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Maschine+ follows suit, and is Native Instruments’ first non‑native instrument.
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The MPC Live and X saw the MPC software ported back to the hardware, using System‑on‑a‑Chip technology to combine some of the best aspects of a computer and a standalone groovebox.
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In 2017 Akai re‑took the initiative and capitalised on the trend for computer‑free composing and performing. The next MPCs followed Maschine down the hybrid route, with a range of hardware controllers acting as front‑ends to a Mac/PC‑based MPC app and plug‑in. Maschine had access to processing power and plug‑ins, and could slot into the DAWs that had become the primary workspace for many producers.Īkai found themselves on the back foot, and the previous year’s Renaissance was to be the last of the classic standalone MPCs. In 2009 the first Maschine took cues from Akai Pro’s MPCs, but by moving all the hard work to an attached computer NI opened up the scope of what was possible. The arms race of beat production workstations has come full circle.
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Is the Maschine+ the standalone music‑making box you’ve always dreamed of?
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