Automation is a process where you can program effects into the song. Perhaps you want a lowpass filter that gradually fades out as the song starts, which creates the effect of approaching the music from a great distance. (This is a famous example<\/a>.) Or maybe you want a strong low-fi filter to apply to some parts of the vocals and not others<\/a>. Automation lets you do that. Or maybe you want to duck the volume down on your keyboards for just a split second every time the kick drum hits<\/a>, which is the effect that gives a lot of electronic music its “pumping” feel. That’s automation, and LMMS has incredibly powerful automation tools.<\/p>\n In contrast, the automation tools in MMM are so rudimentary they’re not worth using. They’re complex, fiddly, and can barely do<\/strong> anything. Also – and this is really important – the automation controls are completely disconnected from the music and can’t be edited in bulk. So if I decide I want to add a 10-second intro to my song, I’d need to painstakingly re-position or re-map all of the automation points<\/strong>. Ugh. Forget it. <\/p>\n I’d just jump to using LMMS full-time, but the piano roll – the thing no-talent hacks like me use to place notes because we can’t play a real instrument – is shockingly bad. Just look:<\/p>\n The background is black and blue and dark blue. And then on top of that are your blue and dark blue notes. And then the horizontal line that marks your position is a dark grey line on a black background. And then to complete this circus of un-readability, there’s this constant wall of grey grid markers. No matter how far you zoom in, or how coarse you set the note grid, the program insists on having vertical grey lines every ten pixels or so. Even a simple arrangement like the one above is hard to follow, and a busy arrangement of small notes is pure madness. <\/p>\n With regards to instruments, each program has its strengths. MMM has fantastic sampled instruments. Viola, cello, violin, electric guitar, piano, harp, and a dozen others. I mean, it’s rubbish compared to having a real band or orchestra sitting around waiting to do your bidding, but for canned instruments they’re amazing. I didn’t realize how good these were until I started fiddling around with the alternatives. <\/p>\n LMMS is much better with synthesized instruments. Do you want something electronic? Nintendo-ish? Some strange vibrating, wobbly, echoing, note-bending fantasy instrument? LMMS is way ahead of anything MMM has to offer. And since I favor electronic stuff, this really should be my platform of choice. But then I open up that piano roll and… ugh.<\/p>\n Anyway, I haven’t mastered LMMS well enough to coax any worthwhile music out of it yet. <\/p>\n But to show you how nice the Magix instruments can sound, here’s a track using mostly orchestral instruments:<\/p>\n
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