Maschine or F1?

I can’t wait to get an F1. I just don’t have the time to learn/use it right now. I think it is a misunderstood device. It is the ONLY seamless way to completely have full control over the remix decks and what they can do. Also, it is the device that most easily lends itself to creating remix sets utilizing the loop recorder and ones own music content. I think most people have been waiting for stems of hit tracks to go on sale for use in the Traktor remix deck. I see a ton if used F1’s for sale.

Maschine looks cool. But be clear, that it is a sequencer. Most production software comes with that. I love Logic’s Ultrabeat. You’re right, that it comes with some great NI sounds/instruments. Yeah, you could map it to do a lot in Traktor, but as of now, it cannot do what the F1 can.

I’m a big fan of buying both, then returning the one I like the least. I know place like Guitar Center have great return policies and if you pay the extra $25 for 2 years of extra damage protection, you get 60 days to return it. That should be plenty of time to decide.

I just paid $199 for Logic Pro. It comes with over 50GB of sounds and Ultrabeat sequencer, EXS24 sampler, and 11 other synths.

Maschine is over $600 and comes with an 11GB library. You do get Massive which is a popular synth, but for that price, I think you should get a little more. Plus you still need to buy a DAW.

Let us know the results.

I read the Maschine does not control the Remix Decks. It is Midi and not HID.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next Maschine will be HID.

maschine over f1, no questions asked. As someone who has both, the remix decks are just a gimp version of maschine IMO. most DJs aren’t actually chopping samples and creating these ”on-the-fly” remixes, they are creating sample sets to have ready to play for a show.

The remix decks are a lackluster attempt to offer a rival to Serato’s bridge with Ableton. Running maschine and traktor allows you to do so much more IMO, plus maschines can be used as drum kits, whereas f1s cannot (velocity sensitive vs. non velocity sensitive)

To reply to the above;

The reason I hate on f1s (having both an f1 and maschine) is that the maschine offers you so much more. I’d call traktor’s remix decks an intro to maschine sampling; with maschine, not only can you effortlessly pitch the samples you’ve taken, you can add all sorts of production elements and turn the samples you’ve just taken into something entirely new. Also, you can switch between maschine groups much faster, live record/playback the samples you’ve just triggered, and can create completely improvised parts to truly remix on the fly. The remix decks in traktor allow you to remix, but with great limitation.

Basically, the f1 offers very little the maschine does not (volume faders and filter knobs that you would be using an analogue mixer for if you used maschine). On the other hand, maschine offers all the ”remix”ing of the f1, PLUS additional groups of instruments you can use to do live improvisation (an instrument that is velocity sensitive and can pitch any sound you could possibly conceive).

If you envision ”creating recognizable loops from VERY different musical genres and mixing them in with and/or on top of electro/prog house to create interest or something that sounds incredibly different” the f1 or maschine will suffice. But, if you’d like to add your own drops/ percussion parts/ complextro-ish effects on TOP of the loops and electro house that you’ve just mixed, f1 isn’t going to help you much there. The problem isn’t laziness in creating remix decks, the problem is a limited functionality.

Oh, wasn’t taking it like that, no sweat =D.
also, the Mikros now are only 348 I believe, the f1 last I checked was 250, so not too much of a difference of price.

In summation to the OP; 1) Yes, it can function like remix decks. It cannot be used as a hardware piece to control remix decks, but sync traktor and maschine and you have much more versatile remix decks.
2) Massive / Reaktor / etc. are great for production, and the maschine is a great tool to transition into production. The maschine is the easiest way to create remixes I’ve seen to date. I use audacity, maschine, and logic for everything production related, and am using traktor / maschine for djing needs. Still working on fully integrating it into dj sets, but it definitely turns heads when in use.