User Manual

2.5 Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode

You can run the MASCHINE software as a stand-alone application or integrate it into your fa-

vorite host by loading it as a plug-in. The MASCHINE software is available in the VST, Audio

Unit, and AAX plug-in formats. For further information on plug-in compatibility and for a de-

tailed description of how to use plug-ins in your host, please refer to the documentation in-

cluded with your host software.

2.5.1 Differences between Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode

Transport Functions

The most noticeable difference between the stand-alone and plug-in mode of MASCHINE re-

lates to the interaction with MASCHINE’s sequencer. Indeed, when MASCHINE is used as a

plug-in within a host sequencer software (e.g., Cubase or Pro Tools), MASCHINE’s sequencer

is exclusively controlled by the host application: you cannot, e.g., manually start, stop or re-

start the playback in MASCHINE, nor modify the tempo or the time signature of your Project

within the MASCHINE plug-in itself — these are synchonized to your host’s own transport

functions and tempo settings. As a direct consequence, when MASCHINE is used as a plug-in

the Restart and Play buttons as well as the Tempo and Time Signature fields are grayed out

and inactive in the MASCHINE Header. Obviously you cannot control MASCHINE’s playback

and tempo settings from your MASCHINE controller either.

However from your controller you can directly control the transport functions of your host

application instead. See section Controlling your Host’s Transport Functions in Plug-in

Mode for more information.

Audio and MIDI Handling

When MASCHINE is used in stand-alone mode, it directly communicates with your audio and

MIDI interface. You can select which physical audio/MIDI ports have to be used on your inter-

face, and configure crucial audio settings like the sample rate. All this is done via the Audio

and MIDI Settings panel (for more information on this, please refer to ↑2.7, Integrating MA-

SCHINE into a MIDI Setup).

Basic Concepts

Stand-Alone and Plug-in Mode

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