Mixcraft 5 Sound Editor Thomson GA

1. You can see the video track behind the top of the resizeable video window.
2. The Details section can be docked and undocked. Choose between piano roll and notation views here.
3. Choose between piano-roll and notation views here.
4. The resizable controller strip can show any one MIDI controller at a time.
5. An automation lane is available per track, and can show any automatable parameter.
6. Clip automation can be used instead of, or in conjunction with, track automation.
7. The effects selector makes it easy to assemble effects chains, as well as choose presets for the selected effects.
8. Tabs bring up different windows for the Details section.

In a world where entire countries are going bankrupt, money’s tighter than James Brown’s horn section. So for those getting into computer-based music, a $75 program looks great on paper — but of course, when you start working with it, your expectations will have to be tempered by reality. After all, that’s about the price of 15 lattes from the Starbucks at LAX. How good can it be?

Surprisingly good. Mixcraft is not a toy, it’s a no-excuses tool for accomplishing real work, from audio recording, to MIDI with virtual (or hardware) instruments, to creating a video to get your band up on the web. Of course, there are limitations compared to the “big guys,” but these seem to be based around the question “So, does the end user really, really need this?” Wrap this all in a straightforward interface, and you have a program that offers outstanding value.

I GET AROUND

Finding your way around the interface (which is not unlike Steinberg Sequel) is easy. The upper part of the window has a standard track/arrangement view with track headers, tracks where clips reside, a timeline, and the like. The lower half, called “Details,” has several tabbed views:

Project. This is where you specify tempo, key, auto beat matching, metronome, global effects, etc., and enter song info in a notepad. Track. Choose a color and size, implement track freeze, duplicate a track, and manage track effects.

Sound. “Editor” would probably be a better term; with a MIDI track selected, you see a piano-roll view with editing tools. For audio, you see the waveform, with the main options being to change loop start and end, do time stretching, change offset and length, etc.

Mixer. This console view includes faders, meters, pan controls, solo/mute, a basic three-band EQ (hi/mid/lo boost and cut), effects selector, and preset chooser for the instruments in MIDI tracks.

Library. Access content through this view; again with the Sequel analogy, it’s somewhat like the Media Bay. Content is organized as 50 sound kits, but you can search for content based on criteria like tempo, key, mood, and the like.

The Details section can be undocked, so you can create more space for the track view — this is particularly useful with dualdisplay systems. Or, you can keep the single-window interface when lapto...