MOTU MachFive 3

Reviews | MOTU MachFive
84
M
achFive is one of the most
sophisticated virtual
instruments that I have
ever encountered so this
review comes with one major caveat:
this is an overview. The manual runs to
over 200 pages and with good reason.
Right, it’s a sampler and plays back
samples with all of the sophistications
you would expect. Keygroups, dynamic
layers, envelopes and fi lters which allow
you to build and sculpt incredibly
complex instruments with excellent
internal and external MIDI performance
controls. Then you have Loop Lab which
allows you to slice up your loops with a
full-screen edit page and then drag
them as audio straight to an audio track
or, if the slices are set to individual key
groups, as a MIDI fi le to a MIDI track
for some ReCycle like action.
Manipulation of samples doesn’t
stop there either. MOTU describe the
sound sources available as oscillators,
so there are sample oscillators and pure
synthesis oscillators. The fi ve sample
oscillators go from the simple sample to
IRCAM stretch and granular synthesis
options. In each oscillator you can
manipulate the sample by looping
sections, inserting other samples,
crossfading and setting start/end points.
The stretch and granular oscillators give
yet more creative possibilities (see The
IRCAM Effect).
Control of the key groups is handled
by the edit section and this is where you
can apply level control, fi lters and
envelope and LFO settings. Here again
you fi nd a high level of sophistication
with huge numbers of fi lter types (over
50) including Xpander, modelled on the
Oberheim of the same name. I own one
of those and these fi lters are very close
to the originals and sound fantastic.
MOTU have taken something of a
modular approach to MachFive so you
can apply modulation to almost any
parameter by right-clicking on the knob
and selecting a source. If you need an
extra envelope or LFO you can make
them so mod sources are pretty much
unlimited. This is great, especially when
layering up big multi samples, and a
godsend in sound design. Once you
have all of this in place you can then
apply some audio effects to the overall
patch. These include equalizers,
compressors, delays, reverbs including
IR versions and the new SparkVerb,
distortions and lots of modulating
effects. The list is huge and they add
yet another layer of excellent sound
manipulation so that your patches
sound well and truly production ready.
The magnifi cent seven
But it’s also a synth. Those pure
synthesis oscillators are no little add on;
this is a huge new feature in MachFive
and worthy of its own review. There are
seven oscillators: Analogue, Analogue
Stack, Wavetable, FM, Drum, Organ and
Noise. Each of them does exactly what
MOTU MachFive
3 | £349
With its latest update MachFive is starting to look
like a secret weapon. Stuart Bruce investigates…
WHAT Is IT?
A fully featured
sampling/synthesis
virtual instrument
CONTACT
Who: Musictrack
Tel: + 44-1767 313447
Web: www.musictrack.co.uk
HIGHLIGHTs
1 An enormous and hugely
varied sample library
2 Great synthesis
and sample
manipulation options
3 IRCAM time-stretch and
granular synthesis
INCLUDES AUDIO
l
FMU287.rev_motu.indd 84 03/12/2014 12:49