MASCHINE COURSES

MODULE NOTES
MODULE 9
CONTROLLER EDITOR
This module teaches you how to turn the Maschine hardware into a comprehensive
control surface for other software or hardware, using the Controller Editor software,
which is a separate software application that comes with all Native Instruments
hardware.

START >

Producertech
The Ironworks, Blackman Street, Brighton BN1 4GD, UK
info@producertech.com Tel/Fax +44 (0)1273 692 313 Your online source: www.maschine-courses.com
 MASCHINE COURSES
MODULE NOTES
MODULE 9
2
SWITCHING THE HARDWARE TO MIDI CONTROL MODEcont.)
To turn Maschine into a MIDI control surface from the hardware, down SHIFT and pressing the CONTROL button again switches
you just need to hold down SHIFT and press the CONTROL the hardware back to the normal mode, where it controls the
button in the top left corner. This will then switch the hardware Maschine software once again.
knobs, buttons and pads to a mode where they no longer control
The easiest thing to do when first wanting to try out Maschine
the Maschine software but now send MIDI commands that can
in MIDI controlling mode, however, is to boot up the Controller
be used to control other software or hardware. In this mode,
Editor software application, which you’ll find in the Native
the hardware screens display a list of TEMPLATES, which are
Instruments folder on your computer. This is a separate software
preassigned control mappings NI provide for using to control
app that allows you to view and make changes to the current
certain software. You can then scroll through these options
template loaded up on Maschine. Opening up the Controller
and hit LOAD on the right screen, or alternatively hold down
Editor software also automatically switches the Maschine
SHIFT and then use the PAGE UP and DOWN arrows to the left < Home
hardware to MIDI controlling mode.
of the screens to step through each of the templates. Holding
Next >
< Back

Brought to you by Producertech Ltd, the leading online resource for video-based music production training.
 MASCHINE COURSES
MODULE NOTES
MODULE 9
3
THE CONTROLLER EDITOR SOFTWARE (cont.)
The Controller Editor application by using the GROUPS switches on the hardware. Clicking on the
looks like the Maschine hardware, ASSIGN tab on the right side of the Editor software allows you
or whatever NI device its connected to view and edit any of the hardware controls assignments on
to, showing you what each control is Maschine. Once you click on a control, a red box appears around
currently doing. On the right side of it and its assignment data is then displayed to the right.
the software is the area where you can
In the lower half of the
select a template to load and edit,
Assign section, you can see
simply by clicking on them in the list
the type of MIDI data that
whilst the TEMPLATES tab is selected.
is assigned to the selected
With a template loaded, you can see control. For example,
what each of the Maschine controls are the Type may be Control
< Home
doing on the left side of the software. Change, meaning MIDI CC Next >
The knobs and buttons at the top of number, which is one of the
the hardware, above and below the most common types of MIDI < Back
screens can have multiple actions data. Then the CC number
in a template, by assigning them to is selected below, and can
different purposes in as many different be any number from 0 to
pages as you like. You can see how 127. Also, there are 16 MIDI
many pages there currently are in a template by clicking on the channels, so there are 128
PAGES tab in the right section of the software, and can then load different CC numbers available on each of those 16 channels,
up a particular page by clicking on it in the list below, or on the giving you a lot of options for controlling devices, which is why
hardware by clicking on the PAGE UP and DOWN buttons to the CC numbers are often all that’s required for the majority of
left of the screens. The pads can also have multiple functions if templates.
you wish, which is activated using the power switch in the lower
half of the right section of the software when the PAGES tab is
selected. Then, like with the knobs and buttons above, you can
load a different page for the pads by clicking on them in the list,
using the dropdown menu in the pads section of the software, or

Brought to you by Producertech Ltd, the leading online resource for video-based music production training.
 MASCHINE COURSES
MODULE NOTES
MODULE 9
4
CREATING A TEMPLATE
If wanting to create your own Once you’ve run out of buttons and
template, you just need to select knobs to assign, you can create a new
NEW TEMPLATE from the template page of knobs and buttons by clicking
list, after which you can either change on the EDIT menu at the bottom of
the Maschine control assignments the right section whilst the PAGES tab
to match those of what you’re is selected (beneath the list of pages)
controlling, or you can just stick to and choosing NEW from the menu.
the default settings for controls, put As default in the New Template,
your software into MIDI learn mode there are 8 pages of pads, which are
and then assign whatever controls you simply ascending MIDI notes, so you
want, as in the module movie. If you can play instruments by choosing the < Home
want to change the action of a control octave with the group switches and
such as a dial, then you can adjust its range in the Assign section, then hitting the pads. However, in the module movie, the pads
so that it maybe goes from 0 to a value less than 127, if you want are used to play different instruments, in the same octave range, < Back
the parameter to only go up to a certain value when rotated. Or, which is done by setting instruments in the DAW session to
you could swap the FROM and TO values round to make the different MIDI channels and then using the Control Editor Assign
control work in reverse, so decrease rather than increase when section to set up the pads in each page to the relevant MIDI
rotated clockwise. notes and MIDI channels.
If editing a button, there are other options such as the MODE to Lastly, back in the Template section of the Controller Editor, at
consider, which set the way the button behaves when pressed. the bottom you have options for setting a different velocity curve
For example, the normal mode is TOGGLE, which means that for the pads if you want them to have a certain response. Then,
the OFF (0 as default) and ON (127 as default) values below will below this is a box that allows you to activate HOST TRANSPORT
be sent on consecutive presses, which is good if wanting to use CONTROL. This means that Maschine’s transport controls can be
a button to turn something on and off with each press. However, used to control the DAW transport whilst in MIDI control mode.
you may prefer GATE mode if you want the button to turn
something on whilst held down and turn it off when the button is
released, which can be good for adding quick effects.

Brought to you by Producertech Ltd, the leading online resource for video-based music production training.