Product Description

Practica Musica, Ars Novaâs award-winning music theory and ear training program, has been updated and is now better than ever! Available for the first time for both Macintosh and Windows, Practica Musica 4 sets a new standard for music education software. Each Practica Musica 4 activity has four levels of difficulty making the program suitable for beginners and advanced musicians alike. It allows instructors unprecedented control over many aspects of each activity. Instructors can create their own specialized activities using either computer-generated source materials or custom-created example libraries. And new activities can be downloaded from Ars Novaâs website and added to Practica Musica 4 as they become available. Students also can use Practica Musicaâs simple composition tools to create and print music -- perfect for class assignments. Includes the textbook "Exploring Theory with Practica Musica" (Evans), which has both written exercises and references to a library of special Practica Musica activities designed to support the text, including the ability to hear all the music examples. QuickTime Musical Instruments (Mac) is now supported, as are SoundBlaster-compatible sound cards (PC). Input is via an on-screen piano keyboard, on-screen guitar fretboard, the computer keyboard, or an external MIDI keyboard. OMS and USB MIDI are supported. ... Read more

Features

• Practica Musica Activities:
• Pitch Matching
• Chord Ear Training
• Pitch Reading
• Chord Progression Ear Training

Reviews (1)

If only I had had Practica Musica when I was a music student
I took music theory classes for two years in college, got my undergraduate degree in music, became a professional musician and never felt like I really understood music theory until a fellow musician told me about Practica Musica. The really great thing about using this program is that you can practice and practice and practice each new thing that you learn until you really know it. You always know if you're getting it because the program gives you constant feedback (something I didn't get in school!) This product has really helped me with ear training. When you give an incorrect answer you can compare your answer with the correct one. Hearing the two side by side is very helpful. Practica comes with a great theory book written just to go with the software. It's written for someone who knows nada about music, but it covers just about everything I studied in school and I have to confess that I learned a lot from it.
I found the software easy to use and I'm not a techie. I haven't tried any of the other music theory software, but my friend uses it to teach music fundamentals at a CC and she told me that it's the best out there. I can believe it. ... Read more

Features

• Improved harmony notation -- view each harmony on a separate track, or view & print a single harmony, and print out a chart for practice or publishing
• New song styles, new navigation, edited patterns and other tools for better song control
• Added fret displays for string instruments like mandolin, ukulele and banjo
• New & improved piano, organ, guitar, brass sounds - new instruments & styles, plus updates on the previous styles
• Live looping with the One More Time feature -tighter control over song loops during live performing. Extend the song, cut it short, skip to the chorus, by pressing a key

Product Description

There’s music in all of us. Let Music Creator help you tap your full creative potential! Creating music on your PC has never been easier, more fun, and more affordable.

Just plug in any instrument or microphone and press Record. Whether you’re an aspiring musician or just looking to be more creative, Music Creator makes it all happen.

Music Creator is ideal for:

• Musicians
• Music enthusiasts
• Singer/songwriters
• Bands
• Choir groups
• Music teachers and students
• PC hobbyists
• The entire family

• Record audio and MIDI tracks using any instrument, vocals, or audio loops
• Write music for CDs, sheet music, home videos and the Internet

• pyro Express CD Maker and WAV Ripper
• Virtual Sound Canvas DXi soft synth
• Dreamstation DXi soft synth
• ACID™-format audio loop library

Features

• Includes Pyro Express CD Maker and WAV Ripper
• Record audio and MIDI tracks using any instrument, vocals, or audio loops
• Write music for CDs, sheet music, home videos, and the Internet
• Edit, arrange, and mix music; make loops out of any MP3 or WAV file
• Integrates seamlessly with Cakewalk Kinetic and other Rewire synths

Reviews (1)

An appended review....
To be honest, I had previously written a scathing review of this product. I have decided in the light of recent events to append it. I am giving this prog 4 stars,(unfortunately, the ranking can't be changed in an appended review).If your soundcard has both WDM and ASIO drivers, this software will automatically detect the WMD's, resulting in latency probs. Manually connecting to the ASIO drivers within the program solves the problem, thus the appended review. The dxi soft synths in this prog are quite lame, and the sounds rather poor. However, it get's high marks for it's combination of low price and a very full featured loopintg and recording system. It also has great plugin flexibility. For what you pay for it, it's a sweet little program. It only get's 4 stars due to it's lack of decent soft synths, but beyond that, an excellent prog. ... Read more

Product Description

When it comes to serious audio for the Mac, more Hollywood sound designers,music and radio producers, video editors, and other professionals depend onPeak than any other stereo editing application. And now, with Peak LE 4, youget all the essential features of Peak at an amazing value.With Peak 4 LE, you can quickly edit and create yourown custom MP3 music mixes. Convert your vinyl or cassette collection to CDs in just a few simple steps. Optimize audio for the Web. Record a professional-qualitynarration for a PowerPoint presentation. Create perfect dance remixes, drumloops, and sound samples. Then, when you're ready, burn your own replication-readyaudio CDs.Simply put, Peak 4 LE makes great-sounding audioeasy ? ata price that sounds every bit as good!Fastest & mostintuitive waveform editing available on any platformBit depths up to 24-bitSample rates up to 96kHzAltivec enhancedDisplay multiple document windows simultaneouslyUnlimited Undo/Redo with graphic edit historyUser-definable display size & colorRecord audio directly or import all QuickTime-compatible audio formatsPreview & import entire CD Tracks - or portions of tracksCreate sample-accurate loops quickly and easilySupports built-in Mac I/O, plus OS X and Core Audio-compatible audio hardwarePlaylist withfully-integrated Redbook (Disk-At-Once/DAO) CD burningDSP toolset includes Fade In/Out, Normalize, Gain Envelope, Reverse, Convert Sample Rate, Mix, and more... ... Read more

Features

• Advanced Digital Signal processing(DSP) tools with options like Fade In/Out, Normalize, Gain Envelope, Reverse and more
• Fast & intuitive waveform editing for better & easier sound design
• Unlimited undo/redo functions with edit history for easier management
• Better mastering is here with Sqweez, the new compression & limiting tool
• The sample-based ImpulseVerb technology takes reverb to a higher level

Reviews (1)

Peak LE is the easiest to use for mac...and it works for PC
I'm a dual platformer by trade. I teach PCs but just bought my Powerbook G4 after a brief trip to the dark side (6 years since my last Mac). A born-again Mac Addict. I use CDwave for PC to track out live concert discs. It is simple and made solely made to record. split and export audio files. That left me searching for something comparable for Mac without buying a $500 software package that does more than I'm ready for now.

I just bought Peak LE after trying out the trialware. I saw it in the Apple Store and decided to try it. The saleslady actually recommended Sound Studio which is $50 instead of the $99 retail fpr Peak LE. And they don't even carry it. I tried Sound Studio first but it crashes anytime you try to do something...and I have 1Ghz Powerbook (fixed permissions and all). I read that Sound Studio is prone to this and has done little to fix the problem. Prior to finding either program, I tried the free audio software, Audacity, but it is too complex for what I need. It is difficult to understand and manipulate. It also has little support and documentation.

So I tried Peak LE and found it to be just the right amount of power I need for my means. I record live concerts (by permission of the bands) onto DAT, transfer to CD and track in a non-linear editor (i.e. Peak LE). The most I need to do is fade-in and -out and other simple operations. In addition, you can even burn discs straight from Peak LE. DAO is the default settings with 0.00s gaps between tracks! The online documentation is excellent and it helped teach me to use the software before i even bought it!

There are only a few criticisms of the software/packaging. A printed version of the 80-page manual and 50-page tutorials with the retail version of the software. I know I'm a slave to paper. I also wish I could edit the markers and regions in a list format. Other than that, it's perfect! ... Read more

Product Description

Has everything included in Piano Suite,plus over 400 popular pieces to learn! Also has a Composer/Editor which provides instant notation for your tunes. ... Read more

Features

• Piano Suite is your best option for learning to play piano no matter what your age
• With a full compliment of customizable and expandable tools Piano Suite will guide you into the rewarding world of making your own music
• Piano Player will help you through the learning process with the help of an interactive voice tutor and provide continuous feedback on your play until you master the piece
• Personal and musical biographies of over 150 composers and performers will enrich your learning experience
• Challenging interactive games sharpen your piano playing skills and develop theory comprehension

Reviews (2)

Adventus
The lessons do very well teaching a middle aged person with zero music experience how to play correctly. The software does not use ASIO driver so there are latency problems no matter what kind of sound card you have. To get around it will cost major bucks. The software is designed for young folks and the graphics can be annoying at times. The disk is copy protected and impossible to duplicate but they will sell you a duplicate for around $10. The printed sheet music is very good and if directions are followed they group formal music at levels to practice with. There are no lyrics on the printed music but are included in the software, there seems to be a lot of copyright disputes taking place.

Great Software-Highly recommended
These guys have definitely put a lot of thought into this product and must be dedicated music instructers. Set up is easy. Worked perfectly out of the box. I did have one minor problem with producing sounds other then piano, but I went to the Adventus website and downloaded a patch. It works great now! Theres lots of info there and a phone number for tech support.

This is great software for beginners. No big jumps in lession difficulty, just a steady progression. Lots of user interaction with the software (ie, feedback about your playing, etc), games, computer generated vide, lots of songs to play and lots of different styles from classical to rock.

I'm not even using the suggested Adventus set-up, that is, using a internal soundblaster wavetable sound card. Adventus warned of a lag in hearing a note after it was pressed and when the sound was produced if you didn't have an internal wavetable soundcard. I'm not having any "latency" issues. Maybe it is because I have a 1.7ghz computer, with a external M-Audio Firewire soundcard. This is a "pro" external sound card (it has no built in sounds of its own it just processes digital sound files that come out of your computer. For access to sounds you'll need software or you can rely on the internal Microsoft GS WaveTable Software Synthesizer built into Windows XP) and Firewire is fast. For those people using the external Soundblaster Audigy cards, I've read that there may be a "latency" issue.

Read the magazine reviews at the Adventus Website if you don't believe me - www.adventus.com.

Also, I recommend http://www.tweakheadz.com/ for lots of info on equipment for making and recording computer music. The forums are great, especially.

This is quality software. ... Read more

Features

• Professional mixing and editing
• Loop-based music production

Reviews (7)

Massive price drop
Two of the other reviews of Screenblast Acid 4.0 compare this $60 program to the Professional version at around $250.Both of them say that the Professional version is better.And this is surprising because????Acid, even when it came from Sonic Foundry, had the same business model as game consoles.Basically, sell the software for cheap and make the real money on selling loops.There is no difference now that Sony's in the picture.As for comparisons between Pro 2.0 and Screenblast 4.0, the fact that you can now get almost the same functionality for $60 as you used to get for $250 should be something to celebrate, not condemn.

There are a few problems with the program.First, I'd love to be able to edit the MIDI file from within the program.Oh well.MIDI sequencers are pretty cheap, and most people who buy this program can't play an instrument.

Second, the effects aren't as comprehensive as you get on the $250 version.I guess that's why I saved almost $200.

And one hint to add.Acidplanet.com is a website that you can use host songs for free.They also have available for FREE DOWNLOAD an "Eight-Pack" of loops.Every week eight new loops.(Yes, I know that it's also marketing.But there's no such thing as a free lunch.)They also have a couple of loop packages available for under $40 at any given time.

Enjoy.

you get what you pay for...
this software sucks! first when you get it the samples are so freakin' cheesy and when you want cool loops you have to get on Sony's website and buy them seperately (what a rip off!)
Buy the other Acid pro thats 250 bucks ITS SEMI COOL.
SONY YOU CHEAP RIP OFF!

Good with Windows XP, but not with ME
Initially I bought this to run with Windows XP and Windows Me since they are both listed as being supported by Amazon.But, after speaking with Sony tech support I have found that Acid 4.0 is not fully functional with Windows ME. When you run this on a Windows ME system, you can not Render a project to a MP3 file. This is becuase there are no supported templates for MP3 for Acid 4.0 with Windows ME.Also, it locks up my system periodically when I try to do live recordings.But, with Windows XP it works fine.And, if you have a Sony VAIO system that came preinstalled with the Deluxe versions of Acid and SoundForge, be advised that the base Acid 4.0 and SoundForge 1.1 do not have the same capabilities. You will have to update Acid 4.0 and SoundForge so you can perform the same tasks as the pre installed software on your Sony VAIO.However, I do like the multi-track editor.

poor
your web address can't be found. i have took acid4.0 back two time and it still dosn't work. i tryed to get my money back but best buy said it is copywrited.so thanks for the trouble!!!!

this has got to be one of worst product that sony
ever put there name on.so thanks for taking my
money!!!!

A Step Backwards, for the Price
I owned Acid 2.0 a few years back and had loads of fun making music and re-mixing.A couple years passed, I lost the Installation CD's, and my wife graciously bought me Screenblast Acid 4.0.Well, it looks and works just like Acid 2.0, except the included loops are all cheesy, already slapped-together garbage, and there are much fewer of them.

Sure, you can get more loops via the Screenblast.com web site, but it's $39.95 per year to subscribe. And all the Acid Loop Libraries? Now that Sony owns them, they're $50 EACH!!!Almost the cost of the software itself to own just one library!

If you need more loops (and you WILL), find web sites like AcidFanatic.com, where these libraries are still reasonably priced, or just find free loops elsewhere.

VERY disappointed in this product.You'd think that two revisions and a major media outlet would improve this great product, but Sony has just turned this into a cash cow for their music loops.It's like giving you a car for free, but it runs on "Special" gas that costs $10 a gallon... ... Read more

Product Description

GarageBand Jam Pack 3: Rhythm Section is an expansion pack of additional content for iLife '04. It extends the number of sounds available for creating music, providing even more creative options. Jam Pack 3: Rhythm Section provides rhythmic foundation for musicians, songwriters, and bands by providing the core building blocks of: drums, percussion, bass, and guitars in a variety of genres including rock, folk, jazz, country, and blues. (Jam Pack 3: Rhythm Section does not require Jam Pack 1 or 2)

Over 2000 Apple Loops
Build unique tracks with loops for rock, blues, jazz, and country songs. Foundation elements include more than1000 loops of drum beats and fills and1000 more bass lines, guitar and keyboard riffs, and chord progressions.

Rhythm Kits
Play a variety of new software drum kits, covering everything from jazz brushes to classic1970s studio sound to heavy metal. Rhythm Section also includes a wide range of percussion sounds like congas, bongos, shakers, steel drums, and more.

More bass
Choose from new, fully playable acoustic and electric basses covering some of the most popular studio tones. Whether you're into Motown sound,1960s pop, or progressive and unplugged rock, Rhythm Section will hold down the low end.

Guitars Galore
Strum and pick from your keyboard using more than10 playable guitars and other stringed instruments like dobro and banjo. Jam acoustic or electric, from fiery leads to rhythmic strumming and power chords.

... Read more

Features

• 10+ playable guitars and other stringed instruments like dobro and banjo
• Extension of sounds and creative options for making music
• Impressive array of drum kits, percussion, basses, and guitars
• Over 2000 loops for rock, blues, jazz, and country songs
• New software drum kits and fully playable acoustic and electric basses

Reviews (1)

Must have addition to GarageBand or SoundTrack
With GB, Apple gives you 1000 loops to make songs with. After awhile, you'll find that you've done you can with them and lust after more.

With Jam Pack 3, they got the bases covered. Lots more loops and some real tasty guitar licks. Sure there are drums and whatnot, but what I was looking for was more variety in guitars and this really hit the spot. ... Read more

Product Description

Now you can fulfill your dream of learning to play the guitar from a fraction of the cost of traditional lessons.

... Read more

Features

• In-depth instructions for beginners -- 10 lessons for complete beginners, plus 50 instructional clips for better technique
• Understand guitar topics like fingerstyle, classical play & chord structures
• Advanced instructions for inversions, circle of fifths, scales, modes, transposing and arpeggios
• Comes with digital dictionary of 1,260 playable chords
• Use backup tracks for 9 musical styles

Reviews (1)

Excellent.
I learned how to play a few songs in only a few weeks. It was really helpfull and informative. I'd recommend it for anyone. ... Read more

Product Description

FL Studio is a full-featured sequencer perfectly suited for creation of complex songs and realistic drum loops, with 32 bit internal mixing and advanced MIDI support. The resulting song or loop can be exported to a WAV/MP3 file and all MIDI events can be exported to a standard MIDI file. FL Studio is a pattern based sequencer, which means you create your songs in pieces (patterns) using the Step Sequencer and the Piano Roll view and then weld those pieces together using the Playlist window (the Playlist also supports full-featured audio tracks with hard drive streaming). ... Read more

Features

• High-precision mastering and special effects filters - reverb, compressor, procedural equalizer, distortion, phaser, flanger, bass boost, delay line and others
• Sequencing methods for realistic drum loops, and complex instrumentals like advanced piano roll, arpeggiator, keyboard tracking and real-time gate
• Unique note properties morphing ability -- pitch, cutoff, resonance, panning
• 68 mixer tracks to work with - 64 insert and 4 send tracks - supporting up to 8 filters each, with ASIO input support and the ability to create mixer chains
• Integrated procedural equalizer, volume and panning for each mixer track

Reviews (1)

A great sequencer! but not an all in one solution
I use FL Studio frequently. It's my primary sequencer for Drums and melody.Well at least when I'm clicking notes on a grid.It actually snaps the notes to grid (something Sonar 2.0 didn't do)
As far as original melody creation and midi sequencing it's a joy to use.
Plus it supports VST effects. and I actually Like it's effects.(The EQ is nice to work with, as is the fast distortian)
Now down to why I gave it trhee stars...
For some reason It won't let me use ASIo 2.0 (even though sonar will)which makes inputting notes from my keyboard almost pianful) so I simply use the grid, or enter notes into sonar (sonar 2.0 I've seen it for $15 on ebay), my solution is to get an m-audi card to replace my OLD Soundblaster card.that should fix that problem.
Loops are difficult to control in teh playlsit window, you either have the loops snap to cell or beat (which I don't like because I don't have very much control) amd when I turn off snap to grid it's very difficult to sequence one loop after another it's too easy to put a loop to far away from the previous loop or accidentally overlap loops.
I'll get acid for all my loop sequencing needs.

The bottom line:
The only sequencer that you'll ever need (if you have a low latentcy soundcard) but not a good all in one solution.
In the future (once I get acid) I will convert my orignal material to wav and sequence in ACID ... Read more

Product Description

Music Maker 2005 Deluxe ... Read more

Features

• Create your own musical emails, or Webpages with music embedded into them
• Live arranger and multitrack arranger and mixer, plus Song Maker tools for arranging a song with a click
• New Robota analog drum machine, one-click looping, vocoder and vocal tuner
• Features 96 tracks for music in stereo, video clips, MIDI, text and images
• Add video fx for animated text blending, rolling credits, transitions and beat-controlled animation

Reviews (4)

buyer BEWARE!
The one thing that has not been mentioned in any of these reviews is the license for this product. This software cannot be used for commercial use without permission from one of their "duly authorized representatives".I'm not sure, but I bet this is a costly proposition. So if you want this product for an amusing game, it's fine. If you want to use it for music that you plan to sell, even if you are including your own playing on it, avoid it.

If you think that making loops of your own playing will let you off the hook, no, it won't. The license includes anything made with the software, so even if you want to sell your own music, PLAYED BY YOU, you have to talk to one of their representatives. If they give you permission to sell your OWN work, you still have to put their logo on it, which says, "Magix Creation". How nice......

The ultimate media creating software!!!
Whether you are looking to create, mix or just edit this program has it all. I haven't seen anything out there that can beat music maker 2005. I have try to edit with other programs, but nothing has the options magix offers. Hands down ACID PRO will never touch magix. Audio, video, slideshows, you name it Magix has what you need.
If you are familiar with the 2004 version, there's more with 2005. The vocoder and guitar are amazing. To change a voice with the vocal tuner is very simple. The drum n bass collection has a few more loops added. If you need to clear any part of a mix, between the master effects and the reverb from the mixer i can have a instumental ready for recording in less than a minute. This program gives you all the tools you need to create music and sound like the pros. Music Maker 2005 also has a tutorial that will make everything so much easier than other programs.
Do some research though, if you need to. I cannot believe this program is even under $200. This is well worth making better music.

Large feature set, large learning curve
There have been some fairly mixed reviews about this application. People either love it or hate it, depending on what, if anything, has gone wrong for them. I have had a pleasant experience with this application and am writing this review as such.

In a nutshell, this is a loop-based music application that clones Sony's Acid program. It provived a similar feature set without breaking the bank and is available on store shelves. There is a steep learning curve associated with using an application like this, but it's worth it if you have the time and the patience once you learn the lay of the land and know your way around.

The backbone of the application is a sequencing grid that allows you to drag and drop MIDI and WAV clips onto it, then set the beats per minute (BPM) to suit. This particular version comes with a couple of content CDs that allow one to quickly cobble together music. You can also use the composition wizard to quickly pop together a mix, based on whatever style of music you pick (limited choices, but still a great way to get up and running), What the wizard generates won't be airplay quality, but it's a good running start.

It also allows video and picture content to be added, effectively building a multimedia track.

Within the sequencer, you can stretch a clip over several time frames, so that it can last 1 second or 10 seconds (or more if you like), saving a lot of time and trouble.

Need more content? There is a built-in limited FTP client that connects to the Magix website and allows access to some extra content. The extra content is good, but a word of caution - if you pull too much too quickly from the site, you get locked out for about a half an hour.

There are several built-in synthesizers that will help you create your own sequences. There is a Copper and a Silver synth, but these two are somewhat limited in scope in comparison to what is available for free download (more on that in a minute). There is also a classical guitar synth, as well as a grand piano synth, a drum synth, a rhythm and bass synth, and a couple of others (like an ambient noise generator). The sampler synth is an interesting synth, as it allows you to "draw" your melody with the mouse or punch one in via the keyboard, and it has several instruments that it emulates so you can change the sounds from sequence to sequence.

Built in to the application is a VSTi host, accessible through the synthesizers tab on the media picker. As long as the VSTi synth that you desire to use is installed in the directory specified by the host so that it can find it, no special effort is required to make it work. The VSTi synth can then be manipulated through a popup window that allows the user to make tweaks and change patch sets. The melody can be modified throough the host, which closely resembles the sampler synth.

So, once you have created your mix, how do you save it to something others can use? There are a few options. One is to export it to WAV, but this has a tendency to make huge files that are not practical to send via email or publish to a website. Another is to export as an Ogg Vorbis file. Yet another is to export directly to an MP3, but there is a catch with this - there is a built-in MP3 encoder, but there are only 20 free uses before you have to pay for unlimited use. The cost is small, but the fact that it's a teaser is very annoying. There are free alternatives to this if you are willing to use a two-step process - my personal preference is to export to WAV and use LAME to convert to MP3.

Built in to the application is a mechanism to publish your mixes to a community website. This allows you to get your stuff some exposure, albeit rather limited in scope. The community site is managed by Magix and they allow you to send your mixes as well as put up some other information you might want to share. Taking a look around, there are hundreds of community mixes there, and you can listen to them and build playlists and so forth. Be aware, of course, that the quality of said mixes varies with the skills of the respective arrangers...

This is a very large application and it takes up a lot of memory. It will complain and get sluggish if you have too much stuff running or do not have sufficient memory to keep it happy. I have seen the application slow to a crawl when other things (even seemingly benign stuff) occurs on the system, and on occasion I have had to kill the application when it got too bogged down to even respond to mouse events.

One problem I have had is in the use of VSTi instruments. On occasion, the synths will grab on to a note and not let go. Sometimes I can delete the sequence and recreate exactly and the problem goes away, but other times the problem appears suddenly when the sequence has not exhibited the problem before. This seems to be related to memory load, but it is not clear to me if this is indeed the case.

The previous reveiwer stated that the support of this application is generally limited to the support forums. This is more or less correct. There is email contact but the messages sent seem to go into the void. There is also a phone number for Magix, and I have a question I have been trying to ask them, but I never manage to get a live person on the line, even when holding for the operator. Keep this in mind.

This application is a good budget entry into the loop-based music arrangement software arena. It has it's share of quirks and idiosyncracies, but it is a good value for the money if you can overlook those problems. A good measure of patience and time are needed to get over the learning curve, but you will be rewarded with hours of fun building your own musical arrangements.

Magix mp3 Maker 2005 Deluxe is a bad buy
I've had a real bad experience with this product.When it comes to WMA ripping or converting (audio that are bit long, like 3.5 mins plus) it totally fails, it simply doesn't work.The only way to communicate with the company, MAGIX, is to email them.I'm still waiting for a response (I think has been 3 months).Their web support forum is really bad.You just find other people like me, having problems, trying to help each other out.Buyer beware of any of their products, especially if you require tech support. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Add the missing ingredient to your Mac-based home recording studio with iDrum--a fully programmable drum machine. iDrum turns any Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.2 or later into a slamming beatbox ready to lay down your grooves, your way. From ambient down tempo to bangin' hip-hop to frenetic drum and bass, iDrum has your back (beat). It's as easy to use as the hardware drum machines of yesteryear, but with all the flexibility of a software-based virtual instrument. iDrum integrates seamlessly with GarageBand, Logic, Digital Performer, and other applications that support AudioUnit plug-ins, or you can run it as a standalone application. This means you can use iDrum to create beats from within your favorite music software environment--perfectly synced with your arrangement and always right where you left off when you return to the project.

iDrum comes with hundreds of tight drum samples arranged in nearly 200 iDrum files, each with several preset patterns programmed by some of the best beatmeisters working today. But these beats are just the beginning. iDrum also features a wide array of sound-shaping DSP functions, such as filters, amp envelopes, and even crunchy old-school drum machine bit reduction. You can also load any AIFF or WAV sound file up to 2 MB in size as a drum sample. iDrum's sonic palette is limited only by your imagination. iDrum will also export your patterns and songs as AIFF audio, MIDI, or GarageBand-compatible AIFF for further editing.

Drum machine neophytes will experience the same magical "instant gratification" fun that hooked an entire generation of musicians on the hardware drum machines of yesteryear. Pros will find that there's simply no faster, easier way to access and manage large, unwieldy drum sample libraries, get a smooth beat going, and export it into the format you need (all for less money than a replacement pad for your MPC 3000).

What's in the Box
iDrum virtual drum machine software, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Exports patterns and songs as AIFF or MIDI files; 1-year warranty
• Fully programmable virtual drum machine designed for Mac OS X 10.2
• Includes hundreds of preprogrammed drum samples with preset sounds and patterns
• Easy drum machine interface with wide array of filters, amp envelopes, and more
• Integrates seamlessly with GarageBand, Live 4, Logic, and other AudioUnit hosts

Product Description

Music Notation/Publishing Software ... Read more

Features

• Rhyming Dictionary helps songwriters find the right rhyme for any lyric
• Enter your music in a traditional staff, or display it automatically for a TAB staff
• An extensive library of special symbols and shapes used with notation and for over 50 fretted instruments
• Input notes with a MIDI guitar and see instant TAB notation
• Advanced music scanning technology and optical character recognition helps musicians scan sheet music and turn it into a Finale file

Reviews (3)

Not an OS X application
What it doesn't say here nor on the finalemusic.com website is, this is an OS 9 ("classic") application. If you have managed finally to dispense with all your "classic" Mac applications, you'll want to think twice before ordering this one. It's so "classic" that the Installer tells you it can't be run under OS X but you must REBOOT into OS 9 before installing!

This was a shock, because the same company's Finale NotePad -- surely the best value in free software anywhere! -- does run native in OS X.

Great for a Beginner or Advanced Musician-at a low price
I received this software on Christmas this year in addition with a MIDI keyboard. This software is excellent! Some say that they prefer Sibelius software but I disagree. This software gives you the power to enter notes in seconds, play with a swing feeling, print, and publish to the web in seconds. If people tell you that this software is aggravating then they do not know what they are talking about. Even if you don't have a MIDI connection, you can simply type notes in on your computer keyboard. If you do not trust what I am saying, go to www.finalemusic.com and download Finale Notepad software. If you also do not want to spend $75 on this software, buy Finale Printmusic! software. for $46.88. on this website. And, if you buy this software and master it, you can upgrade to Finale which is possibly the world's best music producing software.

Powerful program but aggravating
This is a powerful piece of notation software.It can transcribe MIDIs, has all kinds of articulations, its notations extends to ALL instruments (not just guitar), can sheet music in from a scanner and read it and convert it, and it can convert regular sheet music into tab (very useful if you got shafted by a songbook that claimed to have guitar notation but only had the chords in a fretboard diagram not the notes), and you can also make your own midis and switch between keys effortlessly.The negatives are that it is not easy to use.Some things seem out of place for example when placing chords you have to click on another menu apart from the Chords menu to get the program to display the fretboard diagram of the chord, replacing notes in either tab or standard music notation is very tedious and sometimes aggravating, placing articulations can be tedious as well, the program will lag your system, and last but definitely not least it has the terrible and annoying habit of changing the tab numbers you copy between measures if your using a certain template with standard notation above it.If you think you can handle all of that then this program might be for you. ... Read more

Product Description

With Cakewalk Kinetic, you?re the Dance and Hip Hop producer. Simply put, Kinetic represents the fastest and easiest way to create electronic music. Even if you have no musical background it?s a snap to get started making tracks. And that?s not all, your grooves are going to be huge because Kinetic features the best instrument sounds ever available on a PC.Whether you have dance club aspirations or need beats to back your rhymes, Kinetic has all the juice you need. The Best SoundsKinetic features 100%-genuine Roland? sounds from their leading groove boxes and synthesizers. The Roland name is synonymous with the cutting edge tones of Hip Hop, Dance, and Electronica. These instruments have been used by chart-toppers and underground legends for over 20 years. You could easily spend over a thousand dollars to get the hardware versions of these instruments, but now for the first time they can be yours?all you need is Kinetic and your PC. The Easiest Way to Make MusicKinetic doesn?t just sound good; it makes musical creativity accessible to anyone, regardless of musical experience. Select the instrument and style of music you want, and you are given an assortment of hundreds of professionally recorded music patterns and loops to make music. To add your own flavor to the mix you can modify these patterns or create your own. Then just point and click to trigger different instruments and you?re composing your own song. Key FeaturesCompose music and creat... ... Read more

Features

• Connect Kinetic to other recording programs like Music Creator, Home Studio, or SONAR to expand your capabilities
• Duplicates the sounds and tones of the leading Roland groove boxes and synthesizers -the MC 101, 606, 808 and 909
• Work with hundreds of professionally-recorded patterns and loops, through a fun intuitive interface
• Access a powerful Pattern Editor and 64 voice polyphonic synthesizer (PSYN) for creating original music or modifying existing song patterns
• Tweak your sound with the powerful set of studio effects tools

Reviews (1)

Not perfect, but it is still the best!
Likes...
Once you learn the program you can do some pretty extraordinary things with it. Finale offers a lot of flexibility. The print output put looks fantastic. It plays back your piece flawlessly!!! Recent versions come with tutorial videos so it makes it very easy for a beginner to get started right away. Also, the help forum at Makemusic is very good. Anyone can get their Finale question answered in very little time! Finale now comes with a GM soundfont. Now you can hear your files played back with decent sounds without having to buy any external equipment. 2005 is now compatible with Garritan Personal Orchestra so you can have your files played back with some of the best available! I would bet VST and DXi will be in the next release. (Don't quote me on this!)

There are a couple free pdf writers on the net. Download them and then you will be able to send your arrangement via email! This is a very cool feature!

Dislikes...
Finale still makes some common tasks very difficult. Rits and accels are a nightmare to figure out. You have to have a third party plugin to get decent results. If you try and do them with Finale's method you better be a rocket scientist!!! Something this common should be really simple! There are other cryptic, hard to learn features lurking amidst some of the menus but Make Music is getting rid of them with each new release.

I use Finale almost every day of my life! It is amazing. It isn't as hard to learn as it used to be thanks to the tutorials it comes with. Anyone that loves writing music should get Finale! It is the most extensive music notation program there is.

Dave Morehead (trumpet/composer/arranger)
Davemorehead.com ... Read more

Product Description

Rip, Enhance, Mix and Burn - Pyro 2004 is the Complete MP3 and CD Maker! If you want to get the most out of your digital music experience look no further than Cakewalk Pyro 2004. Whether you want to make MP3s, burn and share mix CDs of your favorite music, digitize and restore LPs or cassettes, archive important data files, or create backup copies of your favorite CDs, Pyro does it all in one easy-to-use application.Cakewalk has provided leading music recording technology to Grammy and Emmy winning musicians and producers for over 15 years. They?ve now combined the best of that technology with thier years of experience to create the ultimate software for the enjoyment of digital music and more. The Complete MP3 & CD MakerRecord, organize & enjoy digital musicRip & burn music CDs to/from MP3, WMA, WAVBackup CDs with easy disc copyingTransfer and restore LPs and tapes to CDMaximize, clean, and enhance audio with pro FXArchive data files on CDBONUS - includes FREE NEATO CD Label softwareAs easy as 1-2-3Everything is clear and intuitive. Pyro?s welcome screen and customized instruction pane tell you everything you need to know to get started fast 1.With Pyro, it?s a snap to create digital music files or copy CDs. Rip songs from any CD and turn them into MP3, Windows Media, or WAV files; record and convert your old LPs or cassettes; even record internet radio broadcasts. 2.Click and drag to arrange and edi... ... Read more

Features

• Maximize, clean, and enhance audio with pro FX
• Record, organize, and enjoy digital music; includes free NEATO CD label software
• Rip and burn music CDs to/from MP3, WMA, WAV
• Backup CDs with easy disc copying; archive data files on CD
• Transfer and restore LPs and tapes to CD

Reviews (18)

No Problem Mon
I dunno what people's problem is, maybe they are using Windows 98 or something. But for Data back-up and music compilation, it couldn't be simpler or more reliable (so far -it's been a few months). So, what's the Problem?

Never got it to work
I had the same installation problems.THe program would install and I could open it, but nothing worked.I couldn't play any audio file.I just got the same error message that the file could not be opened. Emailing customer support gets very old.I tried to jump through the hoops but could never fix the problem.I'll likely give it to my sister for Christmas and hope she has better luck with it on her PC

not user-friendly and insufficient tech support: DO NOT BUY!
I had the same experience as the person who had to go into regedit and tweak stuff to get this puppy to work. And then they won't give support over the phone -- only by email! Originally I was going to buy Roxio, but was successfully sidetracked by the cheaper price of Pyro. Ooops. I'm going to the computer store where I bought this thing to buy a copy of Roxio or Xing.
I'm giving it one star here because they won't let me give it none.

This product is severely lacking
When I buy CD burning software, I don't expect much.If you want to edit something, you are going to buy editing software, so halfway attempts to add editing functionality are superfluous.The one thing I do expect is that it be able to burn a CD-Rom.This product has no ability to burn a CD-Rom unless YOU CREATE THE CD-ROM INSIDE PYRO!!!This means if you have an old ghost image, forget it.Download a linux iso, forget it.Do you have backups, lying around on your hard drive? Forget it.

Might be good, but BIG installation problems
I bought this program after reading reviews of several products. Maybe it's the best thing since sliced bread, but I couldn't get it installed. I called and e-mailed Cakewalk's tech support, and after 5 tries I gave up. I have a new machine running Windows XP, and even though the program is supposed to be compatible, it isn't. I've since heard from several would-be users who have had similar problems. I don't know what to recommend instead of this program, but unless you're willing to pay a high price in frustration, get something else. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

For what it is...OUTSTANDING
I have used Magix Samplitude in a professional studio setting, editing radio commercials and doing audio for video work. This product is about three features short of the $1,700 (approx.) version of their pro audio program, Samplitude.It's incredible.When I first saw it, I thought, "They must have stripped the program bare, but at least it has the interface".Upon receiving this product, I was shocked, it's essentially Samplitude Studio, and it has a full MIDI sequencer to boot, with some of the most realistic instrumentation I've ever heard.

It doesn't record 96K audio (only up to 48K - perfectly suited for pro work), can't burn CD's directly from the timeline (who doesn't have alternate CD burning software these days? - it's built into WinXP and others), and doesn't have a built in de-esser (which you can emulate with it's extensive EQ settings).

All in all, this is an incredible program that is mature, stable and has most if not all of the features of it's big brother Samplitude, which has become a staple in studio settings.

I'm buying two more for my business!

If you have a sound blaster card chances are your. ...
asio drivers will be very poor and your computer will overstack its buffers.This will cause crashing, dropouts, and other bad assortments.Before buying audio software make sure your drivers are updated and well written specifically for the card. Otherwise you will probably have problems like most of the other users writing reviews.By the wayside...This program is an older version of logic with cut-down logic-type vsti support.Definitely worth it's price not to mention the sample cd's.

Works great!
Works great! Very fast on my 2.4GHz machine.I had absolutely no problems using my Audigy drivers under DX8.If you have any doubts, download the demo from Magix and try it before you buy it (duh!).

YIKES....I ONLY HAVE TWO WORDS....
DON'T BUY. O.k. I have a few more...this thing crashed more than a drunk pilot. It lagged and locked up on me so many times i'm going cross-eyed. I liked version 5 deluxe a heckuvalot better than this. I was warned about 6 so i stayed away. I wish i were warned about this one. Give this vampire the old wooden stake! DEFINITELY buy 5 over 6 or 7. Or just stay away and find a nice sonic foundry program. They cost a whole lot more...but if you can afford it...get it.If not, look around for magix music studio 5 deluxe. You won't be sorry.

It's best feature is un-install!
I never could get this product to work with the audio drivers in my Audigy sound card so I bought Cakewalk Music Creator 2003 instead.Am I glad I did.Cakewalk is 100 time better.Magix has a very poor user interface. ... Read more

Product Description

MP3 Maker 2005 Deluxe ... Read more

Features

• Better support for mobile music - special connection center makes it easy
• Burn playlist contents on the fly, in any file format, onto CD and DVD
• Drag and drop songs into your mix, directly from the Explorer or database
• Add fantastic special effects to your mix - Reverb, Scratch effects, Compressor,3D effects and much more
• Workshop of precision editing tools enhance the sound of your music

Reviews (4)

They know its bad.They'll just try to con you.
I have an older version of MP3 Maker Gold.When I tried to resample something from 44100 to 22050, it cut the playback rate in half, i.e. it ran at half speed.I have other software that resamples it at the correct speed.

I contacted technical support and they said cutting the playback rate was the correct thing to do.They continued to tell me that I shouldn't be using 22050, but should use 44100.They would never deal with the issue.

This is like a contractor building a house, and part of the floor caves in.They then tell the inhabitants not to walk there and everything will be ok.

Trashy product, trashy company.

Very Buggy
Ugh.Well, not to sound too negative, let me start with a few positives:

1. It's pretty fast at ripping CDs.
2. The audio effects during playback are kind of fun to play with.
3. As far as I know, the CD burning component works fine; I didn't test that out at all.
4. Um, the install went smoothly?

But for me, they're vastly overshadowed by the negatives:

1. The quality of ripped mp3s is uneven--some tracks have enough defects to be completely unlistenable.
2. It doesn't offer many options for ripping CDs, compared to many freeware programs.
3. It simply refuses to rip some CDs (without even giving notification that it failed), which can be ripped with no problem by WMP, iTunes, or CDex.
4. It crashed when trying to rip some CDs, again which were no problem for other programs.
5. Its help program crashed immediately on startup.
6. It crashed when trying to import some songs into a playlist; you don't have to ask if other programs had any problems with the songs, do you?
7. The visualizer isn't resizeable; you get either tiny or fullscreen, and the fullscreen mode runs at about a frame every two seconds.
8. The music editor doesn't seem to allow mixing multiple tracks, beyond a simple crossfade.Boo!
9. The music editor's copy and paste commands don't work the same with all sounds, with no explanation--on my imported songs, it would not let me copy or paste anything.
10. If you quit the program and tell it to save the current playlist, and if it's unable to save some part of the playlist, then it just quits without saving anything (or giving you a chance to fix the problems).
11. Wait a second, the install didn't go smoothly!The program installed itself into "c:\Magix\", without asking if I had somewhere less conspicuous in mind.If all my software did that, I'd never find anything on my computer.
12. The uninstall didn't seem to remove anything from my hard drive, which did have the upside of allowing me to delete that wretched "c:\Magix\" folder myself.

Seriously, folks, this is bad, bad software.

Not worth the CD it's on
This is the second MAGIX product I have purchased recently. The first one was the MAGIX DVD maker which I returned after finding out that all the error messages were in German and the program crashed my very stable computer every time I used it. The MAGIX MP3 Maker isn't much better. The user interface is probably the worst I have come across. You have to think like the morons who wrote it to make it work --sometimes. Help is just a copy of the same useless users guide, which tells you what each icon is supposed to do and that's about it. I am amazed that such companies even exist putting out garbage like this and getting paid for it too.

Exciting program, when you figure it out
I'm a disgruntled Windows Media Player user.I like WMP's intuitive interface, song organization, and ratings.I HATE the fact that I can't burn WMA discs with my Lite-On CD AND DVD burners!That makes the program completely useless for me.

Seeking an alternative, Magix's MP3 software was one of the few I found.Another website found it the program to be quite useful, but extremely hard to learn.I concur.

The program is EXTREMELY non-intuitive.Although the program installed easily, using it after the fact made my computer (Windows XP) crash several times, presumably because I forced the program to do a few things it didn't want to.

After a few days of intermittent use, I'm getting a handle of the program, and I'm finding it very useful.Consider the following positive aspects:
1.For those of us with lots of music on our harddrives in a "My Music" folder, the program quickly finds the music you've ripped for use.From within the program, you can do anything to cut, copy, and paste and otherwise organize your music, and the corresponding changes will be made in real time, as you will find if you went directly to the folder from "My Documents," for example.

2.The Music Editor portion of the program has been immediately helpful for deleting dead portions of silence in songs that might buffer the last numbered track of a CD and a hidden track.There's lots of good music in these places on CDs, and now you'll be able to add them to mixed CDs.

3.The program supports WMA, WAV, and a couple different types of MP3 files, and easily converts files back and forth.The program, however, doesn't seem to want to burn, rip, or edit songs in WMA format.Therefore, all of the Windows Media ripping you've done will have to be converted to MP3, which as of now seems to be only a minor problem.

4.Categorization of music, an important aspect of any media player, is time consuming and not completed as quickly as with WMP.Regardless, it's possible, and that's a plus.

5.Overall, the program works smoothly when you figure it out.I've been able to burn an 80 minute, CDA. format CD on my Lite-On burner with no problem.I've not yet burned an MP3 disc for use in my Pioneer, MP3 compatible player in my car.My opinion of the program would change drastically if there's a compatability problem somewhere in this process.But, knock on wood, I don't anticipate any problems.

In sum, if you've got time to give this program a try, you probably won't be disappointed.If you're like me, and you want to organize your music in a number of different ways, you want to edit silence and other non-sense from long tracks, and you want to work and burn discs in useable formats, you'll probably like this program.Give it some time, though. ... Read more

Product Description

More sounds. More instruments. More fun.

Open a new door to musical creativity with this diverse set of additional software instruments, prerecorded loops, and audio effects for GarageBand. Whether you're laying down tracks for your next hit single or creating your own party grooves, Jam Pack 1 gives you new ways to enhance your music projects.

Features:

• Over 2000 Apple Loops in a variety of instruments and genres
• Kick-start your composition with a wide selection of over 2000 prerecorded musical performances, including rock, funk, fusion, world, and electronic loops. It's like having your own backup band.
• Over 100 Software InstrumentsWith a USB or MIDI keyboard, you can play and record using more than 100 new instruments, such as vibraphone, twelvestring guitar, synthesizer, bass, and concert grand piano.
• Over 100 audio effects presetsSweeten, distort, and colorize individual sounds or entire tracks, selecting from over 100 effect settings tailored by professional recording engineers.
• 15 new guitar amp settingsPlug a guitar into your Mac and choose from vintage or modern amp sounds to find the perfect toneheavy blues, grunge, surf, indie rock, and more.

Features

• Wide selection of over 2000 prerecorded musical performances
• Extension of sounds and creative options for making music
• 2,000+ rock, funk, fusion, world, and electronic Apple Loops
• Over 100 new instrument settings; 100+ new audio-effects presets
• Choose the perfect sound for guitar riffs with new guitar amplifiers

Product Description

Updates any existing Logic Gold/Platinum 5 or 6 or Logic Pro 6 user to Logic Pro 7. The upgrade significantly expands Logic Proâs abilities by offering 3 new software instruments, 10 new effect plug-ins, and Apple Loops Support. It also provides an elegant method for expanding DSP resources by tapping multiple Macintosh computers on a network. XSKey will be immediately updatable via the internet when user first runs new version. ... Read more

Features

• Compose, record, edit, and mix music in any studio environment
• Complete music studio for musicians, engineers, and producers
• Advanced audio processing and world-class MIDI sequencing
• New instruments and effects; state-of-the-art loop composition tools
• More processing power using networked Macs

Features

• PC musical game based on popular musical masterpiece and designed for children and adults of all ages.

Reviews (4)

WONDERFUL!
This game is fve stars on all levels!
A Must Have for any Home with children....fun for adults too!

Literate, Enjoyable, Educational and Fun
If your children have any interest in music, or you want to encourage some, try this game. It's Mozart, for goodness sakes, and it's not dumbed down. Players have to actually listen to instruments and music to succeed at the challenges. If your youngster is less than about 7, you may have to play it together with them. Gee, playing a game with your kid that lets you listen to Mozart. Doesn't sound like a chore to me.

Buy it, enjoy it.

Fun and educational
We bought this game for our six year old son for the holidays.Although it didn't immediately grab his attention, he has grown to really love this game.

After playing the game, he now has an incredible ear for identifying musical instruments and music patterns.

Some of the games I thought were too challenging for him but he persevered and managed to complete all the components.He was excited by the challenge of the game.

It is sweet music to hear your child beg, "Mom, can I PLEASE play the Mozart game?"

Fantastic educational game.Kept all my kids riveted!
This game was a last minute impulse buy for Christmas for my 6 year old son.Little did I know that it was to be the most popular gift out of all those I purchased all year!As a classical music fan, I am thrilled with the understanding of music that it has given my children.While the game is intended to be played by children, I would also recommend it for adults who want to train their ears to hear individual orchestral instruments or gain a better understanding of musical composition.

The product description promises musical jigsaw games, musical trivia, an instrument encylopaedia, and more, but it does not even come close to doing justice to the hours of fun this game has provided my kids.Even my four and two year old sons play with this game.I do recommend that you find or buy a cd of The Magic Flut or excerpts from it prior to introducing the game to your children as they won't be able to get enough of the music once they start playing it!My kids now listen to a cd of the Magic Flute every night before bed.I tried to replace it the other night with a traditional lullaby cd and was met with a collective hue and cry to "puhleeeeeeeeeze put back Mozart..."

A couple of neat items in the game...

1.) There is a game where a sound clip of Mozart's Magic Flute is played.The player then listens to other clips from various sections of the opera which have been sped up or slowed down and chooses the match for the original clip.This is fantastic for training the ear to recognize tempo and chord progression.

2.) There is a section where the children can read a child-friendly description of the libretto of the opera while they listen to the music.

3.) There is a game in the program that allows the children to "mute" certain instruments while a piece is playing so that they can hear how the instruments sound together or separate and what parts they play.

4.) There is also an instrument encyclopaedia which not only plays a sample of each instrument but also speaks the definition aloud for children who have not yet learned to read well.

5.) The narration in the program is NOT, I repeat, NOT smarmy, annoyingly brash, condescending, or overly peppy as are many children's programs.It is done very tastefully but still very engagingly.

This program should be at the top of your list of educational games to purchase for any kids you know or any adults who love classical music.I cannot wait for my other Music Games International items to arrive.I hope they keep producing more and more- and if someone from their company happens upon this review, I'd like to request that they do something with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony!!! ... Read more