If you want to get acquainted with the advantages of today"s music software, Cakewalk"s MIDI Music Pack can connect your desktop computer to any MIDI-compatible instrument or module and get you up and running quickly. Bundled with Cakewalk Express 8.0 music software, this package is the perfect introduction to the world of home music recording. Besides being a lot of fun, it can be the first step to making you a better musician. MIDI Music Pack features a 10-foot cable that will connect your Windows desktop"s sound card to a MIDI keyboard or other compatible instrument or device. A quick-start guide shows you how. Once you are connected, you can use the bundled Cakewalk Express 8.0 program, an entry-level version of Cakewalk"s full-fledged Home Studio software package. Surprisingly functional, Express is ready to go with recording, editing, and mixing of MIDI (up to 256 tracks) and digital audio WAV files (up to two tracks). Besides recording from your MIDI instrument, you can use the included Virtual Piano utility right on your computer. There"s good control of mixing tracks, along with adding chorus and reverb effects. Perfect for any music student or songwriter, the software lets you view your pieces as music scores as well as print them out, including lyrics and chord diagrams for guitar. As you build your library of MIDI tunes, the Virtual Jukebox tool lets you manage and play your tunes in order. --Rich Dragan