Cakewalk has announced the release of Music Creator 5, the newest version of its home music-making software title. With its brand new look and feel, Music Creator 5 is everything you need to start making music fast - offering a host of new features and a streamlined user interface, according to Cakewalk. Simple recording, editing, mixing, instruments and effects - it's all here in one package.

New Features:

• New, simplified user interface.
• Integrated Loop Explorer - now with support for MIDI Loops.
• Cakewalk Sound Center - an easy-to-use tool that combines the best sounds from Cakewalk's professional instruments - exclusive to Music Creator 5.
• Active Controller Technology (ACT), to make it easy to control your effects, instruments, and mix from a MIDI keyboard.
• Studio Instruments' Drums allows users to make backing tracks fast with a realistic animated interface that looks just like a drum set.
• MIDI editing right in the Track View - no need to open separate views.
• New Assistants help you create parts and create effects busses for mixing.
• IK Multimedia's AmpliTube X-GEAR - a built-in virtual guitar amp, plug directly in to your computer for great sounding guitar parts.
• Integrated EQ with an easy-to-understand visual display of settings.
• Burn CDs with Music Creator's integrated CD Burner and share your music online with Cakewalk Publisher.

Enhanced Interface
The redesigned user interface puts the controls you need at your fingertips. Get started right away and create tracks fast with the new Track Assistant. Plus, the simple new instrument track makes it a breeze to create music with and play virtual instruments.

Integrated Loop Explorer
With the Integrated Loop Explorer, you have one-click access to a wealth of included loops and patterns right in the track view. Select an audio or MIDI loop, instantly hear how it sounds with your project, and then drag-and-drop it into a track. Preview MIDI patterns for any virtual instrument. Plus, with ACID-format loops and MIDI patterns included from X-Mix, Power FX, and more, you have a virtually endless library of great sounding backing tracks to build your songs.

Play and Create with Virtual Instruments:

• Cakewalk Sound Center allows you to easily find the sounds you want. Quickly access 150 different instrument sounds: acoustic and electric guitars, basses, drums, pianos, synths, strings, ethnic sounds, and more. Sound Center is based upon Cakewalk's Dimension Pro and Rapture synthesizers, but presented with a control set so simple anyone can use it.
• Cakewalk TTS-1 is like having a General MIDI sound module with genuine Roland sounds built into your computer. TTS-1 offers 16 channels and 256 sound programs that cover all the bases.
• Studio Instruments' Drums: load a kit and a pattern, then start jamming. Features a realistic interface that looks just like a real drum kit.

Mixing:

• New Mixer - Mixing your tracks has never been easier with our updated mixer that looks and acts just like a real mixing console. Control volume, pan, EQ and more for your mix with an easy interface that makes sense.
• Send Assistant - Add effects sends to your tracks with the click of a button. This is very helpful when you want multiple tracks to all use the same effect - perfect for backing vocals, drums, and layered guitar parts.
• Active Controller Technology (ACT) - Connect a MIDI keyboard to your PC and control your mix, effects, or virtual instruments with its knobs and sliders. ACT automatically configures the controls for whatever view you have open, all you have to focus on is making music.

Effects:

• Integrated EQ - Independent EQ on every channel with visual display of settings for easy and intuitive control.
• Powerful Audio Effects - Includes a suite of studio-quality effects to sweeten your tracks and mix. These effects are pristine sounding, easy to use, expandable, and as powerful as more expensive packages.
• IK Multimedia AmpliTube X-GEAR - Plug in your guitar or bass and this virtual amp will help you get that pro sound and feel your first time out.

Share your music:

• Publisher - Create custom music players and playlists that you can share online.
• CD Burner - Burn your finished tracks and mixes to CD, or archive your projects.
• Notation - Create and edit sheet music. Includes guitar chords, lyrics and tablature. Perfect for making lead sheets for your band, students, choir and others.

Enhanced Help:

• Online 'How To' videos - Basic videos help you get started; easy access from the Quick Start menu right within Music Creator.
• Documentation features new "Setup to Playback" introduction to Music Creator, along with three easy tutorials to help get new users making music quickly.

Pricing and Availability

Cakewalk Music Creator 5 has an estimated street price of $39.99. Cakewalk products are available at select consumer electronics and computer retailers including Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Fry's Electronics, J&R Music & Computer World, Micro Center, and Amazon.com.

Music Creator 5 is also available direct from Cakewalk.com as a download or boxed version.