MusicRadar

MIxcraft's Details tab is now dockable, meaning it can be resized and put on a second monitor.

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• Review

We first encountered Mixcraft in 2005 when it was a gangly teenager of an audio sequencing package that didn't even have basic features such as snap. By the time we caught up with it at version 4, it seemed much more self-assured, delivering MIDI and virtual instrument support and generally starting to feel like a proper DAW.

Now we have Mixcraft 5, which, when you take a look at the new features list, looks set to be the release at which the software fully matures.

What's new?

We won't waste too much time dealing with the interface: it's a straight-down-the-line affair and you can probably tell what everything is and does just by looking at the screenshot above.

It's worth noting, though, that the Details tab at the bottom - which gives you access to Mixcraft's editing windows and loop library - can now be undocked. As a result, full-screen MIDI editing is now possible, which is a real boon. You can even drag the whole tab onto a second monitor.

Speaking of the MIDI editor, there's a newly added option to switch to a basic notation view, in which notes can be added and moved around. One clever touch is that piano roll-style bars appear behind each note, representing their length. You can then drag the edges of the bar itself to easily adjust the start position or length, which is a lot easier than fumbling with the usual crotchet/quaver/minim tools, especially for those not fully au fait with notation.

For those musically inspired moments when you don't have access to a MIDI keyboard, the Musical Typing Keyboard will come in handy. It does exactly what it says, turning your computer's QWERTY keys into musical ones.

There's also a new Mixer option to consider in the Details tab - rather than using buttons and sliders below each track name, you can now mix on a virtual mixing console. Each channel offers standard mixer functionality, and includes a useful three-band EQ.

Also in the mixer are the new Master and Send tracks. The former facilitates global effects and volume adjustments, while the latter are auxiliary busses that enable you to share effects between multiple tracks (such as reverb - the classic send effect).

Further evidence that Acoustica is attempting to turn Mixcraft into a more serious music production tool is provided by the new automation features. Each track now has an automation lane that enables you to adjust effect and instrument parameters over time by clicking and dragging.