From Popular Home Automation, April 1999

Do Re Mi: Autoscore 2.0 by Wildcat Canyon Software

by Leo Soderman

One's ability to accurately compose music from the mind requires a finely tuned ear developed through years of classical training and countless hours of practice. Yeah, right. As long as you've got a computer and a sound card, you don't need to waste your time with pencil and staff paper anymore. The Autoscore from Wildcat Canyon Software will do the work for you. Just install Autoscore, plug a microphone into your computer, and boom, you're ready to become the world's next Mozart. Available for Macintosh and Windows, Autoscore Deluxe 2.0 comes fully equipped to record, transcribe, and print your musical compositions. For $119 price tag, you get the software plus a microphone of mediocre quality with a 1/4-inch adapter. For $249 you can get Autoscore Professional which has features like volume tracking and pitch-bending tracking. But what really makes the Pro version shine is that it seamlessly integrates with high-end audio programs like Finale and Allegro, making the software a nice addition to any digital audio workstation. Autoscore fits on two floppy disks, and took only a minute or two to install. If you don't read manuals, a brief overview when you launch the program guides you through plugging in and testing your microphone. After that, all you do is press the record button and start singing.

Before you start wailing David Lee Roth, however, there are a few guidelines the manual instructs you on. First, the computer has a hard time deciphering lyrics, so it's best to sing straight tones or nonsense words like "Da DA DA DA" Avoid using words that end with an "un" or "um" sound and words starting with L, like "La." Also, it helps to go slowly and sing clearly. In our tests, it took a few tries to get a feel for Autoscore's recording quirks. But after a few minutes of playing around and trying out different songs, you quickly develop a sense of how Autoscore works best. From then on you should get consistent and accurate results. Autoscore works even better when you're not singing. It comes with several filters such as guitar, string, wind/brass, and rhythm to use when recording with different instruments. You select the appropriate filter, and Autoscore automatically changes its pitch algorithm to improve its recording accuracy with that instrument. We tested it out by playing several different riffs on an acoustic guitar. While it slipped up a few times on the extremely fast riffs, Autoscore was much more accurate and precise with the guitar than with the voice (Then again, maybe we are just bad singers).

The software's biggest drawback is its inability to transcribe chords or multiple instruments. You can only record one note at a time with one instrument at a time. We tried recording a guitar chord and the results were less than dazzling. Even when we played the chord one note at a time, Autoscore got easily confused if we did not dampen each note before playing the next one. Once you've recorded and transcribed your different music tracks, Autoscore comes with a separate audio package for additional composing and mixing. The Deluxe edition ships with Recording Session, by Midisoft Corporation, which allows you to compose music directly on the staff, and play all of your tracks back through a mixer console. The Professional Version comes with Cakewalk Home Studio 3.0, which has all the features of Recording Session along with some more extensive editing and recording functionality. Both Recording Session and Cakewalk Home Studio use MIDI files natively, and allow you to add lyrics to your song to include on the printed sheet music. Autoscore is perfect for someone looking for entry-level music software or for the professional looking to add some functionality to an existing workstation. The price won't break your wallet when compared to other recording software, plus you won't find Autoscore's transcribing capabilities in any other comparably priced product. If you can learn to deal with Autoscore's single note limitations, then go for it.

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