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software reviews @ Musiciansnews.com
Great, great tool for audio post! I've made some pretty cool sfx with this program. Better yet, it was wicked easy! This is also a great program for music too. I've tweaked many a sample with this program and have almost always come out with some pretty sick stuff. I recommend it to anyone with a PC 8 ¯ music producer Emagic Logic Audio Platinum 5 Macintosh Sequencer Software - private eye Wish they would include the bounce without monitoring fuctions for pc like they did in version 6 mac 8 ¯ All the Tweaks Needed Absynth software synthesizer PC - 2ByMeta4 I have to give Absyth its due; it is an incredible tool with all the controls and features of an analogue synth as well as the ability to record and save samples/loops. If I was pressed for using a single, 'stand alone' soft synth,' Absynth would be it. While the factory presets are nice (Brainwashed is my favorite), there are a few - too few - Absyth add-on samples/banks out there; many for free. As a VST/DXi, Absynth is an asset to any music recording/production program. Great job!!! 2x4 6 ¯ So-So Sonic Foundry Vegas Pro Multi-Track Recorder/Editor Software - 2ByMeta4 The folks at Sonic Foundry should be given credit for trying, but they should also have known better; a 'do all' program rarely performs to expectation and Vegas Video is no exception. The market for VV is not those who have to pay bills with the resulting work; this is a 'serious amateur' program with a serious price tag. First of all, most people know the CPU/Memory requirements to process video clips. Add to that 44. 1k sampled sound and you have a recipe for drop-out and crashes under the average PC environment. This has plagued VV since its appearance a few years ago and nothing's changed. WHile the program does attempt to 'background' the sound in favor of video capture and production, the 'backgrounding' does have an effect of CPU usage during video work (just check your system usage if you doubt this). This does make sense to Sonic Foundry in that it prefers Acid Pro/Sound Forge extensions to convert to SMPTE coded tracks. However, it has to work even harder, if it accepts them at all, sound from other music programs or simple . Wav/mp3. The solution is to keep the video and sound at the lowest possible resolution, which, is probably fine on the web but serious lacking when transferred to VCD/DVD for viewing on a TV. Video-only dedicated programs do not have these issues but allow for soundtracking WITHOUT mushing up the CPU usage with highest quality (DVD) production capabilities. If web video is one's main target for the product produced in VV, then this program will do the job. Anything else is suspect and requires a video-dedicated tool. 2x4 8 ¯ Training Wheels Cakewalk Software Home Studio 2002 Windows - 2ByMeta4 Home Studio is, by any standards, an entry level home 'recording' studio program. BUT, it's the BEST gateway to the world of home music production on the market at a reasonable price. Without getting into its simplicity - that speaks for itself with an extremely user-friendly console - it might be significant to address what it does after a few weeks of 'fooling around' with it. The folks at Cakewalk have integrated a 'learning' dimensional to all their software; one who becomes familiar with Home Studio and wants to move up a notch is well prepared to take the next step in the Cakewalk pantry. Cakewalk, again being market saavy, encourages the move 'up' with discounts for owners of Home Studio and other Cakewalk products. The market 'pinch' exerted by Cakewalk is being felt by other software makers by their offering of 'competitive upgrades. ' The bottom line in all this is the Home Studio user is in a win-win situation. Those who, years ago, received free bundled Cakewalk software (Cakewalk Gold, etc) will remember, even then, a discount was offered by Cakewalk to those who even had a bundled version. One issue about Home Studio, and any other music software program, needs to be addressed. Cakewalk does invest a great deal - perhaps more than to other of their products - of effort in customer support. Again, because a Home Studio customer just might be a Sonar 6. 0 customer in the future the investment is a wise expenditure. Few other companies give that level of customer/tech support. Home studio is highly recommended as an entry level program suitable for music educators and their students. 2x4 9 ¯ Almost There! Cakewalk Software SONAR 2 XL Multi-Track PC Recording Studio Windows - 2ByMeta4 Since I've used Cakewalk products over the past 8 years, I've had the hands-on opportunity to experience their product line's groth and software development. Sonar 2. 0XL (updated to 2. 2 through download at Cakewalk) is the LAST of the Windows 98/Me OS programs from Cakewalk. As such, it is a serious tool which uses, and works with, those OS's with a minimum of CPU usage unlike Steinberg products. There are, however, two glitches that keep 2. 0 from being perfect; 1. ) The absence of a VST to DXi adapter within the program (it is sold seperately for an annoying amount of money as a download), and, 2. ) the absence of an onboard 'burn to CD' feature (to Redbook specs). To the latter, I do keep in mind the program is a 'HD recording program,' not a burner. Still, it would have been nice to burn a CD from the Sonar console. All that being said, 2. 0 is the best PC HD recording program available under the 98/ME platform. Under 2000/XP, Sonar 3. 0 has outdone itself. . . . . I just received my copy of 3. 0 Studio yesterday. . . . That review will be forthcoming. 2x4 7 ¯ Cakewalk 2002 Cakewalk Software Home Studio 2002 Windows I have it loaded into my laptop so I can take it around to either the bandroom or a fellow musicians when we want to record. I've had it for a few months now and while it's not hard to make decent recordings on it, I feel like I haven't even scratched the suface of all it's capabilities. Not being a computer expert, I feel as though I'm missing out on a lot of what it will do. The manual's doesn't tell you much, the help topics will help you if you know what to ask. But all in all, I'd say it's a decent product. The customer service is good about answering emails too, again that is if you know what to ask 9 ¯ Sonar Cakewalk SONAR Software Windows Sonar, while not being as hailed by others as being anywhere near Logic or Cubase in terms of capabilities seems to me to be a 'Cinderella' of sequencers. You can do almost as much as the other two, plus it's far more intuitive and simple. I've used it for a few months now, and have had absolutely no problems with it (unlike my experience of Logic 4). Highly recommended! 9 ¯ Sonar Cakewalk SONAR Software Windows Sonar, while not being as hailed by others as being anywhere near Logic or Cubase in terms of capabilities seems to me to be a 'Cinderella' of sequencers. You can do almost as much as the other two, plus it's far more intuitive and simple. I've used it for a few months now, and have had absolutely no problems with it (unlike my experience of Logic 4). Highly recommended! 8 ¯ Uhm Cakewalk SONAR XL Software Windows It does what it claims 8 ¯ Uhm Cakewalk SONAR XL Software Windows It does what it claims |
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