ACID+Pro+5

=Citation and General Information=
 * ACID Pro 5.0
 * Publisher: http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/products/acidfamily.asp
 * Copyright 2005
 * Platform: Windows 2000 or XP
 * Peripherals: speakers, MIDI device/driver; will likely desire a MIDI keyboard, microphone, headphones, etc. for recording
 * Grade/Age: High school and older
 * Type of Class: Music Theory, Composition, Ensembles, or other general music

=Teacher Support=
 * Software is supplemented with a manual in PDF format. Included are illustrations of the screens that will be used.
 * Although, this product does not provide online lesson plans, there is a page dedicated to educational support ([|http://www.sonymediasoftware.com/education/default.asp).]

=Instructional Content=
 * ACID Pro is an advanced multi-track recording and multimedia synchronization program. For the sake of comparison, it is a much more sophisticated version of programs like GarageBand. Similarly, the program comes with "loops" and "one-shots", and one can also record using MIDI or digital audio.
 * National Standards to be addressed:
 * Primarily:
 * 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
 * 3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
 * 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
 * Possibly:
 * 1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
 * 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
 * 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
 * 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

=Instructional Design and Pedagogical Soundness= Although this is not primarily designed as instructional software, it can obviously serve instructional purposes greatly within the music classroom and also in interdisciplinary study with other media. It allows for advanced music production in audio and video formats (including synchronization with film and 5.1 Surround Sound).
 * Sequence of materials: NA
 * Pace of instruction: NA
 * Quality of interaction: Excellent (high degree of manipulation, also requiring sophistication)
 * Motivation for Students: NA

=Record Keeping= None directly included.

=Overall Evaluation= ACID Pro is an excellent piece of software to acquire in educational settings if the precedent of using sequencing software has long been established in the music classroom. The degree to which one can manipulate materials in this program is incredibly high and so is the demand on user sophistication. Although this reviewer would not recommend it as a starter program, the benefit to those interested in music production or popular music styles could be tremendous.

Comprehensiveness: **excellent** Classroom practicality: **fair**

- Daniel Heim, 3/28/2007