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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/838
106 MacDirectory
REVIEW | PRODUCTIVITY
When the average video editor is in need
of music for a low-budget/no-budget
project, he or she has neither the funds
nor the chops for creating a custom
soundtrack. An interesting solution is
found in Abaltat Muse; an application
that takes an imported QuickTime movie,
analyzes it and, following user defined
settings, automatically composes and
arranges a soundtrack to match the video.
The automated creation of a video score
is no mean feat and there is a lot of
horsepower under the hood. Control of
this horsepower is achieved via the
combination of a fairly simple interface
and a good amount of experimentation.
The first step is to select a movie and
open it within Muse. This initiates an
analysis of the footage. In our tests with a
30-second teaser created in Apple
Motion, the process took less than twenty
seconds. After this is complete, you are
presented with two windows.
The main window includes a clip viewer, a
scalable timeline, playback controls and
tools for inserting keyframes and for
associating instruments with specific
colors found in the video. The right side
provides information about the movie
and the composition, the compose
button, sliders for mixing new and
existing audio, and checkboxes for
enabling the five tracks of the
composition (the lead and background
melodies, drums, bass, and effects).
The second window contains a
synchronized nine-channel timeline
representing colors that appear
throughout the length of the clip.
Pressing on the compose button
summons an options window. First you
select the band, choose a drum
alogrhythm, and either a 4/4 or 3/4 time
signature. Sliders are provided for setting
the beats per minute, complexity of the
composition, and the repetitiveness or
"jingle." You then choose between color-
based or ANN (artificial neural network)
composition methods. The former creates
melodies based on the enabled color
tracks. The latter generates music that is
influenced by the video content yet has
more of a focus on the user input. Once
your selections are made, hit the okay
button and Muse goes to work.
After the completion of the near real-time
composition process, you can begin
tweaking the arrangement with the
keyframe and color/instrument tools.
Keyframable adjustments include volume,
pan, tonality (such as major or minor key),
transposition, and instrument selection.
With a few deft moves you can then build
an arrangement that changes over time
swells, changes instruments, shifts
between keys and more.
The result can be exported as an AIFF or
WAVE file at 167 bits and with a sample
rate of up to 48 KHz. As Muse's compo-
sitions are MIDI-based, you can also export
the project as a standard multitrack MIDI
file and then import it in Garage Band or
another sequencer, where you can edit the
result and use your own favorite voices,
effects, or virtual instruments.
In addition to the application itself, Muse
includes 3 GB of proprietary samples
that constitute the seven bands of
virtual musicians.
Muse is not a simple push-button novelty
and it may take a bit of experimentation
to produce something truly stellar, but the
same goes with any creative software.
There are a few features that one might
miss, such as paint or pencil tools, a MIDI
event editor, and support for a keyboard
controller (who knows when the inspira-
tion may hit), but these capabilities are
available in other compatible applications
already in your workflow. This is only a 1.0
version, and it is reasonable to assume
that these or other valuable tools may well
arriving in a future release.
Muse is an interesting product and, in the
right hands, it can pay for itself in a single
project. It may take a week or so before
you begin to master the subtleties, but
once you get the hang of it Muse can be
very useful. It is great for bumpers,
commercials, entr'actes, and corporate
presentations. It also does a great job with
vacation and family footage and any
number of iMovie projects. It is a wonder-
ful tool for the professional on a budget or
on a tight deadline and it is also great for
serious hobbyists. Download a trial version
and take it for a spin. It might just be a lot
of fun.
ABALTAT MUSE > SEARCHING OUT THE RIGHT SOUNDTRACK
Product Muse 1.0
Made by Abaltat