Ever since Native Instruments released their Maschine MK1 controller (along with the software), music production has changed a lot and for the better. Whereas in the past, if you wanted to control software you had to basically use whatever you could and the results always varied by user. Keyboards, the Akai MPD series, and many other controllers have come and gone, but now it's all about Maschine.
Their current version is the Maschine Studio controller, but you can also still use the MK1, MK2, and Mikro to control the latest software. And that in itself is a great thing that Native Instruments did by making their software backwards-compatible so that everyone can still use the best software available regardless of which controller they're using.
One of the downsides of having such a huge popularity among beatmakers and producers, is that there is Maschine information all over the place. Well, I'm here to give an overview of a few great resources that will help you elevate your Maschine workflow.
Maschine Tutorials
Saintjoe has been working hard the last few years to become a strong authority when it comes to anything related to Maschine. He has done many equipment reviews on his SoundsAndGear website, as well as sound kit reviews with BoomAndBap.
But it's his knowledge of Maschine that has gotten him where he is today, namely with his Maschine Tutorials website that literally covers everything you need to know. There are many tutorials that range from the extreme basics all the way to the more advanced topics like FX routing and third party plugins.
If you're looking for something in-depth that covers all the bases, you should definitely visit MaschineTutorials and start learning Maschine inside out.
Maschine Masters
AGgotBeats has also gone with the Maschine tutorial route, and he has also become an authority on Maschine along with his team, to create a really solid website. However, they also have tutorials on other software like the MPC Renaissance, Ableton, and mixing.
What they also offer is label submission opportunities where you can submit your music to various labels, beat battles, product reviews, and a community for music production.
The main thing that always draws me into the Maschine Masters website is the entire site from the videos (which are very inspirational) to the tutorials and services they offer.
Maschine Forums
Of course this is on the list! You can always ask for help with Maschine in the IllMuzik forums, but if for some reason you don't find what you're looking for, then your best bet is to hit up the official Maschine forums.
It's filled with nothing but Maschine users so you know that someone will have an answer to your question, or at least someone might be experiencing the same issue as you.
When it's something really technical that you need help with, you can always just ask Native Instruments for support.
Native Instruments on YouTube
There are tons of playlists from NI on their YouTube channel, and some are a bit dated like the older Maschine ones, but nonetheless you can still view those videos to find the information you're looking for.
Before I even bought Maschine, I checked all their videos to see how it actually worked and it was extremely useful because I got to see how Maschine functioned.
So whether you're looking for an answer to a question or just want some inspiration for making beats, their YouTube channel is the place to check out.
YouTube
When all you're looking for is something that will motivate you to make beats, or if you just want to see how other Maschine users do it, then YouTube is a great option.
I have found many videos with incredible finger drumming, and even some crazy stuff like from Jeremy Ellis. Just look around!
Conclusion
Even if you don't sign up to any of the above mentioned websites, you can still view them as something that inspires you to make beats. Hopefully these sites will answer any questions you may have and improve your workflow.