RGB pads, custom hardware colors, and time stretching. Photo: Arvid Jense for CDM.

Updated: Maschine is now more colorful (via new hardware), has new accessories including a handy stand, and updated, more usable software. CDM has an exclusive hands-on with the new hardware with impressions, updates on what’s changed in the hardware and software, and loads of pictures.

Maschine, which combines custom drum-pad hardware with tightly-integrated production software, now gets a controller with RGB color pads and custom color cases. A software update for all users – including those of you with the original hardware- brings enhanced usability features, new effects, and now a free bundled copy of the virally-popular Massive soft synth.

I’d be really surprised by all of this news, except – well, we were trying out Maschine MkII yesterday:

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