Native Instruments Maschine Mk3

B
ack in 2009,
when it first
appeared, NI’s
beat-making
platform Maschine
represented the
tightest controller-
software relationship on the market.
At the application end, the software
offered a pretty much self-contained
platform for sampling and
sequencing, while the associated
hardware was designed to offer
tailor-made control over every
element of the platform.
creative effects and much more,
there’s no longer one single
Maschine controller that can claim
to offer truly comprehensive access
to every aspect of the software.
Although the Mk3 version of NI’s
core Maschine controller does tout
several eye-catching additions to the
hardware – which I’ll come to shortly
– the main theme of this update
seems to be a reunification of that
hardware-software relationship.
While this hardware overhaul isn’t
accompanied by a significant update
at the software end, thanks to some
subtle adjustments to the controller
layout and capabilities, the overall
workflow ends up feeling significantly
streamlined and more flexible.
Mk2 users will immediately pick
up on a number of ways in which the
hardware layout feels more sensibly
aligned with the latest incarnation of
the software. Possibly most notable
of these is a new row of buttons
sitting directly above the pad grid,
which are used to flip between Pad,
Keyboard, Chord and Step modes.
While this might be a minor
adjustment, it has a noticeable
Over the years that have followed,
NI have expanded the Maschine
ecosystem considerably, adding
multiple variations on the hardware
and significantly expanding the
capabilities of the software. While
there’s no doubt that this has made
Maschine as a whole far more
powerful, it’s also loosened that
hardware-software relationship
considerably. With the variety of
functions available across different
controllers, along with an expanded
remit now encompassing
arrangement, external sequencing,
THE PROS & CONS
+
Controller layout has
been shuffled and
rearranged making it
more logical and
easier to use
Built-in interface is a
sensible addition
Enlarged screens
and improved pads
look and feel great
-
Line and headphone
outputs can’t be
used simultaneously
NI could do more
to reward users
upgrading from Mk2
Mic input would
have been better
placed on the front
of the hardware
NI Maschine Mk3 | Reviews
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FMU324.rev_ni_maschine.indd 79 04/10/2017 14:42