Damn, the amount of work that must have been put into this video to compare these two beasts. Respect man, I always love your video quality!

22:40 workaround: load a Vst in Live, press config and scroll through a few presets. Boom: every mappable parameter now becomes available. And for those of you who know their options.txt: there's an auto-populate parameters option that can be set which does exactly that. Does not work with every VST, but for about 95% of them, this should work. Nice comparison!

Gotta give it to musicians for being the biggest bunch of haters on Earth. Dude does an awesome 30 minute side-by-side comparison... and people still get on here and bitch without even seeing the video and without contributing anything themselves. Great video, Loopop. Thanks so much. Keep em comin!

Push 2 does have a mod wheel function and pitch bend function. If you press the select button and touch the touch strip it will change to mod wheel with no snap to the middle. Do the same select/tap the touch strip to change back to pitch bend.

You CAN mix individual instruments in a drumrack. Just press the button under the drumrack to expand it into it's components. Very handy!

this is one of the best comparison videos on You Tube. Comprehensive yet easy to understand! Very practical, thank you very much for doing this.

For someone who is familiar with each, but doesn’t own either, I found this to be extremely helpful. Thanks!

Thank you so much for this comparison! Really in-depth and super-fast. I've got a Maschine Mk1 and have been contemplating the Push since the first version came out but I didn't even realize the shortcomings of the Arranger not being integrated and non-automatic Midi-mappings of the Push. This comparison really puts things into perspective and (already owning Ableton Live without the Push) I think I'm perfectly fine tagging along with my Mk1, especially seeing that NI are (albeit slowly) developing Arranger-improvements and Song-mode for the Maschine.

Haven't yet commented on this video, even though I've seen it a bunch of times. I've owned and used all Maschines since 2009. I think the controllers are all dope, and insanely useful, especially with the Controller Editor software, which allow Maschine to be used with different DAWs (most useful, I've found, is Reaper, since nearly all functions in Reaper can be mapped to keyboard or midi shortcuts, via the Actions menu). Outside of using the controller as a generic midi controller, and using Maschine standalone, or as a plugin inside a DAW (including Ableton)... it's hard to ignore the fact that browsing for sounds is EASY and quick (much quicker than the Push 2 browser, even 4 years after its release), drumkit quality is really high (in the Maschine library), and chopping samples is VERY fast)... ALL of the Maschines (except maybe Mikro) take 1st place, there, with those things. I have used Push 2 for the past 2 months with Ableton Live Lite. I'm not sold on it, yet. I like it in a lot of ways, but hate it in a lot of ways. I HATE how dark the screen is, when just using usb power. MK3 BLOWS it away, as far as brightness and contrast, goes. Also, there's lag with Push 2. A lot of lag, sometimes. Maschine 2 is instantaneous, with almost every function. I have lag with Push 2, especially when in a Drum Rack or Simpler, showing the waveform, or drawing the waveform when switching tracks or sounds. Re: Live.... I feel that Live is most useful in Session View, for performance and idea-making (which was Ableton's initial intention, with Live 1.0)..... yes, Arrangement View is still superb for fleshing out complete tracks (WAY better than Maschine standalone, that's for sure). But, Push 2 doesn't offer any type of Arrangement View benefits... none. It's all mouse, there. And that is a major oversight. I think the Novation Launchpad Pro or Maschine Jam (using the Ableton script, or better yet, Haxor and Roxor's Ableton script) do most of what Push 2 does best, even without screens... namely-- clip-launching, scale mode (and easily transposing octaves / semitones), and the corner drum grid (or better yet, 4 different Drum Racks, using the 8x8 grid). Ableton excels, there. Device-tweaking is cool, with Push's screens and encoders, of course... that's pretty much the main selling point of Push 2, I feel.... device control, and the colors that match each track. Step-sequencing is a ton of fun (Maschine Jam with the Ableton script is great, here as well)... or, Launchpad Pro with the LP Pro 95 free script (velocity sensitivity!).... but, in my humble opinion... is step-sequencing THAT important? It's more fun tapping the beat in yourself, and playing with melodies using the scale modes on a pad... even with your eyes closed. And if you have even the most basic keyboard skills, playing melodies in using an actual piano-style layout is a lot of fun, too. But I feel that Beatstep Pro takes the fun cake, when it comes to step-sequencing and experimentation with random steps. I'm so on the fence with Push 2... I want to keep it but I find that I use the Launchpad Pro, Maschine Jam, and/or the new Launchpad X a lot more than I use the Push 2. A lot of people have said using the mouse with Ableton is still faster than Push 2, and I'd have to agree. The Maschine Studio and MK2 have SUPERB Ableton scripts (sadly the MK3 does not).. even buying a used Studio or MK2 can give you a lot of mileage with device control inside Ableton... maybe not as pretty as Push 2, but certainly just as useful. I don't know if people have considered combining a Maschine with an 8x8 grid like LP Pro, Jam or LPX (or even the LP Mini MK3) but for the price, it's hard to ignore the fact that you get a lot of great options with multiple controllers, vs. just one with Push 2. As far as generic midi control is concerned, though... as I said at the beginning of this comment-- Maschine and Controller Editor-- really gives you a LOT of awesome options, with other DAWs.... not just Ableton. Though, thanks to scripts like DrivenByMoss, you can use Push 2, Launchpad Pro, etc... with other DAWs like Reaper and Bitwig. So you're not totally tied to using Ableton. Also, there's a $20 Push 2 script that allows it to be used with any DAW (scale modes, drum grid, etc. etc), and that's really nice, too. I really think Push 3 will be the best of the best... but I think I need to return Push 2. As far as my Maschine MK2, Studio, and MK3 go, they're mainstays in the studio. As always Loopop, a superb comparison. Sorry for the long-winded comment, but my head is always spinning in 50 different directions when it comes to midi controllers and DAW workflow... so many options, so many ways to get the jobs done. Ultimately, it's a great time for us home studio people.

everything else aside, huge respect to the work and effort put into this video, comparing these 2 mega machines. grateful!

Great video, best breakdown of both machines I've seen so far.

Thank you so mcuh for making this. Was really having a hard time choosing between the two.

I own the Maschine MK3 and just wanted to see a good comparison video. You delivered! Thanks for the work and effort you put into this video!

What a great resource youtube is! I was wondering on your titled topic and there comes your vid - great presentation - thanks for posting!

excellent comparison and walkthrough! would have loved to see a bit on how they each record into ableton with the actual individual tracks per each sound/scene created and the ease of use

One thing about the "automatic mapping" of plugin parameters to the NI hardware controllers (Maschine and Komplete Kontrol) that you were not completely clear about. It "just works" because the various vendors that support the NKS preset standard have done the mapping for you and created NKS presets for all of their plugins. If a plugin vendor doesn't support NKS themselves, you have to create the mappings manually. You can then save the mapping with an NKS preset, but you have to do that for EVERY preset on the plugin (or if you're designing your own presets, create a default preset with the NKS mapping done and always use that as your template). For this reason, that feature is obviously more compelling if you already own NKS compliant plugins or are interested in getting them in the future. This was my case, as I already owned NI Komplete and had been interested in the Arturia V Collection when NI introduced the Komplete Kontrol keyboard series a few years ago. It made total sense for me to continue with an ecosytem I was already invested in and really liked already. I got into Maschine through the Jam as it was significantly less expensive than the Maschine MkII at the time and while I'm not thrilled with every part of the Maschine workflow, it's pretty good as is and can be integrated into a larger DAW production workflow in a number of ways, there's a lot of flexibility there. So I went ahead and got the MKIII when it came out and combined with the Jam and Komplete Kontrol keyboard, you've got a really comprehensive control over the entire NI ecosystem. Ableton has always intrigued me, and I got a copy of the lite version somewhere or another, but I just never dug into learning it. Again, it just didn't seem necessary since I was already using Cubase (which has some integration with the Komplete Kontrol keyboards as well). So I think it really is kind of apples and oranges because you really can't separate the hardware from the software. If you are already invested in either software system and like it then of course the respective hardware controllers are what you should get. If you don't have either, then you cannot make a choice without evaluating what the software does and why you are buying the entire package. Having said that, you didn't really touch on automating parameters from the controllers. I'm not crazy about the way Maschine software handles it, and while the MKIII does give you a way to really simply record automation, things are a bit limited in the software. It's one of my bigger complaints about Maschine. But, one thing I do like is being able to easily write automation per-step from the controller, kinda sorta but not quite like Elektron parameter locking. Would be curious about how the Push handles that, and Ableton handles automation in general (my assumption is that it's way better and more comprehensive than Maschine if it competes with other full-fledged DAWs like Cubase). Your channel is great, btw, as mainly a guitarist I've learned so much about specific synth gear and synths in general and I' have used your videos as a resource several times in making purchase decisions (Hello MiniBrute 2S, skipped Model:Samples and went for the Digitakt instead, still weighing Korg Minilogue XD vs. Modal Argon 8)

That was amazing video, I finally know what I want to buy. Thanks a lot for such a deep and detailed review! You are the best!

Great comparison! Might be worth revisiting again as the software has been updated. I'd say the biggest changes with Maschine is how they've changed the arrangement/ideas and previews of groups/samples. The main reason I chose Maschine over the push was that I could load the Maschine software into Virtual DJ like a VST. This allows for easy syncing with fully produced songs (MP3s, etc). The other reason was the "Link" mode which allows a DJ using Traktor to sync with someone else running the Maschine software across ethernet. Maschine definitely excels as beat/loop maker and I almost always end up moving things to another DAW to finalize the song. Over the last two years, this occurs less and less. Also, Maschine/Komplete Kontrol and Maschine Jam is a great combination.

a very good and helpful comparison of those two controllers and software. Excellently narrated...! So: thanks.

Wow!! What a wonderful and detailed overview for both device. Thank you so much for saving a lot of time for people like me. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I think they both are fantastic but I personally like the Maschine better. I have the MK1 and I will be buying the MK3 as soon as it comes out along with the new Komplete Kontrol keyboard. Nice video.

Great video, very informative, and descriptive. Thanks

What an amazing comparison. Thanks for your work!

I own both, and there's really nothing like having so many different creative ways to sequence. Yes the pitch thing in the MK3 isn't that fun, but the feel of those pads is better than anything else I've come across by a long shot, so much better to just play your sounds in and use the knobs to adjust them. I"ve owned/sold the Jam, and it feels like a cheap toy compared to both of them, and doesn't hold a candle to either when it comes to aesthetics. The portability, performance fx, and built-in interface on the MK3 really make it that much more of a no-brainer. On the other hand, it's a lot of fun to have 64 pads of samples (and lots more if you max out the drum rack and scroll thru them with the touch strip) when you're putting the finishing touches on a track. Plus the visuals on Wavetable and Echo, the new sequencer layout update, beat slicer, etc makes it completely impossible to consider giving it up. Of course that amounts to almost a grand sunk into midi controllers, but they should be the only ones you ever need, and are MUCH more fun/intuitive than the $100k Icon Pro Tools controller at my school imho :)

This is such a useful comparison ! This is how a comparison video should look like

Excellent overview. As an owner of both, I constantly found myself nodding my head in agreement as you covered the similarities and differences of these two products. Both hardware controllers are very good quality, but I find Ableton SOFTWARE is more aligned to completing a whole track, while I struggle to do more than just short ideas/sections in the Maschine software. This has left me leaning toward just doing everything in Ableton start to finish. Running Maschine as a VST inside Ableton is possible, but more work than if I just do it all in Ableton natively. The ability to enter melodic parts with the 64 pads is great once you get used to it, while with Maschine I still go back to using a keyboard with it due to its 16 pads not providing enough notes. Also of note is third party plug in support with Maschine can be very limited as the developer must create a version of their product that supports the NKS standard, and then you have to have that new version installed, else browsing for instruments of a non-NKS synth is not supported well within Maschine. Do you have some third party banks of patches for your favorite synth? Great, they won't have instrument previews in Maschine, only the default patches from the manufacturer. Maschine does automap parameters, but it maps EVERYTHING and often in a way that is not how you want, forcing you to jump through pages of parameters (or use macro screen, which is essentially manually mapping again). With Push 2 I just map the few controls I do need access to during tweaking and performances, and leave them on one screen. Used older Maschine hardware is very inexpensive if you want to dip your toes in. In addition to the newer MK3 hardware, I still have a MK1 hardware kit that works fine (but does not have the mod strip feature).

Great informative video. I'm in the process of deciding whether to grab the Mk3. Think I'm gonna pull the trigger. Thanks.

Really great video. I've been thinking about adding the MMK3 to my life ever since I heard about it's released a week ago. I currently use the Push 2, and I think your comparison was spot on and will really help those that are thinking about one or the other and what fits for them. I feel it really comes down to workflow and how you want to accomplish that. One minor thing (and it's really minor), is that I think you can increase the brightness of the Push 2 by clicking the setup button. Not sure if the dimness/brightness level you saw on your Push was the default level. I use mine in bed when I can't get to sleep, and even without the power supply, I never really have a problem with it. Thanks again for the great video.

Great comparison. I've owned a Mk1 for years, but I spend the majority of my time in Live. In-fact, I typically run Maschine as a VST inside Live. That being said, I've been thinking about updating my Maschine to a Mk3 because it really seems to be a significant improvement to the Mk1, although, since most of my workflow is in Live (outside of the Maschine VST), I wonder if a Push might be the better addition to my setup. I'm also a bit concerned about the state of affairs at Native Instruments. NAMM 2020 is coming in up a few weeks - I'll probably wait to see if there are any new offerings from either company before pulling the trigger. Keep up the great videos!

Thanks for such a comparative review. Is there any chance that you might do one in the future regarding Komplete Kontrol MK2 vs Akai Advance or M-Audio CTRL49 and their related software/utilities?

Love it! Gives some insight on the Maschine Plus vs Push 3 discussion

It would be nice to have a version 2 of this comparison in light of the comments and the most recent updates to the Push 2 integration (for example, midi clip editing). Also, Live automap parameters for plugins with less than 64 of them. In addition the mapping is consistent and it is applied on a plugin basis. Maschine parameter mapping works great only for NKS compatible plugins and it is saved at the preset level (which sucks) for non-NKS plugins.

Great video, very well explained and made, thanks. Cheers from Buenos Aires.

For me maschine it's more for composing beats/sketeches rather than full tracks. It's much easier to sounds tight on maschine for me. But Push2 it's more versatile and it's connecting composition stage with performance stage. So i have both :D i know it's expenssive and crazy but i always have problems with decision.

This is the best comparison so far with detail explanation

Great review and great detail. Thanks!!

thanks for the timeline on the left btw. love seeing this. wish it was clickable and highlighted per section... great video.

these two devices should be compared because some people (like myself) are deciding which to buy. After watching this video I'm going with the push 2. I use Ableton and its controls for the whole daw is worth it to spend to extra 300. Great and comprehensive review thanks!!

Thanks man for this video. It is exactly what I was looking for!

Great Vid by the way, i pondered for ages then bought the maschine mk3, now i want a push 2 too!

The most important point for me is actually the integration into Ableton. Maschine is no full DAW and arrangement compared to Ableton is a a total pain and doesn't offer as many possibilities. When using my Maschine with Ableton, I just use it to play in some notes / chords. Afterwards I have to bounce it to ableton or export the Midi and recreate the instrument. You can also create a project and map each Maschine Instrument to a channel in Ableton, but this takes some time to set up... Not really fun this way. Maybe there's a easier way that I still haven't found. Anyways I'm selling my Maschine and getting a Push now and would advise the same to any other Ableton user (from my point of view ofc)

Great comparison!! I bought an Maschine Jam and a second hand Maschine Studio. It gives me best of both worlds. The new Maschine Jam gave me Komplete Select, Maschine software and Ableton Lite licenses. The Maschine Studio gave me a perfect controller to setup a song in Maschine and it has a good Ableton template. I sync Ableton Lite using MTC to add audio tracks to Maschine. The Jam controller gives me all the step sequencing features I need in Maschine. And it's a great Ableton controller too using it's Ableton template. For less than 600 euro's for both a new Maschine Jam and a second hand Maschine Studio I've a great producing setup which controls both Maschine and Ableton.

Hey! Great job. Subscribed and looking forward to more great content like this.

I've been looking/waiting for someone to make this vid and you nailed it! Thank you.

This is awesome, thx for making this!

Loving this review which has revealed things about both devices which i didn't know was possible. Just to add since this review the Maschine has continued to evolve. Version 2.12.0 sept 2020 now has what's called Clips for its song mode. This allows you to add and move tracks which can extend pass the normal limits of the pattern. This means you could have vocal tracks which play the length of an arrangement. This allows you to build songs from start to finish, in what equates to the Ableton's arrangment view.

When comparing maschine mk3 you have to remember it comes with komplete 11 select so you get some great pro synths, pianos, fx libraireis etc

Awesome review! Great work 🙌

Thanks, that really highlighted all the important differences.

You can actually select scenes to play AND record them into arrangement view from Push 2. Push shift and record to start recording in arrangement view.

Great video! Curious - what stands do you have them on?? I own both units and I’ve been dying to find a pair of stands that makes them perfectly flush side by side. Thanks!!!!

Thank you for all comprehensive Reviews. And in this special one. Can the Maschine mk3 arrange song mode of different time signiture in the same song?! Polyrhythms and polymeter !!

Thanks for the great vid. Still rocking the MK1 1.8 :)

Re third party vsts in ableton... it’s totally worthwhile racking instruments and mapping params in chains, when doing up a track, or as a separate exercise.. you build up a bank of great instruments. Defining parameter ranges etc. You build up instruments that are your own. And these are relatively easily selectable from the push browser.

Great video, it helped me decide I want both!

This is a great comparison thanks! I have push one and wanted to see what functions push 2 has in comparison to other midi controllers that work with ableton live.

Just here to acknowledge the immense contribution youve made to the music community...cheers brother! 🙏

Touchstrip on Push2: Hold select and tap the touchstrip to switch it to modwheel!

great video!! it covered pretty much all i wanted to know between the two and now i know what to get :D

Thanks for the video! I decided to go for Maschine Mk3 for my workflow.

Great comparison, probably the best I have ever seen about Maschine vs Push. 👍🏽 To change to mod strip in Push2 hold "Select" and touch the strip, it becomes a modwheel and no longer jumps to center.

Bought Maschine after watching this video almost a year ago, very happy with it so far, I completely switched making music from Logic to Maschine, use Logic only for final mixing. Thanks!

If you want to have a song mode in session mode, then use follow actions... it's quite intuitive.

very informative video..thank you

Great comparison, thank you very much!! :)

Thank you! I'm a new songwriter, learning production in Ableton 11 lite and am researching upgrades for my workstation. This laid out most of the features I was concerned with (primarily the piano roll and drum rack) in a useful and easy to understand comparison. I really appreciate the work you put into this video. I really like the features of Push 2, and knowing the (very few) drawbacks of the hardware ahead of time will help me overcome the issues. Great work!

Couple things I've noticed that need to be corrected in this video. First. The audio interface in the mk3 is an external audio interface. And will allow for low latency monitoring. So you could just use the maschine. It has a mic pre and line in. Also you can step sequence directly within the MK3, the MK2. As well as the MK1. You do not NEED the maschine jam to do hardware step sequencing.

what are you using as a stand for the MK3? they look like brackets of some sort...I would love to do the same to my MK2 : )

You can certainly mix individual levels in a kit on Push 2. Had a little gear lust for the MK3 but now I see my Push 2 is much better for me. I already have what I need

Great video! I agree it's a fair comparison, looking at the composition and performance features of both devices. I have to say though, the fact that the Mk3 can be bus powered and actually remain usable is fantastic... And the icing on the cake has to be the built in audio and MIDI interface. I REALLY wish push had a built in audio and MIDI interface! Both are definitely great pieces of kit - I've got a Push 2, and love it, so probably wouldn't get the Maschine Mk3... But if I didn't already have push, then it would be a tough decision... I Love your videos man... Keep up the good work!

There's one more trick I can recommend for Push, there's a max for live Plugin called "Expressin Control", you can use it to map the modwheel and/or pitch, velocity etc. to what ever you want in live. You can use it to get a similar thing to Maschines touch fx, by mapping the modwheel to an effect.

You can mix the individual arts of a kit on push 2 press/select the kit twice and it collapses/opens the kit

Thanks a lot, super helpful!

I have Push, Maschine and the Ren. In my opinion Push is superior. Especially sample chops and time stretching. I do like the drum programming in the Ren better and the chord feature and the effects in Maschine though. That's why I use them all combined. Sucks but until I get better at drum programming in ableton I'm using the bundle.

Super helpful video, thanks! I use Push 2 and was wondering if it makes sense to add Maschine Mk3 to my setup. I guess I'll go for it, I really like the streamlined workflow.

Wow 24 mins in, thats a huge setback on abletons part having to manually configure like that, good God. Great video btw. Ty

8:40 Push 2 now also shows the pattern (MIDI clip) on its screen.

Thank you for a great explanation! Push 2 (or 3) for me!

This is such a great video. Well explained without any of the "Uhhhs" and "Ummmm" that usually make the video a million times longer. Thank you so much for this.

Very great Video...wich of both do you prefer o can you recoment me...I used Cubase pro 8.. but i a thinking maybe to buy an other software that makes me more possible to make drums easier.. Or to use Cubase ..with a good controller for making quickly and no complicated drums ... Best regards and thanks...

Very much appreciated, great upload

shout out to the table of contents on the side!

Just a curious question: does anyone know the reason for Maschine to play the steps down to up? My OCD doesn't like that!

Good video, I am using MK2 it feels like a daw in a daw. Every VST is wrapped in Komplete Kontrol or Maschine VST. Maschine does not support VST3 so I think Ill switch to Push 2. It is more fitting my workflow. Coming also from Steinberg Cubase, so its an expensive learning curve.

Do you know if it's possible to change parameters and instruments from the machine 3 display when you're in the komplete kontrol vst?

So ask a few questions; - I'm making live music and live mixing ( dub reggae,reggae,trap,hip hop) and ı use ableton live but ı luv mk3 why mk3? convenient,a lot of sample etc but ableton for using push2 better.so for live music which buy ? -Dub reggae and reggae a lot of use fx(return track) Mk3 support 2 channel push 2 ı don't know and how to use return tracks for live music ? Which buy ?

Great video! I absolutely LOVE my Maschine MK3.

Great analysis bro

great info, great video, great job.

Considering maschine is a VST plugin/ does it gas latency when you work on a full project with master effects on ?

I love the clear explanation and the side bar menu. You should get a million subs by now!

Does Maschine have CAPTURE like Ableton has? I find it invalueable to be able to capture non-recorded fiddles after the fact, and Ableton does it smarter than any other DAW in my opinion. Also, Push 2 has a dedicated UNDO button, which is another plus in my book.

Amazing video, well prepared.

Very informative - thank you.

Excellent vid, thank you.

I like your vid. I have the jam and m2k. When you use the jam and the mk2 together it’s the missing piece of the puzzle. When I get my mk3 I’ll post a vid.

Thanks for the breakdown :)

This is pretty correct comparison. For me as a buyer I would count them both as controllers for their own DAWs. They are not standalone, they both have own DAW.

Thanks for the great video. But I still think this is a comparison of an apple and a banana :D. Record a projectwide automation (Filter Cutoff/Resonance for example) with Ableton and with Maschine ... There you can see the difference perfectly. And if you start your ideas with Maschine, then you realize ... ups ... ok ... Mute ON/OFF will not be recorded. I know the hint with a Mute-Group for Machine, but ... srsly? And you can have only one pattern per group per scene ... So Maschine is a great tool to create fast and easy musical Ideas and fire them into the crowd ... but in my oppinion its pain in the ass if it comes to arrangement the whole song or record a live performance.

This is fantastic thanks!!