Customer Reviews

Cakewalk Music Creator 5 [Old Version]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

The people at Cakewalk indicate that you'll spend more time making music than struggling with the software its not at all true. It takes about 16 hours of work to learn enough about this to use it to make music. The company relies on the generosity of the people on the forums as their documentation and help files. The documentation and help files that ship with the product are inadequate and often inaccurate. To do something as simple as open a midi file, add an audio file, record your audio and export the mix to a mp3 or other audio format is mind boggling complicated and the help does not help. Oh and by the way they don't ship the product with an MP3 codec you have to get your own or buy it. Also they don't allow you to upgrade from music creator 4 to 5 which sucks because the new features in 5 versus 4 are not worth the roughly $40. Having said how hard this is to use and how often you do something the same way twice and get 2 different results you can get a decent recording after you invest the 16 hours of learning and struggling. Hats off to the people who post great help on the forum. Cakewalk should be ashamed of themselves for letting a group of users' who bought the product to serve as the Cakewalk volunteer support staff, this is practically criminal.

Wow! Lots of instruments, samples and midi clips to cut and paste in. Audio and midi setups we're a bit challenging but their website has lots of help particularly their forums. Once everything was setup though it was a dream to use.
I've been using it for about 4 weeks now:
Everything has a different look compared to 4.0 version which I used extensively. But I like the new look a lot. The plug-in instruments still take up an audio track even though you're using midi to play them. I don't have a problem with just 32 tracks of audio. The video track was annoying until I figured out how too turn it off. (It's one of the little icons that's easy to overlook.)

I found it to be a powerful tool for a very low investment. I'm a one man band and I'm always trying to capture and flesh out some new song idea or rework an old song with a different style. And this let's me do just that!

I bought this product because it was supposed to be easy to learn how to set up mini home studio. I cannot even begin to describe how difficult it was just to get it to record from my midi keyboard. It took about one week to learn that. I never could figure out how to add drums. It took days to figure out how to play back what I recorded. There were so many weird settings to make.

The help desk consists of a woman who works out of her home somewhere in Canada and has a screaming baby in the background. She is the sole support staff for this product.

The product is utterly confusing. The help files are useless. It made me so angry that I almost wanted to jump off my balcony. Do not buy this product if you value your sanity. It is categorically the worst piece of software I have ever purchased. And I am being nice.

I am amazed at this program, especially considering the price. For newbies it is perfect. You'll be up and running in no time (barring installation challenges such as I had). This is amazingly powerful software, and the quality of the instrument sounds is superb.

I use it in video production to augment production music which often is just about right but needs the little extra oomph that a bed of strings or an appropriately placed cymbal hit can provide. I researched a lot of software and even tried out a couple of well-known programs--with great disappointment. I'm not interested in a steep learning curve for what I need recording software to do, and Music Creator is the only application I found which allowed my to accomplish my purposes almost immediately--not to mention inexpensively.

I subtract a star because I had to agonize a bit to get the program to install correctly on my computer and locate all the plug-ins. Once that struggle was over I was off to the races--and having lots of fun considering all the future possibilities. This is a great tool to add to my toolbox.

I was able to install the software (there goes 1 star). Was asked to register on their web site, and that was as far as I could go. There are some youtube videos, but no support base for this software. The included booklet is totally useless, they could have included a card that says for help visit web site. I go over their site, and realize this is one of many entry level music software this company has. After so much frustration I go with one of their competitors, and got FL studio 9. I wish I could return this software.

no tech support. manual does not address the problems with sound center. save your money

complete garbage - dont buy it unless you are absolutely in search of frustration, and just plain awful directions. I hesitated because I've always hated Cakewalks inaccessability and user-unfriendliness. Hey Cakewalk! Did it again!!

I purchased this software because I was working on an animation project and needed lil sounds and music clips. Well, this software is the worst software I've ever purchased. The tutorial video's on their site dont cover anything and then the You Tube clip they post wont even let you comment or rate it. I called the phone number on the box a toll free number which tells you to call a non toll free number for tech support, you call that number and they give you yet another non-toll free number to call. Tech support is automated and when you listen for your software it says it's not supported, you have to email them??? huh. Got frustrated and called their corporate office and they told me, it's not their problem, they only bought out the company and dont HONOR their software but call me crazy, if you buy a company aren't you suppose to stand by the product as the manufacturer. Do Not Purchase this product, it's horrible and will only confuse you. I'm an end user whose pretty technical when it comes to software but the lil guide it comes with, doesn't even line up with the product. I could go on and on but all you have to do is buy this and see yourself.

To be clear and fair, I have an earlier version of Cakewalk Music Creator (2003) that did not install -- similar experience to the others that have posted here. Like others, I was lured-in by the affordable price. I also experienced difficulty isolating customer support. About me: I'm an IT Software Test professional who chases down & resolves software bugs for a living, with almost 20 years PC experience to include troubleshooting, repair, upgrade, with some building and programming, too. Not to boast, but to let you know I am not some newb who can't cope with PCs. :-)

I came to the reviews section cuz I still need some music software and figured, you know, it's affordable and the issues should have ironed out by now, ya? But, instead, I found a wealth of horror stories that enabled me to steer clear, save another $40 ...and what... helped me realize that maybe springing for some other product for $100.00+ mite actually equate to money saved, in this instance.

I'm grateful to Amazon.com ( a great company, indeed ) for the customer reviews service...goldmine here.

I purchased this software based on low price and all the marketing it has around "start writing music right away." and "easy to use". Total BS. I've wasted a whole weekend reading the useless manual - and looking online for the "secret" to why the MIDI inputs are so hard to work with. Finally - after it begins to recognize my keyboard - it will only read it as a standard piano. All of my effects, etc - are not recognized. This program is VERY difficult to work with - and I don't recommend it to anyone. I even posted to their stupid website - and they just erase the post. From reading their site - only the idiots that created the program are "bragging" about how great it is. There must be a better product than this. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.