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Masterwriter

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adambhoy Newbie

adambhoy

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Posted

I have not (sorry, I know that isn't very helpful), but interestingly enough I was JUST reading about it for the first time, and low and behold, I found your post. So it's currently at the forefront of my brain and I thought I'd respond.

Sounds kind of cool, but also fairly pricy. Do you really need to pay almost $300 to find words that rhyme, etc? I'm a sucker for apps that might help me, so I for one hope that it does more than just provide dictionary/thesaurus help.

I am researching a bit to find some songwriting software, and this is definitely piquing my curiosity.

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adambhoy Newbie

adambhoy

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Like yourself I'm a sucker for apps and I came across after piece of software earlier called Lyricist.

Lyricist

I've not tried so no idea if it's good or not.

Yeah I saw that one too! It definitely seems to be very close to what I'm looking for; unfortunately it's only for Windows, and I'm on a Mac. I'd love to find something similar though.

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Lazz Newbie

Lazz

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I downloaded and test-drove the software sometime ago and found it a complete waste of space on my hard drive.

I thought it was a piece of pointless junk with flaws that made me want to lay a tender corrective lashing on the writers.

I was forced to wonder whether they were really native speakers of language.

That's just me though - other people allegedly swear by it - they have endorsements from big names.

But for the big-names with whom I am familiar, I can't imagine them truly having use for it.

And no idea how or why any writer would have want or need.

Seems to have a Christian market focus.

Make up your own mind - I'm sure they have a free trial available - check it out and let us know.

But - just in case there is any confusion - I think it's extreme crap for the price.

Better off with a pencil.

.

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maxtor2290 Newbie

maxtor2290

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I have both Masterwriter and Lyricist.

I got the MW at a discounted price through, I believe, BMI.

Basically, if you want to keep your projects organized, especially with multiple writers, it is kinda nice.

As for the tools inside it, it does have some things that are kinda nice to have at your fingertips, but nothing you can't find stand alone or on a website for free.

It does have the ability for you to record audio files directly from the mic on your laptop and attach them to the song your writing, that's kinda cool (though it was used more when it was new and less now ).

We basically, by en large, use it catalog our songs. It WILL NOT make you a better writer. It has, on a few occasions, helped get me or one of our other writers "unstuck" when writing a lyric (writers block). Basically because of some of the tools it has but I don't know that we used anything directly from it then - it just spawned an idea.

I don't know about it being more for the Christian market. It is basically designed for the Nashville style songwriter. I don't know that genre's outside of those associated with country and the many genre's which fall under the country flag will get as much out of it. I may be wrong - just my opinion.

They did spend a lot of time developing it and it has many tools that writers said they wanted.

Lyricist works much the same way, without the record function (at least the version I have doesn't have it). It has some features MW doesn't have but lacks many that MW has. I view it more like a stripped down version of MW.

Neither of these applications are something the average songwriter can't live without. had they not been write-off's and discounted I don't think we would have bought them.

A lot of my songs are still cataloged with a text editor and by hand (especially the older ones).

I think Lazz is right. There are trial versions of both. If you need to get organized I would say spend the dough. But if you already have a catalog and everything is working good, pick up a good rhyming dictionary and a pad of paper or use a text editor.

I also don't think that many of the songwriters who have endorsed it wrote any of the hit songs because of it and likely not even when using it. But, hey, if they paid me to endorse it, I probably would put my signature on it too! :001_smile:

Just my 2 cents....

max

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Lazz Newbie

Lazz

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I don't know about it being more for the Christian market.

More for the Christian market in that the software also provides a specifically Biblical reference resource.

Can be viewed as neither here nor there ultimately, I guess, and no harm done or presumed.

But, as a non-believing Red-Sea pedestrian, I just tend to notice these things.

Amen.

.

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maxtor2290 Newbie

maxtor2290

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"More for the Christian market in that the software also provides a specifically Biblical reference resource.

Can be viewed as neither here nor there ultimately, I guess, and no harm done or presumed.

But, as a non-believing Red-Sea pedestrian, I just tend to notice these things.

Amen"

I see your point. I never looked at that way I guess. I just saw it as another reference added to it to write songs with. I am, however, a Christian. So, Biblical reference books, Biblical encyclopedia's, and the like are common place in my household. I suppose it didn't look out of place to me.

Still, the Country genre has deep Christian roots even though most people I know of or have talked to in my years of playing music wouldn't consider it "Christian" Music. It is considered "secular". That particular distinction makes me the outcast sometimes because we do Country Shows and Country Gospel Shows, even intermingling some Country Gospel in our secular shows. The crowd loves it so we keep doing it.

Point being (I can get off topic easy sometimes...) that MW was designed to cater to the Nashville Songwriter.

"Is this program meant to be a vocabulary tool? There's no substitute for reading."

I agree. However, Country songwriters have to be cautious with utilizing writing styles that use "proper" English. The Genre dictates a "common" feel to the language. in fact, most are written with a Southern language style. It should be "conversational" in its phrasing and use common terms when applicable rather than proper terms.

I do believe reading is the single most under rated and least utilized muse for opening the creative mind.

Just my 2 cents!

max

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Lazz Newbie

Lazz

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Thanks Max.

With the sacred constituting the largest music market segment on the planet and country making up the second, what I see as a curious narrowness of focus does make considerable economic sense.

But my first issue with MW was language-based. "MasterWriter will unlock all the English language has to offer", it says right up front. Yet my first test-drive immediately demonstrated that they were either blithely unaware of the difference between adjective and adverb or simply considered it unimportant. Such blatant poverty of literacy made me conclude their claims to be any kind of writing-aid were an unqualified sham and I explored no further. Potential respect evaporated.

Sometimes I view Nashville as its own island nation.

But surely we all deserve the best from MW on the language front.

I am still a relative newbie to country so the genre's faith and patriotism content are perhaps more readily apparent than to a long-term aficionado for whom it's all taken-for-granted normality. Sounds very strange and disappointing to me that you should be considered an outcast for performing a gospel repertoire. Is the distinction from secular still drawn as heavily as it was in the past?

Lazz

.

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maxtor2290 Newbie

maxtor2290

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Hey Lazz.....

I didn't see the English language advertisement for MasterWriter. But, that statement is a bold faced lie on their part. It unlocks aspects of the English language and has very little to do with "proper" English and more to do with "snippits" of English language in a narrowly focused package.

As for being an outcast. Some churches, or should I say, some church leaders believe 1. It's "sinful" to play any music besides "gospel" music and 2. We should play for free (Not just us but every gospel performer).

I don't agree with either of those statements and don't know how they reference them Biblically.

The playing secular events is not open for discussion. No debate or agreement to disagree, they just say it's wrong and don't want us to be a part of their service because of the "sin" in our lives. So, we aren't.

And don't get me wrong, we play our fair share of "free" venues. Mostly charity events and for churches that obviously can't afford to pay. I believe that is our duty, not only from a Biblical perspective but just by being a human being living on this earth with other folks who are less fortunate than we are.

I can say that the lion's share of churches who don't want to pay anything sport a large treasury and I believe it's wrong, on their part, not to provide fair compensation for a performance and I tell them so. I don't get any points for that either.

Basically we perform gospel music in various other states and regions but very little around our home region. There are a few places who accept our dual performance status but our gospel music performances still remain largely out of our region. We're not going to stop playing Country, so, it'll just stay the way it is I guess.

Anyway Lazz, I'm not trying to spark a controversial debate about religion (It's not the forum for it). Just trying to clarify what I said.

max

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Lazz Newbie

Lazz

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Anyway Lazz, I'm not trying to spark a controversial debate about religion (It's not the forum for it). Just trying to clarify what I said.

I hear you.

Thanks for taking time to respond to my curiosity.

Much appreciated.

.

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DonnaMarilyn Newbie

DonnaMarilyn

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Posted (edited)

That's certainly odd, Bojo. I was in contact with them 3-4 days ago. First I purchased RhymeGenie (for $25). Then I got an email to say that I'd soon get the code to fully unlock RhymeGenie. After that he wrote "You can also download TuneSmith for free and simply register TuneSmith with your email address".

If I were you, I'd contact the site aministrator(s) and ask about the situation.

support@idolumic.com

Donna

On this link, it says you can run TuneSmith free of charge on as many computers as you like.

http://www.rhymegenie.com/tunesmith.html

Edited by DonnaMarilyn
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justsoulin Newbie

justsoulin

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Sorry Bojo, I'm still missing something. I create a new folder called lyrics. Any lyrics I write on the desktop/laptop etc are saved to that folder = all in one place. Then regardless of what program I use to open the lyrics up in (as I can choose many dependent on what I'm doing with them) after, they are not dependent on the program I use but on the location "I choose". Same with music I create. All in one place. And emailing etc, well I use email which is through the web or an email client. Then all my email is in one place too!

What am I missing? That the app you are demo'ing for the purpose of lyrics predetermines for you the folder location?

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