This latest Maschine comes equipped with a controller mode, whereby it can act as an audio interface and MIDI controller for the desktop version of the Maschine 2 software.ĭespite looking and functioning much like the Mk3, unsurprisingly there are some technical differences to the hardware itself. Seeing as both the controller layout and software architecture are near identical to that of the Mk3, we’ll skip the discussion of the core workflow in favour of highlighting what’s different here. As with those competitors, this latest Maschine comes equipped with a controller mode, whereby it can act as an audio interface and MIDI controller for the desktop version of the Maschine 2 software.Īs such Maschine+ isn’t so much an alternative to the standard Maschine setup as it is an expansion keeping the full features of the existing studio workflow but letting users unplug from the computer too.

Much like its closest rivals, Akai’s standalone MPCs One and Live, Maschine+ isn’t a purely standalone instrument.

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Make more music with the best audio interfaces around.On a budget? These are the best cheap MIDI keyboards.With Maschine+, you can sample, sequence, compose with soft synths, perform and even work with external hardware and, crucially, in our time using the device, at no point have we felt significantly hindered by the lack of a mouse, keyboard or full laptop screen.

While there are some significant limitations compared to the desktop version - which we’ll come to shortly - on the whole, this is the bonafide Maschine experience in standalone format. Let’s get this out of the way early - as a concept, Maschine+ works. It’s testament to the tight hardware-software synergy of that controller design that you can effectively remove the computer from the equation without hampering the capabilities.

Maschine studio reviews