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MUSIC
MAKER
Activision, £14.99 cass, £19.99
disk
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Activision's
Music Maker can be described as THE best music
synthesizer for under £50. At a pride that most can
afford, it is the best presented and easiest to use
music program available for the 64. In particular it
stands out for having that most trendy of labels: icon-driven
-- the options are represented by picture symbols, allowing
the program to be largely joystick controlled and extremely
'user-friendly'.
There
are three different modes: one for a musical novice,
one for the more experienced and a facility to define
your own voices (instruments). Although it helps to
have some musical knowledge, programming tunes has never
been so easy.
NOVICE
MODE. Choose a note from the large range using a
music baton as a cursor and move it onto the stave.
When you think the note is correct then press the fire
button, and then you can put the next one in. After
several notes have been placed, you can listen to the
end product. If you think it's awful then you can erase
it all by moving the baton over a picture of a rubbish
bin and pressing the fire button twice, or just change
a few notes by putting the new ones over the original.
If
you don't like the sound of the voice, then you can
switch your whole tune to another one with ease. Move
the icon to the change note picture, select another
voice and put the icon over one of the notes and press
fire. They will all change and you can instantly hear
the results, if desired.
Once
you think that you are competent at writing, you can
switch to the ADVANCED WRITING MODE. Here, using
the same techniques, you can place notes and also crotchet
rests, quaver rests and other musical notations, to
make your tune sound more professional.
You
can choose the key you'd like to play in and get composing.
Bars, rests, sharps and flats can all be used, in fact
it's easier to compose tunes with this piece of software
than with some very expensive professional music composers.
The
VOICE CREATION MODE is represented on screen
like a mixing deck. To move any switches, just move
the icon over a slider, press fire and pull back, forward,
up or down to move the slider in the corresponding direction.
All
sorts of features appear on the deck: three filters,
customizing wave formation, ring modulators, are but
a few options. Some quite original and complex sounds
can be produced, ranging from a drum to flute, and from
a double bass to a violin. It is also easy to change
the large range of instruments, or, if you feel unadventurous,
you can use them in your tunes as they stand. Once you're
happy with your tune, you can save it on tape or disk
for future enjoyment.
While
using this music utility, it struck me that a huge amount
of thought must have gone into the programming. Everything
represented on screen Is crystal clear: any types of
changes possible are marked with a beautiful little
picture, so there are no doubts when you move the baton
over a picture about what will happen when you press
the fire button.
The
instructions, although only really necessary for technical
data, are excellent, taking a novice step by step through
the basics of music programming, but also catering for
a more advanced composer. I was very impressed by its
complexity, but simplicity to use: within half an hour
I had 'What is Love' ringing round the review room.
If I were to recommend one music program for a 64 owner
then this would be it.
-----Rignall
ratings-----
Presentation 93%
Ease of use 91%
Sound potential 88%
Value for money 85%
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