NI iMaschine released: Jamie Lidell shows you what it can do

Jamie Lidell plays the iMaschine: just imagine what he could do with it if he was dressed!
Jamie Lidell plays the iMaschine: just imagine what he could do with it if he was dressed!

Native Instruments has released iMaschine, its first iOS app. It's available now from the App Store priced at £2.99 and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, though it's worth noting that, as yet, there's no native iPad version.

iMaschine's key features are listed below, but for a taste of what you can achieve with it, check out the video above to watch Jamie Lidell reworking his track A Little Bit More. In his pyjamas.

iMaschine Key features

  • 16 pads for playing the included drums and one-shot samples
  • Library includes 10 projects, 25 kits and over 400 individual samples (100 MB of WAV sounds)
  • Pad sampling mode: record your own one-shot sample through the built-in iPhone® microphone
  • Keyboard mode with two manuals for playing chords, bass and melodies
  • Note repeat function with 4th, 8th, 16th, 16th triplets, 32th for keyboard and drum pad mode
  • Audio recorder mode lets you record vocal ideas through the built-in iPhone® microphone
  • Assign any of the 4 groups to pad, keyboard or audio recorder mode (e.g. use it as pocket 4-track recorder)
  • Mixer page includes two send effects with Delay, Flanger, Chorus, LoFi, HP, BP and LP filters
  • The live-mode sequencer automatically detects the recorded loop length
  • Finished song idea can be exported with one touch as an audio file or uploaded to SoundCloud
  • Project (including samples) can be exported to MASCHINE for finalizing in your studio environment
  • Additional drum kits and instrument sounds can be easily purchased through the in-app store
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.