In May, following a turbulent few years of leadership changes, mergers and financial struggles, Native Instruments was acquired by InMusic, joining a roster of brands that already includes the likes of Moog, Akai, Rane and Alesis.
While some longtime users might be wary of the move, it promises to bring stability to a brand responsible for some of the most notable – and widely used – product lines in the music technology space, including Kontakt, Traktor and Maschine.
Against this backdrop Native Instruments is also approaching its 30th anniversary, having released its first software instrument, the Reaktor precursor Generator, back in 1996. To mark the anniversary the company is releasing Maschine 3.7, the platform’s first major update since the InMusic acquisition, as well as three Maschine-focused sound packs. (Maschine 3.6 did land after the announcement, although it focused mostly on compatibility, bug fixes and UI/audio improvements, rather than new features).
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The main focus of Maschine 3.7 is a trio of sequencing tools designed to add spontaneity and variation to patterns. The first of these is a random note generator designed to generate patterns based on probability. This can be used to create randomised percussive, melodic or chord patterns. Users also get the option to control the level of velocity randomisation within the notes created.
This is joined by note probability, which lets users dictate a chance level for each note in a sequence. This dictates the level of randomisation for each note every time the sequence cycles. Probability Lock allows users to capture a cycle of randomised notes, offering another way to generate pattern ideas using the randomisation tools.
The third new tool is a Euclidean sequencer, a popular tool in the modular realm that lets users program sequences by distributing events as evenly as possible over a set number of steps. Here, a real time mode lets Maschine users alter the step length, events and rotation in real time to create shifting patterns.
While these are undoubtedly welcome additions to the Maschine toolkit, all three are features already widely available in other majors DAWs and sequencers. It still feels like Maschine is playing catch-up with the industry following the underwhelming rollout of Maschine 3.0.
Native Instruments is clearly aware of the need to reassure longtime users that Maschine hasn’t been forgotten with the move to InMusic, issuing a press release that pitches the update as: “New update. New sounds. Continued support. Maschine is alive and evolving, and this update packs in a host of fresh features.“
Alongside the new features for Maschine 3.7, the company is releasing a trio of new Maschine Expansion packs. The first of these, Thirty, is a compilation of sounds ‘resampled’ from the company’s own back catalogue, drawing on samples from Reaktor, Spotlight Series, Play Series, Massive X and more to create 30 Maschine kits, 89 loops, 291 drum samples and 85 one-shots. Whether you call this a celebration of NI’s legacy or a bundle of repackaged sounds probably depends on how generous you’re feeling towards Native Instruments.
The second pack is named Paris Heat and focuses on the classic French house sound of the ‘90s and early-’00s. This totals 40 Maschine kits, 108 loops, 314 drum samples and 127 one-shots, aiming to capture the crunchy drum machines, filtered samples and warm synth tones that defined the sound.
The final pack is more forward-looking. Titled Rage Circuit, it focuses on the sound of the EDM-adjacent trap sub-genre associated with artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti. The pack is created in collaboration with US producer Snipe Young, who has worked with the likes of Beyonce and Justin Bieber, and has created a variety of other NI and Akai sound packs in the past.
“30 years is a moment worth celebrating. This milestone couldn’t be reached without the producers and musicians who took NI’s instruments and made history with them,” says Tim Adnitt, Senior Director of Product Management at Native Instruments. “Maschine 3.7 gives those producers and musicians new ways to write, sequence, and perform, and with Thirty, Paris Heat, and Rage Circuit arriving together, this is one of the biggest weeks for Maschine sound content we’ve ever had.”
Maschine 3.7 is available now as a free update for Maschine 3 users. The new packs are all available now. Paris Heat and Rage Circuit are $49/49€ each, while Thirty is available for $30/30€. Head to the Native Instruments site for more info.
