Maschine MK3
Native Instruments announced a new version of their infamous beatmaking system Maschine! With the Maschine MK3 they focussed on a more optimised and tactile experience for programming and performing beats on the fly.
Right after the launch in 2009 Maschine became the go to weapon of choice of beatmakers around the world. The physical interface was reminiscent of the legendary Akai MPCs, but it was coupled with a tightly integrated state of the art software production system. With Maschine you got the best of both worlds! Since then, its software has been updated regularly. The hardware on the other hand only received one revision in 2012: Maschine MK2.
Native Instruments Brings Sexy Back!
You’ll instantly see big improvements in the layout of the MK3 compared to its predecessors. It features bigger buttons with less space between them. The look reminds me a lot of the Ableton Push to be honest, but that’s a good thing. On top of the fresh looks, theres new functionality buttons and a touch-reactive smart strip.
Thanks to the larger and more reactive pads it’s easier than ever to bust out complex drum rolls and flams to spice up your drum patterns. The Finger drummers amongst you should especially prepare for a whole new world of fun!
Aside from making the pads bigger, Native Instruments also reduced physical space in general. Now there’s room for two full-color high resolution displays allowing you to preview sounds, browse libraries, and much more. Maschine MK3 also features a slim four-directional push encoder now instead of the jog wheel. You use it to adjust balance & levels, navigate and browse. All these changes will make Maschine a much more hands on controller. Just like with the Ableton Push you will look less at the screen.
For the first time Maschine features a studio quality built-in audio interface with a dynamic mic input, stereo headphone output and MIDI in & out. The most exciting thing are the line outputs and inputs – now you can directly plug your speakers into the unit. Dope!
Maschine MK3 Summary
Maschine MK3 comes with a hefty 8GB library of samples, one-shots, presets, drum kits, etc. Also included is the Komplete 11 Select library collection weighing in at 25GB – this is a $199 value alone!
The Maschine MK3 will be available via Native Instruments and retailers on October 5th. It can be preordered today on the Native Instruments website for $599.
