Can you load your own loops (audio) into it and drive it from a midi track like any other instrument? Synced to project tempo, presumably?  I was all excited about the matrix until I figured out you can't drive it with a midi track, and it ended up being just another toy.  Now I need something to fulfill that promise it had....


Also, any thoughts on why Maschine is suddenly about half price?  This usually portends a significant new version of a product, which makes sense with the new Akai pad controller/sequencer on the way to market after them almost getting kicked out of business by NI.  Would you get it now or wait?

Maschine SORTA works inside Sonar.
That means:
-start/stop works
-locks to tempo without issue

...but:
-Maschine won't stop with the audio engine. It will keep running as if it never received the "stop" command.
-there is an issue with the metronome, if you use that.
-it is difficult to use within sonar for "record" and "arrange", if you can do it at all. workaround is to use in stand-alone mode.

you CAN'T drive it from a track like you would a normal VSTi unless you map keys to hits, per kit.
what i do is make a pattern, export it as audio (inside Maschine) and then reimport it into Sonar and delete the Maschine plugin.

Also, any thoughts on why Maschine is suddenly about half price?  This usually portends a significant new version of a product, which makes sense with the new Akai pad controller/sequencer on the way to market after them almost getting kicked out of business by NI.  Would you get it now or wait?

see question 10 on this thread
http://www.native-instrum...?p=1033259#post1033259


I think that with other competing products coming out they dropped the price to steal a march on their competitors.  I'd get it now, well I did anyway (!) but I've not let myself plug it in yet, as I really have to get some non music things sorted first . . . .


follow the mantra . . . 


I really have to get some non music things sorted first . . . .
I really have to get some non music things sorted first . . . .
I really have to get some non music things sorted first . . . . 
I really have to get some non music things sorted first . . . .

Andy

the only point I agree with soundsubs on is the slight issue with delayed playback from Maschines sequencer when using Sonars audio metronome record countin. Other than that the other points are a non-issue for me. You can drive it from a MIDI track, although I tend to record in Maschine and drag the MIDI straight to Sonar (Maschine supports drag and drop for audio and MIDI so no need for import/export, or use in standalone mode). Strongly disagree that its difficult to use for record and arrange. Has a very basic and straight forward clip sequencer, which if you dont like you can use drag and drop.

I use Maschine within Sonar quite frequently. When I hit stop/start in Sonar, Maschine starts and stops as expected. And you can track live in Maschine within Sonar as well. It records thru sonar but Inside Maschine. Cool trick is to set up Pattern lengths of 4 bars each in Maschine, then hit play in Sonar (with Maschine's record button lit, Play your idea all the way through to the end of the song. Maschine will record your whole take and separate it to the separate 4 bar patterns you pre-setup. Then edit and re-arrange in Maschine with Sonar going with the rest of your tracks. Note: best when PDC button is on (pdc off), and Fx button on (fx off) for tightest tracking.

Just got Maschine and have to say I"m impressed with how well I can inegrate it into my SONAR (or other DAW) workflow.

mudgel


Just got Maschine and have to say I"m impressed with how well I can inegrate it into my SONAR (or other DAW) workflow.

Mike,  if you dont have Komplete 8 now is the time..its $199 for maschine owners..... kinda irresistible..

I have KOMPLETE 8 Ultimate. another deal gone begging but I got it when it was first released as an upgrade from KOMPLETE 7 so I got it at a good price then

thanks, guys, very helpful thoughts.  Sounds pretty flexible and stout.  Lemonboy's link put me at ease about its future, and from what you all say, it seems like it would great for building a rhythm section for someone who likes to play the instruments but isn't good enough at them to nail complete performances, especially with the V-drums.  I think I'm looking for a way to simplify take management and make arrangement more flexible and modular in support of my play-everything-but-not-always-well approach. I guess I would do better programming drums, but fact is my head cannot think up the same things my hands can.  Anyway, Maschine looks like it might do the job, I'm gonna see if I can get one from somewhere that'll let me return it if it doesn't suit.

@Blogman - the auto-chopping technique you describe - can it take and store MIDI that way as well as audio? 

Also, what sort of outputs does it have, in terms of mapping stuff to Sonar tracks? Can you route different stuff it plays to different output tracks?  Including Midi?

Thanks again, everyone...

Not described, but yeah IF you pre setup blank patterns of your desired auto-chopped lengths and record a whole song in one take, it will record to the separate patterns that you pre- setup. Awesome bridge of the two worlds.