MAGIX Music Maker MX Review

Review summary

Good points

Bad points

Our verdict

Both beginners and advanced users who aspire to produce professional results will not be disappointed by Music Maker MX. The extensive features set and infinite customization capability, make it a great choice for anyone who wants to create audio tracks or enhance existing files.

Full review

The program is suitable for any ability, whether seasoned professional or complete beginner, thanks to its simple and intuitive 'easy mode'. Whether you are mixing a sound track for your home movies, or DJ creating a new dance track, there are plenty of effects, loops and editing options to keep you going - plus, Music Maker MX is just plain fun to use.

Setup

The installation file is much larger than either WavePad or Acoustica. Of course, this translated into longer wait times during set-up but it didn’t make the installation itself any more complicated and it didn’t require a restart.

Audio editing

Music Maker MX includes a processor, channel mixer, infinite cue points, effects previewer, equalizer and frequency tuner – to name a few editing tools. Included effects, such as reverb, chorus, flanger and cross-fade, can be easily executed but you may find yourself spending a few days exploring the possibilities just because it’s so fun.

One minor drawback is that it doesn't include a voice reduction feature, making it difficult/impossible to remove vocals from recordings and thereby unsuitable for creating karaoke tracks.

Audio recording

There are no surprises in terms of audio import options which include line-in, sound cards, MIDI and CD. Music Maker can also export files to be used on portable devices such as iPods, iPhones and Creative Zen.

Features

Magix has included some impressive online extras for its registered users. For example, if the software doesn’t provide a specific sound that you need, you can harness the power of Catooh, an extensive online content library, to find it. Catooh contains drum loops, sound effects and even vocals.

Home video enthusiasts will find that the program makes it simple to marry video to audio tracks and upload them directly onto YouTube.

Ease of use

Music Maker's interface is both stylish and relatively user friendly. With a few clicks, you'll be able to cut, enhance and remix audio files using the software presets.

If you’ve had no experience using audio editing software before, we highly recommend viewing the tutorials which will guide you through the various software tools. Once you’ve learned what the features can do and how to use them, you'll be off and mixing. Music Maker MX may not offer the easiest user interface but it is fun to use and remarkably simple given the amount of effects it provides.

If you enjoy a challenge, turning off 'easy mode' will provide hours of entertainment. The 1500 included effects can all be tweaked and the possibilities will easily keep even advanced users engaged for quite some time.

Help & support

Music Maker MX comes installed with embedded support features such as tutorials and how-to information. Registered users also have access to their online database, forums and both email and telephone technical support. However, the telephone support is not free.

Overall

Both beginners and advanced users who aspire to produce professional results will not be disappointed by Music Maker MX. The extensive features set and infinite customization capability, make it a great choice for anyone who wants to create audio tracks or enhance existing files.

It would have been nice to have more choice in file export formats and the omission of batch functions can make some tasks incredibly tedious. However, the amount of fun you’ll have exploring the program’s capabilities could more than make up for its shortcomings.

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Overall
Setup
Audio editing
Audio recording
Features
Ease of use
Help & support