Sony Acid Music Studio 7 review

Acid Music Studio is the cheapest music production program with the power for serious work, and also happens to be delightfully easy to use.

Its automatic stretching of samples to match a tempo and key has made it a hit with dance music fans, while the simplicity of its recording functions appeals to songwriters.

Previous versions used separate tracks for each sample, audio recording or MIDI performance. This made it easy to build up sample-based compositions, but managing live performances was more cumbersome. If you made a mistake towards the end of a take, you either had to start again or pick up where you left off on another track. Now, tracks can combine any number of recordings, and Acid cross-fades overlapping recordings to help create seamless performances from multiple takes. You can still 'paint' samples into place with dedicated tracks for each one if that's what you prefer.

MIDI editing is improved, too, with a new in-line editor that appears on the main timeline, plus improved options to edit the timing, volume and duration of MIDI notes. While the extra options are welcome, we found the inline editor awkward, requiring rearrangement of the screen layout before it could be used effectively. It's now possible to record from multiple simultaneous inputs (if your sound card provides them), which is great for recording live bands. However, we'd be hesitant to embark on such ambitious projects in the confines of Acid Music Studio's 16-bit recording quality.

The recording resolution - along with the basic mixing options, bundled effects and MIDI synthesizer, which remain unchanged - make Acid Music Studio look a little weak compared to Mackie Tracktion 3 (search for 125435 at www.computerbuyer.co.uk). However, it's also less than half the price. With VST plug-in support providing a means to augment the effects and synthesizer, it's an excellent low-cost option for newcomers to PC audio production.