Cakewalk Music Creator 4

List Price: $39.95 Discount Price: $33.99

Features:

• Professional audio quality up to 24-bit/48 kHz
• On screen mixer to seamlessly mix all your audio and MIDI tracks
• Create audio and MIDI tracks using any instrument, vocals, or audio loops
• Create backing tracks using included ACID format loop library
• Browse, preview and purchase additional audio loops right from Music Creator using built-in SamplePort plug-in

Customer Reviews:

Outgrowing the 5 tracks on your keyboard? U want more? I know U do. [Posted on 2008-10-02]
For the hobby keyboardist who has the 5 track built in recorder on the keyboard, but who wants to make a hot mix for a smokin' demo, or who wants to edit any audio or midi song, or to just study a full score like 'The Magnicicent Seven', I highly recommend Music Creator4.

I had used and had enjoyed the first Cakewalk software many years ago, before MP3, when most reasonably priced keyboards did not have built in sequencers or independent track recording. MC-4 is much better (graphics, sound FX, controls, looping, everything). Even if you have forgotten, or if you are slightly intimidated by a gazillion knobs and switches, or if you are just clueless, there are tutorials provided to get you started.

After installation the proverbial 'they' will display that product registration is required. Yuk! I first had to figure out how to get sounds from my Yamaha keyboard. (I think Cakewalk dates Roland.) That was the only small challenge. I found support from Cakewalk's community/blog webpage. Now, it is all fun...and learning...even multiple tracks for multiple versions for the timpani part of Elmer Bernstein's masterpiece.

Photoshop of Computer Music! [Posted on 2008-10-07]
Wow! What an amazing product for the price. Dozens of channels; uncountable musical instruments; formal music notation; guitar strings that look real; piano keys; export to WAV files...and on and on seemingly never ending feature list--OMG!

Now, like myself, you may not have a fancy MIDI device hooked up to your computer. You may spend sometime trying to figure out how to playback your composition. Here is a useful set of instructions:

Step 1: select "Insert" menu option
Step 2: select "Soft Synths" menu option
Step 3: select "Cakewalk TTS-1" menu option

Now you can play the notes and hear them with your headphone.

Enjoy!

Great With XP, Don't Try It With Vista [Posted on 2008-11-22]
I have used Cakewalk Music Creator 4 with my old HP Pavilion PC (which uses Windows XP) for over a year, and it works great... However, when I bought a computer that used Windows Vista, I lack to have never configured it to even work, then when I did, and recorded my multi track recordings, the tracks were off sync with one another... for instance, If I record my guitar/vocal on track one, bass on track 2 and drums on track 3, my drums are alwasy coming out about 1/4 beat behind the rest of the music.
I thought I was having sound card issues, and have bought three different sound cards for the Vista computer, each one not helping and I wind up taking the sound cards back and finally gave in to the fact that I just have to keep using my old XP maching if I want to multi track with Cakewalk... uuuggghh!!!

dont waste your time with this ******* [Posted on 2008-12-02]
If you happen to take a class that uses this program then it shouldnt be too bad. but if you're just like the rest of us who just want to record something with decent quality and that want to actually get it done then dont bother with this ******** program.

Granted yes with having the power to create something with the details you want comes lots of learning and lots of patience to ultimately achieve what you want. But unfortunately this ******* **** doesn't do anything to help you learn.

Yes there is a booklet which only tells you what features do what(but doesnt tell you how to access them!!!) and yes there are a few tutorial videos(with an already open project without showing you how to get there) but ultimately you are left out on your own. You have to learn through trial and error to find the stuff you are looking for. I would gladly look at each and every single tutorial video if only there WERE videos that show you how to do even the most minimal things.

So skip this program unless you know someone or some website that actually shows you how to use it so you can get something out of it. (And no there are currently no youtube videos that actually help you step by step on how to do what. So dont even go there)

Great Software - Low Price [Posted on 2009-01-06]
Being into MIDI since 1983 and working with hardware sequencers and several sequenzer programs, like Yamaha XGWorks, WHC-Software(German)and Steinberg from the beginning to Cubase 4 right now, I am always looking for software that is affordable for my pupils. I knew CWMC2003 and first bought a version of CWMC4 for myself. I tested it for three months and it worked perfectly all the time. Therefore I recommanded it to four of my pupils and they use it happily since christmas. If you consider the price and the high quality then Cakewalk Music Creator 4 should be the midi-software of your choice.

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