Leak: Native Instruments standalone Maschine+ groove box imminent?

08 Sep 2020 by Robin Vincent | Approximate reading time: 3 Minutes

Native Instruments Maschine+ · Source: VintageKing.com

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UPDATE: Since this post went live, Native Instruments has officially launched Maschine+

Get the full details here.

Is Native Instruments about to release a standalone groove box? A leak from Vintage King reveals what appears to be a self-contained version of Maschine that they are calling Maschine+. This could be good.

Maschine+

The name tells us it’s their Maschine controller with extras and they are not kidding. Assuming the information posted on the online shop is correct then they’ve crammed a Quad-Core computer inside the Mashine+ shell. Along the back they added a microphone input, stereo line input, pedal input, MIDI In/Out and then line level and phones outputs. There’s also a two-port USB hub presumably for connecting other MIDI controllers to it.

I’m really liking the sort of gun-metal upgrade to the look but otherwise the layout is pretty much identical to the current Maschine controller. Maschine was already a self-contained music production device it just needed a computer to run the software and handle the audio so it already has all it needs in terms of control.

They say it comes with 32 GB of internal storage and an SD card slot with a 64GB card included. It has 8GB of factory library installed and comes with a software bundle which presumably you have to run on a computer. What it doesn’t talk about is what sort of DAW software is running on the Maschine+. Presumably it’s the Maschine software but how does it look on those screens? And what do you do about software instruments which are running on your computer when you want to go into standalone mode?

Native Instruments Maschine+ · Source: VintageKing.com

Hopefully these questions will be answered with the official details from Native Instruments. In the meantime here’s the feature list from the Vintage King website and the price appears to be $1399.

Features

Immersive standalone workflow for creating beats and melodies, sampling, arranging music, and performing on stage or in the studio
Includes Maschine+ Selection with industry-leading instruments, sounds, and effects, plus renowned Maschine drum and bass synth plug-ins and effects
Quad-core CPU and 4 GB RAM for fast, seamless creation when it counts
Pro-grade, 44 kHz/32-bit audio interface with 2 x ¼” TRS line outputs, 2 x ¼” TRS line inputs, ¼” dynamic mic input, stereo headphone output, 1 x MIDI In, 1 x MIDI out; 1 x Footswitch, 2 x USB ports for MIDI controllers/external HDDs
Robust, anodized aluminum design for years on the road and in the studio
Iconic Maschine features and workflow including 16 velocity-sensitive pads, Maschine effects and plugins, swing, pad link, note repeat, step sequencer, and vintage sampler emulation
Use standalone or with a computer – integrate with your studio workflow, and unplug for DAW-less setups or live performances
WiFi and Link enabled for wirelessly installing and updating products, collaborating with others, and syncing with other gear