Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
While this program might be a boon for those familiar with creating musical scores, a clunky interface makes it tough to stay in tune. Melody Assistant lets you create songs and assemble musical scores as well as play your creations back. It does require prior knowledge of musical composition and score notation, as there's no help file to teach you the basics (while there is a good set of video tutorials to help you use the program.) The program's interface, while fairly rich with features, is not the easiest to use. Many buttons are too small, making it easy to click one when you meant another. We also discovered during testing that clicking and dragging useful icons on to the main window also can be a chore. The trial version does limit the number of notes you can place per stave, and restricts file importing. Despite some usability issues, Melody Assistant overall is a great tool for music beginners or intermediate users wishing to put their songs down on paper.Publisher's Description
From Myriad:
Melody Assistant is a music composition and score editor with audio playback capabilities. The program's digital-sound editing features let you record custom sounds from your CD player or microphone. The included digital-instrument database can be assigned to play back your compositions. Melody Assistant is compatible with MOD, MIDI, KAR, SGU, AIFF, WAV, BMP, and other sound files.
This new version brings an improved user interface, with a new management of hierarchical lists, a new default icon set, and the discontinuous selection of music symbols.
More Products to Consider
-
Understand your life events through astrology. -
Watch and record online TV Channels worldwide, Justin.tv channe... -
Create, play, and print tablature scores. -
Play virtual piano with your computer's keyboard. -
Play this guitar with your computer keyboard. -
Download and convert videos from any Web site. -
Download video from YouTube fast and easily. -
Tune up acoustic and electric guitars. -
Convert RM to MP3, MPEG to MP3, and other video to audio format... -
View thousands of online TV shows, streaming channels, videos, ... -
Watch DStv Mobiles DVB-H mobile television broadcast on Windows... -
Convert FLV files into popular video and audio formats, and vic... -
Analyze you and your partner inherent characteristics to judge ... -
Find and play Internet video. -
Use your photo images to show you what makeup and hair style an... -
Play and record MIDI files with a piano simulation. -
Download free music directly from your desktop. -
Watch real strippers stripping directly on your computer taskba... -
Tune up and find low and inharmonic notes. -
Manage HTPC and play your favorite media from anywhere. -
Predict horse race results with accuracy. -
Draw a random photo or number for a raffle. -
Generate horoscopes based on Indian Vedic astrology tradition. - Search and watch latest movie trailers.
-
All versions:
3.2 starsout of 15 votes
-
Current version:
3.2 starsout of 13 votes
-
My rating:
Write review
-
"Awesome sequencer for making sick electronic music"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
Combine this program with a good sample library and you can make some sick beats, due to the many ways you can present an instrument or sample. Lots of built-in effects, and easy import and export for each layer so you can use other software to create samples and sample sequences (audiomulch?)
-
"Not Bad"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
Reasonably easy to use.
Cons
Icons are too small and interface seems to be packed with too many items.
Sound quality is not that flash.
-
"Download Finale Notepad instead, it's FREE. Bad support from Myriad."
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Cons
Myriad's support is bad. The Melody Assistant software seems okay, but I didn't get time to check it out because the activation key was not sent to me until the next day and by then I had already downloaded Finale Notepad which is clearly the superior product. I had a project due the following day and didn't expect to wait around for an activation key - the demo won't let you print legibly. I had wasted way too much time by the time I realized the activation key was not coming. When I explained all this to the Melody Assistant support person, the person showed me that he or she could care less and wouldn't give me a refund. The activation key didn't arrive in my email until the next day, and then only after I had to email them about not receiving it multiple times. If you buy this product, be sure you are prepared to possibly wait a day or more to receive your activation key. This was my experience. I was totally annoyed by all contact with the support person. Luckily Finale Notepad is much better. You can download the non-demo Finale Notepad from its website for free.
-
"Powerful, inexpensive, fun"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
This software does so much. I use it to play around with midi files, look at the scores, change instruments, etc. I almost never buy software, but I forked out 20 bucks for this (though I think it works ok for free). Just the sound bank is great, much better than the standard MIDI that comes on my PC (Vista). I've had good support from the company and the forums.
Cons
The user interface is a bit confusing. There's a definite learning curve. Lots of powerful functions aren't so easy to discover. The tutorials help.
-
"Major rendering flaws make this product useless."
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
Deep feature set.
Cons
The product produces unreadable renderings
(both on screen and in print) in very
basic situations (e.g. dotted half
followed by 16th with alterations in 4/4).
The notes and the accidentals end up
printing on top of each other and there
is no way to manually fix the placement.
This is with the paying version, and the
only answer from support is that this is
on purpose, and that you have to go and
purchase the more expensive Harmony
Assistant product to be able to freely
place the notes in the bar.
I would strongly recommend against that
product unless you are looking for endless
headaches to create the most basic scores.
-
"HIGHLY recommended! sequencer with old-school interface"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
Compose music the old-fashioned way by dropping notes on a staff. Edit the score, right down to aspects of the individual note. Exports to midi, wav and other formats. Apply effects to the score or individual instruments. Allows you to create your own instruments from sound files. Well worth $20!
Cons
The included instrument base is poor and the intermediate one from their website isn't much better. No way to easily drop chords on the screen - have to do it a note at a time or use a keyboard.
-
"Great software"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
This is a good piece of software. I've owned it for several years and use it for all my composition. It's easy to use and EXTREMELY CHEAP as far as music notation software goes (and there's a completely free version available, just with fewer functions and a maximum number of notes). It has many, many features, some of which very few people will ever use. The sound database for playback is ok, and you can purchase better from the website, which also features some forums and good support from a helpful staff.
Cons
The music can skip a little if you put in a lot of staves (i.e. an orchestral score or larger), and in the few years I've owned Melody Assistant it's crashed four times, each time requiring a complete restoration of the software and a hassle for yours truly. Each version becomes better with both of these things, though, as is to be expected.
-
"Crashes constantly!"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Cons
Every time I try to edit a file, it crashes and I have to restart the program. It is really annoying.
-
"Too crippled and complex"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
It notated my midi file accurately.
Cons
I couldn't edit the score either because the functions I wanted were not available in the free version or I couldn't figure out how to do the function using the unintuitive user interface.
-
"Such cripple ware, who knows if it works"
Version: Melody Assistant 7.0.2
Pros
Not much
Cons
Won't even let me change the key signature in the crippleware eval copy. Sorry guys, but that's not worth more than one star.
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
Previous Versions:
