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I'm really considering to buy MachFive 2 but, since I cannot test a trial demo, I have to be sure if it can fit to my needs.

Basically I need to use MachFive in live performance with other software through MIDI protocol. Here my questions:

- Does the MachFive virtual instruments work like other software like Live or Logic? I mean I can use MIDI notes to play for example a virtual Piano built in.

- If MachFive is playing some Parts (which I'm supposing they are a kind of Channels), can I add and edit additional Parts without having any sound interrupts?

- Does its Mixer support flexible sends like regular sequencers do?

Thanks in advance

Fabio

MachFive is not a sequencer. Digital Performer is a sequencer. Are you sure you are asking about the right product?

Hi unshape

Try watch this video on youtube!
Maybe you get a better idea what MachFive 2 is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKfuuxnyRg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

GRS

Yes I know, but I'm not looking for a regular sequencer, I'm making an experimental project and I need a host software which can play samples and virtual instruments through MIDI, effect them in real time and have the requirements I mentioned in my previous post.

Live and Logic could be a starting point, but they fail in liveness since they are not designed for live improvised performance (at least as I need to be used).

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:MachFive is not a sequencer. Digital Performer is a sequencer. Are you sure you are asking about the right product?

Thanks for the link, I'll take a look....

Fantomania wrote:Hi unshape

Try watch this video on youtube!
Maybe you get a better idea what MachFive 2 is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKfuuxnyRg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

GRS

From the video it looks like it is a powerful tool and it could be perfect for what I need to make.

I just need to know one thing, from my first post:

- If MachFive is playing some Parts through MIDI, can I add and edit additional Parts without having any sound interrupts? This is important to me because the same thing in Live or Logic will stop the recording session (in Live) or stop the current loop (in Logic).

I need a tool that allow to play i.e. a Piano instrument in track 1 and then allow to add a second track, edit its setting to define which instrument or sample to play, listen it in headphone, and nothing should happen in track 1, so it will continue to play seamlessly.

Thanks

unshape wrote:Thanks for the link, I'll take a look....

Fantomania wrote:Hi unshape

Try watch this video on youtube!
Maybe you get a better idea what MachFive 2 is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJKfuuxnyRg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

GRS

Probably not. I'm not sure what "liveness" means really.

So aren't any tool out there that allow to play and set seamlessly without having to preset everything before?

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Probably not. I'm not sure what "liveness" means really.

@unshape

Purchased Machfive a couple of weeks ago cause I didn't wanted to buy an another hardware module(already have 4 of those)and also because I wanted to enter the virtual instrument area.
I mainly will use Machfive 2.0 for my MIDI purposes.

I do not have any experiance with live or logic cause I have been using Cubase as my sequencing engine sinds the Atari 520.
So the answer to your question if you can edit and play at the same time with Machfive is yes .
It works in the setup that I have the so called "satellite setup".

In my case the Machfive didn't worked well as a direct plugin in to Cubase.It caused Cubase to freeze up due to graphic issues(OpenGL).
So in the MachFive user manual they suggested(satellite setup)to install Machfive on a separate computer(standalone) and control it trough a MIDI interface from the sequencing computer.

when playing a MIDI file with a piano on channel 1, bass on channel 2 and drums on channel 10,I was able to play,edit and select any instrument during continues playback on i.e. channel 3 without any problem.

I still have to figure out a downside though with this setup.
When saving a project in Cubase which contains the instruments for each channel,Machfive settings won't be saved along because of this setup.
If Machfive was a plugin in Cubase then this was no problem.

Any person with a solution for this?

Grt

Hey Fantomania, thank you very much for your answer. It is really helpful for my needs.

Fantomania wrote:@unshape

Purchased Machfive a couple of weeks ago cause I didn't wanted to buy an another hardware module(already have 4 of those)and also because I wanted to enter the virtual instrument area.
I mainly will use Machfive 2.0 for my MIDI purposes.

I do not have any experiance with live or logic cause I have been using Cubase as my sequencing engine sinds the Atari 520.
So the answer to your question if you can edit and play at the same time with Machfive is yes .
It works in the setup that I have the so called "satellite setup".

In my case the Machfive didn't worked well as a direct plugin in to Cubase.It caused Cubase to freeze up due to graphic issues(OpenGL).
So in the MachFive user manual they suggested(satellite setup)to install Machfive on a separate computer(standalone) and control it trough a MIDI interface from the sequencing computer.

when playing a MIDI file with a piano on channel 1, bass on channel 2 and drums on channel 10,I was able to play,edit and select any instrument during continues playback on i.e. channel 3 without any problem.

I still have to figure out a downside though with this setup.
When saving a project in Cubase which contains the instruments for each channel,Machfive settings won't be saved along because of this setup.
If Machfive was a plugin in Cubase then this was no problem.

Any person with a solution for this?

Grt

unshape wrote:So aren't any tool out there that allow to play and set seamlessly without having to preset everything before?

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Probably not. I'm not sure what "liveness" means really.

I still don't know what "liveness" means, and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

unshape wrote:So aren't any tool out there that allow to play and set seamlessly without having to preset everything before?

To answer your question, which btw is perfectly valid and comprehensible the way you phrased it, I don't believe uninterrupted, seamless "live" loading/reloading or crossfading/editing of samples is prioritized in Mach 5.

You might have better luck using Ableton Live's bundled sampler (as you know, Live is coded with hiccup-less audio generation as a priority)...

Come on... If you prefer I can change the word, it was only a title. The real point is described in text messages.

MIDI Life Crisis wrote: I still don't know what "liveness" means, and frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

Ok, that's conflicting with the Fantomania answer, so I have to continue my investigation.

Btw why Motu doesn't provide trial version of its software, like almost every software-house do?

Umbrella wrote:
To answer your question, which btw is perfectly valid and comprehensible the way you phrased it, I don't believe uninterrupted, seamless "live" loading/reloading or crossfading/editing of samples is prioritized in Mach 5.

You might have better luck using Ableton Live's bundled sampler (as you know, Live is coded with hiccup-less audio generation as a priority)...

unshape wrote:Come on... If you prefer I can change the word, it was only a title. The real point is described in text messages.

The words you use are all we have to go by. Titles imply a lot. The word does exist but has no correlation to your question. Notice you don't have a definitive answer?

You are, of course free to use whatever words you want. I was really trying to help and was asking for a clarification of what your overriding desire was - that is topic titles are for. Duh! I'll consider the topic deadness at this point.