The software has two components: the Maschine program and the Controller Editor, the latter used to reassign the Mikro's buttons and pads for use with other applications.Īfter a straightforward installation and activation, you are faced with a predominantly dark grey interface relieved by splashes of orange and blue to reflect the look of the hardware. Having admired the controller, it was time to get to grips with the software, since without it (and your computer and soundcard), Mikro becomes an attractive studio ornament. The Maschine Mikro is missing its elder sibling's dual screens and multiple rotary encoders, but there's still plenty of potential for mouse-free control via its 16 pads and numerous buttons. If 'tight as a gnat's chuff' is a quality you've longed for in USB connectivity, the Mikro is bound to delight! Soft Maschine All communication is therefore handled via the one connection that is present: a USB 2 socket, which is doggedly determined to hang onto your cables come what may. The final evidence of external pruning is in the Mikro's lack of MIDI ports. As well as those encoders, some buttons had to go, so in place of the Maschine's blue Group buttons, the Mikro has only one, tasked with transforming eight of the pads into Group selectors. To better serve the gigging musician, the plastic and metal shell is rigid without being too heavy, and keeping it to the size of a couple of thick magazines does wonders for your bag space. The Mikro's single rotary leaves it distinctly challenged when it comes to preparing those all-important mid-song tweaks. For my money it's the Maschine's 11 endless encoders that will be most missed. Inevitably this results in more time spent navigating around, but in most cases the display proves to be no hindrance it's even able to show (simplified) sample waveforms. Instead, a single display of about half the size (128 x 64 pixels) is present. With 100mm of prime panel space shaved off the top, there's no longer room for two large, crystal-clear displays. Of course you don't drop to the Mikro's price point without losing something. To a large extent this is due to the 16 highly playable pads, which are responsive to both velocity and aftertouch and tastefully backlit in orange. Despite the size reduction, the Mikro hardware retains much of the original's charm. Shrinking Maschineīoth hardware models share the same software, revised and improved since our original 2009 review ( /sos/jun09/articles/nimaschine.htm). The result is a Maschine that's more portable and more affordable: the Maschine Mikro. Not content with resting on their laurels (or indeed any aromatic shrubs), Native Instruments have recently revisited Maschine's hardware to indulge in a spot of careful pruning. Yet arguably it was its software's ability to host third-party plug-ins - instruments and effects - that raised it above other self-contained grooveboxes. Positioned somewhere between the tactile experience of an Akai MPC and the flexibility offered by Ableton Live, the Maschine arrived stocked with a wealth of original sounds. Just two years have elapsed since Native Instruments launched their Maschine, and already this partnership of controller and software feels ubiquitous. Ensure that the MIDI Inputs for your keyboard are enabled.Mouse-free, wallet-friendly groove production is the order of the day as Native Instruments miniaturise their Maschine. Ensure that the MIDI Output ports are disabledĤ. If you want to use your MIDI templates in a DAW, you will also need to disable the MIDI Output ports in the DAW's MIDI settings.ģ. You can download the manuals on the following pages: You can find detailed instructions on MIDI communication and using the MIDI Assignment Editor in the product's manuals. You can now access the MIDI Assignment Editor from your KOMPLETE KONTROL standalone application by clicking the MIDI icon in the top right corner: Ensure that only the KOMPLETE KONTROL Axx / M32 MIDI port is enabled:Ĥ. Open Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Input.ģ. Start KOMPLETE KONTROL in standalone mode.Ģ. These steps are not necessary if using macOS.ġ. If using a Windows computer, you will need to follow the steps below. In order to access the MIDI Assignment Editor, you will need to have the latest firmware installed for your A-Series / M32 keyboard. However, templates you create in the standalone application can be loaded in the plug-in version when you switch your keyboard to MIDI mode (SHIFT + MIDI). It is not accessible from the plug-in version of KOMPLETE KONTROL. The MIDI Assignment Editor is only configurable from the KOMPLETE KONTROL standalone application. It is possible to use the MIDI Assignment Editor to create and customize MIDI templates for your A-Series / M32 keyboard.
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