Native Instruments 21949 Maschine MK2 Groove Production Studio, Black

I was hesitant to buy Maschine to be quite honest, and I am glad that I didnt buy the first one as this one came up shortly afterwards,it was quite of a pain to loosen up the credit card to pay the requested price, specially as N.I. spends a bunch in advertising, whichconsiderably elevates the price of the goods. (I didn't even followed an ad).The reason I decided to make the purchase is because in one of the electronic music forums, reading one users reply to achain, it was mentioned that this was more intuitive (I think he did took the word from the ads, darn!). And that is what I was looking for,I bought Cubase a bit more than a year ago, but for amateur users these programs can represent a really steep learning curve,there is no constant flow and that can lead to frustration, when you plug in your midi devices, anything can happen, some devicesmay work flawlessly, some others may be a real pain in the butt. (and to identify the cause?) Software says "refer to the manufacturer", manufacturersays "refer to your DAW manual"... So so so "big F" annoying!! Having zero audio background the configuration or recognition can be by itself a pain in the arse. Problem and pain gone with Maschine!The sequencer is a bit different to learn, it has it's learning curve, but with a bit of logic thinking, you can sort it on your own. Yet I can see someusers wishing a better handling of the loops (or scenes) as referred by N.I.I spent hundreds trying to find the right controller and stuff for Cubase, Maschine cut corners on that big time, as it has it's ownsoftware with a nice hardware integration which also has it's own screens. Thus, some tasks got really simplified so you can get hands on faster.Another advantage which I am surehas been mentioned is that it works as standalone or even as a plugin in any big DAW, except that this plug in provides you withmuch more versatility and better feeling, changed for good the mouse clicks for a "delay" effect or so, the hands on feature really made the process more enjoyable.Being an audio aficionado and not a professional producer I finally found one device in which I can rely on logic thinking as opposed asriddle solving for the same task. This makes me think that pros can use it as a plug in in the main DAW's and aficionados like myself,can start having fun with sounds with way less pain. I just hope the software keeps being upgraded to make some of the basic functions easier, like thescene handling. Other than the expense, I am happy camper with my device. The delivery was great too.

Let me start off by saying that I've always been passionate about all genres of music, but I've always had a tendency to lean towards positive hip hop and eventually all different kinds of instrumentals for the most part. I started writing my own lyrics as of late so I could make my own songs but I wanted to produce the music as well so I could have that real feeling of everything being a true piece of art from myself. I had messed around with Fruity Loops in the past and was debating between them and Ableton Live when I started coming across the Native Insturments program and drum machine. I ended buying the maschine mikro at a guitar center first because It was cheaper and I felt it was all I needed to work with the program. I instantly became hooked and decided to invest in the MK2 and Komplete Ultimate package no more than a couple weeks later.Both the Mikro and MK2 feel exceptionally well-made and sturdy. The knobs are smooth and the button click perfectly. The program is so easy to jump into because of the drum machine and layout as opposed to just downloading any other DAW without hardware and it just makes you feel as if you can navigate and begin producing music with ease. Its got a great set of sounds to start with but eventually you will want to invest in the Komplete Ultimate package later. For myself, hours passed by in minutes just having fun with the program while learning. I honestly believe that right off the bat it will help someone be able to create unique and gratifying music which they are actually trying to make as opposed to learning the ins and outs of another program which may take awhile to be satisfied with results..I also want to mention that this program worked flawlessly with my Casio Privia digital piano and I highly recommend a decent digital piano or keyboard if you are serious about beginning music production. It makes the experience a lot smoother.please comment and let me know if there are any questions I can ask for you

The Maschine MK2 was everything that I ever dreamed it would be. Not only are the pads nice and sensitive, they also have a much better feel than the MPC, MPD, and MPK pads that I am used to. The Maschine Library and the "Komplete Select" package give you access to so many thousands of instruments, sounds, and samples that immediately make you realize that the $600 price tag is actually a bargain. All of this being said, I will be returning my Maschine MK2 and replacing it with the Maschine Mikro MK2. After a couple of days with the Maschine, I quickly realized that it does not offer much more functionality than the Mikro, at least not enough to justify the price difference. However, that is just my personal opinion.