Product Description

New version of the world's best-selling beginning guitar CD-ROM! Over 160 comprehensive lessons cover everything from the basics through chord strumming, playing melodies and fingerpicking. New modern rock chapter includes various strumming styles, movable power chords and power chord riffs. Now with over 50 videos from instructor Kevin Garry, Ph.D, including split-screens and close-ups of both hands. Learning guitar is made fun through over 70 songs including familiar hits from artists such as Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and Steve Miller. This new version also includes a new rock version of Knockin' on Heaven's Door in the style of Guns N’ Roses.

eMedia Guitar Method includes an animated fretboard, which displays the fingering for each song and exercise in real-time, adjustable to four different viewing angles.Multi-track audio gives full band accompaniment on many of the hit songs. There is a variable-speed MIDI track option allowing students to practice any song or exercise at whatever tempo they want.There is also the option to learn using either tablature or standard music notation.Additional features include a built-in automatic tuner, digital metronome, recorder and 250-chord dictionary.

Guitar Method 1 features many hit songs, including:

• Knockin' on Heaven's Door
  • Acoustic versionBob Dylan
  • Rock versionin the style of Guns N’ Roses
• Little Red Roostermade famous by the Rolling Stones
• Rock N' MeSteve Miller Band
• Downtown Trainmade famous by Rod Stewart
• Uncle John's Bandthe Grateful Dead
• Scarborough Fairmade famous by Simon & Garfunkel
• Ode to JoyLudwig van Beethoven
• House of the Rising Sunmade famous by the Animals
• La Bambamade famous by Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos
• Midnight Specialmade famous by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Features

• Automatic tuner, metronome, and 250-chord dictionary
• Learn chord strumming, playing melodies, and fingerpicking
• 160+ comprehensive lessons, plus new modern rock chapter
• 50+ videos including split-screens and close-ups of both hands
• 70+ songs; artists include Bob Dylan, Steve Miller, and more

Reviews (4)

You will ENJOY learning to play the guitar!
This software is absolutely the BEST guitar teaching program available today.The program made it fun and easy for me to learn to play the guitar.Compared to private lessons here in Phoenix priced at between $19 to $21 for 30 minutes of instruction, this CD is a real bargain!I love it so much that I'm going to purchase eMedia's Intermediate Guitar Method software right now.

YOU Will play the Guitar!
I had been wanting to take guitar lessons but did not have the time.After doing some research I purchased eMedia's Guitar Method.Iloaded up the software and began my first lesson.Within an hours time I was playing a song!I could not beleive it.I have never had a lessons nor could I understand a note.There are some really good features like a built in tuner and animated fretboard(my fav).I highly recommend the product.It's like personal lesson in your home!

Great teaching tool.
I really like this software.I have tried to follow countless guitar books only to abandon them halfway through.The interactivity and quicktime movies provided with this software makes it much more interesting to follow.I never get bored learning guitar with this software.

A must have for beginner guitar players!!
If you are a beginner guitar player and are frustrated with your lack of progression, this product is a must have.It is a progressive program, starting with the basics such as; tuning a guitar, replacing strings on a guitar, and even how to hold the guitar.The lessons then move into your first couple of chords and basic folk songs which use those chords.Learning is by repitition and continually building on what you've already learned.You may feel a little silly playing songs like "She'll be comin' around the mountain" and "Oh-suzanna" but you'll soon see the benefit of these simple songs when you can suddenly make smooth chord transitions, which will of course help you later with the more complex lessons and songs.The best thing I've found about this program is that you move at your own pace.If you're having problems with a particular lesson or a certain chord transition, you can continue working on it until you're ready to move on.You can even go back and review any lesson you want.This is especially handy if you've had a break between practice sessions and it's been a while since you picked up your guitar.Also, after each chapter, the program gives you a list of popular songs which you should be capable of playing using the chords and techniques you've learned up to that point in the lessons.The program also has a very useful chord dictionary, metronome, and animated fretboard to follow along with during a song.Even if you don't even know what a fretboard is... even if you don't know a single chord... if you just picked up a guitar for your first time and haven't the slightest idea where to start...THIS PROGRAM WILL HELP!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Powerful enough for professionals, yet affordable enough for everyone

• write songs up to 24 staves
• perfect for beginniners
• create lead sheets with lyrics, chord symbols & guitar fretboards
• create scores and print out parts
• scan sheet music for transposing or rearranging

• The Setup Wizard helps you select instruments/voices, key/time signatures, pick-up measures and more, then sets up your score automatically.

• Play your MIDI keyboard and watch the exclusive HyperScribe® feature notate as you play.
• Scan your music directly into PrintMusic! with the included FREE SmartScore Lite 3.0® technology.
• "Click" your notes into place while you hear them with Simple Note Entry.
• Accurately enter notes when you play your acoustic instrument into a microphone using our exclusive MicNotator®.
• "Click" in notes from your computer or MIDI keyboard with Speedy Note Entry.

• Just click the PLAY button and hear your music with all the feeling, phrasing and nuance you intended.

• You can even print in color or post your score on the Internet.

Features

• Easy to print, e-mail, or save as SmartMusic Accompaniment
• Music notation software for creating, hearing, and printing sheet music
• Free music scanning and SmartMusic instrument sounds
• Write songs up to 24 staves; create scores and print out parts
• Create lead sheets with lyrics, chord symbols, and guitar fretboards

Reviews (3)

Human Playback Glitchy At Times
For the price, the product is very good; however, the main reason I bought it was due to its Human Playback feature, which for the most part works very well but occasionally "wobbles" or makes "static"-like noises.The HP.dll file was updated in the Finale 2005 product, but this update-file is not compatible with PrintMusic! 2004.I'm still awaiting word from customer support regarding any possible HP.dll updates for PrintMusic! 2004.

Great Product for "click" entry!
For the price you pay, you really get an outstanding program.Upon getting it, I dove straight into the most complicated stuff I could possibly think of composing, and it assisted me through it all beautifully and simply.(I had no need for the scanning or MIDI features, so I have no comment on those - the "click" entry is that of which I speak.)Once you devote a little time and figure out how it works, you'll have no problem with it.(A book over a hundred pages in length accompanies the program).This product is perfect for any non-professional composer who is looking for a sound program whose price isn't outrageous.

Doesn't live up to its description
The manufacturer's description of this software reprinted on amazon's website and on the software box states that one of its key features is that you can "Scan sheet music for transposing or rearranging."I bought the software based in large part on this representation.I realized there was a potential problem when I found that the manual that comes with the program has nothing on scanning.I then followed the "help" suggestions contained on the disk to scan a page of a perfectly legible printed part in 6/8 meter.I ended up with a part in 4/4 that added rests and dotted notes to make up the difference in the time signature.The scanning software also changed the key signature arbitrarily at various points, left out whole measures and changed others.When I tried to convert the scan into 6/8, it added even more wrong data.I tried calling the "free" telephone support, which is a long distance call.They weren't able to help over the phone, and offered to try to work with the file by email.Ultimately they told me that only their professional software would properly convert a scan of this music.I told them that this appears to be a serious bug -- how can you represent that your software scans music, when it turns every 6/8 part into a 4/4 part and you end up having to edit virtually every measure?I haven't gotten any response. ... Read more

Product Description

A great way to learn to rock! With over 100 audio and video-enhanced guitar lessons, you start learning to play rock hits from the ground up, including songs from Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Silverchair and more! The innovative teaching style presents rock songs, chords, riffs and gear tips in an exciting, fast-paced learning format that requires no previous music experience. You'll quickly be playing your favorite hit songs! Instructor Charles McCrone, a graduate of the cutting-edge Guitar Institute of Technology, with over 25 years of playing and teaching experience, guides you through a variety of techniques needed to play rock, punk and metal. These include movable power chords, barre chords, effects pedals, yanks, hammer-ons, pull-offs, palm muting, distorted riffs, the blues scale, using feedback, the whammy bar and more! ... Read more

Features

• Over 90 songs & riffs to learn
• Over 100 lessons from a Guitar Institute of Technology graduate
• Hosted by radio personality Steve Rock of KISW’s “Metal Shop”
• Techniques include movable power chords, hammer-ons, distorted riffs & more
• Equipment tips include using distortion, whammy bar, feedback, wah pedal & more

Reviews (2)

Quick start for beginning guitarist
I found this to be a very good teaching tool to learn to play rock style music. I have never played the guitar before only the violin for eight years while in school. Now I am in my thirties and thought it would be too difficult to learn to play. I have been through the first four lessons and so far it is great. I can work at my own pace, repeat sections I find difficult and play actual songs with lyrics. It is great to play real music not just practice the chords and riffs (although practice is required, it is just more fun). Great piece of sofware. I combined this with a couple of books to study when not at the computer and this worked great for me. Great job eMedia. I look forwrard to additional eMedia song books for rock music.

Great so far!
Though I've odered many times with Amazon, this is the first time I have been excited enough to review a product!I'm an adult who wants to learn guitar for fun and didn't want to play "Mary had a little lamb" and scales for months.I have only used the software for about an hour, and have already been playing parts of songs I actually like!I have been playing guitar for a total of one week prior to receiving this (without any instruction).This is perfect if you don't have the patience or desire to learn the traditional way.I wish I had this when I was 14, I would have loved it.

I can't vouch for the whole thing yet, since I've only played with it for an hour, so I give it 4 stars instead of five.From what I've seen I have no reason to expect that it will let me down and highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Express your musical creativity with ease and flexibility with ACID Music 3.0. ACID Music is a software solution for creating original, royalty-free music quickly and easily. Create music in a number of styles with its multigenre loop library containing more than 600 loops. Paint your music without messing with complicated sequencers, drum machines, or musical instruments. Enhance each individual track with effects that are sophisticated, yet simple to use. After you're finished with your tune, burn it to CD with ACID Music's Track-at-Once CD burning, export to MP3, or publish online to Acidplanet.com.

Create music using an easy-to-use pick, paint, and play-style interface. Pick the sounds you like and paint your music track by track. Use as many loops as your computer can handle. Once you're done, sit back and enjoy the groove. It's that easy--just dig in and get creative.

Hundreds of loops are available for your use. ACID Music includes a content CD containing more than 600 loops and dozens of projects from Sonic Foundry's Loops for ACID collection. This huge assortment will get you on your way to creating royalty-free music in minutes. Genres include: dance, hip-hop, techno, industrial, pop, rock, jazz, ambient, orchestral, and more. A number or studio effects are available to deliver maximum impact, including EQ, reverb, delay, flange, chorus, phaser, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

umm
i have a question about this.I'm wondering if i can hook my guitar into my computer and record it and then like add drums and loops an stuff onto it.Is that possible on this program?Cause my friend has Acid Pro 4.0 and that is really awesome but it's like $400 and i dont have that kinda money.Wut i liked about AcidPro 4.0 is that you could hook up ur guitar to the computer and stuff like that, so im wondering if you can do that on this program.If u have an answer for me, e-mail me at PeepilotT@aol.com .

Easy to use, and pretty powerful
Given that this is a stripped down version of some of Sonic Foundry's more powerful (and expensive) professional tools, Acid Music 3.0 is still a pleasant surprise.I had it set up on my computer within ten minutes, and with very little tutoring from the instruction guide, was able to browse to the music loop library, "paint" out loops on the multi-track display, modify loop characteristics like reverb and bass, and so forth.Obviously, Acid Music 3.0 doesn't easily stand alone.This software cannot generate its own unique loops, so I wound up having to find a MIDI program that would let me create original loops for making truly original music.But as a non-musician who hosts a radio program and is a bona fide electronic music fan, Acid Music 3.0 made it super easy to assemble my MIDI tracks into pretty good sounding pieces.I would recommend this program to anyone, musician or non-musician, interested in breaking into the world of digital computer music creation.It's been almost three months since my wife gave me my copy as a gift, and I've managed to put together many different kinds of pieces of music, using both original content and the great loops that come with the program.It's a lot of fun, and has me hungering to see what more I can do with the thing.

What a Suprise!
I discovered this software by accident, while window shopping, and I ended up buying it and taking it home.I was able to get it up and running pretty quickly, and was creating my own music right out of the box.Of course it takes some time, but this program makes it possible to make some pretty good music in your spare time.Add a mic to your computer,and you can pretty much turn your computer into a recording/editing studio, make your own music and burn it to CD.Sounic Foundry also makes it easy to publish your work to the web, by providing an online community of Acid music-makers who review and comment on one anothers' work.You can also listen to music published by other users.Even if you're just a musical legend in your own living room, this makes it easy and fun to become just that.Sound Forge also sells music loops on CD especially for Acid, but you can find lots of free loops on the web that also work.Sound Forge also provides weekly samples for free on their Acid Planet website.

The best of the ACID Music series.
This one is definately the best out of all of the previous ACID Music programs.It has a ton of loops, a really cool looking skin, and much more options than in ACID 1.0 or 2.0.It comes with two CDs.One of them has the application on it with some loops and the other CD has nothing but loops and demo songs!It has over 1,600 unique loops!Definately a good buy for those who really liked any of the previous ACID Musics.

Great for making original tunes quickly and easily.
This product, as well as other software developed by Sonic Foundry, is used in the gaming industry.It was even used to make the music in Summoner!I've been using this product for a while, and I have made tunes like THAT and saving them as MP3s, WAVs, and so forth.Heck, if I make a digital home video or something, I can rig it with music by adding the music in with ACID Music!Get this if you want to make games with tunes, show off to friends and make them say "Damn!You couldn't have made this!", or if you got other reasons to make some good music without needing to hire an orcastra (eat your heart out, John Williams)! ... Read more

Product Description

The award-winning PG Music Band-in-a-Box is so easy to use! Just type in the chords for any song, using standard chord symbols (like C, Fm7 or C13b9), choose the style you'd like, and Band-in-a-Box does the rest...Band-in-a-Box automatically generates a complete professional quality arrangement of piano, bass, drums, guitar and strings in a wide variety of popular styles.First off, youll get guitar styles styles that play and show strummed and picked guitar parts accurately on the guitar fretboard, using your choice of Pop, Jazz, Country, or Folk guitar chording. These are the best sounding guitar styles ever.Then theres the MIDI File Chord Wizard that reads any MIDI file and interprets the chords for you to be displayed in Band-in-a-Box. Theres a new Melody Embellisher that automatically adds life to existing Melodies by adding slurs, grace notes, vibrato, legato changes, extra notes and more. ... Read more

Features

• Jazz Chord-Symbol Graphics are supported, with a Vocal Wizard that displays and transposes to the best song keys for your vocal range
• New 3, 4, and 5-part Jazz Harmonies are added with voicing in Fourths
• Non-destructive audio editing -- changes to the Audio Track only become permanent if you save the file
• New Audio Harmonies with enhanced Vocal Pitch-Styles (automatic Vibrato and Scooping) that can be added to the vocal harmony parts
• Full Stereo and Mono support for the Audio Track, with on-screen VU meters to monitor it

Product Description

This CD-ROM will set a new standard for piano/keyboard instructional software. The on-screen instructor is Irma Irene Justicia, M.A., a popular piano teacher who has taught at the renowned Juilliard School of Music. Students of all ages can learn the skills needed for sight-reading and playing music on their own. The method is song-based, including songs from eMedia's best-selling Guitar Method, so students can play together as they learn. Colorful MIDI accompaniments will help make practicing with simple songs exciting, and quizzes will reinforce skills learned. All throughout, custom interactive technology offers feedback to help students correct any mistakes made while playing. With an estimated 250 lessons, the title will be a comprehensive yet fun and easy to use beginning course! ... Read more

Features

• Over 100 songs included
• Powerful piano learning toolset
• Interactive feedback when using MIDI-connected keyboard
• Over 300 step-by-step lessons with 70 video demonstrations
• Develop sight reading, ear training, finger technique and more

Reviews (2)

Great product
I was completely new to music when I bought this set (CD-ROM and keyboard).I think it is great.It walks you through the basics and when you start playing the music has numbers on it that match up to your fingers (1-5) so you can play as you get the hang of reading music.Gradually they remove some of the numbers so your music reading skills improve.

The software grades your playing with a percentage score, and gives you details on your errors (if you want them).

Also, it includes short videos of a person playing piano so you can see proper posture and such.Each song comes with (optional) accompaniment, which can make it funner to play (especially with the simple songs).

The keyboard that comes with it (optional) has a solid feel, and is touch-sensitive (pressing harder plays louder).The keyboard plugs into the joystick port (probably on your sound card).

quality product
I got this product yesterday and started to learn by it.
after browsing it and using it for the first 17 lessons this is my impression.
what you get in this product is 100% of quality content and less emphasize on look and graphics.
and if you want to learn playing the keyboard, so the quality of the teaching is more important then other features.

the teacher leading the instruction process using video clips and audio tracks, is Irma Justicia MA which is a experienced piano teacher.
after 17 lessons i fell in love with her .it feels just lilke i'm in a real lesson with her.
for my non proffesinal impression this product is good for absolute beginners to the intermediate level.
it is also said on the product that it is volume 1so probably they are going to issue more products in this piano keyboard line just as they done with the guitar.

cause of the simplicity of the graphics you can use it on any computer,old and new.
but still you get many sophisticated features like interactive feedback using midi cable.

for summary ...GOOD WORK. ... Read more

Product Description

Learn to play lead guitar and more! Everything you need to take your playing beyond basic chords and melodies. New techniques are demonstrated in over 175 lessons with full-motion video, variable-speed MIDI, recorded audio and an animated fretboard. You'll learn to play solos like the ones Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix made famous, using newly acquired lead guitar skills. You'll also find rhythm and fingerstyle chapters, plus lessons on the basics of improvisation. The new scale directory provides fingerings, recordings and variable-speed MIDI for over 200 scales. Additional accessories include an automatic tuner, digital metronome, recorder and 1000-chord dictionary with audio playback. ... Read more

Features

• Over 175 Step-by-Step Lessons: You’ll learn to play solos like the ones Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix made famous, using newly acquired skills such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato and slides
• Barre chords and different strumming styles are covered in the rhythm chapters, and there’s a fingerstyle chapter as well
• Intervals, scales and the basics of improvisation are also covered in this comprehensive volume

Reviews (6)

you will be able to play some great stuff
eMedia intermediate guitar method is an excellent system to expand on your beginner skills. I have now been playing guitar for four months and have gotten better than some of my friends that have been playing for over a year. I finished the CD so I am lending it out now to these same friends.

I started out with the eMedia beginner guitar method and soon after bought this CD. I had attempted to play guitar for perhaps two days before this present time. From this series, I am now comfortable with chords, barre chords, bass walks, finger picking (arpeggios and travis style), hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, and reading notes. The method has gotten me excited to buy my first electric guitar, practice bends, and learn more about lead guitar playing.

The stuff you learn to play on this CD simply sounds cool. There is a sweet Grateful Dead tune, All Along the Watch Tower, several classic rock pieces, an excellent 12-bar blues solo, there is some country/bluegrass, a few classic guitar pieces (Bach, Pachelbel), and an amazing Jimi Hendrix solo for All Along the Watch Tower. All the songs are recorded from a live guitar player so you will know how each song will sound. When I first browsed through the CD, I thought to myself "There is no way I will be able to sound like that". And yet after much practicing, I got through the CD, can play all the pieces well, and am so happy that I am now a decent guitar player.

I continue to be excited to learn. I think the Fretboard Logic series will help me develop a better understanding of the fretboard and build up my lead guitaring skills.

I wanted to add this review to show that this system is still a great way to learn. I am thankful to eMedia for putting out a product that is showing me that it is never to late to learn to play guitar. To add to the pluses as detailed elsewhere: many great pieces that you will be excited to learn, both standard and tablature notation so that you can learn both methods of reading, etc. The minuses: does not cover fretboard/CAGED organization.

awesome way to learn more advanced guitaring
After completing the first volume, I was nothing but impressed with the emedia material.I'd conquered campfire chords!Now is where the cool stuff starts, Volume 2, and it too is excellent.The great thing about Emedia's approach is how it breaks down the teaching of a new technique.After explaining and demoing the technique a short, usually interesting (but not always), song is presented that exactly covers that technique being taught.It avoids the pitfall of other guitar teaching material, which is use some ultra-mind-numbing, hardly melodic bit to practice the execution of the technique.The well paced introduction and progression of technique building really suits me well.My only concern is that I'm potentially developing bad habits, this is where a good teacher is a must.The chord and scale directories are great, but it would've been nice if the scale directory took better advantage of the guitar's range.I find I use the metronome quite often too.Good stuff!

Teacher-in-a-box
I wasn't sure how this would work out, but at the price, the eMedia Guitar method offered a lot more than the books and CD's or DVD's in the local music store.

Features I really like:

Animated Fretboard diagram: How to place your fingers for chords and notes.

Chord Dictionary: Important for playing music--chords are the basis.

Metronome: Nice to have, I find metronomes annoying but they do bring your speed up as you practice.

Guitars and Their Parts: and what might be wrong with your.

Reading Chord Charts, Tablature, Notation: It's important to know how to read a chord chart, but musical notation, the backbone of all music, is not ignored. I think one should read music, so if you don't, you are encouraged to learn here.

The lessons for chords start small--one finger (like a G7), two fingers, three, and up to the tough ones with four or barred. This is rather how I learned because I learned guitar by first playing a ukelele! (The tuning of the last four strings is the same on a guitar and uke.)You are a lot less likely to suffer frustration and sore fingers if you can play a tune or two with a two-finger chord. You just don't strum the entire set of strings at first.

The strumming techniques include good video of the up and down method of the blues, and there is a section on blues guitar style, of which I was most interested.

For the money, hardly a risk. Find a good starter guitar and give it a try.

John NemerovskiSoftware Review
I have been playing and teaching beginner and intermediate level guitar for over 40 years. Learning this instrument is easy for most people who practice regularly.

Music students pay $-$$ per guitar lesson, and a lot of that money covers instruction and repetition that self-starters and motivated self-learners don't need to spend. At under $$ US for comprehensive instructional and reference material, eMedia Intermediate Guitar Method provides exceptional value for these students.

I remember being lukewarm to positive in my appraisal of Volume One, the beginner CD in this series. It has been revised since then. If it's as good as this Intermediate CD (Volume Two), beginners now have a much better chance of learning from scratch.

From my first encounter with eMedia Intermediate Guitar Method (abbreviated as "IGM"), the experience has consistently been positive. Installation of the cross-platform CD's software takes only a minute or two. Initial 23 pages of sensible, thorough Introduction and Tips cover all necessary instructions, commands, and options, including well-written and illustrated:

Animated Fretboard diagram

explanation of the Chord Dictionary and Metronome

description of Guitars and Their Parts, including holding, stringing, and tuning

details on Reading Chord Charts, plus Tablature and Music Notation.

Once students are "Ready to Take It to the Next Level" the lessons begin with straightforward left-hand melody techniques. Subsequent topics include barre chords, right hand strumming styles, "Using Scales and Building Chords," plus solo and fingerstyle methodology.

One set of icons on the page of each song or exercise takes you directly to spoken short descriptions of a song's history, or pithy comments such as "Use a pick so your fingers don't fall off." A different icon launches the Animated Fretboard's display, playing the song or exercise while fret numbers display simultaneously with a running presentation of the notation or tablature for the piece. Very impressive, all of it, and not nearly as complicated as it appears from reading the above paragraph.

Navigational arrows lower right easily take you forward or back one page, and the Tools and Goto menus at top offers complete navigation throughout the entire application, including:

Scale Directory and audio enhanced Chord Dictionary (REALLY GOOD!)

Tuner and Metronome

Self-recording feature.

Additional observations:

1. Set your screen resolution to one higher than 800x600 for best viewing.

2. The IGM's CD responds quickly and quietly when playing its instructional QuickTime sound and picture files.

3. A special icon launches short QuickTime movies in which a very competent guitarist demonstrates the techniques0 with close-up camera on the active hand.

4. Colored live embedded links take you directly to related chapters, if desired. (Is there a way to jump right back? I can't figure that out.)

5. Special mentions of differences between electric guitars and acoustic instruments are given, when appropriate.

Instruction is segmented logically, with high-quality attention to detail. I plan to begin using the IGM software, movies, and sound files immediately with my students. Its cost is a bargain for the reference features alone.

If you know your way around the guitar and want to "Take It to the Next Level," IGM is easy to recommend. When all your prior instruction has come from a human teacher, the comprehension curve for this multimedia application will seem steep at first. Remember that repetition is your friend, music students. Take your time, practice a lot, and you'll be glad you purchased eMedia Intermediate Guitar Method.

Nemo's MyMac.com "Q/D/S/V Standard" for all product reviews:

Q = QUALITY, including ease of installation, performance, stability, and general happy relationship with everything on my system;

D = DOCUMENTATION, both printed and electronic, plus appropriate website material;

S = SUPPORT, in the form of email, phone, and web updates;

V = VALUE, which includes both original cost and subsequent expenses.

Depending upon previous instruction and self-teaching skills of guitar student, our rating is:

4 out of 5
A very decent product. Worth the time and investment, but look for competing products.
- TO -
BR> Fantastic products! Well worth your money and investment. The best of its kind.
John Nemerovski

Great approach to lead guitar!
When you think of guitar heroes you think of their lead guitar prowess. This awesome guitar CD-ROM does an amazing job of teaching lead guitar through a ton of scales, techniques and licks. After each scale, you'll get some lick or song to practice with. There are even some fully transcribed solos by Hendrix and Clapton. The coolest thing about Emedia is their animated guitar neck that plays all the songs. It shows bend and lets you slow the songs down. There is also a lot on rhythm guitar techniques. ... Read more

Product Description

SoundSoap 2 is a user friendly audio cleaning program for Mac OS X and Windows XP. It eliminates or dramatically reduces almost any type of audio noise ? without degrading the original audio. Along with Hiss, Hum, and Rumble removal, new for version 2 are Click & Crackle removal (for vinyl LPs and other sources), and Enhance, for added "sparkle."Vinyl LP Restoration Made Easy with Click & Crackle RemovalSoundSoap 2 has the same high-performance, great-sounding algorithm as SoundSoap Pro, but gives the user a greatly simplified, single-slider control. SoundSoap 2 is a perfect, incredibly cost-effective solution for musicians, audiophiles, and video enthusiasts who need to remove everyday clicks and crackles. Simply Powerful "One Click" Audio RestorationDespite SoundSoap 2's powerful new features, it retains essentially the same fast, clean, and easy-to-use interface made famous by the original SoundSoap. And while other solutions can tend toward complexity, SoundSoap 2's strength is that it depends upon highly advanced digital signal processing to do the "heavy lifting," without forcing users to confront a bevy of confusing controls. For instance, by clicking the Learn Noise button and adjusting just two knobs, even an audio novice can instantly remove most common problems such as hiss, fan noise from air conditioners, and other background noise. As described, a single slider can effectively remove most clicks and crackles. Attractive buttons for Remo... ... Read more

Features

• Scrub your audio clean - dramatically reduce all types of unwanted noise, from tape hiss, clicks and crackles, to buzzing, hums and rumble
• Intelligent software algorithms for one-click restoration of audio
• The intuitive interface handles sound restoration with a single click

Reviews (1)

Groooovy Magic
Holy cow. I've used other filters to clean music, and for this price, I expected a "decent" job. SoundSoap 2 delivered awesome results with the most simple operation--the Learn Noise button. I'm a multi-track artist and had transferred old "open-reel" recordings to minidisc and then CD, in order to archive them. I was not happy with the hiss from older recordings when converting to MP3s. SoundSoap brought these recordings back to life-virtually eliminating the hiss and noise! It even made them "sparkle." And the less I messed with the settings, the better it came out. Downside is that it can't directly save MP3s, but no biggie--use Audacity (free on the Web) or iTunes to then convert your files. Nice job, Bias! ... Read more

Product Description

Music Studio 2005 Deluxe ... Read more

Features

• Built-in Robota drum machine offers analog drum crunch with integrated step sequencing
• New Project Overview mode for faster project navigation
• Multitrack mixer combined with live, multitrack arranger - for solid mixing on the fly
• Features 96 tracks for music in stereo, video clips, MIDI and more
• Powerful Song Maker tool creates new arrangements with a click

Product Description

With the newest member of the Jam Pack family you can conduct your own orchestra with new sounds for GarageBand, Logic, and Soundtrack. Create lush symphonic music with this collection of software instruments and loops, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, piano, and more. From classical compositions to Hollywood-style scores to rock and hip-hop textures, with Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra, you are the conductor.

(Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra does not require Jam Pack 1, 2, or 3)

Features:

• Over 2000 Apple Loops:Build orchestral themes using over 2000 prerecorded loops in different styles and tempos, including symphonic, chamber, and solo performances. Or use loops individually to enhance songs in any genre.
• Strings:Conduct an orchestral string section including first and second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Control the dynamics and expression of each instrument, as well as articulations such as staccato, tremolo, and trills.
• Brass and Woodwinds:Arrange woodwind and brass sections with flutes, oboes, French horns, trumpets, trombones, tubas, and more. Play solo instruments or entire sections for a fuller sound. You can even control the playing style of individual instruments.
• Keyboards and Percussion:Play new keyboards, including full church organs, a Steinway Piano, and harpsichord. Or enhance your song using a wide selection of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments including timpani, bells, gongs, celesta, xylophone, marimba, and more.

Features

• Compatible with Logic Express 7, Logic Pro 7, and Soundtrack
• Software instruments and loops for creating lush symphonic music
• Strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, piano, and more
• Over 2,000 pre-recorded Apple loops in different styles and tempos
• From classical compositions to Hollywood-style scores to hip-hop textures

Reviews (1)

garageband
This is so cool! I really recommend it. It is so fun to make your own music with this program. It has all kinds of genres and all kinds of instruments. When you start making a song it is so fun that you can't stop. This a really fun passtime.
... Read more

Product Description

You love your iPod. We all do. But have you discovered that you can't move songs from your iPod to another authorized computer? That's because iTunes® only allows you to transfer files to your iPod. Now, with Tune Transfer™, you can move songs from your iPod, perform backups of your song library and boost your iPod performance.

Features:

• Transfer Your Songs: Move songs quickly and easily from your iPod to a new or different computer.
• Protect Your Music Library: Make instant backups of your iPod songs and database in case your computer crashes or you lose your iPod.
• Recover Lost Songs: Restore files that occasionally disappear from the iPod database with the click of a mouse.
• View Song Information: Get instant access to artist, album and song information when you transfer your iPod database.
• Simple User Interface: Get the most out of your iPod with Tune Transfer's user-friendly interface for quick transfers, backups & more.

Reviews (5)

Does anybody read the posts?
Okay folks. The gentleman said his computer CRASHED. Understand? If that happens, your music is lost, period. end of story. The Itunes store will not allow you to downoad the music again even though they have a receipt for it. It's not hard to comprehend. Yes itunes automatically syncs, and no, it wont allow you to transfer songs from your ipod BACK to your computer.

this program did exactly what it said it would do.
i had a unfortunate computer failure that lost me a good bit of my itunes library.i did not realize that you CANNOT ON A MAC (maybe on a PC) MOVE MUSIC FROM YOUR IPOD TO YOUR COMPUTER. i lost a good deal of purchased music, which the itunes store will not restore to you, even though they have the records of purchases, and so do i.i had backed up, but not recently enough.So i thought all was lost.

Not so!this program, simplistic as it is, did EXACTLY what they said it would do.i could move any or all songs from my ipod back into itunes.well, it isn't quite that easy, but after having gone through several duplicate rescued libraries of thousands of songs, it seemed like a snap.It also saves your ipod library, and can clean it up.

So if you have for whatever reason lost your library, and it is on your ipod, you can restore.And please BACK UP YOUR LIBRARY WEEKLY.Or else................

Tunes out of your iPod
Richard, you did not use or buy this product.iTunes is for putting songs on the ippod.Try finding a song on your iPod and moving it to another computer or finding missing songs.

I Think It Does More Than ITunes
Looks like this lets you copy songs from your Ipod to your computer. Something Itunes doesn't do.

What's This For?
Save your $20, Please... This thing does the same thing as iTunes. If you already have an iPod, it should have come with iTunes software. If it didn't, you can download it for free from apple.com. iTunes is built for your iPod,therefore it is it's best companion for music transfering. If iTunes is too hard for you to use, then you don't know how to use a computer because iTunes automatically updates your iPod for you without you having to do anything. SAVE YOUR MONEY! PLEASE!!!
I know I sound mad, but I'm just a consumer advisor. ... Read more

Product Description

INport ... Read more

Features

• Record from your home stereo using your desktop or notebook as a piece of high fidelity recording equipment
• Bypass inferior soundcards with advanced USB digital rendering technology
• Use RCA composite audio cables to send music to your PC
• Full ground loop isolation to ensure your recordings remain crystal clear and free from hum
• Installs simply by plugging into a USB port ? watch the INport automatically load without the need for any special drivers

Reviews (8)

Works with Macs
This a great product for the price.It will work on an Apple Mac running 10.3.8 - 10.4.1 (as of 5/27/05).It's not listed as being so.Felt Tip Software's "Sound Studio" works beautifully to use as recording software.It only costs $50.It's easy to use/has great features.

The Hardware works great........
I first bought the ADS Instant Music to try an convert some cassettes, and the idea behind the product was great, and the software was fantastic. But with Instant Music I had some serious feedback issues, and ADS support was basically non-existant! I saw the INport product here on Amazon and figured I would give it a shot. The INport product works great! I simply plug the INport adapter into the PC with a USB cable, and then hook up my stereo with the RCA Adapters, and push play on the cassette. It's so easy...even for a non-technical guy like me! The ADS product was just as simple, but the feedback issues I had to try and deal with made the process a real nightmare. The big difference between the INport and the ADS product, is that the INport device is grounded, meaning it shield the product from all electronic interference. The only thing holding me back from giving the INport 5 stars, is the software that comes in the package. I found the ADS Nero software very user friendly, and quite a bit less complicated. So while I put the ADS hardware back in the box, I am keeping the ADS Nero software, and just using the INport device instead. If you have alot of vinyl or cassettes that you want to convert, then I would recommend the INport device, and then see if you can get a hold of the Nero software. That's the best combination I have found.

Just what it says
The main thing about this item is that it just works. It uses only line level inputs, so if you're trying to rip LPs, you will need an RIAA preamplifier. The manufacturer makes no secret of this, though, and anyone who owns a turntable probably has something to plug it into for a line output. Or, if you need a cheap but pretty good one, you can haunt eBay, or see here:

http://www.paia.com/riaa.htm
Some soldering required. For those still inexplicably using Windows ME, time to move on up. You'll be glad you did. As to sound quality, all I can say is that it sounds as good as the source signal allows. I only gave it 4 stars because the bundled software is pretty rudimentary, if adequate. The utility for splitting a file into tracks is not all that reliable, but they never are, and that doesn't trouble me much. It does not include any sort of a burner, but there are any number of them out there, some pretty good ones freeware. Perhaps this is partially in relief after my dismal experiences with the ADS RDX-150, but I am very pleased with this item.

Works great when you get everything else figure out.
I have an extensive LP collection that I am currently
converting to music files. This is a relatively inexpensive
device and software that does a decent job without going to
insanely expensive hardware and and software combos. I had to
overcome several problems though, and I deducted one star for
the lame manual and accompanying software. The hardware device
itself works flawlessly when hooked up right.

I'll be as direct a possible. DO NOT buy this product if
you are not comfortable doing things like routing cables and
using your Windows XP's control panel. You will cry in your beer
and make it taste bad. The ability to read instructions is a
plus, too...

This product was designed to work with the LINE OUT jacks
on your existing stereo amp. The setup is fairly simple. BUT..

As my stereo is nowhere near my computer, I decided to
run my turntable direct to my computer. Here are the things
to do to make things work right - 1. You MUST use a preamp to
boost the phono cartridge's signal. I'm using a Recotron SP2.
It's no big deal, about the size of a pack of cigarettes and
about $15. 2. You MUST ground the turntable to your other com-
ponents unless you like 60Hz hum. I used my turntables ground
wire on one of the RCA jacks on the LINE OUT side of the
preamp - works fine. 3.If you are using just a turntable, you
will NOT be able to hear your live LINE IN unless you do what
I did, which is get 2 RCA "Y" adapters to plug into the RCA
side of the INport. You run a couple of RCA lines from the
splitters to a 2xRCA into 1/8" miniplug and plug it into your
LINE IN on your souncard.(Radio Shack has these off-the-shelf.)

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS on how to get into your Sound
Devices and choose "USB Device" for default recording device
and your computer's setup (I.E. "Realtek 97"or whatever) for
playback. If you don't, you'll get silence.

For software, I am using Microsoft Plus Digital Media
Edition. I bought the cheap version as I only wanted the
Analog Recording software, not all the other stuff. It's easy
to use and the noise reduction feature works pretty well. I
didn't like Xitel's recording software. I am converting
to .WMA format for use in the Windows Media Player. Others
probably want to go MP3 or whatever.

I had to learn how to "trick" the noise reduction feature
into working right by starting the recording, then starting the
turntable from "Off" into the first cut of the side. You have
to do this with older or worn records so the software can get
usable levels for the noise reduction to work. You usually also
have to manually edit where a song begins and ends.

Well, I'm recording and ripping like crazy. Thanks INport!

Inport doesn't work
We tried to connect the Inport to a Dell Dimension running Windows Millenium. It took a day to learn that the software patch needed by Millenium was not listed on the Microsoft web site, but that Microsoft will send it to you as an email attachment if you speak with a human.It took another afternoon to learn that the software patch needed to upgrade a stock Soundblaster sound card was not provided by Soundblaster, only by Dell. When the machine still did not function, we swapped all cables to be certain there was not a defective cable. Xitel does not offer telephone customer service, a phone call to their headquaters was answered by voicemail and went unanswered. The enclosed software offers customer service via email only, and requires you to spend about 45 minutes providing a transcript of software operations. The email for software was returned 24 hours later on two occasions, each time indicating the software was operating therefore the problem must be the hardware (which was not their domain). Two 3-hour telephone calls to Dell ascertained that the computer was functioning correctly. If you own an old cassette of an album available on CD you are better off buying a new recording--the sound willbe superior to any home remedy recording, plus you won't lose all that time! ... Read more

Product Description

Music Ace 2 is the second title on our highly acclaimed and award winning Music Ace series from Harmonic Vision. This title introduces concepts such as standard notation, rhythm, melody, time signatures, harmony, intervals and more.See Music Ace Gold for a Bundle of Music Ace and Music Ace 2. Hybrd for Mac and Windows. ... Read more

Features

• Music Ace 2, the second title in the highly-acclaimed Music Ace series from Harmonic Vision, is designed for beginning and intermediate students
• Featuring 2,000 musical examples and covering treble, alto and bass clefs, Music Ace 2 picks up where Music Ace leaves off to introduce standard notation, rhythm, melody, harmony, intervals and much more
• Maestro Max and his choir of Singing Notes return for an encore performance with a variety of new instruments to provide students with a continuing introduction to music fundamentals and theory
• Music Ace 2 continues the same fun and engaging format of 24 comprehensive lessons, challenging games and a creative composition tool
• Lessons - 24 engaging, self-paced lessons that accelerate development of fundamental music skills and music theory

Reviews (1)

Making Music Fun
Very well developed program for the young student of music. Can hook up your keyboard to your computer & work the lessons that way, or just use the keyboard, too.Teaches beginning tempo, rhythm, introduces the various concepts of all the differences in tempo, beat, etc.Teaches about the grand staff, also has a "doodle pad" where kids can make their own music & hear it played back to them.Lots of fun! ... Read more

Product Description

Sibelius is as intuitive to use as a pen, yet so powerful that it does most things in less than the blink of an eye. Created by musicians for musicians, Sibelius gives you the freedom to do whatever you want, the way you want to. Clear, elegant designThe Sibelius screen is simple and intuitive, so you can concentrate on writing music without the constant distraction of menus and dialog boxes. To look around the music, just click and drag the page ? it really feels like you?re moving manuscript paper in front of you. Alternatively, drag the Navigator to move smoothly through many pages at once.You can even choose different colors and textures for the paper and desk on the screen. Sketch & refineSibelius 3 lets you change music whenever you like. Sketch a solo flute piece, then add a whole orchestra to create a concerto. Write in sounding pitch, then make a transposing score with one click. Add extra bars at the start of a score, and Sibelius instantly reformats every page ? far more flexible than pen and paper.If you completely change your mind, Sibelius lets you undo up to 10,000 operations, and keeps backups of 40 previous versions of your music.Sibelius saves you time by spotting all kinds of mistakes such as rhythms that don?t add up, or notes that are too high/low to play (see picture). Sibelius knows every instrument?s range, which you can adjust for players of different abilities. Text & lyricsSibelius puts different types of te... ... Read more

Features

• Designed for students, educators, and professional composers
• Software for writing, playing, printing, and publishing music notation
• Scan in printed music; high-quality sounds for playback
• Saves time; elegant and intuitive; school feature sets
• Publish music world-wide or create personal CDs and MP3s

Reviews (8)

Outstanding!
I've used Cakewalk, Voyetra, Finale, and virtualy every other music publishing program and this is the first one that I can say is worth every penny.The functionality, convinience and versatility of this program goes unmatched and the look of your scores in the end is so good that people will swear you were published by Hal Lenard!If you're a student who hopes to make composition your future, invest in this program.If you're an established composer who is using some other program, dump them and move to Sibelius.I've only had my copy for two days and I'm a devoted consumer.

Flashy, crappy and frustrating
As a long time user of Sibelius 1.4 I looked forward to Sibelius 3. I have always been very happy with the older version of Sibelius - it is easy to use and the results are very pleasing. Sure, there were some limitations and a few improvements could have been made, but overall, Sibelius 1.4 was a great resource for musicians, composers and arrangers.

Now what is wrong with Sibelius 3? I think that the question should be "What is right with Sibelius 3?". I don't know where to start? Let me just say that unless you're after a "quick fix" for score making, this product is inferior and inadequate.

If you're making scores of Baroque or Renaissance music with Sibelius 1.4 and you're thinking of upgrading to Sibelius 3, forget it! Stick with what you have or consider Finale or some other music score making system.

Sibelius 3 is a waste of money.

This is terrific music notation software
Sibelius 3 is music notation software that not only grows on the musician, but with the musician. It has tremendous possibilities, very advanced features, a multitude of choices.
It is essential to learn the shortcuts from the outset - mouse manipulation is irritating, as with other music software, but working with shortcuts produces miraculously quick results. This is a program for very serious musicians. The features are exactly right, stimulating creativity. I have used this program with children as well - it takes about an hourfor the average child to acquire the skill to work meaningfully with Sibelius. In a word, terrific.

Powerful Yet Easy to Learn
I have always written music the old-fashioned paper-and-pencil way and have never been capable of producing a fair copy in ink.So in order to give a more permanent form to some dreadful music I've accumulated in notebook sketches -- my aural communication to the ages -- I've been looking into music notation software.I ended up buying Sibelius 3.1, although Finale 2004 was also a strong contender and I downloaded the demo versions for both.Finale has a reputation of being difficult to learn and use, so I decided on Sibelius.

After just two days -- about twelve hours using the program -- I have mastered it to the point of being able to do cross-staff beaming and other moderately "advanced" things.It is essential to know how to select passages and input notes, but this is well explained in the clear and comprehensive User Manual and once you get this far, the rest pretty much falls into place.

The screen is attractive and uncluttered, with a large useful workspace.That the program is very well-designed is clear from the start, and as you use it and encounter inevitable problems (such as not enough space for an inserted clef, reshaping of ties, etc.) you will really appreciate the ability of the program to recover from errors in an intuitive way.Sibelius just has a way of "doing the right thing", which from a programming perspective is very difficult to achieve.And once you have discovered the joys of copying (which depends on a mastery of selection), you will find you can create fair copies even faster than you could write out a sketch using pencil and paper.

Highly recommended!

Software for the common/professional musician
My background is in both arranging and composing and playing professionally here in the New Mexico area.Having used both of the top music software's for the last few years I find that when I have to do a project for profit, I always use Sibelius.
Both programs perform equally well, but Sibelius is by far the easiest and most logical to learn and use. The learning curve is very shallow.Everything is very intuitive and easy to find.The use of hot keys and simple, logical key presses and not the mouse make this program quick and through.You do not have to spend time going from menu to menu to find what you need.It can do everything I have ever needed in the way of arranging and composing.From Big Band Jazz to Orchestral works, it is all there.The finished printed work is beautiful to behold.I would highly recommend Sibelius to anyone who wants to get started producing work right away.The latest Sibelius V.3.1 is probably the most advanced product I have found.I have recommended it highly to all my musicians friends, and I have made many converts to Sibelius. ... Read more

Product Description

Winner of more than 28 honors and awards, Music Ace is a fun, engaging and non-judgmental music education software program designed to provide an introduction to music fundamentals for beginning music students of all ages. Following the friendly direction of Maestro Max and his choir of singing notes, users participate in a series of 24 comprehensive lessons, play a variety of challenging games, and easily compose and listen to their own music on the innovative Music Doodle Pad. ... Read more

Features

• Puts fun into music fundamentals
• Builds solid music foundation
• Challenges, engages, rewards and motivates
• Ideal for beginning music students
• Lively animation and colorful graphics

Reviews (1)

Music Ace is excellent!!!
An engaging and creative way to learn music fundmentals.We highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

Record, restore and burn: MAGIX audio cleaning lab 2005 is the ideal choice for sound restoration on the PC. Automatically remove crackles, clicks and rumbling to clean music from your LPs, cassettes and MP3s. One click gives you perfect sound.

Music as good as new!

Record and Import Music
Record music from vinyl or cassette, and import music in most audio formats, including WAV, MP3, AIF, WMA and OGG Vorbis.

Burn or Export Music
Save your valuable music collection on CD and DVD. Use the Burn Controller to confirm quality against the original source through bit sampling analysis. Export music as space-saving MP3, OGG Vorbis and WMA formats.

Individual Track Editing
Import entire albums and add effects to individual tracks. All effects can be applied to even the smallest object. Editing music has never been easier.

...and much more!

... Read more

Features

• Resampling presets for correcting playback speed on old vinyl 45s or 78s
• Individual tracks are recognized and selected
• Timer-controlled Recording (ideal for internet radio)
• Recording function for microphones & instrument inputs
• Phono preamp simulation with RIAA EQ -Direct recording from vinyl records

Reviews (11)

Could be more user friendly, but very good overall
Like most of the others, I bought this one because I have a sizable collection of vinyl that I'd like to digitize. My initial impression was that the program could be a bit more intuitive, and the so-called "manual" could more aptly be described as a promotional booklet! It's a fairly huge program (over 500 megs when loaded), slightly complex and potentially frustrating because of the lack of on-screen direction. A detailed, "instructional" manual should have been included, if not on paper then at the very least in .pdf form on disk.I was also ticked off to find that the MP3 feature, which allows you to record directly to MP3 format, bypassing the WAV conversion, "appeared" to be a crippled feature.Fortunately, this problem is resolved (free of charge) if you pull down the Help tab and click the link that takes you to the Magix website.If you register the program (name, address, and email) they send you an activation code which unlocks the MP3 features.I know, I know...it's almost like they're blackmailing you into registering, but it also eliminates that 20 use limit, which makes it worth it.And it's free.It's just too bad that they force you to register in order to get what should have been available right out of the box.

But, overall the program does exactly what it claims.You can record an LP, cassette, or voice directly to an MP3, WAV, CD audio file, or other sound format.You can burn to disk, edit, enhance, and eliminate background noises such as crackle, hiss, and clicking.You can even record an album without pausing between songs because the program recognizes the breaks and creates separate files.Admittedly, there are still a number of settings and options that I don't fully understand because I rarely do more than transfer a few vinyl cuts into MP3 format.But overall, I'm satisfied with the program, while at the same time, I understand quite clearly why many others are not.And btw, I've yet to see this package selling for more than $19.95 at any of the major stores, so avoid the $39.95 list price if possible.

One other thing.If you're experiencing an electrical hum in your stereo speakers or through your computer when the two are connected by way of your RCA cable (not included of course), you probably need a ground loop isolator. They cost about $16 bucks at the electronics stores. It gets rid of the hum.

RIPOFF NO MP3 ENCODER INCLUDED BUYER BEWARE
I can't believe in this day & age that a company such as Magix would stoop so low as to misrepresent a product such as this. On the box & in the manual they state there is an 'included MP3 encoder'. They even take the trouble to list a few 'demo items', on the gatefold of the box.

When you go to actually install & then use this software- a popup informs you that the MP3 included is only good for 20 Mp3 conversions. For an additional fee (19.95) in the manual, maybe higher as it's not even listed on the Magix website, you can have 'unlimited use', of the MP3 encoder.

What a joke !!

I think that Amazon shouldn't even sell this product, as it's so badly misrepresented by the manufactuer.

I will NEVER BUY MAGIX !!

Make the argument to place of purchase , TAKE IT BACK !

Magix Audio Cleanup Lab
I have been a BBC recording engineer in my time which, I suppose, makes me technical. However, my experience with this software is virtually all good. As an audiophile I sneer at MP3 because it distorts sound and , if available, I will always use a lossless system. I bought Magix so that I could transfer my 2,567 LPs onto hard drive and, at the same time, create back-up CDs. Some of my records are very valuable and I don't like playing them too often for that reason. Now I can play them when I want.

As an exercise I cleaned up a really beaten-up LP of Rubber Soul
and played the cleaned up version against the CD of the same name through a pair of Genelec near-field monitors (the sort of speakers a good studio would use). So far only one out of eight of my audiophile friends has been able to tell the difference and even he admitted that it was difficult .

Fifteen years ago I was running a media laboratory for a major computer company and bought similar software for $87,000. This cost me £10.00 ($20.00) in the local video store.

As far as I am concerned, the software does exactly what it advertises. I cannot speak for MP3 as I don't use it and I have had no need of technical support. The only glitch is being able to export files as WMA directly to Windows Media Player from Magix rather than go via a CD as I haven't been able to do it.

The other reviewers may well be right to slate it for their sort of music as mine is predominently Classical with relatively long tracks. However, I've so far cleaned up about 1200 LPs so I can claim some experience.

20 mp3 rips for $29.99!!!?
I should have learned from my only other earlier MAGIX product! Nowhere on the box did it state that the $29.99 price for this retail product is only good to rip 20 songs into mp3 format... in fact, after looking over the manual again and again, there were no mention of such either! It's only after I tried running the program did a little window pop up informing me of such and suggested that I paid for the limited upgrade!!! What a croak of ___!

The installed program offered the option to UPGRADE for unlimited mp3 ripping. Personally, I consider that a RIPOFF!!! Isn't it illegal on such misleading and false marketing/packaging? Well, it should!

With mp3 music and players getting more and more popular, MAGIX is essentially ripping off a lot of consumers big time.

The interface is clean but confusing nor does the skimpy instruction manual helpful. The only two attempts I made in cleaning and equalizing mp3 music files ended in their own native 'project' file and not the expected mp3 files that I wanted to copy into my mp3 player!!! A simple procedure of cleaning and minor editing turned into an exercise of frustration- not worth it! Even if the program itself is good and does what it does advertised otherwise, I still couldn't uninstall it fast enough off my hard drive because of principle.

I strongly suggest you pass this product on and in fact, pass on all MAGIX products as a protest for their unethical sales method!

Frustration in a box
This is a amazingly poor product.I suspect the favorable reviewers are either electrical engineers or computer whizzes.For the average person this program is just an exercise in frustration.The manual is more than just useless - it's infuriating.It gives you all of the detail of what the program is capable of, it just never tells you how to use it.For example, it tells you that you may get a track marker (these are put in automatically in between songs) in the middle of the song if a pause is detected.But instead of telling you how to remove the unwanted marker, the instructions tell you how to insert one. Another section tells you it is possible to delete markers, but only explains how to move them.To launch the "Track Wizard" you are told to click the "Export" button and then press "Track".Only problem is that there is no "Track" to be found to press.The set up instructions and the tutorial (which can only be viewed once) disagree as to which port in the sound card to use - a problem alleviated by trial and error, but just an example of how truly botched a product this is.These are only a few examples, space does not permit all of them. In short, I can't think of anything they got right.Tech support isn't bad, it's non-existent.All I got was voice mail and unreturned calls.It's a crime that opened software is not returnable."Rip-off" is too mild a term. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

ScreenBlast has been replaced
I recently had correspondence with Sony. They advised me that they shut down ScreenBlast.com on 9/30/04. They confirmed that there will be no updates for ScreenBlast Movie Studio 3.0 in the future, since they have essentially discontinued it. You can imagine my dismay, having purchased this product only 6 months ago.

They did say that they will support it if you e-mail them, but there is no site for User Tips, etc. anymore. Because of my frustration, they sent me all the links to the media (sound, video files, etc.) that would have been available to me at ScreenBlast.com, since I wasn't able to get it before they shut the site down. They also extended me an offer to buy an upgrade to their replacement product, Vegas Movie Studio 4.0, which includes DVD Architech Studio 2.0 (instead of MyDVD).

After enough complaining on my part, they gave me the full version of the replacement product for free. Initially, I felt pretty good about that and felt that they had taken care of me adequately.

That was until after another inquiry I sent them brought me this message: "Our Vegas software will only 100% support capturing from a DV camcorder or DV deck through a standard OHCI compliant IEEE-1394 (Firewire / iLink) board. If you are using any external break-out boxes or capture cards then we can not guarantee that this device will capture video with our software."

I do not own a camcorder and I don't have a firewire card. I have been simply trying to capture a small stash of old videotapes given to me by others, from an analog VCR connected into my computer via an ATI All-in-Wonder 9000 graphics card with TV/tuner. Vegas is incapable of dealing with this. It will record video, but not sound. Sony advises me to use other capture software to accomplish this. A person shouldn't have to use 3 different pieces of software to accomplish capturing a video, editing it, and saving it to a DVD.

I'm pretty annoyed that it appears I'll need to revert back to the old antiquated ScreenBlast 3.0 product to capture video from my VCR with a Sony product. One further note on this is that Sony's really particular about what path you install into, because if you install it where you want it to go, there could be conflicts if other Sony software is anywhere present there.

If none of this is relevant for you because you have no other Sony software on your computer, and you own an appropriate type of camcorder and connection Sony requires, then I can tell you this. ScreenBlast Movie Studio and Vegas Movie Studio look pretty much identical. Vegas adds a few minor things. It's great editing software. If you want to nab some old videotapes via VCR hookup, forget it.

Other reviewers are correct that the software can seem overwhelming at first, but the more you explore it, the more it will seem extremely easy to you. I found that I really liked it after just a short time of poking around until I got how it worked. Reviewing the manual speeds up that process and is worth your time. It's an easy read and pretty comprhensive.

For my purposes though, the fact that it won't allow me to capture from my analog VCR is an extreme annoyance that makes me wish I'd ignored all the complaints about Pinnacle and Ulead anyway and purchased one of those instead. I've essentially wasted my money, in not being able to use this piece of software for the captures I need to do. Therefore, I can't give it any kind of decent rating.

Two weeks of dinging around with the software and contacting Sony, and in the end, I'm pretty darn disappointed. I haven't figured out for sure what my solution is going to be to capture from my VCR. The software that came with my graphics card doesn't offer as high of resolution as Vegas does.

I will post this review under Sony Vegas Movie Studio as well.

Makes me look good!
I bought this software to edit large-format videos that I take with my Minolta Z2 digital camera, which records sound and motion in the Quicktime (*.mov) format.My WinXP Movie Maker can't import that format, and I haven't found a way to make it handle more than 320x240 pixels.I checked other video editing software packages (the ones that allow a free-trial download) and not all of them can import Quicktime files.One more requirement:my Minolta can shoot video at up to 800x600 pixels -- a "knock-your-socks-off" level of resolution.I wanted a video editor that could input and output video files at that level of resolution.

I've found that Screenblast does the best job with the 800x600 format by outputing in MPEG2.MPEG2 is playable in Windows Media Player if it is given the MPEG2 codec (which should have been provided in Windows Service Pack 2 but wasn't).The videos are, if I may immodestly say so, beautiful.They make me look good as a movie maker.

I found, to my surprise, that Screenblast is intuitive.You can start using it immediately for simple editing, and teach yourself the fancy tricks as you go along.It is also powerful enough to be fun.For example, you can brighten up a scene that appears dark because it was shot in low light, or correct for a color cast given by tungsten lights.It is sometimes tempting to over-use the wizardry, which can overshadow the video's content.This is not a criticism of the software, only a warning that "...with great power comes great responsibility."

Very stable with great features.
To briefly re-state what the previous reviews have correctly stated:
1)Much better than the competition.I've tried them.
2)Has all the features 'that you would probably really use' of the high end programs.It is the same as Sony Vegas with a couple of the features that most people would never use chopped out.A couple of the messages still say 'Vegas' in them.
3)Very stable.Has never crashed over multiple large projects
4)You are easily able to take out or lower the volume on a little part of the sound track (if there is an unwanted sound or somebody says a few words that you want to take out).
5)It comes with Sonic MyDVD which is a piece of junk but it does work if you want ugly menus.The latest CD version of Screenblast 3.0 comes with MyDVD 5.23 which is the newest version of MyDVD as of today!Earlier reviews said that their Screenblast came with MyDVD 4.5 which is not true anymore.
**
An earlier Amazon reviewer gave this product 1 star because they said:If you take out a picture then you have to move all of the pictures after it manually to fill the hole.That is not true!Just turn on 'Ripple Edit' and everything moves over by itself.
Another reviewer said it was not stable.Those people need to fix their computers.In my experience (and according to all of the reviews around the internet) this is a rock solid stable program with no crashes.
I have not needed customer service for this program but I think that Sony customer service stinks for their other products but that is another story that doesn't go with this review.

Quite good until you want a DVD
I am reasonably happy with Screen Blast Movie Studio 3.0. I am using a Sony VAIO computer Pentium 4 3 GHZ. 512 MB RAM 2 DVD-CD drives. I haven't had any of the crashes which others have written about here. I believe those are due to conflicts with other programs. For example the problems with importing Media into the Media Pool that one person wrote about could occur if you also have Adobe Photoshop installed on the computer. The crashing may be caused by one of Photoshop's associated files.
This is not a difficult program to master. There are lots of show me tutorials provided with the program. Movie Studio provides up to 6 tracks if one wishes, three video and three audio.One finds it easy to do fades and transitions. I loaded a 35 minute clip where I had filmed an interview without stopping the camera.It's easy to combine stills and videos. I've appreciated the pan and crop feature for stills.
Like others here I appreciate Movie Studio for what it does do. I am not happy for what it doesn't do which I think it should do. One cannot put in chapter points to DVD's unless one goes through the step of recording to a Mini DV tape first.
Again, as others have said, Screen Blast seems a quite adequate piece of software. It's when you reach the step of wanting to burn to a DVD that you will experience some frustration.
MY DVD which is shipped with Screen Blast, is a separate program which one loads upon completion of one's movie and after rendering the movie. Even then I couldn't seem to locate a finalizing feature. For that I needed to also buy Record NOW. I thought having the SONY name on my computer, my video editing software, and my camcorder would assure a seamless integration. This is not so. I can'tuse Movie Studio to convert analog video to digital through the camcorder. For that I will need to also purchase an IEEE compliant 1394 card or device.
Some reviewers feel that Movie Studio is slow when it comes to rendering your finished movies.The steps to complete a finished DVD are complex. To write a 35 minute DVD took me a total of 75 minutes. This included rendering, building menus, transcoding, transcribing, planning the video and audio, and writing the files.It takes much less time if one wants to make a copy of the DVD. For that one can accomplish the task in about 15 minutes.
I am also not happy to read that Sony is closing down its ScreenBlast.Com web site. I'm assuming this means that Sony may no longer even support Movie Studio.
One's results using Movie Studio look quite professional. It is easy to add text overlays, music dubs and graphics.It is inexpensive as video software goes and provides many of the features that more expensive software has.

Excellent Editing Very Good Output
I've used Adobe Premiere in the past, excellent but too expensive, I tried Ulead what a horrible experience, pinnacle reviews said crash after crash.Based on the reputation of Video Vegas I gave this product a try and it is really excellent.

I've used it so far to create 2 online projects for work documenting team meetings and posting the video online.It's easy to work with different pieces of the timeline and then output them in an appropriate format like Windows Media 9.
Excellent integration with external codecs - quicktime, wmv, mpeg1 and 2, and real video.The only drawbacks I've found so far are no control over the output only fixed templates.For example if you wanted to fine tune the audio bit rate, SB will not let you do that.Oh well I guess it is an entry level package.Secondly, the outputted MPEG is a little bit halo prone.It's supposed to be main concept encoder, but since you are not allowed to tune it at all, there's no way to fix it.

Lastly the NTSC mpeg2 video it creates is actually non-compliant for DVD production, since it only supports mpeg audio.In the US you really should output either PCM or AC3 Stereo.Neither of those are an option.I've filed a bug against Sony, but they have not responded.If sony would allow a little more control over the output I would definitely give this package 5 stars.

First the pros: excellent stability, very easy to use capture, good editing capability, easy to generate output.
Cons: lack of control over output. ... Read more

Product Description

eMedia Blues Guitar Legends ... Read more

Features

• Learn to play guitar with extensive tools, designed for all skill levels
• 10 original recordings, with full and simplified versions of each
• Playing tips
• Recorder lets you record and play yourself back
• Animated fretboard shows real-time display of notes

Reviews (4)

Mesmerizing!
There is simply no better way to learn these songs. You can isolate different sections of the music and loop them over and over (both the audio and the tab/notation). You can even slow it down. The animated fretboard is also very cool. It plays the notes in time with the music. It even bends the notes. I only wish they'd make more.

Poor user interface, technical problems
I spent about an hour getting this to work correctly. I am disappointed with the interface and the lack of lesson information.Not a bad product but there are better guitar programs for sure

Great fun but not for beginners
This is a wonderful CDRom.The songs are mighty enjoyable, and eMedia lets you see exactly how the blues greats created the toe-tapping music that they did.But be warned:learning to play these songs using the eMedia system isn't for rank beginners.I'm a classical guitar player with over a decade of playing experience, and I had to slow the songs to less than half their speed to even have a fighting chance of keeping up.You're expected to already know some blues techniques and have some accessories (e.g. a glass slide).Eventually, I know I'll get the hang of these songs and have a great time.But it's gonna take practice, practice, practice.

Play blues like a pro
I picked up Blues Guitar Legend because of the great songs by Stevie Ray Vaughan and BB King.When I saw the animated fretboard I was blow away.Bends, slide and vibroto make this feature very cool.The multi speed option made learning the songs very easy.I highly recomend picking this one up. ... Read more

Product Description

It?s time to take control of the creative process. Now you don?t have to depend on anyone else to get your music recorded. Do it all from your PC with Cakewalk Home Studio. There is no better Windows software available for musicians taking the step into the world of digital recording. Home Studio provides you with everything you need to turn your PC into a powerful multitrack recording studio.With support for real-time DirectX/VST effects, DXi/VSTi software synths, MIDI FX plug-ins, and ACIDized audio loop technology, ReWire and ASIO driver support, Home Studio takes your music farther, faster, and for less money than any comparable software product. Now includes CD burning and ripping! Feature HighlightsRecord unlimited audio and MIDI tracksMix with real-time audio and MIDI effectsPlug and play DXi soft synthsCreate loops fastSupports ACID?-format, MP3, WAV, WMA and MIDI files24 bit / 96 kHz supportMulti-port Drum Grid EditingIncludesVirtual Sound Canvas DXi soft synthDreamStation DXi soft synthACID?-format audio loop libraryPyro 1.5 Express for CD burning and ripping ... Read more

Features

• Record unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, then mix them with real-time audio and MIDI effects -- in up to 24-bit/96 kHz audio
• Record your entire band at once, with support for multi-channel audio cards
• Add a number of DXi soft synths, as easy as plug and play
• Click and drag to paint drum tracks, with the new pattern brush and Drum Editing Grid tools
• Use a full set of VST effects & instrument to build your loops, through the includedCakewalk VST Adapter

Reviews (2)

This software program is the best
Hello, I just want to let you know that this Cakewalk Home Studio Version Two is the best software I've ever used.So far I have several Cakewalk programs in my home studio and three Image Line Fruityloops programs, all of them are very good depending on the reference.What's so good about Home Studio Version Two are the extra features that are unlike the original Home Studio 2002: ASIO hardware driver support, Propellerhead ReWire, VST adaptor, reverse effect and others.Put it together with Fruityloops and Reason and you're ready to do crazy stuff!All you have to do is to have a computer that is built only for audio recording/MIDI sequencing: AMD or Intel microprocessor, 256 or 512 MB of memory, two hard disk drives, a motherboard with a stable chipset (Intel; VIA; nVidia), and a Sound Blaster soundcard or any professional audio/MIDI interface hardware.It is good to read the manual (both hard copy and on-line) so you know what you are doing as well as taking your time using the software and to experiment.the possiblities are almost endless!Even though I havn't used the software as much, it is still very good for anyone who can have a good start recording music on th computer and getting down and dirty if you know what I mean!It is more likely the affordable, slightly less-featured version of Cakewalk SONAR 2.x and 3.x Producer Edition.It's available for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP which is great for those who may not want to upgrade to the current operating system, like me; mines are Windows 98 SE and ME.I wanted to give this software four and a half, but there are no halves in between which made me stick to five anyway.This software is the best!

The Best For Home Recording
This software is simply the best in its price class for home recording. Version 2 is newer than the 2004 version. The main difference is a VST adapter is now included.

I have already recorded several songs with multiple tracks, including MIDI and audio. I have also used the VSC DXi software synthesizer with great results.

I applied effects on several audio tracks. They are very easy to insert and setup. I really like the amp simulator, chorus, flanger, and reverb. Record a guitar, add some effects and you won't believe the difference! And all with no noise.

I recorded from my MIDI keyboard and played my MIDI drum machine and keyboard from MIDI files with ease.

Tutorials and on-line help files are excellent. It also comes with a 75 page getting started manual.

I am using an AMD Athlon system at 750Mhz, 256MB memory, SoundBlaster Live, running Windows XP Home Edition.

I highly recommend this software!

... Read more

Features

• Easy to use; integrated audio offers guidance where needed
• Learn musical concepts and develop important listening skills
• Hear musical differences in endings, repetitions, and variations
• Challenging, fun-filled games adjust to skill-level of user
• Parent/teacher management tool tracks a child's progress

Reviews (1)

More fun than piano lessons...
Want to teach your kids to enjoy listening to music, especially classical? Then try this program. Easy-to-use interface, wonderful tunes, great exposure to classical music in these sad rap-and-brittney times. Not for the faint of heart, however. Despite its simple interface, kids used to story lines and immersive environments will find this more like a standardized test than fun software, at least on first blush. However, if you are willing to sit down with them and help out, then the game becomes lots of fun. I liked the way it adjusts itself to the capabilities of the player. At the higher levels the game is quite challenging, even for adults. When my kids sit down to play, the music that comes forth is a great alternative to the mind-numbing drivel that normally accompanies video games. I actually enjoy listening to them play. If you have a decent set of speakers, then it sounds really nice. I wish I had this to play with when I was taking first grade piano lessons... ... Read more