McFunSoft Audio Studio is one of several digital audio products that have genuinely transformed the music scene in the past few years. The software is about as close as it's possible to get to a computer-based sequencer that can be played live, like a real instrument. Recording and arranging audio is effortless with its elegantly designed interface, and its Arrange window makes composition just as enjoyable. MIDI composition and editing can be integrated seamlessly into compositions that also use prerecorded audio. Adding effects and manipulating sounds in radical ways, all on the fly, is a snap, and the software supports third-party plug-in technologies including VST. Rewire functionality helps connect it to other sequencing software or applications such as Reason.

This studio also allows you to burn CD as well as grab CD. Our only real objection is that, like most pro audio apps, McFunsoft's learning curve has become increasingly steep with every release. Even the step-by-step instructions left us scratching our heads at times. But with virtually limitless capabilities, McFunSoft Audio Studio is one of the most captivating music-production packages on the market today.