Madwaves MP-5-US MadPlayer
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Manufacturer: Madwaves
Price at amazon.com: $199.99Usually ships in 24 hours
New from $69.99
List price $299.99
- Create your own music and beats in a range of styles and genres with a 600-instrument sound bank
- Plays MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, KAR, possible future formats via firmware upgrades
- Plays for over 10 hours on 2 rechargeable NiMH AA batteries (included, with charger)
- Designed for portable use or for hookup with a home stereo
- Upgradeable to Mac compatibility through download; water-resistant plastic body
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.
Description from Manufacturer: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.Average Customer Rating: 
Comment: From a skeptic to a believer Rating:
I saw the MadPlayer on fresh gear (TechTV) and said: well this looks cool, I am going to give it a shot. I also looked for a vendor which allowed me to return (thanks amazon.com) if I don't like it...
There is no thinking about returning the player. This little wonder is amazing... Create music and interact with it... I have to resist the temptation to play with it instead of doing my work :-)
I already created a couple of songs, tweaked, retweaked etc... Adding samples, Microphone voice with effect etc. is a lot of fun... I didn't even try the radio or mp3 player functions yet... Too much fun creating music....
Comment: absolutely "BLEW" my mind.... Rating:
THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BEST PRODUCT I HAVE EVER BOUGHT. I LAY OUT LOTS OF LYRICS BUT HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO USE ANY OF THE PC MUSIC CREATION TOOLS VERY WELL. WITH THE MADPLAYER I CREATE MY OWN BEATS, BASS LINES, AND LEADS INSTANTLY AND THEN LAY MY VOICE RIGHT IN... I AM SO AMAZED BY THIS PRODUCT. INITIALLY I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND WAS VERY SKEPTICAL OF WHAT IT WAS AND WHAT THE QUALITY OF THE MUSIC WOULD BE. AFTER GETTING IT AND PALYING AROUND FOR A FEW DAYS I AM JUST BLOWN AWAY BY ITS POWER. I BROUGHT IT TO A FRIEND WHO IS A MUSICIAN AND PRODUCER OF SOME LOCAL UNDERGROUND HIP HOP, HE PLUGGED IT INTO HIS SOUND SYSTEM IN THE STUDIO AND COULD NOT BELIEVE THE SOUND QUALITY AND EASY OF USE. IN A MATTER OF MINUTES WE LAYED OUT A NICE SERIES OF TRACKS TO USE ON A CD WE RIPPED.
I HAVE HAD THIS PRODUCT FOR TWO WEEKS NOW AND KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE HOOKED ON IT. I FIND THAT I BRING IT EVERYWHERE I GO AND JUST PLAY AROUND ALL THE TIME CREATING LOTS OF GREAT MUSIC. ON THING THAT WORKS GREAT IS TO USE JUNGLE OR DRUMnBASS STYLES AND SLOW THEM DOWN AND USE THEM TO LAY RAP VOCALS OVER. I ALSO FIND THAT I USE THE FM RADIO A LOT TO SAMPLE OFF OF... THE SAMPLES ARE THEN MIXED WITH THE MUSIC IN REAL TIME. QUALITY AND FEEL OF THE MADPLAYER ARE GREAT, I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE SILKY FEEL. MY ONLY COMPLAINT INITIALLY WAS THAT I WANTED TO SAVE SAMPLES IN REALTIME IN THE SONG AS I CREATED A SONG... I FOUND OUT YESTERDAY AFTER VISITING THE MADPLAYER WEBSITE THAT THE COMPANY IS RELEASING A FREE UPGRADE NEXT WEEK THAT WILL LET ME DO THAT... I ALSO DO QUITE A LOT OF VIDEO EDITING AND HAVE BEEN USING THE MADPLAYER TO GENERATE BACKING TRACKS FOR THE VIDEOS... SINCE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MADPLAYER IS COPYWRITE FREE "ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY" I AM FREELY USING THE MUSIC AND MAKING SOME GREAT VIDEOS AND DVD'S FOR MY FRIENDS.
IN SUMMARY, THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST PERSONALLY EMPOWERING I HAVE EVER SEEN. ITS HAS GIVEN ME CONFIDENCE TO CREAT MUSIC, SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT HAVE MUCH OF A FEW WEEKS AGO.....
Comment: MadPlayer Review Rating:
Pros:
plays mp3, wave, midi, kar and other format files; has composer mode; records (selectable resolution) via mic input
Cons:
No external power supply connector, eats batteries. PC software has a few bugs, don't know about the Mac s/w. Needs more generic styles than just the x-hop, mod stuff; i.e. rock, jazz, blues, pop, etc. Needs a better GUI for the "hiway/dj" mode. Fine for non-musicians, but lame if you want real control. A midi/grid type editor would be real cool. Also the headset-mic is junk, but it demos the possibilities. Last, I can't get the unit to use more than 32MB of a 128MB SmartMedia card. Tech support is good so far, but we're still working on it. As usual, most companies will or can not come out and tell you what the bugs are.
Still a way cool product, despite my cons list. I have a hunch they'll fix most of these issues.
Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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