Radio Disney Music Mix Studio is a
solid music composition/editing program with tiny flaws
So you want to create your own music
videos, and you want to ‘star’ in them, at least vocally. Well, there is hope
for you PC program-wise, although you may have to work a little harder at
getting into the flow of the program.
Why? Imagine this scenario ...
You have a disconcerting feeling, as
you sit and stare at the screen, wondering what it is you are supposed to be
doing. So you click through the options in the player interface, hoping that
somewhere you get the idea for what you can and can’t do. Again, you check the
program box, looking for instructions, which aren’t there. You flip the jewel
case over and over, look for a missing manual, and then you see it. Tiny letters
that talk about the electronic manual and how to access it. That’s it! There is
no manual, per se, but rather a file that you can’t hold in your hands while you
run the programs, but with simple instructions nonetheless. Now, if you can just
remember what it told you when you launch the product.
That’s the main drawback involved with
Radio Disney Music Mix Studio, from Disney Interactive. While it is built
solidly, and features many of the nice functions and options one would expect
from a Disney product, the lack of a manual may be a bright idea to save a few
dollars, but can be hampering to someone who doesn’t want to take the time to
handwrite out what needs to be done, nor relishes frittering away printer ink
and paper for the instructions.
The concept of the program is quite
simple: edit existing music tracks (or create your own), add your own vocal
track, then throw in some animation and save it. You can boot it up on your
desktop, or e-mail it to relatives or friends to show them how creative you are.
The product itself comes with enough tasty tricks and licks to make you look
like a musical genius. What musical style do you fancy? Will it be pop dance,
pop ballad, techno, rap, rock, blues, jazz, world music or retro?
You can always discard the three
pre-programmed tracks (which play over and over) in favor of tossing the dice
for a “new” sound. Mixing the instrument track is a drag and drop affair, that
is very simple to use.
In fact, once you understand the
basics of the program, it is very user-friendly. After you’ve found the right
mix, you can record your voice onto the track – adapt other lyrics or write your
own, it doesn’t matter. The review program came packaged with a small Labtec
microphone to plug into the computer to use for this.
When you are done with the details of
creating your song, you can add animation to it – simple drawings that bob and
weave in relationship to the tempo, and save your song.
Radio Disney has solid Web support,
and contains a nice mix of the music of some of the younger (or newer) recording
artists. It does feature the music of Youngstown, Myra and Lil’J. You can also
create your own desktop player for listening to your favorite MP3s.
Of course, this program is rated for
everyone.
Music Mix Studio is a nice program.
However, when compared to MTV’s Music Generator, by Codemasters (http://www.gzkidzone.com/gzreviews/r14387.asp)
– a summer 2000 release, it does come up a little short. That product featured
better cuts of music to choose from (when creating, mixing or editing a song),
and nice animation for creating videos. But that product was geared for older
“kids,” while Radio Disney will appeal to a younger audience.
Install: Easy.
The full install is only 102 megs of
hard-drive space. It goes on quickly. You will have to reserve other space for
completed songs.
Gameplay: 8
While play is not really an applicable
term here, this product does not need to pause to load sequences or animations.
Everything comes up quickly.
Graphics: 7
This features some nice Disney-esque
animations. But remember, the graphical element here is not the draw.
Sound: 9.5
Full-bodied and rich, this program is
wonderful in the audio department. Each sound is delivered with crisply and
cleanly.
Difficulty: 7
The electronic manual is well designed.
And you can print out the sections that interest you rather than the entire
manual. Once you grasp the general idea of what the program wants you to do, it
is easy to actualize those concepts.
Concept: 7.
Disney brings its own brand of magic to
the genre. It is a nice, reasonably inexpensive way to teach kids about music.
Multiplayer: N/A.
Overall: 8.5.
Whereas the MTV product was more fitting
for an older crowd, Radio Disney Music Mix Studio will appeal to the younger
composers. However, that shouldn’t put older users off. This is a solid program,
with a nice array of elements, and a Disney feel. The graphics are colorful, and
the program contains wonderful sound patches. The lack of a manual isn't really
a deterrant, because the program is rather easy to use once the concepts are
understood.
