after update no longer crashes ...

First off: Do not put off by the figure. I thought that is also first that here a small "tool" is connected via USB that has roughly the size of a drawing pads ... But that does not "suitable Packstation" package betrayed even from the outside that this expected "larger" is ... namely a real 80 cm long Keyboard with 49 large keys with velocity, pitch bend and modulation wheels, octave switch (+/-). It is connected easily installed with the supplied USB cable and Windows (at least under Windows 8.1) then the driver automatically.

In the installed software then selects one the Keybord as an input device, and assigns appropriate instruments. And I first got a hint that I should choose a different driver (ASIO). What was relatively easy to understand, since it already directly was a "switch" in the notice indicated the driver menu directly. Unfortunately, not even to use all of the displayed instruments. A few have to buy. So there is a very nice "String Ensemble" which I can do well for the setting of self-produced films. This was then again to pay for unlocking online 29.99. (But it was worth it to me in this case).

. But first times the program itself I use the Music Maker mainly to create background music for your own video recordings, as with purchased music often, problems with GEMA exist with Youtube and Co, thus the video for some countries - is blocked - usually Germany. The program then pulling sequentially various sound clips from the Soundpool (a foundation is the program for, and should be stored if possible somewhere on a hard drive. Additional "Soundpools" can be bought and usually appear annually.

So you can then combine endlessly with bass, drums, vocals, horns, strings, and, and, and ... on several tracks with one another until one has its new "sound carpet" for the video together. The individual music clips are in different keys, and can also be individually or completely covered with all sorts of effects (reverb, distortion, ...)

If you want to contribute their own ideas with sound, you can now play with the help of keyboard melodies to small or large, and later in the final result with mixing.

I sat for some time, however, with the current version of the 2015er Music Makers frustrated there because the program permanently no later than after 20 minutes nearly crashed in 2 minute intervals and froze ... so you had to constantly caching so as not to start all over again.

Sometimes yes helps simply "wait" - as in this case. After I now dare again to the program, I got a first info that there is a new update. This I then recorded immediately. Lo and behold, until now there was no crash !!

A bigger problem I had then still with the keyboard. After the driver change, indeed functioned playing with this, but due to the fact that in choosing the musical instruments a window that brings a virtual keyboard on the screen. so you are of course trying to strum there with the mouse around. Only if you want to record it, creates a "dumb" music file ... I then tried to fix the Help Forum the error, then what happened but rather by accident. As you initially select the keyboard as input INSTRUMENT, this is the decisive instrument. That is: only when I play it, I can also record the result.

In any case, I recommend the version with this keyboard only people who can use a keyboard or piano. I can indeed use very well to individual sound effects (for movies) to create and save individually, but I could just as well use the virtual keyboard of the program. For the included here Keyboard you need quite a lot of room on your desk that is ...

Who wants to penetrate more into the matter, of course, have to bring a lot of time, because the program as well as the accompanying music studio includes an infinite number of possibilities, their function, to an often develops only through intense experimentation.

What I do not like, is this eternal new activation control, at certain intervals annoys a repeatedly again so that the product Magix always "eye" reserves. I do not know why this is good for the end user is not determined. Therefore, a star deduction.