NI Maschine 2.2 update adds new melodic features

NI's Maschine is a platform that's frequently associated with beats, but with version 2.2 of the software, the company is expanding its melodic capabilities.

These come via the new Smart Play features, which were first introduced with NI's Komplete Kontrol S Series keyboards. You can now choose from a selection of popular scales and chords and play them on your Maschine hardware's 16 pads, while there's also an arpeggiator that offers control of direction, octave span and subdivision. The output of this is recorded into Maschine's Pattern Editor, so it can be honed to your satisfaction.

Maschine arpeggiator

Maschine arpeggiator

There's also more functionality for Maschine Studio's touch-sensitive knobs.

If you want to step away from the pads for a while, Maschine 2.2 offers full integration with the S Series keyboards. Maschine instrument and effect parameters are automatically mapped to the display knobs on both pieces of hardware, while the Light Guide also synchronises with Maschine's pads to give you visual feedback.

More information on the Maschine 2.2 update is available now from the Native Instruments website. It's free for all current Maschine 2 owners, while those who are still on version 1.x can currently upgrade for the discounted price of £44.50/$49.50/€49.50, which sounds like a pretty good deal to us. This price applies until 12 December.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.