If you are looking to pack out your Maschine with sounds and presets for your next house and EDM tracks then there is plenty to choose from. Below I have listed 3 of the best Maschine Expansions for house and EDM producers.
1. Lucid Mission
I could make the argument that if you have a big selection of dance music capable soft synths already (such as Dune 3, Hive 2 or Surge XT to name just 3) then you already have everything you need to create killer EDM synth leads, basses, pads and plucks but Lucid Mission is still a very tempting buy thanks to its treasure trove of useful Maschine Kits, samples and one shots.
If you are new to dance music production and are taking your first steps into Maschine and sample/loop based music making then Lucid Mission is a fast way of getting hold of quality sounds.
Lucid Mission is jam packed with useful and ready to go sounds and samples for bold, brash and uptempo electronic dance music. There is no hip hop or chill out vibes here and nor does this pack touch on the darker side of electronic music or techno, instead it is all about creating a party – or festival – vibe. With this selection of sounds you can create a riot on the dance floor thanks to the huge synth leads, floor shaking basses and bright plucks.
There are 55 Massive synth presets included and you also get 33 Drum Synth presets and you can get up and running quickly with the 8 included complete projects and 120 individual patterns.
2. Infinite Escape
If you’re looking for a collection of expertly produced, ready to go house sounds and kits then you’ll find more than enough to satisfy in the Infinite Escape Maschine Expansion. The focus of these sounds – from producer Alexkid – is on the more minimal end of the house spectrum.
I find many of the included samples and Maschine Kits work really well when working I am creating slower tempo house tracks. If Lucid Mission is about making 100,000 hyperactive, glow stick waving teenagers scream and jump when the drop kicks in, Infinite Escape is more about making sure mature and sophisticated clubber have a good time as they cruise up the Thames or lounge on an Ibiza beach waiting for the sun to go down and things to really kick off!
For your money you get 338 loops and 444 drum samples + 544 one shots which is enough to get your next 1000 unfinished FL Studio or Live projects on the go at least! 40 Maschine Kits and 8 complete projects can help you set up the foundations of your next track in seconds and then you can build on your house foundations with the included Massive and Monarch presets.
3. House Arrest (Niche Audio).
Some people like to spend a decade or more watching Youtube tutorial videos in their bedroom trying to learn “how to produce house music like a pro” but perhaps a quicker – and more fun – way of getting started making house music is to just drop Niche Audio’s House Arrest onto your hard drive and then get stuck in exploring this hugely impressive packs of drum samples, loops, one shots, Massive presets and Maschine Kits.
Serving up 367 Samples and 17 Kits, this isn’t the biggest Maschine expansion or sample pack in the world but what really impresses is the wide variety of sounds on offer and the attention to detail. Whatever type of house music you’re thinking of producing there is sure to be something in this varied selection to kick start your creativity. Deep House, Jackin, Main Room House, Progressive House or whatever your tastes and goals – try out the different kits and see what direction these qualiy sounds take you. It certainly beats watching yet another tutorial video!
Many of the Maschine kits make good use of N.I.’s Massive synth for the basses, synth lines and chord stabs and because they are presets they are super-easy for you to put your own stamp on them.
If you use Ableton Live alongside your Maschine then you can also take advantage of the included Live Sets, midi patterns and Custom Drum Racks.
If you’re new to making house music then you can learn an awful lot from the Niche Audio team with this fantastic expansion pack – think of it as a masterclass in house music production techniques. If you’re a seasoned pro then you’ll probably be more interested in sprinkling many of the sounds in your own productions. Either way, House Attack is a worthy buy.