I'm considering purchasing one of these but I can't decide which;
Akai MPD 226
Akai MPC Studio
Maschine MK2


I've never owned a controller like this before nor have I used one. I learn quick so newbie friendly isn't really a requirement.
I was wondering if someone could help me decide on one.
I'm going to be using it with FL Studio 12.
I just wanna bang out on some drums with me fingers, ya dig!

Any other suggestion besides the aforementioned also welcome

 

Akai MPD 226 if you only want to finger drum.. but then could spend $50 less for a korg padKontrol, very nice pads,
maybe even lower price used... best pad action I have seen so far..

the other ones are more pricey and come with more features than what you are saying you want..

 

If you've never had a MPC style controller before, I highly recommend you skip it altogether & just buy this.

 

I've got one actually ;) and a Yamaha Arius.

 

The Maschine, yea? Can you use effect plugins and other vsts outside of what it comes with, with it? I like the mixing features on it and well as its ability to sample and edit.

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2016

Yeah, you can use a key controller to bang out beats and you always have the added function of a full keyboard. Some people I know actually prefer it.
I think learning new skills is integral to bettering yourself.
I never gave much thought to sampling. I never thought I would be the kind to use samples in my music. It just didn't seem my style. Until I got a device capable of on-the-fly sampling and learned the ins and out of it.
Now all I do is sample myself. It really opens up a whole new world of sound manipulation and design.
I don't use sample libraries with ready-made hooks or loops. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I've heard beautiful collages of sound all made from other pre-existing content.
But I've made sone insane (melodic) kits using recordings I made outside of the random world.
I always thought chopping samples was a hip-hop thing and whilst I'm not a hip-hop kind of guy I've found there is something inherently cool about setting up a few midi tracks with VSTs and recording them into one audio track, splicing them and them and then playing out a rearrangement or even arpeggiating or sequencing it with a whole different set of VSTs. All from the controller, without even having to look up at a screen.
On the Maschine you do this all non-destructively but I say that like it's a good thing. No one really needs a safety net.

I'm ranting. I heard there may be a new MPC just around the corner with all the recent price drops so look out for that.
I have a Maschine and I love playing it like I love playing the guitar. And I LOVE playing the guitar.

Just make sure you like the feel of the pads and that they respond well to different velocities. I have an older MPK with pads and it's response is crap. I had to mod the thing with tape under the pads to get decent response. The newer AKAI pads are awesome. They're slightly bigger versions of the pads AKAI put in the Push.

@Herr Durr have you tried the new Maschine 2.5 update? I just loaded it into Live and all those MIDI issues from yesterday seem to have been resolved. MIDI Thru no longer resets. MIDI sounds to Notes/Channels no longer resets. Nor do your Group and Sound MIDI settings so you can actually load kits/instruments and not have to reroute every single time. I've been using M4L sequencers on my Maschine kits you can substitute individual sounds as the sequence plays back without have to reconfigure the setting like you did before.

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2016

Yes. Virtually every plugin works except for Full Bucket Music's plugins and I've found a few jBridged plugins that don't.

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2016

Pinkman! whatup!
Care to explain how that works?

 

@Pinkman i need to check that one out.. thanks for reminding.. I just got the old Mk1 this summer...
still twiddling about with it...sounds worthwhile to get the latest...very cool new options and conveniences

 

I bought a used Maschine as a controller for Geist, but I've since learned that the Maschine is well supported around these parts for those who wan't to go native, so in hindsight I'm glad I chose the Maschine as it gives me more options.

PS Don't buy new one though, and see if you can bargain with a seller who doesn't have the software.

 

Some good options there, although the Maschine Mk2 does have improved pads. In a shootout Akai MPD 226 v Korg PadKontrol which has the better pads?

 

@not sure Hey, bud.

There's 16 pads on the Maschine and you can load any number of VST instruments or a VST FX on a SINGLE pad creating a instrument/FX chain.
This pad is called a Sound.
Each pad (or Sound) has it's own MIDI In/Out, Audio In/Out. Groove (Swing amount), 2 Auxilliary Sends and Macros.
There are 16 Sounds in a Group and you have an unlimited number of Groups to use.
Each Group also has MIDI In, Audio In/Out. Groove (Swing amount), 2 Auxilliary Sends and Macros.

You can setup a Sound to only hold FX and route other Sounds or even a whole Group to it and use it as a Send/Return (bus).

It loads VSTs just like a DAW. You can add multiple VST plugin folder locations and it scans and uses them.
It's automation is lacking simple things like drawing bezier curves and straight lines with the mouse.
It seems to be more of a hands on deal. LFOtool and MIDIShaper work awesome in it though so there's that.

I started out thinking I could do what I do in Ableton Live with it and it comes close but it's not a DAW replacement.
Once I started to look at it like an audio sketchpad and keeping it simple, I started to notice more functionality in the little things.
It has a step sequencer that you can setup to emulate Roland TR machines. You can automate individual steps of specific VST FX using it too.
My biggest gripe with it seems to have been fixed with this last update and that was using it as a plugin in a DAW.

You say you're on FLStudio. Lucky for you, you can host Maschine inside FL as a VST or you could host FLStudio as a VST inside Machine.

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2016

The MPD 226. I think so anyway. They're so rubbery.

 

I'm sold.

 

On what?

 

Yamaha DTXM12.
Even better pads, they can be adjusted to be very sensitive, or if you want you can punish them like hell

 

I wonder how far this tech will go?

 

Last edited: Oct 18, 2016

Maschine. Even though the price is up there, it sounds like too much fun to pass up on.

 

That new tech looks sort of gimmicky but interesting as well.

 

@not sure take @Zenarcist 's advice my man... try to get just the controller.. can be a real hassle to transfer the license (s)
do some homework on "buying used maschine" unless you wanna go balls the wall on a new Mk2..
Santa must be planning an early visit.

@Zenarcist shootout? not sure.. I have not seen the MPD226 until now. I just can't imagine Akai has not upped their game since
the 1st gen of MPD style pads, which as @Pinkman has rightly said.. are a bit of a PITA, he had to mod his.. and I had to mod
mine..not a fun thing to do either considering you just plunked down $200 +

The padKontrol is just light and easy, and to me, simple. I like the pads more coz they are really smooth, whereas I find the
maschine pads have a slight gummy bear stickiness to them.. could be psychosomatic tho...

 

Last edited by a moderator: Oct 18, 2016