Hey what’s good fam!
This tutorial is for the Ableton Live users that are frustrated with Maschine 2.0 in terms of recording MIDI into Live in realtime.
You know they changed a lot with the MIDI integration that makes our old way of working basically useless.
Well until they give us an update I’ve got a way that may allow you to gain some of your workflow back and still use Maschine 2.0 in Ableton without going into MIDI mode or anything like that.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions on this issue on my old video that I did showing how to set this up, of course it doesn’t work the same as it used to, but maybe this will give you a little hope for now.
If you have questions just ask!
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will there be advanced maschine 2 tutorials also? like a 202
If you have anything you want to see feel free to ask, I will probably not lay it out the same, for example, something like this is more advanced but I will probably not do the whole 101, 202, 303 thing, as it kinda confused folks into thinking that’s all there was, trying to focus more on topical stuff that you can find using the topics 🙂
ok sounds good to me. I was wondering why when I link some pads together for layers and use a master pad and the rest as slaves, when I record it only records the master pad. I like seeing all the layered pads in the sequencer even though I am only playing the master pad. This is so if I break out the different sounds to their own track the midi will be there also, not just for the master pad.
That’s how it worked in the old one (which is really the wrong way to do pad layering) basically layering just triggers your other pads along with the one you recorded instead of actually recording midi for the rest.
ah i see, hey st joe, i’m trying to figure out how to streamline my work in ableton. I have everything how I want arranged in Maschine and have created midi tracks for everything in Ableton. I have then set up Audio tracks that can record from the midi tracks. I tried to record everything at once while triggering my scenes live but the process can’t handle recording everything at once so that failed. I then tried group export through Maschine and dragging and dropping onto the Ableton Audio tracks so I can further mix and edit, but a lot… Read more »
Make sure in your audio export options in Maschine you have “loop optimize” turned on, then your audio will play properly in Ableton.
yea i found that out, also in ableton the option for “warp long loops” should be off, don’t know why it’s on by default
you can have warp turned on as long as you use loop optimize it should still work
I’m trying to follow your instructions word for word, since I don’t seem to understand these ins and outs very well. I have two questions: First, when setting up the 2nd group, you mentioned transposing. Should each sound be set up one higher than the last, starting with 0 or 1?
2nd, when attempting to save this group, I go to my user area, but there is no utilities section? Is that a separate download from the service center?
Thanks, and hope you had a Merry Christmas SaintJoe!
Yeah the first sound is zero then you go up one on each pad after that. I made the utilities Lake myself afteri saved the group. You can go into the browser and find it the click edit at the bottom to give it whatever Lake you want.
Question – is maschine software loaded in standalone mode, or as a VST in Ableton. I noticed the “activate” option in group midi is not available in standalone – and when loaded as a VST, it’s available, but pad work always routed off the channel the VST is assigned to with no corresponding midi input from ableton What a crock of shit that Native made it so difficult to work across platforms. This is why GENERAL Midi was adopted. What assholes. Excellent work around tho ‘ but tying up 2 channels of my limited midi resources just to call sounds… Read more »
Maschine is loaded as a plugin, hopefully we get a fix so we don’t have to do this anymore but at least it allows folks that are used to working in Ableton a way to work somewhat similar to their usual workflow.
It used to not be this difficult at all. I would just like to see an option to have pads send midi as normal even when using as a plugin, that way we can just choose the maschine controller as the input device and not have to do all of this craziness
What up saintjoe? Could you please show us this using Cubase? It’s frustrating the hell out of me trying to translate it into Cubase. Appreciate you brah!
I’ll work on something for ya! 🙂
Just in case you missed it fam https://maschinetutorials.com/maschine-2-0-recording-midi-live-into-cubase/
Joe, Agreed – its unusual for a such a well established brand to go that route. The software is very limited in maschine as well – severely lacking in any real type of midi control, filtering etc. Anyway to route it to audio? I’ve been trying but am working hard to learn a new DAW (from Sonar X2 Producer to Ableton) The of course the MK2 does have any audio outs either – as a 600 dollar piece of kit, I’m left scratching my head as to why the hell they limited it’s practical so much. I guess they did… Read more »
Yeah some of the changesi didn’t understand, felt likea step back. Though I still enjoy the workflow over most products there are many thingsi want to see. I have to remind myself is still only version 2, other products are on 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc.
You can route audiohttps://maschinetutorials.com/maschine-2-0-recording-multiple-audio-tracks-into-ableton-live-9/
As for audio outs, since we surfing lives in software there was really no need. Plus most ashtray have their interface of choice.
Hi SaintJoe, Great site and great video! Thanks. This MIDI between Maschine and Ableton is such a mess but your workaround looks like a great option… if I can get it working, which I can’t! I’ve been careful to follow all the steps in the video. My main problem is I can’t get the green HOST pads to play anything… The orange GROUP A pads play fine of course, but the green GROUP B is silent. Also, I tried to follow your steps of choosing the ‘MIDI from’ in the MIDI I/O in Session view for ‘External Instrument’, (beneath the… Read more »
You need to use the VST and not the AU, AU plugins by nature can’t send MIDI out so it will only work with the VST version.
Thanks for the advice… it worked, of course 🙂 Your workaround is a great solution. I just put in a beat and was able to tweak drum settings and plugins within Maschine’s mixer while Ableton takes care of the MIDI playback. No need to worry about turning off patterns in Maschine. Absolutely fantastic! All of a sudden I feel like I’m able to make music combining both platforms. The only problem is I only currently own Live Intro (which has no External Instrument plugin!) I’m testing out your workaround with a trial version of Live 9. At least I know… Read more »
Glad to help!
You can also use it with Live intro you just have to use an audio track and midi track for each channel instead of the external instrument.
Wonderful, I’ll try it, thanks again.
hi, I really appreciate your videos. I am following your instructions here and I can’t find a way to save my group as a “utility” under the user section…
thanks,
Kurt
oh i save it as a group…
I saw you got it yesterday, but figured I’d still say “cool” just in case
Was just playing around with this. You actually don’t have to have a HOST group for each regular group. So no need to waste 8 midi channels for the HOST group(s). For example setup Groups A-G with as normal, Group H as your “HOST MIDI ?” as described. Once you arm the TRACK channel in LIVE (make sure to have H group button selected on Maschine) it will work for the group assigned to that track. Works since the main Maschine VST channel is taking MIDI FROM all ins/all channels. The one thing I can’t get to work is loading… Read more »
Yeah, I didn’t want to confuse anyone, figured it was easier for people to have them dedicated, of course once you mess with it you will come across the fact that you can use one of them (host groups) .
Hopefully they fix it so we don’t have to do this at all anymore though, cuz it’s a pain lol.
To get slices on pads when you slice click “apply to” and choose an empty group.
Maybe I’m missing it but if I drag a loop in to a sound slot, click the waveform and go to edit/slice… the APPLY button has no options. As soon as I click it goes straight to one sound slot. FYI i’m in VST mode trying this.
Also similar is loading an instrument can’t get into keyboard mode to play across keys. Probably missing something.
Check this out for apply chops to groups from the software
https://maschinetutorials.com/maschine-2-0-how-to-assign-your-chops-to-multiple-pads-from-the-software/
For instruments, you want to give each one it’s own MIDI channel instead of the whole group.
Perfect. Have it all working now. Saved as a live set. thx!
Glad to help fam!
Great video! Basic question but can you explain more why it needs to be transposed… Have no clue why how etc… Other than that, understood the video pretty well..
What are the big reasons people want to record their midi into Ableton live 9 if I can ask..
You transpose because by default reach pad has the same note (c3 for example) so the distract notes wouldn’t trigger properly.
Some prefer arranging and manipulating midi in Ableton.
Posted this over on the NI forum. Based off of SaintJoe’s ‘Maschine 2.0 recording MIDI into Ableton Live 9 workaround’ a few changes. In case it might be useful to anyone.
http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?216558-Ableton-LIVE-Set-Template
saintjoe,
do me a favor with that template. for some reason adding an actual instrument is the hardest thing. If I change for instance the current A2 instrument or add another instrument(s) in the B2/3/4 slots configured exactly how A2 was it never just straight out allows you to hear the audio back in LIVE. You can see the midi meter working but audio nothing. Pain in the @ss trying to get instruments going.
Just followed these steps, keep in mind, Studio is my first Maschine, so this is a little new still.
after i copycatted your steps, my MIDI Host pads were shifted over one row to the left. (my kicks were on 1, 5, 9, 13 but now they are playing on pads 4, 8, 12, 16) and my snares are in the previous pad locations of the kicks, hats and misc percussion followed along likewise. the original kit is still in position, but the midi pads in group B, are off…
what is the likely cause of that? sound familiar?
Check the root note setting for the group, make sure it’s set to c3 and not c1. I have an updated version I did yesterday I will post up today.
Hi Saint Joe,
I drag and dropped the included Template into my user Group folder and it’s still not showing up in Maschine?
You’d probably have to rescan, or you can just browse to it from the file menu, open it, and save it again.
Thanks Saint Joe! The rescan did it. I didn’t try it as I thought it was only for user imported samples, not Groups. Good catch 🙂
No problem man!