Native Instruments Discontinuing Maschine MK1 and MK2; Maschine 3.0 Preview

Maschine 3.0 to have stem separation, per-scene tempo, a new interface, and more!
17 Oct by Adam Douglas

Is Native Instruments discontinuing Maschine? It looks like MK1 and MK2 are on the chopping block to make way for Maschine 3.0. But what about Maschine+?


Native Instruments Discontinuing Maschine MK1 and MK2
Native Instruments has announced that it is ending support for older versions of Maschine, specifically MK1 and MK2 hardware. The announcement was made on its community site.

Devices to be affected include Maschine MK1, Maschine MK2, Maschine Mikro MK1, and Maschine Mikro MK2.

“As is often the case with older hardware,” the announcement said, “we are at a stage with these Maschine products where we can no longer guarantee repairs due to a lack of available components. As operating systems advance there are also limits to the changes we can make to new software without breaking legacy hardware integrations.”

The change will go into effect on 6 November 2024.

Native Instruments Discontinuing Maschine: Can You Still Use Your Old Maschine?
According to the statement, this change will not have any effect on the playability or use of the sundowned devices.

“You will still be able to use your Maschine hardware with Maschine 2 software, which includes Apple Silicon and VST3 support,” NI said. “However, from November 6, 2024, we will no longer be maintaining this hardware and cannot guarantee that it will be supported by future versions of your computer’s operating system. It will also not be compatible with new updates to Maschine software.”

So no need to throw out your old hardware as long as you’re fine running Maschine 2.


Native Instruments Discontinuing Maschine: What Hardware Will Be Supported?
Native Instruments’ current Maschine lineup, which includes Maschine MK3, Maschine Mikro MK3, and Maschine+, will be fully compatible with Maschine 3.0.

Native Instruments Discontinuing Maschine: Maschine 3.0 Coming Soon
Why put these old units out to pasture? Native Instruments said it’s to make way for improvements in Maschine 3:

“Retiring these products also means we will be able to put more focus on the development of new Maschine software.” The post went on to state, “The main reason for us to retire them is to allow our software products and technologies advance to a degree that we could not do whilst still supporting those devices.”

This vibes with the recent official announcement of Maschine 3.0, which is now slated for November 2024.

Promised features include:

• Stem separation
• MIDI editing workflow improvements
• Per-scene tempo
• Basic Kontrol S-Series MK3 integration
• Modern interface
• Other small but valuable improvements

NI also plans to roll out a new content library called Maschine Central “with 128 multi-sampled instruments that are fully compatible with Maschine+, as well as 70 new kits and over 100 new presets.”

The software upgrade will be available for purchase on its own or bundled with the software upgrade.

/www.gearnews.com/native-instruments-discontinuing-maschine/

 

This infuriates me!

They narked me off a year ago when they did this with my S88 Mk1 and releasing Komplete Kontrol 3.0.0 to intentionally develop out the Mk1 S-range keyboards from their software and therefore intentionally discontinue support for it, building in obsolescence and trying to force costly upgrades onto consumers unnecessarily when they have a fully working product! It’s not a software issue as Komplete Kontrol 2.9.6 works with Mk1, Mk2, and Mk3 S-range keyboards. They did the same to me with Kore, Guitar Rig, and a previous audio interface. No more of my money is going their way!

I actually wrote to Native Instruments about 6 months ago with a specific set of questions, largely around their irresponsible choices to arbitrarily discontinue and end support for their hardware just to try and force customers into having to pay for upgrades and the negative impact of this, both on personal wealth at times where economic uncertainty is more prevalent than ever and from the social consciousness and responsibilities perspective due to their choices ending up in generating tonnes of unnecessarily electrical waste and it’s detrimental impact on the environment.

I am yet to get a reply from Native Instruments.

Told me all I needed to know about this horrible company!

 

Last edited: Oct 20, 2024

Damn, does this mean my 2nd hand, almost untouched, mint, boxed, Maschine Mikro Mk2, which I paid Vinted a whopping £30 for is going to not work with the intolerable, confusing, boring Maschine software? Which, if I'm honest, since the Mikro Mk3s release, it never fully did anyway? So my hardware will now just be a sweet drum pad midi controller for Ableton and the host of cool VSTs available?

I'll not even notice.

I do feel for anyone who has bought hardware from new, invested time to figure the quirks and intricacies of the Maschine software, though. However, It really isn't that much of a surprise. At the end of the day these companies are for profit, and, when it comes down to it, those running these places couldn't give a crap about users once they've dropped their hard-earned into the companies coffers. It's a cold world.

Now, if they decide to drop support of my beloved S4 Mk2, then I will be pissed!!!

 

I'm in the same boat. Has turned me off the whole Kontrol ecosystem really.

 

It’s coming, so be prepared! They dropped. Mk1 when releasing Mk3 and Komplete Kontrol 3.0.0. I would be expecting Mk2 to be dropped on Mk4 release and probably Komplete Kontrol 4.0.0. Mk2 was released in 2017, and Mk3 in 2023, however, manufacturers appear to be compressing the time between releases and generations significantly, to where we now have annual software updates and so on. Therefore, I’d probably be expecting the Mk2 to be killed by Native Instruments by 2027 as the best case scenario! With the drop in some hardware sales too, like the Traktor Kontrol DJ controllers and audio interfaces, they will likely speed up the generational upgrades for their best selling hardware items like the keyboards and Maschine to keep the bottom line bulging and make up for any drops in other less popular hardware!

 

And once that happens, you realise it’s a pretty average general MIDI controllers and with limited features when not integrated with Komplete Kontrol, sell it, and then buy Arturia

 

This is interesting

 

Here is another alternative: Korg Keystage 49/61
The most recent are the Korg Keystage 49/61 MIDI keyboards from 2023 that mainly score points with their polyphonic aftertouch keys (ASM Hydrasynth keybed) and MIDI 2.0 support. www.korg.com/de/products/computergear/keystage/

Introducing Keystage: Experience MIDI 2.0 Unleashed - the ultimate Poly Aftertouch Controller

 

Last edited: Oct 20, 2024

Just use the Maschine 2 software and wire it to MIDI out to get the arpeggiator going with the sweet poly aftertouch, that's not going to stop working.

 

And before Kontrol, it was Kore ... remember guys
Around 2010, an it lasted only a few years before being dropped like a door stop.

 

The people at Native Instruments see things very differently. Although they secretly know what they have done. NI and 4K - what is that? It's either going to take a while until they do something or they don't give a shit about the users.

 

They know it, they do it ... and still do it for 15 years.

On my side, i stopped ANY so called "integrated" controller/solution.
It always end rolled in a bullsh*t.

But i would buy a real MPC or something REALLY standalone if needed.

PS : and they will stop drivers updates sometimes after ... like they done before