Make Your Own Kind of Music

I need to make one thing clear at the outset: I like music and I understand how to edit audio, but that doesn't mean that I have even a small clue about how to make music or edit it. Even if that describes you, Magix Music Maker 2014 Premium will allow you to make your own music.

A college roommate I had one summer was a music major and he found it hard to understand that I could look at a director's music score and not be able to hear all of the instruments in my mind. The information was all there, but I couldn't process it. And I suppose that there are people who can look at what I consider to be a simple audio voice track and not be able to see the obvious edit points.

Click any of the smaller images for a full-size view. Press Esc to dismiss the large image.

To me, it's clear without listening to the audio that a sentence ends at point 1, there's a breath at point 2, a new sentence begins at point 3, and there's an expletive surrounded by a slight pause at point 4.

If you listened to the audio and watched the indicator that shows what the wave form looks like at each instant, you'd catch on quickly and maybe that works for music creation, too.

But let's start at the beginning, when you start the application.

You'll have the option to load a project (if you're new to this, you won't have any), create a new project, or load a demo. Choose that final option so that you can see how the program works.

You may also have noticed an option to download free add-on packages. You should do that.

Once you have the general housekeeping out of the way (downloading the extra functions and checking for updates to the program), load one of the demos.

This is DubStep Basic. As you can see, there's a lot on the screen. Each instrument has its own track and there are 12 tracks for this selection.

Play the selection and watch what's under the play head (the red line with the triangle at the top). You'll clearly see the various instruments become active, play, and then become inactive.

You can zoom in on the timeline so that you'll see only a few seconds at a time. At this point the wave form become more obvious.

There's a mixer with a volume control for each channel and one for the master. You'll also be able to launch a peak meter so that you can confirm that none of the tracks will distort at any frequency.

If you have a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI instrument, Music Maker will recognize it. If not, you can use the built in faux keyboard. It works about as well as the faux keyboards for typing text on tablets.

This is the little composition that I put together in about 10 minutes.

When I tried to export the file as either a WAV or MP3, I ran into a problem. The Music Maker documentation doesn't describe how to accomplish this task and when I used Google to search for clues, I found that others have had the same problem but that most of the reports dealt with earlier versions of the program running under Windows XP instead of the 2014 version and Windows 8.1, so what's described online wasn't on my screen.

Ralf from Magix support in Germany explained that the message a warning to avoid bad surprises. Several of my tracks used MIDI instruments and one of them had not been assigned to a "real" instrument. The tracks with MIDI information on them could be played back through the "Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth" and would be audible in the project. Ralf explained that the "default General MIDI sounds are anything but pretty, but you would hear something." Until the track was sent to a proper software instrument, though, "these sounds would not actually be part of the mix when exporting." I had already worked out much of that on my own and Ralf completed the solution by explaining how to identify tracks that had no instrument assigned and how to assign an instrument.

I had overlooked one track and, as soon as I assigned an instrument, the export proceeded as expected. Here is my short first composition. Except for the delay caused by the export problem, creating this track took less than 10 minutes.

If your browser doesn't support flash, here is a direct link to the audio.

Putting it all Together

Music Maker offers a variety audio editing tools, effects, and more than 6 thousand sounds and loops. The interface is well designed and even new users can figure out most of it without too much distress. That said, if you try the program, expect to spend some time learning how to use all the tools.

Magix Music Maker 2014 Premium allows for an unlimited number of tracks, but how many you'll be able to use depends on your computer.

Some parts of the application are easy to figure out, but others (such as the dead end I ran into when I tried to export a file) can be more than a little annoying.

In addition to Music Maker, there is Music Maker Jam, which runs on Android and Windows tablets. The full version of Music Maker can import files you create on Music Maker Jam.

Jam is designed to be an easy-to-use portable tool and Music Maker 2014 appears more than a bit overwhelming when you first see it. Anything you create on Jam can be imported into Music Maker.

Music Maker is primarily aimed at using "samples", but there are options that permit live recording. The MIDI editor includes a keyboard option that allows you to compose your own arrangements. Just be sure to obtain a MIDI instrument instead of trying to rely on the on-screen keyboard.

Magix Music Maker Premium is a clever application that offers a lot of options for those who want to create their own music. Even if you're as clueless about the structure of music as I am, this is an application that you'll find to be interesting to use. And if you do understand music, well then, Bob's your uncle.

There's much more to this application than what I've shown here. My goal was simply to show that even somebody who knows absolutely nothing about composing music can actually create something that's listenable. For those with musical talent, Music Maker 2014 allows the recording of live tracks (as singer for example) as well as input from MIDI instruments. This version even includes autotune to allow correcting singers who occasionally go off key. Magix calls it Vocal Tune and it's based on ProAudio Technology; in addition to correcting pitch on voice tracks, it can also be applied to solo instruments.

This is the program's 20th year and surprisingly the basic interface hasn't changed much over the years, but numerous features have been added, including the ability to work with audio from videos. Now Magix offers an online magazine that's designed to help users of the program learn how to use it more effectively, so anyone who wants to create music can now buy the necessary tools and then acquire the knowledge needed to make the most of the tools.

Making music might be easier than you think.

There's no question that music composition is a complex topic and a $100 program won't automatically make you the latest rock star. But Magix Music Maker 2014 has the tools you need and the company's online educational resources can provide a jump start on the knowledge you'll need. You still have to apply the effort needed to master the tool, but it is a most impressive tool. Additional details are available on the Magix website.

Put Education on Your 2014 Calendar

One of the things I learned fairly early is that you can never stop learning. People graduate from high school, college, trade school, or community college with a particular set of knowledge. Then life takes over. Maybe you're assigned to do something that you don't know how to do or you learn about something and want to learn how to do it. I'm often surprised to find out what people studied in comparison to what they do: The chemical science major who runs a software company, the art school graduate who analyzes data, the business major who prefers teaching in elementary school. "Lifelong learning" is a catch-phrase, but it's also a way of life for many.

There are, of course, organizations such as the Kahn Academy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Open Courseware. and other similar free offerings from various colleges and universities. These are all worthwhile, but if you're looking for a way to learn business software (Microsoft Office, for example), various programming and scripting languages, computer-assisted design (CAD), or any of the graphic arts (photography, layout and design, page layout, or typography), you won't find a better source than Lynda.com.

Occasionally I obtain the equivalent of a back-stage pass from the folks at Lynda.com. Between the last time I visited, spring 2013, and now there have been some improvements that are worthy of a WOW!

Many of the existing programs have a transcript, but the latest programs, such as this one by Ben Long on flash photography, have a live, interactive transcript. Not all programs have transcripts and only the newer versions have the interactive transcripts.

As the program proceeds, the transcript scrolls and a highlight shows the sentence that the instructor is speaking. The transcript is searchable and, if you hear something described that you want to try later, you can copy the text and paste it into a reminder note.

There's also an option to play any given program from beginning to end, so you don't have to start each individual video sequence. I find that this works best with programs that describe processes but don't include work-along sample files. Using the feature or not is optional.

When Lynda.com was founded in 1995, most of the programs were similar to PowerPoint lectures. With improvements in technology and the more-or-less ubiquitous presence of high-speed Internet connections, the company has moved more toward putting the instructor on camera when the subject matter warrants it.

Improvements in video are obvious even over the past few years, both in terms of the technical quality of the videos and Lynda.com's ability to stream the videos. And it's clear that they're willing to invest in the hardware needed to obtain good video, videographers and assistants who are capable of using the gear, and post-production staff who can cut together broadcast-quality programs.

When you view a video, you can choose to run it full screen. This eliminates the transcript, but makes available a variety of controls. I use the Rewind 10 Seconds option frequently. It's perfect for those "Wait! What did he say?" moments. You can also add a bookmark to a specific point in a video or to the entire video.

I was surprised to learn that Lynda.com has a membership base of more than 4 million users, including more than half of the Fortune 100 companies, 6 of the 10 top advertising agencies, and 16 of the top 20 media companies. Given Lynda.com's strong emphasis on graphic and creative arts, the advertising agencies and media companies aren't really a surprise.

Some of the programs are still PowerPoint presentations, but if you compare some of the earlier presentations to the current presentations, you'll see that production standards have improved. Split screen is used when it's appropriate and some of the presentations switch between live video, static text, and on-screen views.

When you finish a program, Lynda.com makes it possible to share information about your achievement on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media. This gives you something to boast about, of course, but it also provides some exposure for Lynda.com and the course that you've completed.

To make sure that you're aware of this opportunity, you'll receive an e-mail within approximately 3 seconds of the time that you finish any course.

In other words, everybody wins.

In coming months, I'll tell you about some of the programs that I've found to be particularly worthwhile

Learning at home at your own pace couldn't be easier.

Lynda.com is not a university. The company provides instructional videos in several specific areas and is particularly strong in Adobe products and Microsoft Office products. Many of the programs come with exercise files that are available to premium ($35/month) subscribers. Basic memberships are $25 per month. If you want to learn something about any of the subjects available on Lynda.com, go for it! Additional details are available on the Lynda.com website.

Short Circuits

The Mouse that Roared

Something seems to have AT&T quaking in its oversized boots. The perceived threat is the much smaller cellular carrier, T-Mobile.

AT&T is so frightened, in fact, that it's offering T-Mobile customers up to $450 in credits if they'll just abandon T-Mobile and sign up for AT&T service.

The deal, as you might expect, isn't exactly what it seems.

First, there are the weasel words "up to": Switch from T-Mobile to AT&T and receive up to $450 in credits. $5 is in the "up to" range. So is $0. And the credits aren't cash; you have to use them to buy stuff from AT&T. At full price.

T-Mobile phones won't work on AT&T's network, so you have to trade in your T-Mobile smart phone. The amount you'll receive in credits for the phone is "up to" $250, depending on the type of phone you trade in and its condition. If you have a flip phone dating to 2006, don't expect a $250 credit.

The other $200 worth of credit is granted only if you sign up for AT&T's "Next" plan, which allows you to upgrade your phone every year, or its "Mobile Share Value" plan. If you want to sign up for a standard 2-year contract, you receive no credit.

This flurry of activity from giant AT&T a week ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show seemed to be an attempt to blunt T-Mobile's announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show that it will pay any termination fees incurred by AT&T customers who switch to T-Mobile.

The Consumer Electronics Show illustrated that T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, understands guerrilla tactics. He obtained a pass to AT&T's party on Monday and then made sure that CNET's Roger Cheng saw him. Cheng had a picture taken with Legere and sent it out in a tweet. A few minutes later, AT&T's security detail surrounded Legere and kicked him out, giving Cheng a story "How I got T-Mobile's CEO kicked out of AT&T's CES party." A better title would have been "How T-Mobile's CEO played me for a fool." But Legere also played AT&T. By showing up and making sure that AT&T knew he was there, Legere pretty much ensured the outcome and a big story for his company.

So CNET's reporter looks like a buffoon and AT&T looks like a small-minded bully. Score 2 for Legere.

On Wednesday, Legere lived up to the hype and announced that the company will pay early termination fees for new customers who were on family plans at other carriers. T-Mobile is the smallest of the 4 primary US cellular companies, but Legere is willing to bet as much as $600 per line that paying the termination fees is worth the cost.

Some other cellular providers such as Credo have long offered the pick up the termination fees for new customers who switch from other providers.

T-Mobile has been increasingly aggressive in going after customers from competing services. Based on market research, the company found that people don't like 2-year contracts and, when they travel overseas, high roaming charges anger them. T-Mobile addressed both of those concerns and the company has picked up more than a million new customers after several years of stagnant growth.

The company has 209 million customers in 273 metro areas and has now covered more than 200 million people in 233 metropolitan areas with its faster LTE service.

AT&T has been playing follow-the-upstart by creating its own contract-free plan and by allowing more frequent phone upgrades, so maybe the company is right to be worried about the mouse that roared.

Hackers Beware: FireEye and Mandiant are Together

Two companies that work in different areas of malware protection and response have merged. One is FireEye, a security software provider, and it has acquired Mandiant, a company that provides emergency responses when network security is breached.

This could be bad news for crooks but good news for the rest of us.

Well, maybe not everybody. Symantec, McAfee, and other providers of malware-fighting applications might also feel threatened by the acquisition.

Mandiant is the company that provided strong evidence about units of the People's Liberation Army's (China) involvement in various attacks aimed at businesses and governments.

Businesses have learned that they cannot depend on the federal government's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to provide warnings in a timely manner. For example, CERT didn't warn about point-of-sale intrusions until 2 weeks after such an attack compromised account numbers from millions of people who shopped at Target.

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's revelations haven't helped, either. The merged company might find the corporate market to be interested in finding a way to protect itself from government snooping, whether the government in question resides in Beijing or Washington.

Applications provided by FireEye place all inbound network traffic in a sandbox where it can safely be examined for suspicious activity. The inbound data stream is released only when no threat has been found.

The companies are familiar with each other because Mandiant is one of the primary go-to organization that are called in after FireEye has identified a problem. Mandiant cleans up the mess.

Random Thought: Are Office Supply Stores Doomed?

I received an e-mail from one of the big office supply stores this week and it offered me a 20% discount on a lot of common office items. Trouble is, I don't need any of them. We may not be living in a paperless society, but lots of things that I once used frequently are all but gone from my office.

You probably still have a tape dispenser around, as do I. But instead of using several rolls of tape every year, it's now several years between tape rolls. I ordered a dozen rolls of tape maybe 10 years ago. 11 of them are still on my shelf.

And paper clips? Somebody offered me 10 boxes of paper clips for 2 bucks. 9 of those are unopened. I can't think of a time when I've used a paper clip to hold papers together. When I use one now, I bend one of the ends so that I can insert it into an electronic device to perform a system reset.

I do still use staples: One per day, like vitamin pills. That's because I'm an old guy who still prints his calendar and his to-do list. Two pages. I want them to be stuck together, hence staples.

If you have highlighters, they probably dry out before the ink is depleted. And legal pads? I used to buy at least one pack of legal pads every year, but I haven't done that since the mid 1990s and I still have a bunch of them around. In the 1990s, I often started writing a report for Technology Corner on paper. Then I realized that there were 2 problems with that approach: First, I wouldn't be able to read it later and, second, if I could read it, I would have to type it on the computer. Why not just start there?

I still use pens because I write notes on my calendar and to-do list, but a box of a dozen pens might still be around long after I'm not. But I still buy them because I like pens. I've stopped buying pencils and leads for the many mechanical pencils I own. The feel of writing with a pencil is enjoyable, but I have enough leads to last until I'm at least 350 years old.

Office supply stores will survive, I suppose, but they'll do it by selling smart phones, computers, desks, and chairs. As for "office supplies", they seem destined to join buggy whips, watch springs, and slide rules.

Where Did My Network Go?

Everything was working normally. After uninstalling an application, I rebooted the computer and found that I had no network access. For somebody who lives on the Internet, this was more than a bit distressing. I tried the usual corrective measures (system reboot, modem reboot, and router reboot) but that didn't fix the problem.

The built-in Windows diagnostic tool reported that it had reset the router but still wasn't able to obtain an IP address. Microsoft suggested a remedy that involved running the NETSH utility, a command-line and scripting utility for networking components. A helper DLL extends Netsh functionality by providing additional commands to monitor or configure a specific networking component. What Microsoft suggested involved resetting the Internet protocol interface.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>netsh int ip reset
Resetting Global, OK!
Resetting Interface, OK!
Resetting Unicast Address, OK!
Resetting Neighbor, OK!
Resetting Path, OK!
Resetting , failed.
Access is denied.

Resetting , OK!
Restart the computer to complete this action.

No joy. I ran through several other suggested fixes without success. The final suggestion involved shutting down the IP Helper process.

IP Helper Service: RUNNING
OK, so I set it to "disabled" and stopped the service, but ...
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> ping 192.168.1.1

Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
PING: transmit failed. General failure.
PING: transmit failed. General failure.
PING: transmit failed. General failure.
PING: transmit failed. General failure.

I restarted the computer yet again and rebooted router once more. Success! Sometimes fixing computer problems doesn't make much sense, but I did learn that the IP Helper service apparently wasn't helping.

The IP Helper Service provides tunnel connectivity using IPv6 transition technologies and IP-HTTPS. Stopping the service means that the computer will no longer have access to its enhanced connectivity functions. That's OK, though, because most organizations haven't even started testing IPv6, much less started using it.