NUMU Reviews

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In the mean time, Team NUMU member and all round star Khyle has written this magnificent review of MAGIX Samplitude...

MAGIX Samplitude ® Music Studio 15 Review

By Khyle – http://www.numu.org.uk/oblivion

This study into the features and usability of Samplitude Music Studio will be undertaken over the span of a month. I will aim to cover all features of the program, the usability, its user-friendliness, its compatibility and its quality.

When I got this in the mail, I thought to myself, “so far, so good.” It definitely looked promising. I read the box for its features, and according to the box has some studio tools in there, such as multi-track recording, different bit-rates, straight to CD burning, a virtual desk (maximum of 64 tracks), pitch correction tools, time stretching and pitch shifting and detailed wave editing. As well as these recording/mixing desk tools, it had some more, studio quality items to offer. The box says it contains a mastering suite, several studio effects, EQ’s, limiters, compressors, all to master a track to your own definition of perfection, and the best is yet to come. The best feature in my opinion is that is holds the capability for you to be able to use VST plug-ins too. So if all the studio effects and mastering tools weren’t enough, add yourself in a few out your favourite VSTs and Bob is definitely your uncle.

Still reading the box while it was installing, there is several codecs that this program also available for you. You can import in standard MIDI formats, WAV files, OGG Vorbis, MP3, AIFF, FLAC and even CDA (CD Audio with previews), which is all very handy for if you want to publish for different purposes. For example, MP3 may be the most common codec used for computer music files, but OGG holds a better compression, and certain file types can be played only on other systems, unless you trouble yourself to find the codec, that is. As well as audio, you can also import video, however, at this point I am not quite sure why. Read on to find out what I discover about video.

As well as the importing codes, the exporting cods are pretty much the same. However, for exporting, you can only export as a .MID MIDI file (which is the standard anyway, so no harm done), and you may also export as RealAudio, which is for the Real Player, just in case you didn’t know. For exporting video, you may export as AVI (with sound), and QuickTime, handy.

As well as all of these features which I will delve into more later on in my review, I noticed a very nice blue table at the bottom of one of the sides on the box. It says that the ‘Complete VST support’ includes integration, automation, and VST multi-output. The integration is handy as some VSTs cannot be integrated to certain programs, we will put this statement to the test soon. Automation is also an incredibly handy thing to use to sequence and record with. In Fruity Loops, automation can be used to manipulate any variable in a VST or synthesiser, so this statement shall also be thoroughly put to the test. For people who want to get a good audio sound with their recordings, I recommend downloading a free program called ASIO4ALL. Fruity Loops uses it, Cubase uses it, Reason uses it and happily, so does Samplitude, meaning a higher quality recording in both import and export of your music. The program says it also supports Rewire, which a program used with Reason to work in coherence with other programs. So if you use Reason too, this program is coherent enough to work alongside it. This programme definitely hits the highs so far.

And still, my thought still stands up to this point, “so far, so good.” The features included seem to definitely be up with the greats, and being only a fraction of the price, this is definitely something I would consider using to record, master and publish. However, there has been one problem already. But this is very minor and I’d expect to be fixed soon.

The problem is that if you use Windows 7 like me, simply putting in the CD and running the setup is not enough. The installer does not recognise the Operating System (OS), and asks you to install on a different OS. However, Windows 7 users do not fear, this is a problem very easily fixed. Go into the CD contents; right click on ‘setup.exe’ and click ‘properties’. Go to the compatibility tab, and set the executable to run on Windows XP (Service Pack 3). And once again, Bobs your uncle.

Well, so far, the review has been more of an overview, but this is about to change. This next part of the review will be covering basic features, such as inputs, sequencing, recording and the ease to record.

I have finished installing the program, entered the serial number and started up the application. So now I have to tell you, it very nicely asks you to set up your sound card/drivers and preferences. You know how I mentioned downloading ASIO4ALL? I still recommend it, absolutely, but MAGIX offer their ASIO drivers too, just in case you didn’t know about it.

I had set up my ASIO ports, my sound card, and my favourite part, scanning for all my VST plug-ins, everything went fine, and so it is time to starts reviewing the basics, and then we’ll get into the more in-depth details.

As I have said before, this program is very like SONAR, especially the visuals. The programme is also a lot like Pro Tools visuals-wise, which is an excellent thing, because this programme can be used to hone recording and production skills (which is what I’m going to do) and when the user moves on to one of the above mentioned programmes, they’ll know exactly what everything means, and where it will be. When you have recorded a clip (I just recorded me singing ‘this is a test song’) the programme generates an image with the sound waves (just like the two above programmes) and is easily changed.

If there had to be only one thing and only one thing I liked about this programme, it would have to be the virtual mixing desk, as it is fantastic. It is just like any mixing desk you’d have physically, and it makes it quite an amazing feature. It looks nice, and it works well. It is for sorting out levels, panning, inputs, gain and EQ, and then the arranger is for the FX. The mixing desk is the main part too really, as it has the ‘save’ and ‘edit’ function buttons on it, it is definitely one of the best virtual desks I have seen. Fruity Loops has a mixer, but it doesn’t look like an actual desk, which lets it down. However Samplitude does and it looks like a desk, which can help prepare for actual desk mixing in later life. Perfect.

However, there is not just one thing I like about this programme. I like almost everything about it. When exploring the built in effect VSTs this programme has, I was astounded. Whatever you’d expect to hear in the studio for effects (delay, echo, distortion, chorus or even a flanger) this has it. It only has 8, but these eight effects really are enough for editing. The delay I really played about with and I honestly love it. Each of these VSTs has presets too, so maybe you won’t even have to play about with the VSTs to get the sound you are looking for. I can honestly say I was surprised at the quality of the FX. They truly are fantastic. As well as the VST FX, you have a virtual FX rack, which has an EQ, compressor, reverb/delay/echo rack and an amp simulator rack. The amp simulator works like a programme called ‘Guitar Rig 4’, which is one of the best in the business, and trust me, this is not far behind. The amp simulator in my opinion is better visually, as (although Guitar Rig 4 holds an excessive amount of features) this virtual rack has enough settings to manipulate your DI guitar sounds, yet looks like an amplifier. The joy of this is (for any guitarist) that you don’t have to look for everything in different windows, or settings, it is all there, on the controls at the top of the amp. As well as these features, it gives a lovely distorted sound. Fantastic.

The MIDI Synthesisers are fantastic too. I have been using Vita for all of its orchestral pieces. It is amazing. The sounds are incredibly realistic, so I definitely advise using this programme for even its synthesisers. Pianos, Cellos, Double Bass, Electric Guitar and even Drum Kits even on Vita, this is fantastic. There is also the Synthesiser bundle included called Revolta, which blew my mind away. If you want to hear a technical demo as soon as you start this programme up (which of course you have to buy it first, which I would definitely recommend doing so) Insert a Revolta Object and listen to the arpeggiated trance midi sequence there. Mind blowing. The MIDI Editor is almost exactly like Cubase and Fruity Loops combined, getting the best of both worlds. I honest can say so far this programme hits all the right buttons.

Another thing I like about Samplitude is the transporter bar. It is like the transporter on Cubase, except doesn’t look as flash. However, don’t let aesthetics get in the way, as it is simple enough to understand, and gives you exactly what you need. After all, a sign of a true studio programme is that is has a good transporter bar.

Upon exporting, you choose all of your settings and the encoding you want to use. I typically export as MP3, and it has all the settings you may need to change considering MP3. You can pick your bitrate, quality of encoding, change from stereo to mono and even edit tags. This is perfect for wanting to upload to NUMU or wanting to show your friends, or even exporting as a raw WAV file to encode onto a disc.

Overall, this programme is a fantastic one. It supports anything you may want to import (apart from files saved from a different program!) and exports how you want to. You can use your own VSTs in parallel to the built-in VSTs. You can sequence, record, mix and master just like the professionals with this programme. If I had to summarise this programme into a couple of words, these words would be ‘Utterly Amazing’. For a fraction of the price, you’re getting the full unit of studio goodness. And if this review wasn’t enough to entice you into buying it, all I can say is buy it for yourself and see exactly what I mean.

Check out if Khyle has put the software to the test on his NUMU page.