Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Rehash of previous editions...save your money, October 25, 2008
I love Magix ease of use and have editions 7, 10, 11, and 12, (each one better than the last) so I couldn't wait until 14 came out. They say that there are "new" sounds - well, yes, if you don't have the previous editions, but if you do have the previous editions, you're stuck with the same sounds and you have to put in that edition disk in order to obtain the sounds. There are only 4 new styles - and not much to choose from - no "film", no "rock" - just sounds that aren't very original. They list "country" as a new style - but again, it's the same 2step style in edition 7 and it's hardly country at all.
I am VERY disappointed. I was expecting many more new styles and sounds to choose from - not the same ones I already have.
If you don't have any of the previous editions, I would say it's fine for you - but editions 11 and 12 are the better quality sounds including "film" which really gets your soundtrack writing juices flowing. Don't waste $40 - or $60 to get this version!
MM14 continues with the ease of use, but crashes repeatedly and is slow on the uptake. You would think that after all the other versions, this one would be the best of the best, but in fact it falls flat compared to the others. It makes me wonder what they were thinking when they put this edition out - did they think their customers wouldn't know?
On another note - the US tech support/customer service is AWFUL! I placed my order through the US ordering service and a month 1/2 later, still hadn't recieved the package. I tried for weeks to get someone on the phone (any time you call , it rings and rings and a recorded message comes on and says that all lines are busy, try again later). Sent 7 emails to have them track the package with only 2 automated responses - no personal customer service. Not sure if the European customer service is better but the US one is unreliable.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy and Good, September 18, 2008
Well, I can only say I have tried a few others as well in demo form, but Magix musicmaker looked the most fun and easy so I went with it. I think most other ones on this price range were more complicated.
I got most of the basic stuff fairly easily and I am a beginner on the software stuff. the magix music studio was complicated. basically try all the free demo versions of various stuff to see what you like. this most likely is one of the best for the price.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great for new users, lousy for upgraders, April 12, 2009
In the past I have used several versions of Magix Music Maker, including version 7, 2005, and 10. Each has been a steady progression of improvement and capability, so I was quite eager to see how much new stuff was added when I upgraded from version 10 to version 14. I was surprised not so much by the new capabilities but by how much has been removed.
The overall application is similar to Sony Acid or even Audacity - it is a loop-based music composition and production tool. The main production board allows for up to 96 tracks, which is a generous amount and should be plenty for all but the most complex and lengthy of tracks. There are a large number of production tools that allow for all manner of effects and edits, giving a near limitless supply of tweaks and edits that can be made to a track.
The new interface (as compared to version 10 which is my reference point) is sleek and user friendly, although the learning curve for an application of this type is understandably steep. Most functions are relatively straightforward, but some do require a jaunt through the user manual which is included in PDF form in the installation directory.
There is a generous supply of good-quality loops, though users of previous versions have seen some of these in the past. For a new user, though, there's a lot to choose from.
The VSTi interface is vastly improved and updated, making it not only a lot more user friendly but a lot more stable too. A new synth is included, the Vita. This supposedly take place of the guitar and grand piano synths, though I have not worked enough with it to replicate those sounds. I have monkeyed with it enough to make some interesting sounds, though, and overall I think it's a good synth.
Magix has done a nice job of better integrating their tools, which is a step forward. The only problem there is that sometimes users of previous versions may struggle to find some of the tools they want or need. Such is the case with me, though I found most of what I sought. Most - not all. This is where I noticed something unpleasant.
Music Maker 10 came with a wonderful tool called the Music Editor, which is a waveform editor with some other useful functions. I used this more than Music Maker itself. I was anxious to see how it had changed and when I looked for it I could not find it. What I did find, in the help file, was an occasional reference to it including a menu selection for locating it. The selection did not exist. After digging deeper I found that Magix stripped out the Music Editor and it is available as an upgrade to the Producer Edition - which you can ONLY get through the Magix website. Another $30 and you can have what used to be included.
Also gone are the Copper synth and the Silver synth. I used to use the Copper quite frequently and that one will be missed. I do not understand why it was removed, having been in the application for many iterations.
For a new user, Music Maker 14 packs a lot of goodies into the package and is a great starting point. For upgraders, though, it is a disappointment, with the smell of being a play for additional fees (much like activating the MP3 plug-in). This will be my last Magix purchase, based on the change in packaging and pricing, though I like the program itself. Hopefully Magix will realize that alienating long-standing customers is a poor strategy and will include the missing pieces in the regular edition again.
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