MOTU MachFive 1.07 (MAC)

Feb 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Len Sasso

           

MOTU's entry into the growing field of sampler plug-ins strikes a welcome balance between simplicity and functionality. Although it boasts a long list of high-end features, MachFive never sacrifices its straightforward architecture and easy-to-use interface. For example, all of the operations are managed from a single large virtual front panel, and there are clear, concise pop-up hints for each control and feature. If you're the type who likes to dive right in, you could learn to use most of MachFive's capabilities without ever cracking the manual. What's more, MachFive comes with almost 5 GB of high-quality sounds, and you can import and convert most popular sampler formats using the included UVI-Extract software.

MachFive is currently available for Mac OS 9 and OS X in several plug-in formats: MAS and VST for both operating systems, and RTAS, HTDM, and Audio Units for OS X. A Windows version supporting VST, DXi, RTAS, and HTDM is due out by the time you read this review. MachFive does not presently stream sample playback from disk, which means you'll need a lot of RAM; at least 1 GB is recommended. (MOTU plans to release a free update shortly that will add support for sample streaming.) To prevent piracy, the software uses the Pace copy-protection system, which requires a USB port for the iLok hardware key (dongle).

MachFive comes in three varieties classified by the number of outputs: stereo, quad, and 6-channel for 5.1 surround. (These are all included and available, when appropriate, in the plug-in menu of the host application.) As of this writing, the Audio Units format supports only stereo, although the new surround support in Panther may change that in the near future. MachFive is also 16-part multitimbral, allowing a single MachFive instance to play up to 16 different multisampled instruments.

To make full use of MachFive's synthesis and effects options, you need a fast CPU; a G4/800 MHz or better is recommended. For this review, I used a G4/800 MHz PowerBook. By minimizing the use of filters and DSP effects and working in 32-bit mode (more RAM, less CPU), I was able to get 24 voices from the VST, Audio Units, and MAS versions without pushing the CPU meter over 50 percent.

THE LAYOUT

FIG. 1: MOTU's MachFive 1.07 uses a single control panel with eight functional areas. The File Browser and Part sections (left) manage presents on disk and in memory. The Display Area and Keygroup parameters (center) handle multisample management. The Master section, Part parameters, LFO section, and FX section (right) control output parameters, LFO selection and routing, and effects.

As mentioned earlier, all of MachFive's operations are carried out from a single multisection control panel (see Fig. 1). That allows for fast and convenient access to all of the features, but some of the text displays are quite small and, especially in the orange areas, difficult to read. Many of the gray-on-gray labels are also unnecessarily hard to read.

The File Browser at the top left of the panel manages samples, presets, Soundbanks, and Performances, all of which must reside in the MachFive Sounds folder on your hard drive. That isn't as limiting as it might seem at first, because aliases to folders containing samples can be used instead of the actual sample data. A preset consists of the multisample map, defining key and Velocity zones (called Keygroups) together with synthesis and effects routings and settings. A different preset can be loaded into each of MachFive's 16 Parts, which are managed in the section below the File Browser.

A Performance consists of all Part settings, together with all MachFive global settings. The same information is automatically saved by the host software along with a project, so Performances are really needed only for exchanging setups between projects. MachFive offers several convenient archiving options when saving Performances: you can elect to simultaneously save all presets with or without their samples, and you can save the Performance as a Soundbank, which saves everything in MachFive RAM in a single, new Soundbank folder.

FIG. 2: MachFive's included UVI-Extract software allows you to import instrument presets and banks in most popular sample formats.

MachFive supports direct loading (including drag-and-drop) of samples in WAV, AIFF, and SDII format. You can import other sample formats as well as instruments and banks in other sampler formats using the included UVI-Extract software (see Fig. 2). UVI-Extract is launched directly from the MachFive control panel, and its operation is seamlessly integrated with MachFive in the sense that imported data is automatically placed in the correct folders and loaded into MachFive. Supported instrument formats include SoundFont, Giga, Akai, E-mu, Pulsar, SampleCell (instruments and banks), EXS24, and Kurzweil. I converted SoundFont, Giga, SampleCell, and EXS24 instruments without any problems other than having to adjust a few parameters, which is to be expected.

SUM OF THE PARTS

As I pointed out, MachFive Parts hold presets, but Parts also contain settings beyond those of the preset: for example, MIDI Channel, audio output, and mixer and effects settings. Because the MIDI channel for each Part can be freely assigned, setting up layers couldn't be easier. Using the optional Expert settings, you can assign MIDI notes to mute and unmute individual Parts, you can set up automatic fade-ins and fade-outs across MIDI note ranges, and you can even assign MIDI controllers to fade Parts in and out. Parts also contain alternate settings for octave, tuning, Pitch Bend range, Velocity curve, mono mode, and glide. That allows you to have temporary settings for those parameters saved with the project or Performance without affecting the preset settings.

FIG. 3: MachFive's Group Editor lets you assign Keygroups to as many as 16 separate groups. Selecting a group lets you edit parameters for all included Keygroups simultaneously.

By default, the Display Area shows a Keygroup Editor in the lower pane and a Sample Editor in the upper pane (see Fig. 3). The upper pane has five additional modes: List Editor, Group Editor, Sample Info, Spectrum Analyzer, and Sample Tuner. The last two are very handy for setting synthesis parameters, such as filter cutoff and EQ, and for fine-tuning individual samples.

The Sample Editor lets you set start and end points, looping style and boundaries, and basic DSP functions, such as normalizing, fading, and reversing. Edits are initially nondestructive, affecting only the sample in RAM, but you can also make them permanent by saving the sample. Although the Sample Editor is the largest part of the MachFive Display Area, it can still be a bit awkward to use for detailed editing. It can, however, be expanded to take up the entire Display Area, which provides a better view of the data, and you can zoom in to the sample level to improve editing accuracy.

The List Editor lets you numerically edit sample-mapping parameters, such as note and Velocity range, base (root) note, trigger mode (several forms of Note On and Note Off triggering are provided), output routing, and routing to four insert effects buses. The Group Editor lets you assign each zone to any of 16 groups (multiple assignments are allowed). You can then use the Select menu to select all Keygroups in a group and edit their parameters simultaneously.

The Keygroup Parameters section (bottom center) provides subtractive-synthesis-style processing. It includes a resonant multimode filter with overdrive, a pitch-modulation section, and an output-level and pan section. Modulation sources include three AHDSR envelope generators and four multiwaveform, syncable LFOs. Two of the LFOs are global, but all other parameters can be applied on an individual Keygroup basis. MIDI Pitch Bend, Note Number, Channel and Poly Pressure, Velocity, and Control Change messages are also available as modulation sources. (There are 28 modulation sources in all.)

MachFive offers 29 DSP effects and an extremely flexible busing scheme. The effects cover the usual bases and more, including five types of delays, three types of reverb, chorus, flanger, tremolo, phaser, “crossphaser,” autopan, rotary speaker, auto wah, multiband EQ, “filter” effects, “drive” effects, and gate. There are also a number of unusual effects, such as Robotizer and UVI Drive. Each of the effects has a submenu for presets, but surprisingly, you can't add your own presets to that menu.

Sixteen effects slots are organized into groups of four: four insert effects arranged in parallel for each Part, four more Part effects arranged in series, four send effects arranged in parallel (each Part has its own aux-send controls), and four Master effects arranged in series and applied to MachFive's overall output. As the manual points out, that adds up to a whopping 88 effects paths and 136 effects slots. Of course, DSP effects and synth processing both suck up CPU cycles and need to be used sparingly to maximize MachFive's voice count.

SOUND BYTES

If MachFive is your first sampler, the large library of included samples will be a welcome addition, and most of the banks are top-notch. The Soundlib Büsendorfer Soundbank is a great-sounding 16-bit, 48 kHz multisampled Büsendorfer grand piano extracted from an upcoming commercial 24-bit, 96 kHz version.

The Electric Keyboards Soundbank contains five Rhodes pianos and two Hammond organs, each sampled with 24-bit, 96 kHz audio quality and offered in four sizes. For example, the largest Rhodes preset has samples for every note at four Velocity levels; the smallest preset has two sampled notes per octave at three Velocities. Guitars and Bass is another 24-bit, 96 kHz Soundbank with a modest number of exquisitely sampled instruments: three acoustic guitars, three electric guitars, and three basses.

The Drum Kits Soundbank includes four stick kits and four brush kits in the General MIDI format, and it also includes presets dedicated to individual percussion instruments; the 24-bit, 96 kHz samples are excellently recorded. The rest of the Soundbanks are “sneak previews” of various commercial libraries. I found some usable stuff, but mostly it just whets your appetite for the full versions.

SPEED OF SOUND

MachFive offers a welcome compromise between complexity and ease of use. Its synthesis and effects sections take you far beyond load-and-play sampler plug-ins that allow you to map and play multisamples but do little else. And best of all, getting around on MachFive is not rocket science; you won't spend a lot of time scratching your head wondering what this or that module does. The software is generally CPU efficient and has the significant advantage of being available in a wide range of plug-in formats. If you are in the market for a professional-level software sampler, especially one with a streamlined, up-front user interface, you should definitely check out MachFive.