Description:
Sporting a similar interface and several of the features and conventions of Cakewalk's renowned professional PC music studio Sonar, Plasma 2003 is a less comprehensive but far more affordable PC-based music studio geared to the home-based artist. Great for any musician who wants to digitally record and thereafter modify her or his compositions, the program is ideally suited to those who prefer assembling loop-based dance and techno tunes and performing remixes. Plasma allows you to record traditional "analog" instruments such as guitar and drums, as well as electronic and software-based MIDI instruments and devices. The program supports an unlimited number of tracks, each of which may later be fine-tuned and repositioned. Users may apply multiple effects such as reverb and delay, add manual and automatic fades and cross-fades, integrate video clips, and take advantage of an expansive range of synthesized virtual instruments. The Plasma package features several other enticing extras you might not expect to find in a budget-priced home music system. One of its most entertaining utilities is the FXPad, a nifty software tool that looks similar to a notebook computer's touchpad. By moving your mouse or joystick inside the pad's rectangular interface, you can adjust the modulation of audio effects to produce a range of extremely unique sounds. With over 40 integrated effects (such as the Star Wars-like Droid Drivel and the reverb-laden Arctic Cave) and support for plug-ins, the FXPad is a $20 value when ordered separately from Cakewalk. Of even greater interest to aspiring DJs is Plasma's bonus CD. Here you'll find hundreds of high-quality percussive and backing loops from respected loop studios such as X-Mix, Smart Loops, and Power FX, any of which may be dragged and dropped into your latest jam. The program also includes a stripped-down edition of Cakewalk's CD burning application Pyro, and a valuable media search tool entitled Audio Finder. Although Plasma offers a thorough help file and numerous tutorials, its advanced terminology and complex concepts may nevertheless seem confusing to newcomers. However, home-based musicians with a preference for electronica and loops will be well rewarded for their patience. --Gordon Goble
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