NI Maschine

[foreward]

Just ordered an NI Maschine - it's way too easy to drop $600 online - any theories on how it might fit with Numerology?

[renderful]

it's way too easy to drop $600 online

Yes, yes it is. I have nothing else to add to this thread.

[TwoToneshuzz]

Just ordered an NI Maschine - it's way too easy to drop $600 online - any theories on how it might fit with Numerology?

I'm a little bit of a dummy when it comes to drum programming. I exhaust myself with techniques sounds effects harmony and such..

On the otherhand my graduate degrees final project was based around a percussion performance one of the members of the Safri Duo as my appointed advisor.. I spent days in the studio after the two day recording session fiddling with effects watching the 02rs faders crawl up and down like little nervous electronic bugs in their short paths. I guess I learned or should have learned to keep things simple.. Tonemeisters and Soundmen, don't appreciate the finer sound design ideas that I sometimes go for, lost to them, ears are shot full of holes I guess..I am musician with a connosieurs view of electronic tools and creation. If its instrumentation and names of instruments, parititur reading I'm on my way.. Groove well that's what maschine has in spades..

Numerology is for detailed working out of many threaded ideas and impuls, for me maschine is refreshing hands on and ready to go..

I use Maschine as a plug in within Numerology..

This is the best method for keeping it all together. Works but be warned the Cpu usage will limit the complexity of the arrangement if you have an older computer or use Heavy CPU use plugs..I think there are patches on ACE that take the whole CPU capacity of my 2.4Ghz 4Gb imac..

Maschine is just so darn easy to use it as a plug withing Numerology though, so to get around the CPU use issue I have a Blofeld and a Wavestation for playing most everything not Maschine. Its especially important to me to use it as a plug in, as I do alot of interstack modulation so this is not really the strength of the setup when using the VST/AU.

If you are in my position this is the way to go.

I think using Maschine+Live+Numerology, would be like too many cooks in the Kitchen.

If it's your plan to work this way, then I'd work with Live/Cubase/DP/Logic, and use Numerology as VST/Au , and Maschine as a VST.

To simpligy working in Logic with Numerology and Maschine, You could import finished midi streams from Numerology and use Maschine as a plug in, this makes most sense to me as simplifying the workflow aids trouble shooting of any issues that might arise, so you can get down to producing right away..


Theoretically you can work with Maschine in Standalone modus with Numerology as a VST.. I like the idea of this at first glance, as it reduces the number of interfaces one has to tweak in a workprocess, surely this saves time and aids creativity..


Whenever taking new devices and software into your arsenal I thinks it's important to choose the least technically challenging modus at the beginning so you can get that great joy of creation feeling going. Go for quickly getting useful results that can keep you a believer even though the going gets rocky if you later on choose to make a more complex workflow with your chosen tools..

Funnily when I listen back to some of my first Numerology attempts they have something that my present output lacks, Freshness?

I chose Maschine because I had pretty well zero invested in my percussion library, and Maschines sounds are perhaps even better than what I need.

I also like that its set up and ready to go, no endless tweaking to get midi controllers to work, find sounds, its slick and you'll love it!! An new Parrotagimmy or other or thingnagowiggler for your electronic animal farm.

As to using 600$ on it I think it's a very fair price for what you get, it's just the matter of working within a budget, so don't buy any other music related gear until things get into balance again.. Perhaps take some extra job for a short time to beef up the economy or sell your little sisters bike..

Wade

[Two Soldiers]

I don't know if I've got too much proper advice except maybe to say don't neglect to use Maschine as a midi controller - as a midi controller it is excellent and easy to configure/customise.

And in case it makes you less uneasy about your online spending - for me Maschine and Numerology are a great match. I use Numerology with the Launchpad and to date I have mostly been using been using Maschine as a mouse free sampler plugin inside Numerology standalone.

Recently I've got a new audio interface with a few more ins and outs and the ability to route audio internally and so have been experimenting with using both programs in standalone and syncing them via MIDI clock. This is looking good for so far but I haven't got really stuck in yet.

Also a bit of an unlooked for benefit for me has been that using Maschine has also sparked lots of ideas about how to set up midi control of Numerology. The hardware/software integration of Maschine is very tight - for me how well it is done is quite inspiring - and Numerology is so flexible and the midi learn within Numerology is so straightforward and reliable that it's quite possible to take ideas from the Maschine workflow and incorporate them into a Numerology workflow and then even tweak them further.

Anyway... I hope you are happy with it, and let us know how you get on :)

[foreward]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the input and encouragement. Now that I am getting less repetitive results from N3 I'll be sure to post soon. I have a Work in Progress i'll bounce once I get the kiddo ready for the day.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I've struggled from the begning with Numerology and it's endless loops of notes to get it to breathe

I use the Gates with Gates within Gates method that helps me really take control of when imputs from my various sound sources get to play.. Not as in control nitpicky kind of control but in creating a sense of space in the mix, no controlled like in the way that every little entrance and exit is placed firmly and carefully in some predetermined by me place in time.. More about giving space between the sounds welcoming yes even creating the sense of being overumpled by silence in a stream of sound. Choosing to thin out things is at least a starting point from which one can begin to develop his/her structural muscle..

Maschine is going to be good maybe as a compliment or even a competing technology where you can work in a completely other way.. Then return and work exclusively with Numerology but with new zest and new ideas.. No everything at once is not always a good idea..

Good night and Good luck!

[foreward]

The control issue is something I fight with. I like the results I get when I let go with N3, and I think that success with numerology comes with letting go, and not holding on to every little nuance like you do with the piano roll. I'm digging it, but it's still a hard transition to make sometimes - pressing the Random button makes me hurt a little - but I generally like I what I get when it's hooked up to a sequencer or LFO. Beat-controlled chaos....


ETA
Woot! It arrived in Billings. Will be in my hands tomorrow :D

[jonahs]

I use a MPC1000 with Numerology. Works splendidly! Very easy to get a non-stop creative flow going with these two. For me it's just the right combination of thinking and feeling. The only downside is that it took me longer to get comfortable and learn the Launchpad.:) From what I know of Maschine they're roughly comparable, but regardless this should apply to a few different pad/sampler combinations.

I like to compose by using improvisation. Timing wise I think Maschine will be better at capturing performances as you played them. Expanding on what Two Soldiers said, each of the pads has pressure sensitivity. I love to use this for more than drums as poly aftertouch. Expressive!

In fact, I think Numerology is "better" for drums in quite a few instances! I mean, I like to set up (poly!)rhythmic ideas and let Numerology execute them while I play along with it. Using randomness I see as playing along with other people.

I'm always chopping up melodies to put them in the DrumKit. :) In hip-hop productions (and now it seems most pop electronic music!) the composers would search through crates of records to find a sample that speaks to them to repurpose. Sometimes I let Numerology be my crate. :) I'll play around trying out things at random looking for short phrases that inspire me. Chop and structure it and then turn back to Numerology to work in a more controlled manner by adding more or modulating what I already have going on.

The opposite approach is also fruitful. If you get comfortable with Maschine where it's second nature to use it, analyze the steps you take and the subconscious habits you use to make something sound "good" then make a setup in Numerology to emulate this......you could do this with other people's music too, but personally I find it easier to understand when I have a physical connection.

The last bit of advice is: don't forget about using Numerology as an effects processor/sequencer/modulator while leaving the notes up to another program. Maybe this feature is in Maschine, but I often do simple things like add slight randomization to velocity or pitch. I almost always fire Numerology up to do some kind of processing....and then I get carried away with some other idea!

[foreward]

Thanks everyone! I've got my maschine and am downloading updates now. Super excited, and kinda nervous. If anyone has any MIDI mappings worth sharing, send my way :)

[foreward]

Got it up and running. It's a lot easier to use than I was thinking it would be watching videos. Haven't produced anything too significant. But, I'm getting there.

I'm going to be making some MIDI templates for numerology next.

[TwoToneshuzz]

Thanks everyone! I've got my maschine and am downloading updates now. Super excited, and kinda nervous. If anyone has any MIDI mappings worth sharing, send my way :)

I hope everything is good. Congrats on the Maschine...

Mine right here staring at me, I've been going in Deep in Numerology so I'm still a Maschine newbie, maybe I should do a parallel learning of Maschine project while your getting into using it..

I've made my mean Delay mashine, it's still got to get it's editor rounded out there was something in Build 50 that solved one of my issues here..

The mean monster delay mashine combined with Maschine is an earth shaking combination btw.

Regards

Wade