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Over recent years, software makers fast trak have garnered a reputation for slick and sensible diy music software that gets you shakin' yo ass in no time. music maker uk garage edition, the latest runner from fast trak's commendable magix label, should do little to dent that enviable reputation. the format is simple, clean and user-friendly, yet it also has a enough knobs and add-ons, and enough colourful and funky packaging, to keep almost everyone happy. The basic console is a kind-of on-screen graphic equaliser, enabling you to take real instruments and lay down digital tracks, or go straight to the on-disc synths and riffs, and start from there. To help you in this, musicmaker uk garage edition comes with the usual gizmos: drum 'n' bass machine, beat box, vocaliser, scratch box, effects (reverb, delay, stereofx, pitchshifting and so on)--not to mention the 2,657 samples of disc or any of the (presumably) millions of samples available online. And once you've done all that you can then publish your results on the web, burn them on to your own cd and even make a video of synchronised sfx designed to accompany your trax. any drawbacks? it has to be said this garage version isn't especially garage-y in itself; but anyone with a modicum of musical ability should, with the aid of this cd-rom, be able to make almost any old tune just as dirty and street as they like. --sean thomas |
