Reviews (4)

BEST GUITAR PRODUCT I'VE EVER BOUGHT
I have whole collection of Boss and DOD pedals, and this one little unit replaces them all and blows them away. The sound quality is amazing. With the click of your mouse, you can switch between sounding just like the Edge of U2, the brown sound of Van Halen, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, or even Spinal Tap and Hair Bands.

The amp simulations are wonderful, and all the reverb and delay and other effects are some of the best I have heard.

Finally, if you have a computer music studio program on your computer, like those by Magix or Cakewalk or any others, it works beautifully with them.

One of the most impressive features was the HUM REDUCER. The unique thing about this one was that it will actually learn the hum of each pickup of your guitar to eliminate it. Unbelieveable!

To me, this product is easily worth over $500, so the money I spent on it was just about the best hundred bucks for guitar equipment ever. You'll love it!

Good practice / learning aid
I have played my guitar much more since buying the Guitarport. The sounds, effects and amp simulations available are great. No-one else has mentioned the play along features. You can play a CD or MP3 through the GP and select parts of the track to loop or play at half-speed. The online subscription is Ok for beginners due to the number of lessons, tones and articles available, but you may want to cancel it after a while as they don't get updated as often as one would hope. Someone else mentioned a hum caused by proximity to the computer monitor. Line6 have done their best with this unavoidable problem by including a NoiseGate and also a hum canceller.
All in all, excellent and well worth the money.

Just buy it!
I could not be happier with my Guitar Port.
By now, you probably know most of the features, so I won't bore
you with that. Let's just say, that since I bought the GP, I have not played through my amp since! The quality of the sound coming out of my little computer speakers has to be heard to be believed! (you need a decent set of computer speakers including subwoofer)

The thing I like about the GP the most, is the ability to save my "tones", so that I can pop in a Stevie Ray disc, go to my saved tones and select my "Stevie Ray Jon" tone, and start playing along with Stevie and sound just like him. To sum it up in one word....AWESOME!

The perfect practice amp
I bought my GuitarPort about 4 months ago and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to replace their practice amp.

The sheer amount of tones and effects means you can achieve absoloutely any sound you want, It is ideal for beginners but at the same time it has everything an enthuasiast could want, but the GuitarPort does have some minor problems. Firstly any instrument lead above 10 feet seems to cause a loss in sound, another slight annoyance is the noise feedback that is experienced with CRT monitors (not flat screen), but if you stand back from the monitor it will go away. Apart from this I could not fault it.

Another feature of the GuitarPort is GuitarPort Online this is an online community which costs 7.99 a month, it is full of tones, lessons and tracks that are tabbed out for you, it is very comprehensive and updated regularly but there is nothing here that you wouldn't find on the net. When you buy your Guitar Port you have a free trial of their online services so you can make you mind up for yourself.

All in all this is a very complete product and excellent value considering all of it's features, don't let the minor flaws hold you back. ... Read more

Features

• Carefully designed by music education professionals, it features 36 lessons that introduce all the important musical concepts
• Let Maestro Max teach you and challenge you while you develop your knowledge of important music concepts and skills
• Covers all the basics of music theory, rhythm, pitch, note reading, listening, and the keyboard
• Use the creative Doodle Pad for composing and hearing your own musical creations on the fly
• Easy-to-use self-paced lessons let you learn at the rate that suits you best

Features

• Powerful piano learning toolset
• Interactive feedback when using MIDI-connected keyboard
• Over 300 step-by-step lessons with 70 video demonstrations
• Develop sight reading, ear training, finger technique and more
• Over 100 songs included

Reviews (2)

Great product
I was completely new to music when I bought this set (CD-ROM and keyboard). I think it is great. It walks you through the basics and when you start playing the music has numbers on it that match up to your fingers (1-5) so you can play as you get the hang of reading music. Gradually they remove some of the numbers so your music reading skills improve.

The software grades your playing with a percentage score, and gives you details on your errors (if you want them).

Also, it includes short videos of a person playing piano so you can see proper posture and such. Each song comes with (optional) accompaniment, which can make it funner to play (especially with the simple songs).

The keyboard that comes with it (optional) has a solid feel, and is touch-sensitive (pressing harder plays louder). The keyboard plugs into the joystick port (probably on your sound card).

quality product
I got this product yesterday and started to learn by it.
after browsing it and using it for the first 17 lessons this is my impression.
what you get in this product is 100% of quality content and less emphasize on look and graphics.
and if you want to learn playing the keyboard, so the quality of the teaching is more important then other features.

the teacher leading the instruction process using video clips and audio tracks, is Irma Justicia MA which is a experienced piano teacher.
after 17 lessons i fell in love with her .it feels just lilke i'm in a real lesson with her.
for my non proffesinal impression this product is good for absolute beginners to the intermediate level.
it is also said on the product that it is volume 1 so probably they are going to issue more products in this piano keyboard line just as they done with the guitar.

cause of the simplicity of the graphics you can use it on any computer,old and new.
but still you get many sophisticated features like interactive feedback using midi cable.

for summary ...GOOD WORK. ... Read more

Product Description

Sibelius and PhotoScore Pro Bundle. Sibelius 3 is the brand new version of this award-winning software, with over 200 new features and feature enhancements. PhotoScore Professional is the most advanced software package of its kind. The Sibelius Educational Editions are intended solely for the use of qualified students, educators, educational institutions, and church and music ministry personnel residing in North/Central/South America. ... Read more

Features

• Create, play, and experience music using only your mouse and imagination
• Innovative software by world-renowned composer Morton Subotnick
• Endless possibilities to draw original compositions on your screen
• Cool games teach rhythm, melody, pitch, musical instruments, and more
• Choose from 16 instruments; compose with 23 tools

Reviews (1)

An old favorite remains the best of its kind!
As a third grade teacher, I had this product in my classroom for years, until one day it inevitably got lost. I have been looking for a new copy for a while, and was glad to find it available on Amazon. It is, in my opinion, the best program of its type. The concept is very easy, children paint in a KID PIX type of format onto a white board, and that painting is then translated into music. If you draw at the top of the screen you will have a high note, at the bottom a low note. The longer you draw the same pitch horizontally the longer the note will be held. The simplicity makes it accessible to kids as young as kindergarten, but there's lots of features that make it riveting for older kids and adults as well. You have a wide variety of instrument to "draw" your music with, and there are lots of options that allow kids to experience their compositions in different ways. Hear your opus backwards or learn what it sounds like if it were flipped upside down. This is a program that people of all ages will enjoy (it was one of everyone's favorites on parent night). Sometimes simpler really is superior, and this program is a perfect example. ... Read more

Features

• Over 100 lessons from a Guitar Institute of Technology graduate
• Hosted by radio personality Steve Rock of KISW’s “Metal Shop”
• Techniques include movable power chords, hammer-ons, distorted riffs & more
• Equipment tips include using distortion, whammy bar, feedback, wah pedal & more
• Over 90 songs & riffs to learn

Features

• Learn musical concepts and develop important listening skills
• Hear musical differences in endings, repetitions, and variations
• Challenging, fun-filled games adjust to skill-level of user
• Parent/teacher management tool tracks a child's progress
• Easy to use; integrated audio offers guidance where needed

Reviews (1)

More fun than piano lessons...
Want to teach your kids to enjoy listening to music, especially classical? Then try this program. Easy-to-use interface, wonderful tunes, great exposure to classical music in these sad rap-and-brittney times. Not for the faint of heart, however. Despite its simple interface, kids used to story lines and immersive environments will find this more like a standardized test than fun software, at least on first blush. However, if you are willing to sit down with them and help out, then the game becomes lots of fun. I liked the way it adjusts itself to the capabilities of the player. At the higher levels the game is quite challenging, even for adults. When my kids sit down to play, the music that comes forth is a great alternative to the mind-numbing drivel that normally accompanies video games. I actually enjoy listening to them play. If you have a decent set of speakers, then it sounds really nice. I wish I had this to play with when I was taking first grade piano lessons... ... Read more

Features

• Includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand music application
• Use iLife to have more fun with digital media
• Easily create professional-quality slideshows, music, movies, and DVDs
• Seamless integration--iLife applications work together better than ever before
• Single installer that updates all existing iLife applications

Reviews (11)

I would have preferred an upgrade option, but...
The latest update to "your digital lifestyle" is a great one. iMovie includes more options for editing and adding titles. iDVD adds more great themes, easier interfacing with iMovie, and ups the final production minutes from 90 to 120. iTunes is a free download anyway (cause Apple makes money through the iTunes Music Store. iPhoto, to be honest, I don't play with a whole lot because I already use PhotoShop, ImageReady and Fireworks.

Then, there is GarageBand. It may not be the most necessary piece of software ever, but it certainly is the coolest. I managed to create a short song in less than an hour. Me! I can't make music with anything resembling an instrument. Apparently though, I can produce music. The ease with which the program works is astounding. Adding new loops is as easy as click and drag.

The minor complaint here, at full screen GarageBand eats memory. My iBook starts to scream in pain when I open the program. On a G5 or my G4 iMac it works great though. You can ease the memory requirements by using less screen space for the program, but it only eases the issues, doesn't resolve it.

Also, considering that Apple just made us buy the program to begin with last year, an upgrade option for those of us who did would be nice. At least they kept it at a fairly reasonable price though.

Buy it for Garage Band alone.
I won't even talk about the other iLife apps. Good though they are, the real story of iLife '04 is Garage Band. It is a powerful, easy-to-use non-linear audio editor. Now, it won't be all things to all people. It is primarily designed as a loop-based music creation system. However, you can add non-software instruments (including vocals) as well, filtering them through various effects, including several adjustable guitar amp modelers. The results--for the price--are absolutely astounding.

This program is to music creation what PageMaker was to desktop publishing, lo those many years ago. Unfortunately, that means that everyone with a Mac will now become a 'composer,' but that sort of power-to-the-people freedom is great, in my opinion.

Important note: if you buy it, make sure you immediately install the Garage Band update (version 1.0.1?), which is available at the Apple site. It clears up several issues in the initial release.

One other important note: This program is a total resource hog! You need a fast G4 or G5 processor and at least 512MB of RAM. It also helps if you have a faster hard drive.

(By the way, to the other reviewer who couldn't rename tracks: sure you can. Simply click on the instrument in question, click the "I" button and choose "save instrument." This allows you to rename the track. You can even rename regions within a track. Click on the region and rename it in the name window in the lower left-hand corner of the main window.)

Make your personal computer be a personal compter!
Computers are wonderful tools that have greatly changed just how we do just about everything. Apple iLife software continues this tradition. I have used both Mac and PC computers. I have also used software written for both. There is nothing easier or more intuitive than Apple iLife. It is not the most powerful software. For $400-$600 you can by professional grade software that will blow the socks of iLife. However, for the average "Joe" there is nothing better. It doesn't take a lot of computer savvy. iLife does most of the work for you - and quickly. Other software we have used for loading pictures is slow, hard to manage and less desirable in many ways. I used this software at my sister-in-laws wedding. In no time at all I had a wonderful slide show set to music for everyone to watch. Doing all this work on a PowerBook G4 15" laptop allowed me to later show my father-in-law what he missed due to some health issues.

With iLife, you can edit your pictures. You can order copies with just a click of a button. With just another click, you can e-mail them to anyone in your e-mail address book. Another click you can post them on a web-sight for your friends to see. For example, we recently moved to a new state. I posted a slide show of our new home for all our old friends to see. We had over 60 different friends view the web sight. Can you image the cost of making prints for all those people? In addition, you can set your pictures, web sights to your favorite music in iTunes.

Speaking of iTunes, I love music - always have. If you like to listen to music, make your own recordings of your favorite tunes you will love iTunes. Plus, iTunes makes it easier and more affordable to buy music. I don't understand why the music industry continues to over-price their CD's but they do. And who can afford to buy an entire CD for just two or three songs. Now, with iTunes you can buy only the songs you want from a particular CD. Once down loaded, you can arrange them in any order you want, burn them on your own CD or hook your Mac to your home stereo and listen through you speakers. In addition, whatever music you have in iTunes is easily used in iPhoto, iDVD or the other applications iLife opens for you. You will not be disappointed with iLife unless you desire to spend tons of money for three or four different software programs that will not work together as seamlessly as iLife.

...what you've all been waiting for...
Face it. Most of those interested really want Garageband above all. That being the main program I use from iLife, I'll review it.

Garageband is the Final Cut Pro of Music. It's excellent for musically talented and musically challenged.

No need to worry about beats or anythin', because Garageband makes any and all set loops go together with ease.

Disregard the review by a fellow who claims it is a program for kids and idiots who want to show everyone else their noise. It IS a very sophisticated music editor while remaining simplistic and fun to use. I spent hours mixing and matching endlessly. The possibilities are infinite.

The "drag and drop" style of operating masks movie-editor Final Cut Pro, also available here at Amazon. It's an easy to learn, easy to use tool that most people will love.

I recommend, that, if you planned on buying iLife '04 solely for Garageband, then by all means, do so. I really think that if you love music and you love making it, regardless of playing an instrument, that you will adore this product.

Another Apple hit... well worth the price.
The iLife suite has been completely revised for the new iLife '04 release. In this review, I'll list some of the improved features.

iDVD received a nice update with some new themes and other small features. I wasn't incredibly impressed by this particular update, but that's because I rarely use the application. Not a major interface overhaul, but some nice updates.

iMovie has been significantly sped up along with an improved interface and new transitions, effects, and more. You'll quickly notice all the new features in this update if you use iMovie frequently.

iTunes has been updated, but you can simply download the update... you don't need to buy the suite to get the newest version of iTunes.

iPhoto previously suffered from extreme performance issues before this revision... if you had a large amount of images in the database there would be a large slowdown, but this revision fixes that issue. It allows you to rate photos 1-5 stars, which is handy but not a necessary feature. Another nice new feature is the ability to create "smart albums" like "smart playlists" on iTunes... you can make albums that only contain, say, five-star pictures containing the phrases "Katie" and "1st Birthday" with little effort.

And, finally, the application that almost everyone is buying this for... GarageBand. GarageBand is Apple's new music editing program. It's a music mixing application that allows you to record songs on your Mac.

GarageBand has a nice variety of realistic-sounding musical instruments which can be played using a MIDI keyboard or guitar plugged into your Macintosh. You can then add effects, use amplifiers, and so much more.

If you don't know how to play any instruments, GarageBand also includes a wide variety of amazing-sounding loops for use in your songs. Not only are they nice for people who can't play any instruments, but they're nice if you're in a band and you want to hear how a song sounds but your drummer isn't there to play a drum track.

GarageBand lacks a few features that would make it a professional music creation title... the ability to change the tempo throughout the song instead of using just one for the whole song would be nice; but one could even run a small professional band on this program if they had to.

I can count the number of times I've completely crashed my Mac on one hand, but it did crash (not a kernel panic, just a crash) during the install. After a restart, all worked well again.

Another thing to note with this software title is that while it does work on *most* Macs, GarageBand and iDVD require a G4 or better, at *least* 256MB of RAM, and a DVD player to use the install DVD. Actually, you can install GarageBand on a 600MHz (or higher) Mac with a DVD drive, but you can't use software instruments then.

All in all, a nice package, and worth the price. ... Read more

Product Description

You love your iPod. We all do. But have you discovered that you can't move songs from your iPod to another authorized computer? That's because iTunes® only allows you to transfer files to your iPod. Now, with Tune Transfer™, you can move songs from your iPod, perform backups of your song library and boost your iPod performance.

Features:

• Transfer Your Songs: Move songs quickly and easily from your iPod to a new or different computer.
• Protect Your Music Library: Make instant backups of your iPod songs and database in case your computer crashes or you lose your iPod.
• Recover Lost Songs: Restore files that occasionally disappear from the iPod database with the click of a mouse.
• View Song Information: Get instant access to artist, album and song information when you transfer your iPod database.
• Simple User Interface: Get the most out of your iPod with Tune Transfer's user-friendly interface for quick transfers, backups & more.

Reviews (4)

this program did exactly what it said it would do.
i had a unfortunate computer failure that lost me a good bit of my itunes library.i did not realize that you CANNOT ON A MAC (maybe on a PC) MOVE MUSIC FROM YOUR IPOD TO YOUR COMPUTER. i lost a good deal of purchased music, which the itunes store will not restore to you, even though they have the records of purchases, and so do i.i had backed up, but not recently enough.So i thought all was lost.

Not so!this program, simplistic as it is, did EXACTLY what they said it would do.i could move any or all songs from my ipod back into itunes.well, it isn't quite that easy, but after having gone through several duplicate rescued libraries of thousands of songs, it seemed like a snap.It also saves your ipod library, and can clean it up.

So if you have for whatever reason lost your library, and it is on your ipod, you can restore.And please BACK UP YOUR LIBRARY WEEKLY.Or else................

Tunes out of your iPod
Richard, you did not use or buy this product.iTunes is for putting songs on the ippod.Try finding a song on your iPod and moving it to another computer or finding missing songs.

I Think It Does More Than ITunes
Looks like this lets you copy songs from your Ipod to your computer. Something Itunes doesn't do.

What's This For?
Save your $20, Please... This thing does the same thing as iTunes. If you already have an iPod, it should have come with iTunes software. If it didn't, you can download it for free from apple.com. iTunes is built for your iPod,therefore it is it's best companion for music transfering. If iTunes is too hard for you to use, then you don't know how to use a computer because iTunes automatically updates your iPod for you without you having to do anything. SAVE YOUR MONEY! PLEASE!!!
I know I sound mad, but I'm just a consumer advisor. ... Read more

Features

• Puts fun into music fundamentals
• Builds solid music foundation
• Challenges, engages, rewards and motivates
• Ideal for beginning music students
• Lively animation and colorful graphics

Book Description

Richard Wagner's entire "Ring of the Nibelungen" on one CD-ROM.The definitive Vienna Philharmonic recording, Sir Georg Solti conducting.

* Complete piano-vocal score, German libretto with English translation, and running commentary-all synchronized to the music.

* All 14.5 hours of pristine digitized sound captured by The Media Café's new audio compression technology.

* More than one hundred original essays with detailed explanations.

* Extensive full-color image database from contemporary and historical sources.

* Comprehensive analysis of all the leitmotifs along with hypertext links to specific musical occurrences.

* Search functions instantaneously isolate and index individual leitmotif, characters, and musical examples throughout the entire cycle.

One disc with 14.5 hours of pristine digitized sound.

Computer Requirements:
Pentium Processor PC
Windows 95 or Windows NT
8MB Ram
4xCD-ROM Drive
800x600 Screen Resolution with 16 bit color ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A graduate level course on Wagner's "Ring"
When I was a graduate student in college, I took a two-semester course on the operas of Richard Wagner: the first semester was on his "other" operas and the second was on "Der Ring des Nibelungen". The second semester was spent in Germany, where we attended a performance of the complete "Ring" at Bayreuth (glorious!). Finding a copy of this Ring Disc ... was a real treasure (I must have bought the last one available, unfortunately, as it now available only as a used CD). This program really allows me to dig into the Ring once again, after so many years. It's a shame that the audio quality isn't any better, but 14.5 hours on one CDR is still remarkable. I recently purchased the new DVD set of the Ring, with Pierre Boulez (That's another review entirely!), and find the Ring Disc a helpful supplement. It is a shame that it seems to POP, but at the original ... list price, no wonder.

If you can find a copy, all you Wagner fans, buy it!

Excellent way to enjoy the Ring -- Incredible value too!
This CD is amazing in that it presents the entire Ring Cycle -- all 14 hours or so -- in very acceptable (albeit mono) sound on a single computer disk. The recording used is the famous one George Solti made with the leading Wagners singers from the late 1950s and early 60s that is considered one of the best recordings of these works. The software side of the disk is great, in that you can instantly choose the opera you want to go to, along with act and scene within the act. You can follow the operas in three ways (simultaneously if you want) -- there is a piano score, the libretto, and (very nice) a part of the screen that lists the leitmotifs that are being played. You can readily move through any part of the opera with a scroll bar, and there are lots of hyperlinks that take you to musical examples and some (almost a 100) very nice short essays on the Ring and its characters. This really is a great piece of software if you are interested in the Ring, and is a good value at...the list price..., and a truly unbelievable value at the [price] Amazon is now asking for it.

A wonderful resource
This CD-Rom is the best guide I've come across in 18 years of studying the Ring music dramas. The highly compressed music (14.5 hours on 1 CD!) is recorded in mono, but still sounds okay. The CD plays on my Windows 98 PC with no installation, no technical hassles at all. There are numerous hyperlinks so you can go to any section of the 4 operas in one click. Most impressive of all is the thorough cataloging of the leitmotifs. The commentary here is especially inciteful, illustrating how leitmotifs are developed and related to other leitmotifs, musically and dramatically. The explanation of the "love-curse" motif (usually mislabled the "renunciation motif) is particularly good.
I can't recommend this highly enough. (...)

Hooray, I wish I could have bought this 10 years ago
The sound quality on this issue is pretty similar to that ofthe CDs, given that both are digitally remastered from original analogtapes. It would be well worth investing in higher quality computer speakers to take full advantage of the fine audio quality of this release. I have seen this package offered for sale only once outside of Amazon.com, and as I recall the retailer was asking a great deal more. The additional features of this issue make it very valuable for music study, the piano scores bought separately cost a fair sum. It is also very helpful to have the leitmotives (or as Wagner called them, Gedachnismotiven, meaning motives of memory) almost musically dissectable from the scores. All in all, this is one of the most attractive options available of acquiring the complete Ring. The Solti is not my favourite cycle, either as a whole or in part, but at this price, with all the extra features and conveniences, it would be very hard to give this set anything less than a full recommendation. Those who have already invested in other versions of this cycle on CD, including Solti's very popular recording, should not be too concerned about the costs of duplication. The extra and unique features of this issue make it well worth the outlay.

A technological triumph!
If this disc is ever reissued, grab it! It is not an audio CD as described by Amazon. It is a CD-ROM with the entire Solti Ring in one disc (computer sound, of course). On video you get the score (piano reduction), the text, an English translation, and commentary. All the leitmotivs are marked, and you can stop anywhere and get all the instances of a leitmotivs, from first to last, and go to any point and hear any that you want. When they showed it to Solti, he was just amazed how much is on this one disc. (Issued with his approval.) This disc is hugely helpful if you want to get under the skin of the Ring and really get to know it. ... Read more

Features

• Record audio and MIDI tracks using any instrument, vocals, or audio loops
• Write music for CDs, sheet music, home videos, and the Internet
• Edit, arrange, and mix music; make loops out of any MP3 or WAV file
• Integrates seamlessly with Cakewalk Kinetic and other Rewire synths
• Includes Pyro Express CD Maker and WAV Ripper

Features

• Software for writing, playing, printing, and publishing music notation
• Scan in printed music; high-quality sounds for playback
• Saves time; elegant and intuitive; school feature sets
• Publish music world-wide or create personal CDs and MP3s
• Designed for students, educators, and professional composers

Reviews (1)

The best in the world
This software is absolutely the best out there.
It does notation, scanning and web publishing, and includes world class sounds and the ability to burn CDs. ... Read more

Features

• Children learn to read, play the piano or keyboard, and compose
• One full year of animated, narrated interactive lessons
• Library of over 100 songs to listen to and learn to play
• 10 great interactive music games
• Composer helps children create their own music

Features

• Music Ace 2, the second title in the highly-acclaimed Music Ace series from Harmonic Vision, is designed for beginning and intermediate students
• Featuring 2,000 musical examples and covering treble, alto and bass clefs, Music Ace 2 picks up where Music Ace leaves off to introduce standard notation, rhythm, melody, harmony, intervals and much more
• Maestro Max and his choir of Singing Notes return for an encore performance with a variety of new instruments to provide students with a continuing introduction to music fundamentals and theory
• Music Ace 2 continues the same fun and engaging format of 24 comprehensive lessons, challenging games and a creative composition tool
• Lessons - 24 engaging, self-paced lessons that accelerate development of fundamental music skills and music theory

Reviews (1)

Making Music Fun
Very well developed program for the young student of music. Can hook up your keyboard to your computer & work the lessons that way, or just use the keyboard, too. Teaches beginning tempo, rhythm, introduces the various concepts of all the differences in tempo, beat, etc. Teaches about the grand staff, also has a "doodle pad" where kids can make their own music & hear it played back to them. Lots of fun! ... Read more

Features

• Prepare for singing with proper breathing and posture
• Understand the differences between jazz, blues, classical, opera and other styles
• See your performance and measure it on-screen
• Includes headset microphone