This package offers little instruction on its use other than the blurb on the badly printed paper index card. This is a shame, because I found it quite easy to use - the only exception being that R Green (the programmer) decided to use a 10-line stave instead of the five line standard. As much as we need innovation in the world of music, I'm afraid this only adds to the confusion.

The screen information was enough to help me to store notes with ease but, unfortunately there's no facility to introduce sharps and flats! This, of course, makes the program musically unusable. But even worse, on playback it turns out that the notes are not what they say they are; for instance, a scale of C turns out to be a row of semitones starting from C and ending with G!

I think R Green would be well advised to take some music instruction before attempting any more music programs!

There are many music making devices about, mainly in the hardware department but you don't see too many on the software side. Well here's one, produced by Malan.

Written for the 48K machine and with the novice composer in mind, Music Maker is a quick and simple way of making quick and simple tunes.

If you're hoping to write the equivalent of Beethoven's 5th then forget equivalent it. It is very limited with one channel sound and a maximum of about 60 notes (use any more and it crashes). The top half of the screen displays a blank song sheet to put the notes on. On the lower half is printed your options either to play, move backwards, forwards, on save and load your mini tune. Notes can be made to sound longer or shorter and it has the ability to produce a 'pip and 'hum'. If composing is your scene, save some money and buy something better. But if you want something that with a little patience you could produce with beep statements, then maybe this will suffice.

£1.99
Malan
PO Box 390
Purleigh
Essex CM3 6OO

Not very good and probably not worth even the low asking price.