Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

Native Instruments has made a very compelling product in Maschine 1.7. In one package you get a well built piece of hardware, robust software, and a sound library. People new to computer based music will be able to use this system to build music quickly and grow into complex arangement's. People who have significant investment into computer based music will find a system that can easily integrate into thier workflow and provide a unique hardware/software interface for thier music.

One of the biggest benefits of Maschine is the robust user community. Search Youtube and you will find many tutorials and examples of how to use Maschine. Questions and answers about Maschine are easily found in forums.
Maschine Pros:
- Excellent Hardware/Software integration
- Large sound library included
- Easy to add 3rd party plug-ins and sounds
- Can be used as a Live performance instrument, or a studio tool
- Hardware can control 90%+ of the software without using keyboard or mouse.

Maschine Cons:
- Extensive features can be overwhelming to a new user
Maschine Hardware:
-Excellent build quality, you can tell the pads and hardware will last.

Maschine Software:
- Well designed, and integrates the Native Instruments library smoothly.
- Intuitive visualization of the music
- I have experienced some stability issues on Mac OS for the software.
I think it would be difficult to put together a hardware, software and sound library package of this quality for less money then the Maschine costs. Users without a dedicated DAW will be able to easily start making and organizing their music inside Maschine, those users who already have DAW and audio software will find Maschine integrates with other tools well.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

In my eyes the maschine is awesome. It is only my second every production tool, but I know a good product. I owned a roland sp 404 sx, and that thing doesnt even compare. It's just so much easier making a track. It's simple to arange track sequences and it lets you upload new sounds and what not while your music continually plays. Whatever you plan on using it for, it will automatically make you better at because ease of use and controll.

PS: Like I said, it's only my second groove station but I don't see how MPC's new renaissance even stands a chance against the maschine. Maschine is near flawless and has been updated a number of times. Just a thought!
The Maschine has tons of features. So many I don't even know all of them (only had it a month). It's capable of producing ANY type of music. The stock sound library is HUGE and is full of useable sounds. But after awhile (trust-me), you'll want to upgrade to the full version of komplete (around 299-399 can't remember).
Feels solid. Love the feel of the knobs, and the buttons are solid. I would give the plastic shell a B (but no one with butterfingers will be handling it). The software is awesome and is not complicated
Here is what you get:

-midi controller
-about 25% of a true studio production sound library (Komplete)
-a controller with production software that integrate by connection

to me the value lies in the software. This thing has been around for awhile, and NI have added quite a few updates. You can learn all sorts of tricks online. I was sold after seeing this video

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

This product is great! The features it has creates a smooth work flow. Tons of sounds. One feature that would help is a time stretching feature similar to pro tools elastic audio and tce trimmer. Doing everything from the hardware and rarely to never using the mouse and keyboard, make it great when I need to just zone out and focus. Somethings I really dont see the need for the computer, would be great to see a stand alone maschine, no computer needed in the future. At first it seemed very overwhelming with all the features and shortcuts but after a few days, its pretty easy to use. Theres a ton of videos on line for those that arent too technically saavy. Overall I think if you have the money to invest, its a great buy. It also comes equipped with 1000's of sounds right out the box, and the newest update 1.7 comes with even more sounds. The maschine truely is a beast!
Has many features, major one missing is a time stretching feature...Other than that would get a 10, but im sure NI will release an update fixing that soon.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

Went to GC and played with it and within a couple of minutes i realized i wanted it and now. Right away i wanted to say that YES it is alot more easier than the mpc, so if you already own an mpc it will make your studio life so much easier. The program has thousands of sounds so it takes a little while to install but as soon as it is, you'll be making beats in minutes. Read the instrumental manual, its simple and quick and it made me understand alot more quickly than just hands on trial and error. You will NOT regret this purchase, in fact as soon as i got it home i posted some of my other studio equipment for sale. BEST BUY ALL YEAR!

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

This thing is incredible. Granted, it is my first groovebox, and I have never used an MPC, but honestly I don't see why you'd want to use anything else. I think that a lot of the stock sounds are very usable, especially the drum sounds and the preset kits.The ONLY problem I have with Maschine (and it isn't a huge problem for me because I don't sample very much at all) is that there is no time stretching. This means that when I sample something that doesn't match the tempo I want to use, my only option is to adjust the pitch of the sample up or down and hope that this speeds the sample up or slows it down enough to match the desired tempo. I don't know if this is something that they plan on addressing in a future software update or not.Oh, and I rated quality a 4.5 because the little rubber feet on mine are uneven and my unit has a little wobble to it which is very frustrating. Slide a few pieces of paper under it and the problem is solved, but that is something that I shouldn't even have to worry about.Overall, I have no regrets about this purchase and I doubt you will either.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

This unit will make you want to put down the MPC. The layout was well put together. I like the idea of being able to have my entire sample library at hands reach. Works well with DAW software. Im very old school when it comes to giving up my hardware units but this unit will make you feel right at home for all you MPC fans. Takes about a two week learning curve which is not bad. Sampling is fairly easy and direct. The drum kits are clean and crisp and synth sounds are not bad. Good value for the costs.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

Like many musicians, I was frustrated in recording music, due to the technicalities behind getting the sound I want(commercial CD). To the point of stopping writing for years at a time. From mastering... to getting the right patch for the song, it was all bringing my creativity to a halt.Enter the Maschine. I have been eying this unit for years. I bought a Fantom G a couple years ago and love it as a workstation, but the patch quality was lacking... which again, put a halt to writing. Not only did I want new patches, I also wanted an easier way to get my rhythm down on the go... besides heading up to my studio and playing my 18 Piece Roland TD-20 set. Not only does Maschine allow you to get your drums and bass down, it does it in a way that is so easy... it actually brings back the fun in writing. You can have an entire songs worth of drum beat and bass down in minutes. That isnt an exaggeration, it is that easy.It comes with 18,000 patches on board(6GB's worth) and another 3500 free for registering the unit. The Achilles heel of my music production is Piano sounds. On the Fantom G, they are thin and very fake sounding. The first piano patch I tried on the Maschine, sounded as good as... or better than any piano I have ever heard. Clear, but warm with crisp grab and bite. I was amazed at how good it sounded. It was my holy grail for my studio.Now, not only am I writing quicker... I have fun writing again. Something I havent in 20 years. The Maschines ease of use is what sets it apart from any other unit like it on the market. The creative minds at NI, really thought every aspect of this unit out and maximized its potential.So, why the 4.5 in the Overall category? The unit is flawless, except for one oversight that would have made this perfect... Headphones out and the ability to use it without a PC nearby. Had it been a standalone unit, I would have been in heaven... as it would have been the ultimate portable instrument.As is, though... There is nothing else like it on the market and you would be hard pressed to find even the highest end keyboard with sounds anywhere near as good as the Maschine. It is portable, if you have a laptop or a Slate Tablet PC, as I do... and that means a lot for the creative musician on the go.I cant recommend it enough!

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

I've had this thing for a week now. Just buy it. It is very refreshing to have found such an incredibly powerful tool that is so easy to operate. I have been recording since the late 70's and have spent way too many thousands of dollars on equipment over the years. This thing takes the chore out of recording music and makes it fun again. It looks good, feels good, and inspires creativity. This is by far the most useful addition to my studio in years.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

Ok, where to begain. if your lookin for a groove station then maschine is the tool for you. Although, i must say it works fine for my windows xp home pre computer but it didn't do all that it said it will do for my windows vista 32bit pc. windows xp = sampled and play all the sounds and demos for the most part. for windows vista 32bit pc. it just played the sounds. No sampling. due to the waspi driver that windows vista 32bit comes with. but, that is just the problem i was having doesn't mean you will have the same problem. Also, keep in mind that maschine depends on your pc for everything. the software will not work without the controller and the controller will not work with out the software!!!! and it doesn't work well with all daw programs either. so do your home work before buying a computer based instrument. even though it works great for me. i wouldn't buy a computer based instrument again. Maschine it's ok but if the drivers that come with maschine doesn't work with your version of windows xp or windows vista then your gonna have a very bad day. I know, because i am a member of Maschine's user forums and people are reporting all kinds of software bugs when working with different types of DAW programs.

Comments about Native Instruments MASCHINE Groove Production Studio:

To be honest, I regretted buying Maschine since I own a Monome and also have designs on the new APC40. I have since completely changed my mind. The hardware interface is excellent and now that I've taught myself how to use it, I love it. It's surprisingly deep and rewards experimentatiion.