Audio/Music Software and Song Creation

Here are a pair of helpful ExtemeTech articles with software review and how-to for getting started with creating music on a PC:

Three-Way Music Software Comparison featuring Cakewalk, ACID Music, and MAGIX Music

Who needs a band? If you can jot down a few lyrics, wield a mouse, and maybe bang some keys on a MIDI keyboard, you can create your very own music. The process can be as simple as dragging a few readymade loops onto a timeline or as demanding as editing an entire tune note by note, complete with vocals, guitar, drums, and synth.

Sometimes, the question comes down to power or simplicity. That's what we're faced with today, as we examine three software suites that allow you to lay down music tracks to create that song running through your head—the one you're sure would be a radio hit destined to make you a rock star. The offerings are: Cakewalk SONAR Home Studio 6 XL, Sony ACID Music Studio 7.0, and MAGIX Music Maker 12 Deluxe.

Since you have a PC, you're already on the way to carving out songs. You can do it with a minimal system using just your mouse and keyboard and any old sound card, or you can add quality microphones, preamps, MIDI instruments, and all kinds of hardware to augment the programs in this round-up.

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In the second half of this series, we'll get into the nitty-gritty of how to create a song of your very own:

Music Creation Part 2: Create a Song From Scratch

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