Studio Vision AVStudio Vision AVFor the electronic musician, Opcode's Studio Vision AV is the ultimate recording tool. By combining MIDI sequencing with digital audio, the program transforms a Macintosh computer into a complete desktop studio.
Studio Vision AV sees digital audio as just another part of the sequence that can be cut, copied, and pasted just like the MIDI data. As a result, things that would be tedious to accomplish on traditional recording equipment can be done with a few clicks of the mouse. Vocals repeated throughout a song can be copied rather than re-sung. Drum loops and sound effects can be added without the need for an external sampler.
For those comfortable with creating music entirely in the digital realm, Studio Vision AV opens up a new world of creative possibilities.
While the program is designed to take advantage of the 16 bit, CD quality audio capabilities built into the AV and Power Macs, it will work on any model with a microphone input. Studio Vision AV packs in some powerful features, especially with the sequencing, and it can take some time to learn everything. However, the basic recording functions are straightforward and easy to use. Studio Vision AV is aimed at amateurs and professionals alike, so chances are that if you don't know what something means, you don't need it right away.
Studio Vision AV's major drawback is that it doesn't support different sampling rates within a song. Sound effects and spoken word samples don't necessarily need the fidelity of musical instruments and sung vocals, so it's often a waste of hard drive space having to record everything at the same setting. With 16 bit, stereo sound taking up 10 mb a minute, this can be a major problem. It would also be nice if Studio Vision AV could add filters and effects to the digital audio, as that currently requires exporting the sounds files to another program.
