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MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix Review

MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix is the latest version of the music generator series that lets you generate original music tracks and remix some of the biggest hip-hop, rap and dance tracks. MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix brings some of your favorite artists together so you can combine samples from different songs and take them head-to-head in a unique remixed track.

This is the first time MTV Music Generator has come to Xbox, the last two versions have been PS2 only. You have a total of 10 of the hottest artists from today’s biggest hip-hop and electronic artists. MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix lets you build original tracks and remixes with ease.

Coming into MTV Music Generator 3 for the first time I was a little uneasy and thought I would not understand the game, but if you have already played the previous 2 games in the series, you will have no problem at all. It is very friendly when it comes to first time users like myself. There is a tutorial that will teach you everything you’ll need to know about creating/remixing songs. This is the first time I played MTV Music Generator 3 and when I took the tutorial for the first time I came out knowing everything I needed to know and had no real reason to study the instruction booklet.

The way you create your songs is simple. You create/remix your songs on what is called a Grid. The Grid consists of 24 channels and 512 bars. On this Grid you place your selection of Drum, Bass, Riffs, and Vocals in certain areas where you want them to be played. This, like I said before is friendly to new users. Once your creation/remix is finished you can view it in the play list mode. There you can simply listen to your final product while you see some nice visual effects or what is called Dynamic Video, like Windows Media Player, when you are listening to the music.

To start with here are the artists and songs that you can pick from and remix that headline Codemasters’ MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix.

Snoop Dogg - From de Chuuuch to da Palace
Outkast - The Way You Move
Sean Paul - Get Busy
Fabolous - This is my Party
Mike Koglin - Hear Me
The Ones - Flawless
Carl Cox - Katja
Krafty Kuts - Ill Type Sound
DJ Marky - LK
Arthur Smith - Revolution

When MTV Music Generator 3: This is the Remix begins at the main menu it doesn’t give much guidance. As you start in the remixer there are ten artists to choose from. The only way to get use to the feel for this interface is to tweak a song that you know. The remixer gives you general tools to create a new sound. After getting used to the user interface in the remixer you can go to the studio. The controls in the studio mode also have a great tutorial in the options menu to understand how the controls work before you start. The tutorials show you additional functionality to do some pretty amazing things. You might have difficulty finding these additional functions by just playing the game, so the tutorials actually help you find these and improve your skills of handling the system.

There are 10 musical styles represented in MTV Music Generator 3 that you can take part in. Dance Hall, Party, House, Drum & Bass, Hard House, Trance, Breaks, Garage, Hip-Hop, and Rap. In the main menu you go to what is called the Studio; once clicked it will bring up the 10 genres and you then pick which type of genre your song will fall under. Once your style is selected you are then taken into the main “Studio”. Here is where you create songs literally from scratch by making your own beats, melodies, and riffs. There are some beats/melodies/riffs that are already pre-defined and given to you to choose from, but the game does give you the option to create your own by using a virtual looking keyboard. When creating your song, there are 4-major instrument groups that you use. These groups are: Drums (Combined with Bass samples, these percussion samples form the structure of your song), Bass (These deep rhythmic tones work with the Drums to underpin your composition), Riffs (Riff samples combine to form the melody at the higher end of your song), and Vocals (You can add vocals to your song to give it a human touch. You can also leave them out if you are planning on a purely instrumental track).

Each song uses about eleven channels, leaving around thirteen available channels to make the song something completely different than the original.

Remixing is fun and enjoyable if you know most of the ten songs. You will kill a couple of hours with no problem just trying to understand how the song’s elements fit together. By selecting an artist, the player can go into the studio with access to all the sounds of the artist, and the ability to use their talent with creative discretion. Each artist only has a few preloaded samples in the studio, but that is no problem as the sample base for each artist has plenty of options.

MTV Music Generator 3: This Is The Remix also has a beat box and melody maker so you can create your own music, and use the samples of your artist as supplemental material. The beat box and melody maker are the two easiest areas to make something that sound good. You can build a complex beat in about five minutes or so and you can make intro and transition beats for your new mix. The melody maker is also simple to use, and even gives a helping hand in generating the melody. In order for you to make your song a more personal custom mix, there was also a ripper added. The ripper only allows you to rip 8 seconds; this is the legal limit at which songs can be sampled without having to worry about the songs royalties/approvals. The ripper allows you to find it, rip it, and adjust tempo to match your song. Ripping is a trial of hit or miss until you get just the right line that you are looking for. The 8 second limitation keeps it to one-liners or certain beats in your music but you do get to make 20 samples.

Visually MTV Music Generator 3 is easily pulling all these elements together making a good basic mix machine. Everything is grid-like fashion to give you the feeling of precision and regulation. Stylistically the game appears to match MTV’s more recent image, lending the feel of the channel to the game. The only issue is that some of the sample icons are hard to see in the studio, as the background is a little too dark.

Sound wise the game does a great job, with each song sounding exactly like the original radio edit and the remixes are very good as well. No popping or cracking what so ever. The alternative samples in the studio are also very good. The sound quality of the ripper is average sounding but better then I expected, after all this is a console not a PC. Overall the sound is really amazing when compared to the cost of other equipment to produce the same result.

Final Verdict

Overall, MTV Music Generator 3: This Is The Remix delivers the goods, and gives you enough control to make something of the samples by yourself. It’s nice that an easy to use user interface even for first time users is provided, and it was fun to be able to control specific samples of certain songs and artists. If you have ever thought it would be fun or easy to be a DJ, then MTV Music Generator 3 is for you. The replay-value is very high in a game like this because the game never ends. The only downside I can think of is that it would have been nice to have more songs to remix from or maybe some downloadable content for more songs, but overall it was a great game and I highly recommend it for all the DJ want-a-bee’s out there.

Score

8.0 out of 10

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Related Information

Posted by: z36
Date: August 15, 2004
Publisher: Codemasters
Developer: MixMax
Website: Codemasters.com
Release Date: 06/22/2004
Genre: Rhythm
Number of Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Teen
System Reviewed: Xbox

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