Madwaves MP-5-US MadPlayer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I actually did not know what to expect when I ordered it.From what I read I thought that it could be fun.I was expecting something a bit like a casio keyboard but, when I first opened the box I was at first impressed by the packaging and the quick start guide.I found that I had everything I need including hadset (with mic), batteries and charger. The charger is not great, a bit confusing at fist since its designed for 4 batteries, but after charging the batteries overnight I was ready to give it a go.My first impression was not that great, I did not know exactly what to do nor what to expect.I started by just playing with the DrumnBass style and working my way around the buttons seeing what each did.Several times I ended up in a help mode, but then easily found my way back again.After about 20 minutes I got the hang of operating in the different instrument lanes and subtunnels.At this point I thought I should read the manual to really find out about how everything works.The manual is probably one of the best written I have read.It is easy to follow and very detailed without being to technical. The manual really made a huge difference in my understanding of what the madplayer is capable of.There are many things in it that justare not mentioned in the companies website.Within a few hours of reading the manual and messing around I had pretty much got evrything I could do and then decided to really give the player a go. Forget the headset, it does not do the player justice, just plug it into your stereo system (I used a mini to RCA adapter) and play with it live and very loud.The sound quality is amazing.I have used some pro gear from roland and this thing sounds as good or better. As I played more I began to realize what this product is really about.I started to make songs that made me feel great, and they were my songs.I am not a professional musician so the power it put in my hands was enlightening.I also used a great feature which allows you to mix audio samples in ral time. The supplied audio samples are not all that great, but apparently they have a whole bunch of em on their web site. PLus you can make them yourself if you want to. So I made a few Jungle and Drumm&bass songs and thought I would test what I made on a few friends.I played back the songs on my stereo and did not tell any of them that I made them. They all asked me what the new CD was that we were listening to. When I told them I did the music they did not believe it.Overall, this is one great piece of gear.Yes, it does take some work to understand, and there are a few ennoying bits, like the charger and heatset, but overall this is a must have for anyone into music.It is a product that really can not be explained, but has to be expereinced to be appreciated.

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Product Description:
The MadPlayer, the world's first all-in-one digital music maker, beat machine, music composer, and handheld studio, is by default the best in its class. It's also a lot of fun, offering the power to create and interact with your own beats, music, and songs. The MadPlayer generates unique, unlimited, copyright-free music of remarkably high sound quality that you can play with, change, listen to, and share with others. Using a sound bank of over 600 instruments and sounds, MadPlayer's unique, proprietary software (called Generative Music Algorithms, or GMA) helps you create limitless tunes in a range of styles and genres, including techno, house, garage, hip-hop, R&B, manga, ambient, and more. MadPlayer's intuitive button-and-joystick interface lets you be your own composer, DJ, or producer.
MadPlayer also happens to be a fully functional MP3 player with FM radio and karaoke abilities. It can store prerecorded music downloaded in all popular file formats, including MP3, WMA, and even MIDI. In the future, new versions of the MadPlayer's firmware (known as MadWare) may be downloaded to enhance the unit's features and capabilities. You needn't have had music theory or performance training to use the "generactive" music functions of the MadPlayer. Neither do you need a PC to operate, program, or compose with MadPlayer. Just turn it on and start making music! It's battery-powered for portable use using the included AA rechargeable batteries.
The package contains the MadPlayer, a headset with microphone, a USB cable, a 32 MB SmartMedia card with preloaded samples, MadWare software and user's manual (including studio demo software programs Cakewalk Sonar 2.0, GoldWave Sound Editor, Steinberg MyMP3, and IK Multimedia's T-RackS 24), and two AA rechargeable batteries with charger.