Once synonymous with the music industry, the acronym MTV has gradually become synonymous with crap, making one wonder if the MTV license does more to hurt than help the Music Generator series. Obviously, the brand mustn’t damage its credibility too much as we’re now on the third go around of this surprisingly well-done title. Either that or the legion of screaming, pre-pubescent, Carson Daly audience members own video game systems and are interested in learning the ways of the DJ.

The first thing you must understand when purchasing a Music Generator title is that it is not a game in the traditional sense. Actually, it’s not a game at all. It’s more of a simplified tutorial and learning tool. However, don’t let people fool you into thinking it’s a video game/music composition course. After all, three of the members of Team Fremont with music degrees might balk at that assertion. It is, however, a great introduction to the process of mixing and creating music.

Luckily, for the uninitiated, you won’t have to start from scratch. As the subtitle suggests, users are given the option of remixing tunes by Snoop Dogg, Outkast, and others. You’re allowed to tinker with the volume, the instruments, and a small variety of other options. Unfortunately, the number of songs available for remix is a bit low. Furthermore, the variety of music leaves a bit to be desired. The music in this iteration of Music Generator is by and large of the hip-hop and techno varieties, so if you’re looking to create some classic rock jams, look elsewhere…like your local pawn shop for a guitar.

Once you’ve experimented remixing others’ tunes, it’s time to jump into the deep end and create your own. The experience can be a bit daunting at first as the options presented are enormous. However, if you persevere you’ll be rewarded with a highly satisfying experience. You’re given four basic categories: Vocals, Drums, Riffs, and Bass. You can then pull samples into these categories and watch your music start to materialize. Granted, using these samples isn’t technically “creating” music from the ground up here, but there are enough options and enough customization that your creations can truly be unique and your own. The game could have done well to add longer samples and a greater variety, but what’s provided is ample. Furthermore, and perhaps one of the coolest features of Music Generator for the Xbox is the ability to rip samples from your own CD collection. While it may take a little while to figure out, the results are brilliant. Have you always wished you could hear a song a slightly different way? This option allows you to do that.

The more brave and experienced can then graduate onto the melody maker, allowing you to create your own original compositions. And luckily, the interface is so sleek and well done that even musical theory novices will have an easy time navigating their way to greatness.

What’s presented with Music Generator 3 won’t wow people accustomed to PC tools like Acid, but it does represent a nice, inexpensive way to start tinkering with remixing and sampling, and possibly experimenting with music composition. The interface is a breeze and rarely frustrates. We just wish the musical variety was greater, and it wouldn’t help to drop that MTV label. After all, what does MTV have to do with music?




Article By: John Luedtke