Software / Who will stop the music?

Rome – Products aimed specifically at those who compose music using the computer often have a very high cost, while shareware or freeware software downloaded from the Internet is not always reliable.
These three new Magix music programs stand out above all for their value for money, but also for the completeness of the instruments they make available.

Music Maker 2003 DeLuxe (Windows, 99.99 euros)
With this program it is possible to create and compose music of all kinds without the help of any external musical instrument, using a very rich library (3 CDs) of sampled loops and a good assortment of software synthesizers. Easy to use even for those unfamiliar with programs of this genre, Music Maker allows you to create arrangements in real time, that is, to compose new tracks without ever interrupting the musical flow, an immediate and fun system that favors the spontaneous birth of riffs and captivating grooves.

Compatible with VST and DirectX standards, Music Maker is complete in all the functions you would expect from such a workstation, including importing audio files and a real rack of effects including reverb, compressor and equalizer. Such a program is very useful for mixing beginners and helps them unleash their imagination without frustration, but it can also be used at much more sophisticated levels with excellent results.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the possibility of creating your own website with just a few clicks of the mouse in which to publish the music tracks directly from the program, accompanied by synthesized videos with lots of animated titles.

Positives . Business suit; ease of use; Live recording function; rack effects interface.
Downsides . General instability and some bugs.
In summary . A powerful tool to learn how to compose music with the? Cut & paste? Technique.
Music Studio 2003 DeLuxe (Windows, 69.99 euros)

This complete recording studio is divided into two separate modules: Audio Studio and MIDI Studio. Both complete from the point of view of basic functions, these two programs allow you to compose songs by recording your instruments on the hard disk through the audio or MIDI input, remix them with a rack of effects in real time including equalizers, reverbs and vocoders, and finally to burn the final product to an audio CD.

Audio Studio includes a 64-channel stereo mixer, tuner and metronome, a tube amp simulator and a 100-times repeatable undo / redo function. MIDI Studio has 4 stereo outputs, 2,000 MIDI tracks and 48 audio tracks, with quantization and song rearrangement functions. In addition there are 4 percussion modules.

The setting of Music Studio is oriented towards classical composition, with the possibility of printing the scores of the musical parts and recording live performances to intervene later in the editing phase. VST and DirectX standards are supported, as well as SMPTE synchronization and audio streaming export (WMA, RealAudio, QuickTime).

Positives . Powerful and complete; easy to use; rack effects interface.
Downsides . Some instability problems.
In summary . A complete recording studio, which with the right equipment can produce professional results. Doremix (Windows, 39.99 euros)

A real laboratory of musical alchemy, this light-hearted program is actually a tireless generator of trendy rhythms and harmonies, thanks above all to the disproportionate amount of samples made in Molella, Gala and Soundlovers. In practice, Doremix is ​​at the same time a virtual DJ and a DJ console, providing the user with a real amusement park.

You can import and remix audio, mp3, .wav tracks, create rhythms of various styles with the virtual beatbox, quickly compose grooves and fill-ins for bass and drums, insert phrases with the vocoder and synth solos.
Or you can let the computer create the songs, choosing loops, instruments and sequences in a coherent and sometimes surprisingly imaginative way.
Numerous effects can then be applied to the whole using a virtual rack and finally the complete work can be burned to CD. For fans of disco rhythms? but not only ? Doremix is ​​a unique software of its kind, very fun to use and with unexpected creative potential.

Positives . Fun and easy to use; the virtual DJ is amazing!
Downsides . Repetitive; marked by a single musical style; some bugs.
In summary . A toy? great for experimenting with loops and mixes.