Native Instruments MASCHINE+ Standalone Production and Performance Instrument - Manual (Page 34)

( 10 ) PAD MODE button: Press PAD MODE to switch the pads to Group mode (the default mode). In
Group mode each pad represents one Sound of the Group. Group mode is typically used for drum
kits. You can adjust various parameters of the mode via the displays and the surrounding Buttons
and Knobs. The right display shows you the Sound triggered by each pad. You can use Buttons 5
to 8 to adjust the Base Key, which sets the key (pitch) triggered for each Sound in the Group, and
Knobs 1 to 4 under the left display to set the Choke and Link group settings. Please refer to the
MASCHINE Manual for more information on these features. By pressing PAD MODE again, you can
hide its parameters from the displays and return to your previous workflow while keeping Group
mode enabled on your pads; as a reminder, the PAD MODE button will stay lit as long as your pads
are in Group mode. Press SHIFT + PAD MODE to switch your pads to Group mode without
switching the displays to the mode parameters.
( 11 ) KEYBOARD button: Press KEYBOARD to switch the pads to Keyboard mode . In Keyboard
mode the pads represent 16 pitches of the chromatic scale for the selected Sound, ascending
from the selected Root Note; this way you can play the selected Sound like a melodic instrument.
The right display shows you the pitch triggered by each pad. You can use Buttons 5 to 8 to adjust
the Root Note (triggered by pad 1 ), and Knobs 1 to 4 to configure the Scale engine and limit the
available pitches to a particular scale. By pressing KEYBOARD again, you can hide its parameters
from the displays and return to your previous workflow while keeping Keyboard mode enabled on
your pads; as a reminder, the KEYBOARD button will stay lit as long as your pads are in Keyboard
mode. Press SHIFT + KEYBOARD to switch your pads to Keyboard mode without switching the
displays to the mode parameters.
( 12 ) CHORDS button: Press CHORDS to switch the pads to Chords mode . The Chords mode is
similar to the Keyboard mode (see the KEYBOARD button ( 11 ) above) with the difference that
each pad triggers a whole chord instead of a single note. You can use Knob 3 and 4 to configure
the chord you want to play. By pressing CHORDS again, you can hide its parameters from the
displays and return to your previous workflow while keeping Chords mode enabled on your pads;
as a reminder, the CHORDS button will stay lit as long as your pads are in Chords mode. Press
SHIFT + CHORDS to switch your pads to Chords mode without switching the displays to the mode
parameters.
( 13 ) STEP button: Press STEP to switch the pads to Step mode . Step mode turns your MASCHINE
+ into a full-featured step sequencer. In this mode, each pad represents one step of the selected
Step Grid resolution. During playback, a running light through the pads represents the current
position of the step sequencer. Pressing the pads creates notes on the corresponding steps
(causing them to light up) or it removes them. By pressing STEP again, you can hide its
parameters from the displays and return to your previous workflow while keeping Step mode
enabled on your pads; as a reminder, the STEP button will stay lit as long as your pads are in Step
mode. Press SHIFT + STEP to switch your pads to Step mode without switching the displays to
the mode parameters.
( 14 ) FIXED VEL button: Press FIXED VEL to enable/disable the Fixed Velocity option. By default,
the pads are sensitive to velocity: The harder you hit them, the louder the sound will be. With Fixed
Velocity enabled, your pads play at the same volume no matter how hard you hit them. For
example, this can be very handy when you are triggering slices of a loop from your pads and want
to have all slices at the same volume. Fixed Velocity is available in all four pad input modes: Group,
Keyboard, Chords, and Step. Press SHIFT + FIXED VEL to activate/deactivate the 16 Velocities
option. In this mode, your pads play the same note (pitch) of the focused Sound but with 16
different velocity values. This can be useful to play or program complex drum fills. The right
display indicates the velocity values for each pad. The pitch of the played note is defined by the
Base Key. The 16 Velocities option is only available in Group mode, i.e. when PAD MODE ( 10 ) is
enabled.
MASCHINE+ OVERVIEW
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