(Note: this is a TWO-DAY weekend workshop)
Dates: See Workshops page.
(Note: this is a TWO-DAY weekend workshop)
Date: See Workshops page.
Time: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (both days)
Cost: 300 euros — lunch, snacks, and drinks included
Location: big brain audio, Berlin
Instructor: Brian Smith
Language: English (German and French also spoken by instructor)
Maximum Number of Participants: 6
Level: All Levels
Description: This two-day intensive hands-on workshop is all about producing music with Maschine 2, the powerful and innovative groovebox system from Native Instruments. We will focus on the very flexible workflows for producing sounds an entire track with Maschine. You will learn to master the routing between Sounds and Groups, side-chaining, best practices for templating and keeping your Maschine files (Projects, Groups, Sounds, and Samples) organized. We’ll also cover Scene-independent looping, setting up and using the Mixer, and much more.
During the weekend, you will start with live recording and go through the stages of editing, tweaking, and re-sampling your own sounds to build your own instruments (Sounds/Groups/Projects), sketches or tracks. You will also learn to integrate Maschine 2 into a real-world production environment using Ableton Live.
The course will walk you through every important feature of Maschine 2 — including Native Instruments Komplete Instruments and Effects integration (also installed on all classroom workstations) — in a real-world production context with a clear focus on learning by doing. You will create your own patterns, kits, and projects from scratch, optimized for both studio and live-performance. You will also learn the ins and outs of using Maschine 2 productively, including using Maschine 2 in Ableton Live as a VST/AU plugin.
During the weekend, we will also focus on the particularities of arranging with Maschine 2 — you will learn how to make the Pattern/Group/Scene structure of Maschine 2 work for your own musical styles and needs.
You will have your own workstation with Maschine (including controller), NI Komplete, and Ableton Live so that you will have a full range of professional-grade audio tools for creating your sounds.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Getting Your Sounds
- recording, editing, tweaking: from sample to sound
- creating drum kits and instruments from field recordings
- using and tweaking factory sounds
- good file housekeeping: naming, tagging, and keeping your libraries in order
- workflow tips for creative producing: effect-bay-groups, dummy patterns, color-coding
Using Synths with Maschine
- tips for using the new Maschine Drum Synths
- best practices for using external synths: Massive, Reaktor & Co.
- creating layered synths sounds in Maschine 2
Hardware-Centric Production: Focus on the Maschine Controller
- controller navigation
- using the controller for production and performance
- tips, tricks, and shortcuts for your best workflows
- using different Maschine controllers (MKI vs MKII and Mikro, and Maschine Studio)
Making Patterns
- MPC-style
- Step-Mode
- editing and manipulating patterns
- workflow enhancements
- “sketchbook” use case: generating ideas quickly with Maschine
- extra touches: creative quantization & advanced swing cycles
- layering and Pad-Linking
Making More Sounds
- internal sampling
- slicing techniques: creating, editing, modifying
- using slices for live setups
- exporting audio and MIDI
Organizing Patterns into Scenes and Projects: Musical Structuring
- Scene editing and navigation
- Scene control
- Project structure(s)
- arranging with Maschine: Scene vs. Pattern organization
- Pattern-switching (for live and studio)
Hardware Control, Navigation, and Shortcuts
- editing Patterns and audio files with hardware only
- playing the hardware as an instrument
- tips for increasing workflow speed and efficiency
Effects and Automation
- an overview of the effects and effects parameters
- effects routing
- creative effects chaining: Using a group as an effects bank
- writing and editing automation data
- working with macro controls
- using automation in a host
- tasty effect combinations
- using Maschine as an FX plugin and automated step-effects bank
Production Powerhouse: Using Maschine as a VST/AU host/plugin
- external instruments vs. effects
- plugin effect chaining
- Controller assignments
Automation & MIDI Control
- MIDI controller assignments
- Automation in Maschine 2
- DAW automation