![]() ![]() The Maschine software (at 1.7 at the time of this review) has so many features, some of which aren’t that relevant to DJ use, that going through them all would take an age and wouldn’t really leave you any better informed as to whether or not it’s got a place in your setup. Once that’s done, though, you’ll be able to trigger loops, samples, and effects in perfect time with your host with way more power than, for instance, Traktor’s sample decks. If you use something like Ableton Live or Torq to DJ then you’ll be able to drop Maschine in to your rig as a plugin, or if you’re a Traktor user then you’ll have to sync the software behind the scenes. It started out as a simple, closed off groove box and now it’s happy to play with other software by syncing MIDI signals, using plugins, sending multiple outs, even being a plugin itself while it does it. The Maschine software itself has become incrementally better featured in its two and a half year time on the market. Those that haven’t: it’s got about 20 clicks per turn, feels just right, looseness wise, and the button press sits just right between being too easy to accidentally press and being tough to get when you actually want it. To those of you who’ve used NI’s Kontrol X1: more of the same. Mikro’s solitary rotary encoder doubles as a push button. This is probably a ‘safety’ feature incorporated by NI as you can literally trigger poly pressure messages on other pads when your shirt sleeve (in my case comfortable cardigan) touches them whilst pressing another. The sensitivity is such that when set to max, poly pressure is actually triggered with a hair’s touch, and note on takes just a little bit more to register. The pads don’t depress much, and the rubber’s very firm so there’s not much bounce – just enough to be kind to the pads of your fingers whilst rocking out a heavy handed cue juggle. ![]() At the very corners of the pads there’s a tendency for them shift in the housing rather than trigger, but they’re large enough that that’s not really an issue. They’re velocity and pressure sensitive, and sensitivity is constant across most of the pad. The menu and function buttons on Mikro are squidgy and don’t click when they’re pressed they’re not the best buttons for assigning to things you want to go nuts on, but their slight springiness means they’re not the worst either. If you’re precious about keeping your equipment pristine then it’s probably a good idea to invest in carry cases and maybe even an overlay, though, because the black topcoat on the faceplate scratches quite easily to reveal the metal underneath. Mikro is a sturdy little piece of kit, with a metal faceplate and good quality plastic bodywork. Music production and DJing are two very different skillsets – albeit with some overlapping qualities – but that’s not to say that a groove box should be outside the realms of the DJ booth, so let’s take a look at how Maschine Mikro fits into the DJing paradigm… Regardless of what some people would have you believe, it’s not a prerequisite to make music to call yourself a DJ. It’s not too surprising, then, that the pure DJs and controllerists amongst you haven’t really jumped on the ‘full fat’ Maschine seeing as it costs twice as much as a pad or button controller that can do just as much if not more with your DJ software. ![]() There’s a very important point regarding Maschine: it’s not a controller, it’s an ‘integrated solution’ in that it’s a software groove box with a bespoke piece of controller hardware. If you’re just planning to use it as a MIDI controller, it’s a bit of a waste of money. If you use Mikro as a groove box and integrate it into your set that way, then it’s great value providing you have the horsepower to run the Maschine software alongside your DJ software of choice.
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