![ni native instruments maschine ni native instruments maschine](https://c1.zzounds.com/media/productmedia/fit,2018by3200/quality,85/Maschine-01-a84c5ec621ae77c3760763d4fab89c91.jpg)
![ni native instruments maschine ni native instruments maschine](https://www.native-instruments.com/typo3temp/pics/img-ce-subpage-maschine-downloads-01-maschine-plus-c73edd54f7f54682c1672843d2932020-m@2x.jpg)
“Today, with high-res screens and modern printing, you don’t need ink traps – everything is super sharp. The typeface uses the idea of ink traps – little engravings in the inside corners of letters that mitigate ‘bleed’ issues with early printing technology they collect ink in such a way that characters remain readable when printed in small sizes. “Our field carries a big bag of historical references, but we as a digital foundry are interested in using modern technology as a means of finding new approaches,” explains Breyer.
![ni native instruments maschine ni native instruments maschine](https://www.bopdj.com/media/catalog/product/cache/207e23213cf636ccdef205098cf3c8a3/n/i/ni_maschine_rendering_07.jpg)
One of the defining features of Whyte, the typeface Breyer and Schroth eventually settled on for the MASCHINE collaboration, also has an anachronistic edge to it – with a surprisingly modern benefit. The phrase ‘type foundry’ harks back to a time when individual letters were cast in metal for hand typesetting or use in a printing press. “It’s on the cutting edge of design right now.” “Dinamo’s work really stands out,” enthuses Schroth. They’re also called upon time and time again by small cultural publishers, arts spaces, and countless other designers. Founded by Breyer and Fabian Harb in 2013, their work has rapidly found favor with brands the world over – from Instagram and Discord to Warp Records – as well as institutions like the International Olympic Committee and MIT Boston. The type nerds among you will be aware of just how influential Dinamo is already, but you’ll certainly have seen their work regardless. I didn’t know that Johannes was working on a Maschine or anything like that, so I was blown away when I visited him and saw the technology.” “And so we’ve always been interested in making something physical. “We already had a kind of sub label that we call Dinamo Hardware, which is like T-shirts, key chains, etc – tangible objects.” explains Breyer. Schroth reached out to Breyer, and the two began looking at ways in which type could be brought to the forefront of the MASCHINE experience. That coincided with the moment my partner and I were starting to work on fonts, actually.” We were just starting to come across each other’s work a little bit at that point. “I think that was like six, seven, eight years ago – a long time in Berlin. And for me, it’s always interesting to focus in on the little details, so I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to really put the emphasis on that typography for a change?’”Įnter Johannes Breyer, Swiss co-founder of Berlin/Basel type foundry Dinamo.”We met at a dinner,” he says of his NI namesake. “The Maschine has a lot of labelled functions and a lot of different buttons,” he continues. ”That’s a lot of typography. “You can’t necessarily point your finger at it, but it affects your perception all the same.” “There’s a subconscious element,” he explains. It serves a clear signposting function, of course, helping music makers to understand how they might interact with a particular tool, but it also contributes to that tool’s character. “I’m not sure it was a conscious decision, but we’ve always tended towards descriptive typography, even when mocking something up.”įor Schroth, type is one of several “dark arts” at the core of the NI product experience. “We’re not big fans of icons,” explains Johannes Schroth, the hardware designer behind our side of the MASCHINE Mk3 Dinamo collaboration. Type has always been important here at NI.