Maschine 2

Sound organization and arrangement are separate

MASCHINE 2 places instruments or samples in Sound slots, with sixteen Sounds in a Group. Sound, Group and Master each provide a level for processing and routing, so an individual drum, a full kit and the complete project can be treated independently. The first plug-in slot of a Sound can host an instrument; subsequent processing builds its chain.

Patterns become a song

Recorded or programmed events form Patterns for each Group. Ideas view combines those Patterns into Scenes without requiring a linear arrangement. Song view places Scenes into Sections on a timeline, allowing the same musical material to be organized into a larger structure. This separation supports both pad-based improvisation and deliberate editing.

Sampling and loop playback

The Sampler handles triggered samples with envelopes, tuning, filtering and modulation. The Audio plug-in focuses on tempo-aligned loops, including continuous and note-gated playback. A separate Sample Editor records audio, edits it, slices loops and maps multisamples. Begin with a small set of sounds and a clear pattern, develop scene variations, and then arrange and mix at the appropriate channel level.

Source: Manual, “MASCHINE Project Overview,” pp. 31–35; “MASCHINE Software Overview,” pp. 36–46; “The Sampler Plug-in,” pp. 219–224; “Using the Audio Plug-in,” pp. 244–246.

Browser and editing scope

Use the Browser to find Projects, Groups, Sounds, instruments, effects and samples. Select a Sound slot or Group before editing, then choose SOUND, GROUP or MASTER in the Control area. The Plug-in icon exposes processing parameters; the Channel icon exposes channel properties such as routing. This scope is crucial: the same kind of effect on a Group processes the combined group rather than one drum.

Patterns and arrangement

The Pattern Editor supports real-time recording and step entry. Group view shows the selected Group's Sounds; Keyboard view focuses on pitched events for one Sound. The Pattern slots/Pattern Manager choose which pattern is edited. Use note positions, lengths and modulation editing to refine the performance instead of only quantizing the entire phrase.

In Ideas view, create a Scene and select a Pattern from each Group. In Song view, assign Scenes to Sections, drag sections to reorder them and move their end markers to change length. The two views refer to the same underlying patterns. Keep that shared relationship in mind when editing a pattern already used elsewhere in the song.

Sampler

The Voice Settings/Engine page sets polyphony and playback character. Legato makes the Sound monophonic with Glide between notes; Standard, MP60 and S1200 variants change sampler coloration. On Pitch/Envelope, Tune, Start and Reverse establish the sample's pitch and playback direction. One-shot plays without an amplitude envelope, AHD gives a fixed contour, and ADSR follows held-note behavior. Further pages provide FX/Filter, Modulation, LFO and Velocity/Modwheel controls.

Audio loops

The Audio plug-in uses Loop mode for continuous playback with an active Pattern, or Gate mode for sounding only where notes occur. Fade softens gate edges, Tune transposes and Re-pitch changes speed with associated pitch changes. Use the stretch-based behavior when independent pitch/tempo handling is required, and check source tempo/length before judging synchronization.

Sampling and mix

Open Sample Editor and choose Record, Edit, Slice or Zone. Record Source/Input selects external audio or an internal Group/Master feed. Detect starts from a threshold; Sync aligns recording with the pattern grid. Slice rearranges a loop into playable portions; Zone sets sample note/velocity ranges and individual playback settings.

Finish in the Mixer and Control area: balance Sounds, process Groups only where shared treatment helps, and leave Master headroom. Save the project with its required sample assets accessible.

Source: Manual, “MASCHINE Software Overview,” pp. 36–46; “The Sampler Plug-in,” pp. 219–224; “Using the Audio Plug-in,” pp. 244–246; “Sampling and Sample Mapping,” pp. 638–642.