 Ani`Fa
gave us this great review on the MusicBizBuzz
website.
Thanks Ani`Fa!
I was not fortunate
enough to have been aware of Virtual Studio Systems software product at the time
of it's first release, however after acquiring Lyricist v2.2 and familiarizing
myself with it's functionality, I will highlight on some of the features that I
found to be intriguing and most beneficial. In somewhat of a casual
approach, I will supply a brief history on myself and then go into information
as to how Lyricist v2.2 is contributing to organizational accomplishment, while
providing incredible tools that enable me to work fluently with others in
collaborated efforts. To gain access to more detailed information related
to each feature, click on the relative images to view the features in more
detail and to access more "hands on" information provided for each
topic.
Being a
songwriter for over twenty years, I have written hundreds of songs. Many
are finished and registered in the Library of Congress, while others are written
in their entirety but need to be laid down to tracks. [see TrackNotes]
In the meantime, multiples of other songs that I have written have been
completed but are in serious need of revision, and yet, need I mention the tons
of bits and pieces of paper strung out here and there with song ideas that
were scratched down on a notepad somewhere because I didn't have access or time
to do anything more. Obviously, I have tons of paperwork to keep
organized. I own four professional-grade 2 drawer filing cabinets, one
deep 4 drawer filing cabinet, and a 36 compartment paper organizer that measures
3' x 4'. I have plenty of storage available for organizing, but still I
have stacks and stacks of files that need to be reviewed, revised when needed,
retyped into programs that permit electronic transfer of files, and relocated to
the proper filing cabinet once a hard copy has been printed. Not
having an office staff to organize my materials that continue to accumulate; it
seems to be an endless effort trying to get organized and stay organized with
the newer incoming materials. I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am
about the discovery of the Lyricist V2.
In a quick overview
of the product, my first impression would be to make the following comparison:
Virtual Studio Systems "Lyricist V2" is to songwriting what Microsoft
"Office XP" is to office management. Over the past twenty years,
as technologies tend to change at warp speed, I have songs that have been typed
on typewriters and word processors which are outdated that I have stored away in
file drawers. I have updated dozens of songs to Microsoft Word in efforts
to get some type of electronic filing system organized and just the sense of
having my song files at my fingertips, while using MS Word, has been rewarding.
Virtual Studio Systems incorporates many of the fine qualities found in
Microsoft products while fine-tuning technology to suit the needs of the
Songwriter and the Musician. The beauty of it is, Lyricist V2 has been
designed to be compatible with most Microsoft products and is easily transferred
from one to the other.
I was able to copy
and paste files from my Word Documents directly into the lyric view of Lyricist
which gave me a big head start on getting in and finding out what this software
product "REALLY" had to offer. The first thing I noticed was the
thesaurus, the rhyming dictionary, and the spell checker; I personally had
placed links to a Thesaurus and a Rhyming Dictionary on my website http://musicbizbuzz.net/tablature_fonts.htm
to provide access to the links without having to go through multiple channels or
search engines. Even with the links being located on my site, there were still
three or four steps you needed to access what you were seeking to find. The
Lyricist has these handy little gadgets that make a songwriter's life a whole
lot easier right before you eyes and accessible with the click of one button.
Awesome feature!!!
The next thing I
noticed were the Programmable Text Styles that allow you to select different
fonts, choosing from a wide variety of styles, and apply defaults for the Title,
Verse, Chorus, and Bridge, along with two wild cards to set font styles for
other entries. You can format any text style you wish for each theme, then
apply the font style you wish to apply to each section with the click of one
button to change the theme from verse to chorus, chorus to verse, and etc.
There is a copyright icon that allows you to place your copyright endorsement to
each new document with the click of one button; just format the information you
wish to supply with each submission and it will provide the information
displaying the copyright emblem wherever you place the cursor and click.
You do not even have to type the information in again until you decide to change
your signature endorsement.
The Song Notes
feature allows you to click on the quarter note which brings up a new window to
where you may make entries about style, chord progressions, and other features
that may need to be related to the artist playing or singing the material;
including "mental notes" that you need for yourself as a reminder to
accomplish recreating the unique sound that you achieved on day one. This
feature could also be used to supply tips on how you wish for the vocals to be
projected, chords to be played, and etc.
The Multiple Document
Interface allows you to open an entire album of lyrics at once, whereas, the
Three Page Views will allow you to view your lyrics, enter chords to your lyric
page in a separate window, and then view your chord arrangements solely in yet
another window; all simultaneously.
Now that I have your
attention with all these great features, get ready for the ultimate new feature
included included in the V2 version!!! The title of "Lyricist V2" is
an understatement for the features that can be found inside of this software
product. The Chord Charting and Chord Editing functions allow you choose
from 2,550 chord combinations, inserting the chords where needed on the lyric
pages. Just go to the toolbar while in the page view of your selected song
and click on view, select "chord chart or arrangement" and it will
open a new window where you are allowed to insert chords where needed on the
lyrics page inside of a new window that displays the lyrics and chords together,
set the chord attributes, and change the voicings. The chord editing feature
allows you to go back in and revise already placed chords, and if you do not
find the chord you are looking for within the 2,550 chord combinations provided,
you can enter user defined combinations through the editing function and also
you may save your work to the clipboard to use in future applications.
The latest addition
to Lyricist in the v2.2 version is the Chord Wizard which allows you to enter
3notes or more within a chord and then the wizard will give you a listing
of all possible chord combinations that utilize those notes.
Once you have written
and recorded your song to .mp3 format, you can access the "media"
option located under the Lyrics view, click on "link media" and then
browse to the recorded sound file of the song. "Savvy"
Everything is stored in one neat profile and is accessible without having to
sort through folder after folder to put a promotional package together.
It's ALL at the tip of your fingers. Use the Media File Launch
feature to easily access the sound file linked to the lyrics and arrangements;
merely click on the sound icon displayed in the toolbar of the song file you
wish to access and it provides instant access to the sound file without having
to go outside of the window you are using.
You can instantly
e-mail your song by clicking on the envelope provided in the toolbar using
Outlook Express. This is an excellent provision for online collaborations.
Also, with the "Lyricist's" compatibility to Microsoft products, you
can also upload your song file, displaying the chord graphs, into MS base web
designing programs such as Microsoft FrontPage. I could continue to
elaborate on all the features provided in this great software, but just to give
you a general idea of the impact this product has already had on me, I received
my first copy of this product less than a week ago and I immediately recognized
how important of a tool this will be in helping me to put my music right where
it needs to be; at a Professional Scale. The appearance is very
professional looking and there are no questions as to what a scribbled down
chord is. You can literally be better than half way done with the finished
promo package, "as" you are writing the song for the very first time;
it's that sophisticated and yet simple to use. Two thumbs up on this
product and an absolute "must have" for anyone serious about a career
in songwriting.
Click here to read the next Lyricist
review!
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