music creator 5

[hillbilly]

Has anyone purchased music creator 5? I was wandering if it is easier to operate than MC4. I think MC4 is very confusing.Ive had it for almost a year,and still cant figure out most of it. I even have the manual that i got off of Beagle Sound.I would appreciate any input if theres a big difference between MC4 and MC5. Thanks.

[Metaltyme]

Hillbilly,

4 & 5 are actually about the same, as far as required learning curve. Keep in mind that Music Creator is an extremely watered-down version of the flagship Sonar. Both require a little investment on your part in learning the GUI. Don't expect it to get any easier either by upgrading...if anything, it would come with even more features, making it even more confusing. The best way to go about learning these applications is to develop how your workflow will go. Whenever you run into a situation where you want to accomplish something specific and just don't know how, use the help menu and/or your manual. That's how you'll get around the confusion and learn the app. Good luck.

Peace,

[hillbilly]

Thank you for your input.The advertisement made it sound like it was more beginner user friendly.I appreciate your response.

[Metaltyme]

Hello Hillbilly,

Yes, Audacity and Mixcraft are simpler interfaces than Music Creator, however, they offer far less capabilities. There's always gonna be a trade-off in this aspect.

I started out with Music Creator 2, which I purchased from Best Buy for around $59.99 to $69.99. That was a helluva deal, because even though there was quite the learning curve (I was a 100% total newb), it became second nature to me after some real-world practice. So, I still recommend the great Music Creator as an 'easier' DAW package under $100.

For specific answers on what you need help with, feel free to post your specific questions here so that I, and others can help you. And again, the best way to learn these programs is to record a song or project step by step until you run into a dead-end that stumps you. At that point, ask away, I guarantee you'll get a prompt response on where to go from there.

The reason why I don't think looking for a simpler interface with the same or less capabilities as Music Creator is a great idea, is because I don't personally believe in moving backwards...and I don't believe there is one anyway (but, I don't really know). Eventually, you might want to move beyond Music Creator and get into something more robust and proffessional like Sonar or Cubase for example. So why move backwards just to inevitably move forward later and run into the same problem you're having now with the learning curve.

If that's the kind of advice you're not looking for, then another suggestion might be to just stick with Audacity or Mixcraft. They are free for a reason. Yes, they are very good free apps and are quite easy to learn, but, they do not offer much else as far as power, plugins, and general feature-rich goodies for your recording/mixing arsenal.

If you take the plunge into sticking with Music Creator, feel free to ask any questions where you might be confused. You'll be glad you did, cause I (and other members) will be glad to help you. Cool?

Good Luck, and Peace,