterns. We will only mention here the main mouse actions available.
To create a new event, double-click into the grid at the desired location.
►
Double-click into the Grid to create an event. Right-click it to delete it.
To clear an event, right-click ([Ctrl]-click on Mac OS X) it.
►
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 66
Creating Beats
Save Your Work!
To move an event, drag it (i.e. click it, hold the mouse button, drag your mouse to the
►
desired location, and release the mouse button). Dragging horizontally will shift the event
in time for the same Sound, while dragging it vertically will move it to another Sound
while preserving its timing.
To stretch an event, drag its right border (this makes more sense for melodic, sustained
►
instruments than for percussive sounds).
When you create, drag or stretch an event, your action is automatically quantized according
to the current quantization resolution. For more information on adjusting this, see ↑7.2,
Adjusting the Step Grid.
You have Paint and Erase modes at your disposal for editing events in the Pattern Editor, including a Paint mode, multiple selection, copy/paste, etc. For more information, please refer to
the Manual.
4.4 Save Your Work!
Once more, it is highly recommended to regularly save your work. You can then open another
Project or close MASCHINE and take a break. Your tutorial Project will be recalled as is the
next time you open it.
4.4.1 Saving your Work in the MASCHINE Software
Press [Ctrl] + [S] ([Cmd] + [S] on Mac OS X) to save your Project.
►
4.4.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Press SHIFT + ALL to save your Project.
►
4.5 To Sum Up…
In this tutorial, we have learned to:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 67
Creating Beats
▪ Double a Pattern.
▪ Quantize or half-quantize a Pattern.
▪ Select different Pattern slots.
▪ Adjust the Pattern Length.
▪ Use the Count-in for recording.
▪ Edit Patterns in the software.
Once you feel comfortable with these few tasks, proceed with the next tutorial, where we will
add a bass line to our song!
To Sum Up…
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 68
Adding a Bass Line
5 Adding a Bass Line
MASCHINE is not only about rhythm. It is also a full-featured sequencing environment and, as
such, lets you create melodic parts as well. As an example, we will add a bass line to our song.
More precisely:
▪ We will create a new Group with a nice bass Sound using a VST/AU plug-in synthesizer.
▪ We will record a few bass lines.
▪ We will adjust the Plug-in parameters to fine-tune the bass sound.
Prerequisites
We assume here that you followed the previous tutorials. In particular, you already know how
to:
▪ Open a Project (↑3.1, Opening Your Project).
▪ Use the pads to play the loaded Sounds (↑2.2, Playing with the Pads).
▪ Select Pattern slots (↑4.2.1, Selecting a Pattern Slot).
▪ Record a Pattern (↑2.3, Recording Your First Pattern), possibly using the Count-in
(↑4.2.3, Recording a new Pattern using the Count-in).
▪ Quantize a Pattern (↑4.1.3, Quantizing the Rhythm), and edit it in the software (↑4.3, Ed-
iting Patterns in the Software).
▪ Save the current Project for a later use (↑2.5, Save Your Work!).
If you have any doubts about these tasks, please refer to the previous tutorials before proceeding!
In case your tutorial Project “My First Project” is not open, please open it now:
Open the tutorial Project “My First Project.”
►
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 69
Adding a Bass Line
Selecting Another Group
5.1 Selecting Another Group
Until now, we have only used the first Group available in our Project. Groups are labeled from
A1 to H1. We will now select another Group and load a bass Sound into it. Loading the bass
into a different Group slot will later allow us to handle it separately, and easily combine it with
the existing drum kit Group and its Patterns.
In MASCHINE it is possible to have more than one Group bank! In this tutorial we will only
be working with Group bank 1. Each Group bank contains 8 groups, and when a new bank
is created the groups in each bank will be labeled sequentially; e.g. The Groups in Group
bank 2 will be labeled A2 to H2 and Group bank 3 A3 to H3. For more detailed information on creating and selecting additional Group banks please refer to the Manual.
5.1.1 Selecting Another Group in the MASCHINE Software
In the top part of the MASCHINE window, click the name of the desired Group B1 to se-
►
lect it.
Click the Group slot’s name to select that slot.
Upon selection, the Pattern Editor below switches to display the content of the newly selected
Group slot. For now, this is still empty (no Sounds, no Patterns).
5.1.2 Selecting Another Group using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
The eight buttons labeled A to H on the left of your controller represent the eight available
Groups of each Bank. All are off except button A, which is fully lit and button B which is white
indicating that a new Group can be created here. All other Groups are empty except the first
Group (A), which is selected.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 70
Adding a Bass Line
Renaming and Coloring the Group
1. Press button B to select the second Group (B1).
Group B1 now is selected.
→
Have a look at the Group buttons:
▪ Button A is half lit: There is a Group but it is not selected.
▪ Button B is fully lit: This Group is selected.
▪ All other Group buttons are off: The Groups are empty and not selected.
5.2 Renaming and Coloring the Group
As we loaded the drum kit into the Group A1 (see ↑2.1, Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory
Library), the slot automatically took the name of the loaded Group (“EK-TL A Kit”). Here we
will manually rename the Group B1 to help keep our Project well organized.
This feature is only available from the MASCHINE software.
5.2.1 Renaming and Coloring the Group in the Software
To rename a Group:
1. Double-click the Group name.
The Group name becomes highlighted.
2. Type a new name (e.g., “Bass”), then press [Enter] on your computer keyboard to confirm.
The new name replaces the default name.
→
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 71
Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
A new name for the Group B.
Let’s quickly give our Groups different colors. The procedure is the same as for Sound slots
(see → for a quick reminder):
Right-click ([Cmd] + click on Mac OS X) each Group, select Color in the context menu,
►
and select the desired color in the palette.
New colors for both Groups.
5.3 Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
In addition to using the internal sounds of MASCHINE, you may also use 32-bit and 64-bit
VST/AU plug-ins from Native Instruments and third-party manufacturers. This notably allows
you to make use of your favorite synthesizer and effect plug-ins!
MASCHINE already includes KOMPLETE Selection, this includes MASSIVE (the legendary synthesizer) PRISM (a modal synthesizer), SCARBEE MARK 1 (classic electric piano) and SOLID BUS COMP (a superior compressor) all from Native Instruments. Among other things MASSIVE is ideal for fat bass sounds — exactly what we need here.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 72
Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
5.3.1 Browsing the MASSIVE Presets
Not only is MASSIVE included with MASCHINE, but its factory library is fully integrated into
the MASCHINE workflow and its preset sounds are directly available from the MASCHINE
Browser. Hence, you can choose a bass sound with the common workflow we already used for
loading a Group (see ↑2.1, Loading a Drum Kit from the Factory Library) or a Sample (see
↑3.2.1, Selecting another Snare Sample): By filtering our choices, we progressively narrow our
search by selecting the MASCHINE object, by Product, Type, and Subtype.
5.3.1.1
Loading a Plug-in Instrument in the Software
In the software, do the following:
1. Click the name of the first Sound slot to select that slot.
2. Show the Browser if it is currently hidden (reminder: click the magnifying glass in the
MASCHINE Header).
3. At the very top of the Browser, select the keyboard icon from the File Type selector.
4. Select the NI icon from the Content selector
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 73
Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
5. In the Product selector click the drop-down arrow and select Massive.
6. Click All Sub-Banks to reveal a list of all MASSIVE sub-banks installed on your computer.
7. From the MASSIVE sub-bank menu click Massive Factory. This will update the results list
with only presets from this sub-bank.
8. In the Tag Filter below, click Bass in the TYPES section.
9. Click Bass Line in the Sub-Type section to further narrow our search.
You can now load a bass preset by double-clicking its entry in the result list below. But
→
don’t leave Browse mode yet: We will show you some useful features for choosing your
bass in the next two sections.
5.3.1.2 Loading a Plug-in Instrument using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
On your controller, do the following:
1. Press button B to select the Group slot B1.
2. Press the pad 1 to select the Sound slot 1. Pad 1 should be fully lit.
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Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
3. Press BROWSE to show the Browser. The BROWSE button should be lit.
4. Button 4 should not be illuminated. If it is illuminated, press Button 4 to deselect USER.
5. Press Button 1 or 2 to select INSTRUMENTS.
The Browser will now show instrument plug-in presets only.
6. Turn Knob 2 until the Product field is set to Massive.
The Browser will now show presets for the MASSIVE plug-in only.
7. Turn Knob 3 until the Bank field is set to Massiv..actory (“Massive Factory”).
The Browser will now show MASSIVE presets from the MASSIVE Factory library only.
8. Turn Knob 5 until All Types is set to Bass.
9. Turn Knob 6 until All Sub-Types is set to Bass Line.
On the right display, you now see the list of MASSIVE’s bass presets.
You can now select bass presets by turning Knob 8, and load the selected preset into the selected Sound slot (Sound slot 1 in this example) by pressing Button 8. But don’t leave Browse
mode yet: We will show you useful features for choosing your bass in the next two sections.
5.3.2
Using Keyboard Mode
Since we are not browsing Samples, we don’t have the Prehear feature at our disposal to
choose a nice bass preset. Instead, we can make use of the Autoload feature (see ↑3.2.1, Se-
lecting another Snare Sample for more information).
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 75
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
Click the Autoload button in the software to activate it, or use Buttons 5 and 6 on your
►
controller to use the Autoload function.
Each preset is now automatically loaded into the Sound slot 1 when selected.
→
Adding a Bass Line
For now we can hear the presets only by pressing the pad 1, which triggers a single note (C3).
This is not ideal for choosing a preset — not to mention for recording a bass line. Hence, for
melodic instruments like our bass, MASCHINE provides another pad mode called Keyboard
mode, in which the pads play different notes of the same Sound. Let’s switch to Keyboard mode.
5.3.2.1 Using Keyboard Mode in the Software
At the left of the Pattern Editor, click the Keyboard View button (with a keyboard icon) to
►
activate the Keyboard view.
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Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
The Keyboard View button.
The Pattern Editor shows a vertical keyboard at the right of the Sound slots. The rows in the
grid now represent each note for the selected Sound slot, instead of representing each Sound
slot.
The Keyboard mode on your controller and the Keyboard view in the software are strictly
equivalent: By enabling the Keyboard View button in the software, you also switch your
controller to Keyboard mode; by disabling the Keyboard mode on your controller, you also
disable the Keyboard view in the software.
5.3.2.2 Using the Keyboard Mode on the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Press SHIFT + PAD MODE (at the left of the pads).
►
From now on, your 16 pads will not trigger the 16 Sound slots of your Group, but instead
→
16 notes of the selected Sound. This will make both choosing a bass preset and recording a bass line much easier!
To disable this Keyboard mode, press SHIFT + PAD MODE again.
As long as the Keyboard mode is active, the PAD MODE button is half lit to remind you it is
switched on.
Other pad modes are also available. For a detailed description of all pad modes, please refer to the Manual.
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Adding a Bass Line
Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass
5.3.3 Adjusting the Base Key of the Pads on Your Controller
While trying out various bass presets on the pads, you will note that they are playing quite high
notes. This is because your 16 pads play by default the notes from C3 to D#4 — not the most
appropriate notes for playing bass. Hence, we need to lower the notes played by the pads.
5.3.3.1 Adjusting the Base Key of the Pads using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press and hold PAD MODE.
2. Press Button 2 KEYBOARD.
You will note that, in Keyboard mode, the right display shows you which note will be
played by each pad.
Press Button 5 OCTAVE- until the ROOT NOTE field on the left display is set to C1.
3.
4. Release PAD MODE.
Your pads now play two octaves lower.
→
This setting is only relevant for your controller: Indeed, in the software the vertical keyboard
already displays all notes (use the vertical scroll bar on the right to display them all).
We now can choose a bass sound:
1. If you left Browse mode in the meanwhile, press BROWSE to enter it again.
2. Load various bass presets into Sound slot 1 and play them on the pads to choose the bass
sound you would like to use.
3. Let’s choose the Sound “Analovue,” because it has nice bass content and some high-frequency ornaments. Moreover, it holds interesting rhythmic content synchronized to the
Project tempo!
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Adding a Bass Line
Recording a Bass Line
Once you have found a bass to your liking, deactivate BROWSE to leave the Browser.
►
In this example you don’t need to specifically load the selected Sound, since it is already loaded via the Autoload function.
5.4 Recording a Bass Line
We are now ready to record a bass Pattern. This will allow us to review many of the tasks we
have learned until now.
5.4.1 Creating a Bass Pattern
On your controller, do the following:
5.4.1.1 Recording a Bass Line using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Check that the PLUG-IN button at the top left corner of your controller is lit — if not,
press it to enter Control mode.
2. Press PLAY.
You hear your drum Pattern playing.
3. Practice with the bass to get familiar with your instrument.
4. When you feel ready, press REC (the button lights up) and start recording a bass line.
5. When you are done, deactivate REC.
Don’t forget to reuse all you have learned in the previous tutorials for recording Patterns:
using the metronome, using the Count-in, adjusting the Pattern Length, editing the recorded Pattern, etc. If you have any doubt about these tasks, please refer to the previous tutorials (notably in section ↑2.3, Recording Your First Pattern and chapter ↑4, Creating Beats).
5.4.2 Creating a Second Bass Pattern
A single bass line is obviously not enough for your whole song. Let’s record a second one that
we could use as variation.
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Adding a Bass Line
Recording a Bass Line
5.4.2.1 Creating a Second Bass Pattern using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Switch to the second Pattern slot. As a reminder, you can do this on your controller by
pressing PATTERN + pad 2, and in the software by clicking on the Pattern slot 2 in the
Pattern Editor.
2. Record a second Pattern. Again, don’t hesitate to reuse the various Pattern recording/editing tasks that we have already learned.
Check that both Patterns fit well together by switching repeatedly between both Pattern slots.
5.4.3 Loading an Additional Bass Sound
To enhance your song further, we will load another bass Sound next to “Analovue.” This second bass could for example play rhythmic lines with somewhat higher frequencies.
5.4.3.1 Loading an Additional Bass Sound using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Selecting Sound Slot 2
Before you load another Sound, you first need to select another Sound slot — e.g., Sound slot
2.
In the software, you can select the Sound slot 2 as usual by clicking its name in the Pattern
Editor.
On your controller, you will notice that pressing pad 2 only is not working for selecting Sound
slot 2: Indeed, since your pads are in Keyboard mode, they don’t play/select each Sound slot
but play each note of the same Sound slot 1. To circumvent this, do the following on your controller:
1. Press and hold SELECT.
2. While still holding SELECT, press pad 2 to select Sound slot 2.
Sound slot 2 is now selected.
→
Holding SELECT while pressing the pad selects the Sound slot regardless of which pad
mode is active; on the contrary, pressing only the pad does not select the Sound slot if
Keyboard mode is active. Moreover, when holding the SELECT button, you don’t hear the
Sound when you press the pad. This can be very useful when your song is playing and you
don’t want the audience to hear your selection!
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Adding a Bass Line
Accessing the Plug-in Parameters
Loading and Recording Another Bass
Once Sound slot 2 is selected, repeat the steps described above in this tutorial to load
►
another bass Sound (see ↑5.3, Loading a Plug-in Instrument for the Bass) and to record
bass lines with that Sound in the same Patterns 1 and 2 as we did for the first bass (see
↑5.4.1, Creating a Bass Pattern and ↑5.4.2, Creating a Second Bass Pattern). For exam-
ple, try with the Sound “Ad Voca” as a second bass!
Choosing Colors for Your Bass Sounds
Let’s choose different colors for the two bass Sounds as we did for the Sounds of the Group
“EK-TL A Kit” (see →):
Right-click ([Cmd] + click on Mac OS X) on each Sound slot, select Color in the context menu,
and select the desired color.
5.5 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters
Once installed, MASSIVE is fully integrated into MASCHINE. Not only does this mean that its
factory presets are available in the MASCHINE Browser, but also that the MASSIVE parameters
themselves are available from within MASCHINE. Here, we will discover another area of the
MASCHINE software’s user interface: the Control area.
The Control area is located in the middle of the MASCHINE software window.
The Control area showing the MASSIVE plug-in parameters for our bass Sound “Analovue.”
The Control area allows you, among many other things, to adjust the parameters of your Plugins.
Here, we want to display the Plug-in parameters for our first bass Sound “Analovue.”
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Adding a Bass Line
Accessing the Plug-in Parameters
5.5.1 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters in the Software
1. At the left of the Pattern Editor, click the Sound slot’s name (Analovue) to select that
Sound slot.
2. In the top left part of the Control area, click the SOUND tab to select it (it should be
highlighted).
3. In the Plug-in List below, click Massive to select it.
The Control area now displays the parameters of your bass Sound “Analovue.” You can
→
check this by looking in the left part of the Control area:
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Adding a Bass Line
Accessing the Plug-in Parameters
The Control area indicating which parameters are displayed.
The large part of the Control area to the right is called the Parameter area. This gives you access to the desired parameters:
The parameters for the Sound “Analovue.”
These parameters are organized into pages that you can select for displaying by clicking the
little labels at the top of the Control:
The pages allow you to display further parameters for your plug-in.
On each page, you can click and drag the knobs to adjust the corresponding parameters.
Example
As an example, let’s adjust the amplification level of the second oscillator in our “Analovue”
preset. Do the following:
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Adding a Bass Line
Accessing the Plug-in Parameters
1. Click the Osc2 label at the top of the Control area to select the Osc2 parameter page.
The Control area now displays the parameters of that page.
2. Click the fourth knob (Osc2Amp) and drag your mouse vertically to adjust the value.
You can fine-adjust the parameter value by holding down [Shift] on your computer keyboard while you drag the mouse!
5.5.2 Accessing the Plug-in Parameters using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press the PLUG-IN button to view the Plug-in List.
2. Press Button 3 to select SOUND.
This displays parameters for the selected Sound slot.
3. If the Sound slot 1 containing our “Analovue” Sound is not currently selected, select it by
pressing SELECT + pad 1.
The displays should now look like this:
You now have access to the parameters of your bass Sound “Analovue.”
→
To adjust any parameter from your controller, do the following:
1. Turn any Knob 1–8 to adjust the value of the parameter indicated right above in the displays.
2. Press the Page buttons (showing two arrows) at the left of the displays to switch to another page of parameters.
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Adding a Bass Line
Save Your Work!
5.6 Save Your Work!
Once again, it is highly recommended to regularly save your work. You can then open another
Project or close MASCHINE and take a break. Your tutorial Project will be recalled as is the
next time you open it.
You can also save your custom settings for the MASSIVE plug-in as a preset for later use in
another context (a different Sound, Group or even Project). For more information on this,
please refer to the Manual.
5.6.1 Saving your Work in the MASCHINE Software
Press [Ctrl] + [S] ([Cmd] + [S] on Mac OS X) to save your Project.
►
5.6.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Press SHIFT + ALL to save your Project.
►
5.7 To Sum Up…
In this tutorial, we have learned to:
▪ Select different Groups and rename them.
▪ Load a VST/AU plug-in instrument into a Sound slot.
▪ Use the Keyboard mode on your controller (and the Keyboard view in the software) to play
and record melodic instruments.
▪ Adjust the Base Key when using Keyboard mode.
▪ Adjust the Plug-in parameters both from your controller and in the software (using the
Control area).
Once you feel comfortable with these few tasks, proceed with the next tutorial, where we will
add effects to our Sounds and Groups!
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Applying Effects
6 Applying Effects
Now that we have created a few Patterns, let’s spice them up with some effects.
MASCHINE provides a healthy selection of effects (FX) that can be loaded in the form of Plugins. Each Sound, each Group and the Master can have an unlimited number of insert effects
loaded in their Plug-ins slots. In each Plug-in slot you can load an Internal, Native Instruments
or External Effect Plug-in.
Effects can also be applied to external audio or set up as send effects. These tasks will be
covered in the Manual.
In this tutorial, we will:
▪ Apply effects to various Sounds and Groups of our tutorial Project.
▪ Tweak the loaded effects.
▪ Automate the effect parameters.
Prerequisites
We assume here that you followed the previous tutorials. In particular, you already know how
to:
▪ Select Groups (↑5.1, Selecting Another Group).
▪ Select Sounds by pressing their pad or clicking the Sound slots in the software.
▪ Access the parameters of an instrument plug-in (↑5.5, Accessing the Plug-in Parameters).
If you have any doubts about these tasks, please refer to the previous tutorials before proceeding!
In case your tutorial Project “My First Project” is not open, please open it now:
Open the tutorial Project “My First Project.”
►
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Applying Effects
Loading Effects
6.1 Loading Effects
In this section we will show you how to load effects in MASCHINE.
6.1.1 The Plug-in List
Before we load an effect, let’s have a quick look again at the Control area for our bass Sound
“Analovue” in the software (see ↑5, Adding a Bass Line):
1. Select the Group “Bass” (Group B).
2. Select the Sound “Analovue.”
Now have a look at the Control area:
The Control area showing some MASSIVE plug-in parameters for our bass Sound.
To the left of the Control area, you can load an Internal, Native Instruments or External Effect
Plug-in into the Plug-in List. The Plug-in List allows you to load as many Plug-ins into its slots
as you want. The processing order is from top to bottom (from the first Plug-in to the last).
Here are a few examples:
▪ In the Sound “Analovue,” the first slot in the Plug-in List is the MASSIVE plug-in. This
Plug-in is the sound source of this Sound “Analovue.”
▪ In each Sound of the Group “EK-TL A Kit,” the first slot of the Plug-in List is the Sampler
— the MASCHINE internal sampler. The Sampler is the sound source of each of these
Sounds.
In MASCHINE, Plug-in slots are available at three different levels of your Project:
▪ Sound level: The first Plug-in slot is the only slot that can contain a sound source (e.g., a
(Sampler, Drumsynth, Native Instruments or External Instrument) or an effect. The other
Plug-in slots can only contain effects (Internal, Native Instruments or External).
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Applying Effects
Loading Effects
▪ Group level: Each Group also offers slots for effects that will process all Sounds of that
Group together.
▪ Master level: There are additional slots for effects that will process the overall audio of
your Project before it is sent to the master output.
If you use an effect plug-in in the first slot of a Sound, you will find this Sound slot as a
bussing point for other signals in MASCHINE. For detailed information on this, please refer
to the Manual.
6.1.2 Loading an Effect into a Plug-in List
We would like to further shape our “Analovue” bass line by fattening its low frequency content
while enhancing its overall warmth. For this, we will use one of the Internal Plug-in effects included with MASCHINE: the Saturator.
In MASCHINE, there are two different ways to load Plug-ins into the Plug-in List:
▪ Using the Browser: We have already used the Browser to load Projects, Groups, Samples,
and Plug-ins. Similarly, you can use it to search for plug-in effects.
▪ Using the Plug-in menu: You can also choose the desired Plug-in directly from the Plug-in
slot itself via the Plug-in menu.
Note that these methods work for the Sound, Group and Master level.
The difference between the two methods of loading an effect is that the Browser allows you
to find effect presets (from the factory library or user-created), while the Plug-in menu allows you to load effects in their default state.
Since you should be familiar with the Browser (if not, check for example section ↑2.1, Loading
a Drum Kit from the Factory Library, ↑3.2.1, Selecting another Snare Sample, ↑5.3.1, Browsing the MASSIVE Presets…), we will use the Plug-in menu method of loading effects.
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Applying Effects
Loading Effects
6.1.2.1 Loading an Effect into a Plug-in List in the Software
1. In the top part of the MASCHINE window, click the Group Bass to select it.
2. In the Control area below, click the SOUND tab to select the Sound level, since you want
to apply the saturation to a Sound.
3. The actual Sound that you assign the effect to is always the one in focus. Hence, at the
left of the Pattern Editor, click the Sound slot’s name (Analovue) to select that Sound
slot.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 89
4. At the far left of the Control area, click the small plug icon to display the Plug-ins.
This displays the Plug-in List on the left of the Control area:
The Plug-in List in this instance contains Massive.
5. Click the “+” icon below to open the Plug-in menu.
Applying Effects
Loading Effects
The Plug-in menu opens and displays a list of all available effects.
6. In this menu, click the Saturator entry to load it.
The Saturator plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.
→
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 90
If you have VST/AU effect plug-ins installed you may also load them from the menu by selecting the Native Instruments (for Native Instruments products) or External (for third-party
products) submenu at the top of the list.
If you wish to load a Plug-in at the Group level, just follow the same procedure except at
the second step click the GROUP tab instead of the SOUND tab! Similarly, if you wish to
load a Plug-in at the Master level (to process the audio of the whole Project), click the
MASTER tab at this step.
6.1.2.2 Loading an Effect into a Plug-in List using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Press the PLUG-IN button to enter Control mode and display the Plug-in slots.
2. Press button B to select the Group “Bass” containing the bass lines.
3. Press SELECT + pad 1 to select the Sound “Analovue.”
4. Press Button 3 to select the SOUND tab.
5. Press Button 6 to select the next free Plug-in slot.
6. Press SHIFT + BROWSE to select an effect.
If we would have pressed BROWSE alone here, we would have accessed the Browser. By
additionally holding SHIFT, we access the Plug-in menu instead!
7. Turn Knob 1 until the TYPE field is set to Internal (for MASCHINE internal effects).
Applying Effects
Loading Effects
If you have NI VST/AU effect plug-ins installed you may browse them by selecting NI. If
you have external plug-ins installed you can browse them by selecting External.
The right display shows you the available MASCHINE effects.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 91
8. Turn Knob 8 to select Saturator, and press Button 8 to load it.
9. Press SHIFT + BROWSE again to leave the effect selection.
The Saturator Plug-in is now loaded and is ready to be tweaked.
→
To load a Plug-in at the Group level, please follow the same procedure except at the third
step press Button 2 (GROUP) instead of Button 3 (SOUND). Similarly, to load a Plug-in at the
Master level (to process the audio of the whole Project), press Button 1 (MASTER) at this
step.
Applying Effects
Playing with Effects
6.2 Playing with Effects
Once the Saturator Plug-in is loaded into the Plug-in List, you will find its parameters displayed in the Control area when the Saturator effect is selected:
When Saturator is selected from the Plug-in List, the Control area displays its parameters.
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Applying Effects
Playing with Effects
6.2.1 Adjusting the Effect Parameters
Let’s now adjust the effect parameters to our needs. The method is basically the same as when
we adjusted the parameters for the MASSIVE plug-in in ↑5.5, Accessing the Plug-in Parame-
ters.
Press PLAY on your controller or the [Space] bar on your computer keyboard to start the
sequencer. This way, you can directly hear how your settings affect the sound!
6.2.1.1 Adjusting the Effect Parameters in the MASCHINE Software
In the Control area, you can quickly adjust each parameter with the mouse:
1. Click in the display of the Mode selector at the left and select the Tube entry in the menu
that opens.
Upon your selection, the other parameters change in the Parameter area, giving you access to settings specific to this saturation mode.
2. To adjust the various parameters, click and drag the knobs to change their values, and
click the buttons to activate/deactivate them.
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 93
6.2.1.2 Adjusting the Effect Parameters using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Adjusting the parameters for the Saturator.
1. Check that the PLUG-IN button is lit — if not, press it to enter Control mode.
2. Press Button 5 or 6 to select the Saturator Plug-in.
3. Turn Knob 1 until the MODE field reads Tube.
This selects the Tube mode of the Saturator.
Similarly, adjust the other parameter values by turning the corresponding Knobs.
Applying Effects
Playing with Effects
6.2.2 Practice Makes Perfect!
Don’t hesitate to practice with loading effects in different places of the tutorial Project and adjusting their parameters. For example:
▪ You could load a Chorus on the Sound “Snare Ektl A 1” of the drum kit Group to slightly
widen its sound (use a low value for the Mix parameter of the effect).
▪ In that same drum kit Group, you could apply a slowly evolving Flanger on the Sound
“Shaker Ektl A” to make it livelier.
▪ On the way, you will note that the drum kit Group itself (“EK-TL A Kit”) already has a
Maximizer applied that processes the whole drum kit. Why not load a subtle Reverb to
make the kit sound more natural?
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Applying Effects
Playing with Effects
6.2.3 Bypassing Effects
Bypassing effects might come in handy whenever you want to return to a dry, unaltered signal:
Such as after applying so much Reverb that you can’t hear the dry signal anymore or to get rid
of the feedback while using the Delay for example. Bypassing effects is also a great tool when
playing live!
6.2.3.1 Bypassing Effects in the MASCHINE Software
1. At the top left of the Control area, click the tab of the level (either SOUND, GROUP or
MASTER) where you want to bypass the effect.
2. If you want to bypass an effect at the Sound or Group level, make sure you have the right
Sound (click it on the left of the Pattern Editor) and/or Group (click it on the left of the
Arranger) selected.
3. Now click the FX icon (in Arrange view) at the left of the effect name in the Plug-in List.
To bypass the effect.
The effect unit does not affect the sound anymore. The effect is grayed out to indicate
that it is now bypassed.
4. To reactivate the bypassed effect, click its FX icon.
Bypassing effects can be very useful when adjusting effect parameters in order to compare
the sound with/without an effect. But more than this, bypassing effects is also a powerful
creative tool when playing live!
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Applying Effects
Playing with Effects
It's also possible to bypass effects directly from the Mix view. When in Mix view click the small
square at the left of the effect name in the Plug-in List. Click again to reactivate the effect.
For detailed information on Mix view and using effects, please refer the Maschine Manual.
6.2.3.2 Bypassing Effects using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
1. Check that the PLUG-IN button is lit — if not, press it to enter Control mode.
2. Depending on the level (Master, Group or Sound) the effect you want to bypass is located,
do the following:
▪ Effect on Master: Press Button 1 (MASTER).
▪ Effect on a Group: Press Button 2 (GROUP) to select the Group level, then press the de-
sired Group button (A–H) to select the corresponding Group.
▪ Effect on a Sound: Press Button 3 (SOUND) to select the Sound level, press the desired
Group button (A–H), then press the desired pad (or SELECT + the desired pad if the Keyboard mode is active) to select the corresponding Sound.
1. Press Button 5 or 6 to select the effect you want to bypass.
2. Hold SHIFT and press Button 7 above the right display to bypass the selected effect.
The effect unit does not affect the sound anymore. For example, here the Saturator is bypassed:
3. To reactivate a bypassed effect, press Button 5 or 6 to select the effect.
4. Hold SHIFT and press Button 7 to reactive the effect.
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Applying Effects
Modulating Effect Parameters
6.3 Modulating Effect Parameters
One of the really cool features of MASCHINE is the ability to modulate parameters from the
Control area in a very easy way — both from the controller and in the software. Modulating a
parameter means recording an offset to its value over time in order for these changes to be
played back again automatically in your song. The modulation data is saved into the current
Pattern. As an example, you could use this to create a filter sweep played in loop with your
Pattern.
Modulation is not limited to effects: In MASCHINE, you can modulate just about any parameter at the Group or Sound level as soon as it has a continuous range of values — in
other terms, almost any parameter controlled by a knob in the Parameter area!
6.3.1 Recording Modulation
Let’s record some simple modulation for the effect parameter of your choice.
6.3.1.1 Recording Modulation in the MASCHINE Software
If you take a closer look at the knobs in the Parameter area you will notice they have an outer
ring. This ring serves for recording modulation:
To record modulation, check that your song is playing, click the outer ring of the desired
►
knob and then drag it vertically.
Recording modulation for a parameter.
You will note that the colored ring usually representing the current value of the parameter
→
turned to a colored little dash. This dash follows the movements you just recorded.
To remove modulation, do the following:
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Applying Effects
Modulating Effect Parameters
To remove the modulation for a parameter, right-click ([Ctrl] + click on Mac OS X) on its
►
outer ring.
The dash in the outer ring turns back to the usual indicator for unmodulated parameters.
→
6.3.1.2 Recording Modulation using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
To automate a parameter from your controller:
1. Check that the PLUG-IN button is lit — if not, press it to enter Control mode.
2. Press PLAY to start the sequencer.
3. Press button 5 or 6 to select the plug-in slot containing the effect you want to automate.
4. Press and hold AUTO, and turn Knob 1–8 under the displays corresponding to the parameter that you want to automate.
Your modulation gets recorded now. On the next loop, the parameter changes will be re-
→
produced.
There is also another way to record modulation from your controller: the step sequencer.
More on this in ↑7, Creating Beats with the Step Sequencer!
If you want to discard the modulation you just recorded and try again, do the following:
Press and hold ERASE, and turn the same Knob 1–8 to delete the modulation of the cor-
►
responding parameter.
6.3.2 Editing Modulation
We want to quickly mention here that you can also edit any recorded modulation in the software. For this, the Control Lane is at your disposal at the bottom of the Pattern Editor:
MASCHINE STUDIO - Getting Started - 98
The Control Lane displays the changes you recorded for each automated parameter.
To edit the modulation:
1. Click the desired parameter in the list of automated parameters (on the left) to select it.
2. Drag the modulation points vertically in the Control Lane.
For more information on editing modulation and automation, please refer to the Manual.
6.4 Save Your Work!
As usual, we highly recommend you to regularly save your work!
Applying Effects
Save Your Work!
You can also save your custom settings for the various effect Plug-ins as presets for later use in
other contexts (different Sounds, Groups or even Projects). Similarly, you can save any modified Sound/Group with its newly added and customized effects as a new Sound/Group for later
use.
For more information on this, please refer to the Manual.
6.4.1 Saving your Work in the MASCHINE Software
Press [Ctrl] + [S] ([Cmd] + [S] on Mac OS X) to save your Project.
►
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Applying Effects
Save Your Work!
6.4.2 Saving your Work using the MASCHINE STUDIO Controller
Press SHIFT + ALL to save your Project.
►
6.5 To Sum Up…
In this tutorial, we have learned the following:
▪ The concept of Plug-in List (and Plug-in slot).
▪ The hierarchic structure of a Project (Sound level, Group level, and Master level).
▪ How to load Plug-ins using the Plug-in menu.
▪ How to adjust Plug-in parameters.
▪ How to bypass Plug-in slots.
▪ How to automate Plug-in parameters.
Once you feel comfortable with these few tasks, proceed with the next tutorial, where we will
discover another great way for creating beats: the step sequencer.
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