Last September, Native Instruments introduced the Maschine Jam, a complementary step sequencing, mixing, and arranging controller to the Maschine software. We asked Mad Zach to take a deep review and exploration of the new control surface and share his findings. Watch the full video inside today’s article.
Mad Zach Hands-On With The Maschine Jam
- Controller: Maschine Jam
- Manufacturer: Native Instruments
- Price: $399 (support DJTT and buy directly from us)
- Availability: out now
Instead of a simple review, in the video above Mad Zach takes time to do a proper in-studio hands-on workflow overview of the Maschine Jam controller. Watch closely as he sets up basic step sequencing, adds in samples from a drum machine, vinyl record, and synth.
He moves on to showing off snapshots and snapshot morphing – something that wasn’t quite ready at the launch of the Jam when we released our initial feature overview last year. Snapshot morphing is pretty awesome, and a natural continuation of the Lock feature. It allows producers to save parameter settings and then transition between them (morphing). Here’s NI’s official video showing off the feature:
Less Focus On Screens
An interesting element of the Jam is the lack of screens. This feels incredibly intentional, NI instead opting to have the LEDs and control layout communicate the software’s state. Notice how in his studio, Zach’s Maschine MK2/Maschine Jam setup is on the other side of the room from his computer screens. It’s a good indication of how well the dual setup works to be a complete production environment.
Layering By Adding An Additional MIDI Controller
Normally you can only trigger one group at a time with the Maschine hardware – but using an extra MIDI controller Zach is able to trigger multiple groups at the same time. Watch the video to see how he does it!
A few other notes and insights from the video:
- touch strips are powerful, but they also can easily cause a sudden unexpected change if you brush against them. Be careful!
- yes, Maschine is really pronounced “mash-ee-nuh” – particularly if you’re in Berlin. Mad Zach lives in Berlin.
- We don’t recommend stacking your MIDI controllers. That’s why Mad Zach made a stand for his Midi Fighter 3D out of chop sticks and electrical tape to put it on top of the Maschine:
