5 comments about Finale SongWriter.

1. I tried to put in a simple piano accompianiment. The automatic features were so overriding that I could not do the simplest things. If a beat contained a quarter note in the upper of the baseline but two eighth notes for the bottom, it assumed that the second eighth note went with the upper line and would not budge. It would not let me put a whole note in the bottom of the baseline combined with a moving part above it. I would have had to written each line as a separate score, making it -- no longer piano accompaniment. Seemingly the only notation it would allow was locked chords or what it predicted would happen. It also would not let me tie a whole note to another note in the next measure.
   
   Maybe these things are possible but buried in a terrible manual, which doesn't seem to realize that laptops don't have numeric keypads.
   
   I think it would be a particularly bad teaching device because it would encourage students to write only only in very staid, ultra-conventional ways.
   
   Finally, there's no way to email them that I can find. Perhaps there is but they have buried the information. That also is not user-friendly.



2. I'm spoiled by Mac software that follows Apple's UI guidelines. This software is, frankly, ugly. My wife was disappointed that you can only play one handed to input your notes. Getting both hands in requires more effort and coordination.
   
   If you're a beginner you may not truly have the need to get notes to paper. If you're more advanced, I think you could spend more money and get a better product.



3. Finale Songwriter---The ideal solution for those who wish to produce
   music manuscripts with that professional appearance. Would have had 5 stars --- BUT --- it would have been good to know about the import duty
   and to have paid off all expenses in one transaction. Still, I suppose we must support our Lords and Masters in the style to which they have become
   accustomed.
   
   DNA



4. It was shipped promptly and arrived in no time. The Product works great and i am satisfied.



5. I purchased this program recently and have been using it to arrange original compositions. For the price, it is truly a good value and has some nice features; however, do not be fooled by the "guitar chord diagram" feature. It only has 1 choice of fingering, so if you want your "C MAJ 7" to be played at the 8th fret... too bad. It only shows it in the open position; so various voicings are out of the question. I just leave that feature alone now.
   
   The built in soft-synth is nice, better than what most computers have already in them and it gives you a taste of what you want to hear.
   
   My only other gripe about this program is the fact that you cannot save your final work as a .pdf file or word file. So, you're stuck printing the document and making copies for your friends who don't have this software or who don't wish to use the internet to hunt it down.
   
   Overall, it's a good piece of software for the price and does what it says for the most part. I would reccomend it if you don't want to purchase the more expensive programs.

No comments about Amazing 3D Font Maker.

No comments about Upgrade Photoshop CS3 10 Win 1U Retail.

2 comments about PC CAKEWALK GUITAR TRACKS PRO 3.

1. This is just what it claims to be - Cakewalk, tailored to the guitar player! I really like it, because I can capture whatever will feed into my soundcard, but it's made especially for guitar players, with the pedal, etc.
   
   Anyhow, it's a lot of fun. Get one!



2. Somebody at Cakewalk must be doing something right. Guitar Tracks Pro 3 is an amazing upgrade over the older versions.
   
   The new interface is silky smooth. The metronome actually works.
   
   And, I can finally record at 24 bit 96khz, which I couldn't do with a lot of competitor's software.
   
   A lot of great new effects (look under GT FX). Really good new reverb, equalization (called "Q"). The new plugins look like expensive rack mount units that you drool over (but dare not buy) at music stores.
   
   Okay, minor complaints that the software defaults are kinda weird (sound on sound record, among others) which are leftovers from the old Guitar Tracks software. Also the record button is tiny tiny tiny.
   
   But all in all, for the basic recordist, this is one hot piece of software. If your not at version 3, definitely upgrade. After about an hour of twiddling around, you will be all grins.
   
   And as we all know, Cakewalk actually includes a printed manual that a normal human being can use and understand.
   
   Hats off to Cakewalk for an excellent upgrade.

5 comments about Total Training Adobe Photoshop CS2 (PC & Mac) (DVD).

1. Before you decide to spend $300 on this training series, please be aware that the pen tool is NOT covered.The instructor mentions it in passing, and then tells you that he went over the pen tool in the Adobe Illustrator course, implying that if you need to learn this tool, you should purchase that course too (another $200). If you need to get precise selections, the pen is the most important tool in this software and should be included. This omission is a major flaw in the course.



2. These guys do a great job in all of their videos, and this one is no exception. Highly effective and easy to follow training.



3. I fully agree with Funbear's review, which is a good one and full of remarks I think Mr McClelland should consider. Including the making of personalised dvds, moduled on different designer's needs.
   
   I teach a number of Adobe programs; I review a lot of materials in order to recommend it to my students. I think Mr McClelland's books and dvds are generally good. I would like to add to Funbear's remarks the following:
   1) the obsessive repeat of the difference between the PC and Apple keys is not necessary. For someone who's made it past the first tutorial, that difference is already clear. So no need to repeat it several times per tutorial, up to the last dvd.
   2) since most of the material is addressing adults, it can become annoying to hear childish theatrical narration
   4) what is obvious visually need not be translated into words. If you chose a red, we can see it's a red and that needs no extra explanation
   4) Mr McClelland has a "head/nasal" voice; it can be very tiring to listen to a 30+ minutes tutorial given by such a voice; economy with dubious jokes would be recommended
   5) I personally find it bad taste to use family photos and personal information as material for tutorials. I really don't need to see Mr McClelland's kids, nephew, wife, sister in law, garden, house, holidays. There's plenty of stock photography which could be used instead.
   6) I really don't like someone I don't know calling me "my friend". I didn't think the tutorials are for children or old beer buddies
   7) Most of my students are adults and often with a computer background and certainly an art/visual training. I would like to see tutorials out there that covered an individual's way of working, way of thinking and approaching a graphic subject.
   From my 9 years teaching experience (true, part time, the rest is working with these programs) I have learned that students need not only to hear what a button does but how to "think in digital" and how to develop strategies of working in DTP, digital photography and the rest of the jazz.
   As an example I could give a British film director which in the 90s was influenced by the language of After FX and Premiere. He attended my private tutorials and used the visual style in some of his following films. I didn't show him how to hold down shift and control (on a PC!) because he was interested in the visual possibilities. Then he hired one of my students.
   
   On the whole, Mr McClelland is doing a good job, I hope our feedback here will be of some help.



4. I'm completing a Grad. Cert in ICT and needed to learn Photoshop both quickly and easily. Note: I had never used Photoshop before. This training product was exactly what I needed, taking me through the basics to advanced levels step by step.
   
   Benefits
   The instructions given were very thorough, detailed and made all the more easier because I was able to see Deke (a Photoshop Hall of Famer) perform every technique before I had to do them myself. The three DVDs cover just about everything and anything you could wish for regarding CS2 - from setting up Photoshop to using layers to using the Vanishing Point Filter. Finally, all of the required photos that I worked on were contained within the DVDs - which was great - meaning I didn't have to search for support files via the internet as you often have to with a book. I will never use another self help book again if I can find a training DVD of the quality of this one!
   
   Costs
   A big disadvantage is the cost of this product - around $250-$300 (Australian). Yep, books definately come cheaper, but having said this books cannot explain verbally what you have to do or show you! As one reviewer has already noted - Deke's habit of repeatedly stating the shortcut keys for both the Mac and PC does get annoying!
   
   Overall
   AWESOME!!! And ... I really enjoyed Deke's friendly banter, his use Renaissance props and his references to Leonardo De Vinci!



5. extremely helpful...very user friendly...allowed me to work and learn on my own! I would use this creator again and again.

No comments about Director 11 for Windows - 1 User.

No comments about Copy & Convert 3 for PC.

3 comments about PianoHead.

1. This is a Win/Win product for teachers and students. With over 30 years experience, and a large studio of successful students, I can attest that Piano Head taps into the quick visual perception both honed in today's youth by video games, and required by successful music readers. Kids are further motivated by the challenge to appear on the Worldwide Scoreboard, which entices them to practice their note and interval recognition to the desired level of automaticity. I have many students who have leaped to a higher level of understanding and enthusiasm for playing the piano, as Piano Head has lifted them beyond the mundane level of "hunt and peck". At a time when national studies show that a large percentage of piano students drop out after two years of lessons because they cannot read music, I cannot recommend this product highly enough!



2. Pianohead has been a great addition to regular piano practice time. One student in the family has a strong ear for playing and she is having fun getting to know her notes and intervals better. Both students are encouraged by the knowledge gained through the game and the confidence earned. We strongly recommend it for others that are learning and playing the piano as it creates another dimension to learning that may not be achieved through just practicing on the keyboard.



3. This is a must for piano students and music majors alike! The authors did a fantastic job of making the entire experience intuitive. It was totally easy to install. You don't have to read a single manual to get going. I don't think I've ever used the 'help' feature, nor do I know if it HAS a help feature.
   
   This product can be best thought of as a game that is divided into lessons. Each lesson is a variation on the same game with varying degrees of difficulty. The objective is to get the best score you can. After a few minutes of playing the first lesson, I could actually close my eyes and play, and still scored high!
   
   I only found two draw backs. It runs hot on my laptop - I suspect this may have something to do with the way the graphics are managed, or perhaps the game loop - it eats 45% of the CPU on my dual core machine. The other issue is that I was hoping my MIDI keyboard would work with it, I'm not sure if I misinterpreted the literature, but, even so, I still find significant value in the lessons anyway.

5 comments about Microsoft Picture It! Publishing 2001 Platinum.

1. I almost didn't buy this product because of the reviews that had been written about it. But I did and I was very careful, cleaned up my hard drive and made sure I had the room, (I only had 6 gb of hard drive) and when I installed it I followed Microsoft's recommendations and instructions to the "t". I never run it with other programs open. It runs better that way. But you can do just about anything with this program. I was very impressed, and very glad I bought it!



2. During installation this program deleted important system files. I installed on a "clean" system and still ended up having to run scandisk and restore lost files. So, buyer beware!



3. I really love all the different arrangements and reading this programs does for me. I am able to run all my other programs and extentions through it and with it. Many other programs I have used, are not as conjunctive. I highly recommend "picture it" to anyone who likes to play with and share photos.
   I was fortunate to have had "picture it express" included with my computor purchase. ...



4. I too am very upset with the bad software from microsoft. I can't even load the program. It claims to be Windows 2000 compatible. When attempting to install I get an error message telling me I have -2048MB of memory and 32MB is the minimum. In fact, I have 2048MB or 2GB of memory. Again a stupid assumption on the part of microsoft that nobody would ever have that much memory. With a minus memory amount the program will not load. After reading the reviews I guess I should be happy, but like most I am out of pocket for the cost.



5. The item that I purchased was in excellent condition, and the sell did a great job as far as sending it to me on time. I am very happy with my purchase form her, and give her a thumbs up, you did a great job. The item was what I expected, and in new like condition, I would buy this way again.

5 comments about Photo Explosion 2.0.

1. If all you want is to 'fix up' a photo and print it,this will do you just fine. If you want to add a funky frame, or simple special effects, it's good. If you really want to get artistic, you need to keep looking. It's very good at doing the basic things, but you can't really expect to get sophisticated results. It is very easy to use, and does do a great job on refining brightness, contrast, etc.



2. I bought this for the fact it said I could made dvd type photos. I have searched every inch of this program and cannot find out how to do that. I feel I have now wasted my money on this.



3. If you are buying this for making alterations to your photos its not bad
   But if you are like me and you want to burn your pics to a dvd slide show with music forget it. Tech support is rude too- on the bright side they are free (to my understanding) but perhaps thats why they are rude.
   either way the program does not support mp4's (it does support mp3 and wav) what i tunes uses so you can forget music with your slideshow and then in order for your computer to support the program for burning you will have to remove whatever other program that is using your burner there is no flip flopping- a lot of work little reward



4. I thought it was excellent software. Very easy to use and great for whatever project you need to do.



5. Great program for the beginner and advanced, very user friendly. Lots of options and choices. I highly reccomend it.