Maschine MK3

The Maschine MK3 is Native Instruments’ third-generation hardware controller for the Maschine software ecosystem. It centers on 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads — larger than the MK2 generation with improved sensitivity for lighter touches — and pairs them with two high-resolution color displays that handle sound browsing, waveform editing, mix views, and parameter control entirely from the hardware. Four-directional push encoder navigation and touch-sensitive knobs keep hands off the keyboard during the core production workflow. A built-in 24-bit/96kHz audio interface is included with mic input, stereo line I/O, headphone output, and MIDI I/O.

The MK3 operates across three main pad modes: Pad for beat programming, Keyboard for melodic playing, and Step for sequencing with per-step parameter automation. The combination of on-hardware display feedback and the Maschine software’s pattern-based arrangement workflow makes it well suited to building loop-based electronic music without constant DAW window management. It ships with an 8GB sample library and integrates with NI’s Komplete instrument ecosystem. It functions as a standalone controller for the Maschine software but also works as a plugin instrument inside a host DAW.