When I first bought Maschine, I was super excited. Never before did I use something that was so intuitive and badass at the same time. Just as I explained in my previous article, Maschine changed the way I made beats. However, there was a downside to my Maschine adventure, and that was a tiny flaw in its design.

Neck Strain

One of the first things that I didn’t like about Maschine was the fact that the display was at the same level as the rest of the unit. I immediately commented to everyone around me that the display should have been made in a way that it could tilt up. I guess you could say that I was wishing they would have done it like on the MPC 2500. With that unit, the LCD could lay flat, or be tilted up so that it’s easy to use and see.

What happened when I first started using Maschine was that I noticed how my neck was a bit strained. Since I was so excited to be making beats with Maschine, I was using it for hours every day and I quickly noticed how my neck would get worse by tightening up.

The Solution

My solution was to tilt up the whole unit so that I could see it better. At first I was looking for something like a wood block to push it up, or even a simple school binder. I had neither. I went to the store to find a binder because I thought that it would probably be the best option, since it would fit Maschine really well, but even the store had none! Okay, they had some but they were those really thin and flimsy binders that nobody ever uses. Actually, I guess some people do use it because they’re selling them, no?

Anyway, my solution was I took a cloth I was using to cover my Maschine from dust, and I folded it a few times then tucked it under the unit. It worked great at the time because it brought it up a bit and it was now easier for me to make beats with Maschine. The only problem I had with the cloth solution was that the unit was now wobbly and unstable.

The Real Solution

Fortunately, Native Instruments made an official Maschine Stand! Also, I was fortunate enough to have been given that stand for my recent birthday. I find that it’s a bit expensive, but I think it’s well worth the price. The reason why is because it’s made of metal (steel?) and is really solid and sturdy. It has rubber pads at just the right spots so that once you place your Maschine unit on the stand, it’s not going anywhere. You can bang away on the pads all night long and it won’t move.

What’s cool about the stand too is that it’s of course, made just for Maschine. It has two pieces that stick up and fit directly into the back of Maschine, (into two little holes that I didn’t even realize were there), and it also comes with a separate piece that you can screw onto the stand. What this does is it allows you to attach the stand to another stand, something like a drum snare stand, and that way not only will you have the stand for Maschine, but you’ll have all of that on a big, sturdy stand that will look nice in your studio.

The problem I came across was that I couldn’t find an actual snare stand, and the drummer guy I spoke to at the store had no idea what Maschine was! After I beat his stupid face in for insulting Maschine, I left the store empty handed, so now I’m just using the Maschine stand, sitting on my table.

Conclusion

This thing is dope. I can now make beats with Maschine at a great angle, not too high and not too low. As I mentioned, it’s a bit pricey but I think it’s worth it since it does a great job and it will help you kick ass in the studio. Go get it!