Rock Star | Remix Magazine

At first blush, the notion of filling a DVD with pop and alternative-rock construction kits rubbed me the wrong way. Before actually listening to the disc, I couldn't help but wonder what use anyone would have for prefab tracks that modeled after bands like Nickelback, Maroon 5, The Killers, Coldplay and Matchbox 20. Once I dug into the folders, however, not a single cheesy cover of "This Love" or "The Scientist" was to be found, thankfully.

Instead, 25 folders contain essentially complete songs in waiting - from thrashing modern-rock joints to laidback ballads and fun uptempo funk-rock numbers that would appease commercial radio. Keyed and ranging from 90 to 180 bpm, you get sectioned drum, guitar and bass tracks with multiple intros, endings and fills, plus several variations of verse, chorus and bridge for each instrument. There's really not much work for the user to do other than drag and loop parts and come up with a catchy melody. Hell, even the guitars have been EQ'd, compressed and provided as panned parts for that wide, crunchy rock-star sound. I'm typically not a fan of premixed treatments like this, but you'll still be able to pan leads, add your own effects and change the guitar tone with a soft amp. Also, the drums are left pretty raw, and the engineering is superb overall, with great tonal choices on guitars and bass.