Audio Production Features:  

Samplitude Music Studio offers most of the tools and features you would expect in an audio production software program. Direct multi-track recording? Check. Mixer? Check. Studio effects suite? Check. Retroactive pitch correction? Synchronized plugin and MIDI editing? Fully-loaded mastering suite? Check, check and check. As mentioned, Samplitude is simple and easy to use, but not at the cost of having tools and features that can acheive complex and complicated ends. They might not be on par with Ableton or Reason, but threre are a few tools and features worth mentioning in greater detail.

MAGIX Jam Session Automation

Ask a guitarist if they know what a "Gibson Echoplex" is? If they give you directions to the local movie theater, chances are they aren't worth producing. Though by no means a replacement to the expensive-albeit-awesome Gibson Echoplex, the MAGIX Jam Session Automator functions very similarly. Forget the accompanying band, just plug, select a style and play with the backing of a full band. Best of all, these automated and recorded arrangements can later be edited, should something gel together during the experimentation. Best of all, Samplitude Music Studio records the jam session arrangement, letting producers pick and pull elements that can later be arranged into a complete track. Not bad.

Remix Agent

The fading line between producers and DJs seems to have accelerated in recent years. Both use the same hardware and software. Both work with track composition, creation, improvement and transformation, whether live or in the studio. And both rely heavily on tools and features to make looping and sampling more easy and efficient. Samplitude manages to do okay for itself in this regard. The Remix Agent makes quick work of loops, recognizing BPM count, organizing the track information into measures and, ultimately, letting producers and DJs pick and choose the appropriate measure to lay a loop, boots a sample or set a foundation for an entirely new track.

Input Options & Features:  

Samplitude Music Studio supports the standard MIDI formats, SF2 sample format, wave (24 and 32-bit) and wave codec, OGG Vorbis, MP3, CD, AIFF, MOV and AVI audio file formats, enabling users to bring audio samples and tracks from a variety of sources and formats.

Output Options & Features:  

As with its input, Samplitude's output functionality and support goes the extra mile. With Samplitude, finished projects and unfinished tracks can be exported using MIDI, wave (24-bit), wave with Codec, OGG Vorbis, MP3, AIFF, WMA, RealAudio and QuickTime audio file formats. Not to mention CD and streaming. As with any audio production software program, some audio file formats are more suitable than others. Going full lossless on a completed track might sound better, but it can take up quite a bit of space on the hard drive or memory device.

Ease of Use:  

Like all music production software programs, Samplitude has a learning curve that could take some time behind the monitor to overcome. Unlike all audio production software programs, however, Samplitude's is impressively short. The interface and program tools and features are straightforward, well-organized and make learn-as-you-go use more of an adventure than an ordeal. Really, in many ways, Samplitude should have more imitators among audio production software manufacturers who seem to design their programs with the Nigel Godriches of the world in mind, with less-than-to-be-desired room for growth amongst new and budding producers. Samplitude gets it right in this regard.

Help/Support:  

No matter how simple and self-sustained the music production software program is, not having additional resources to facilitate comprehension of tools and features or to help troubleshoot common problems is a one-way ticket to Trouble (with a capital T). Like "ease of use," Magix again gets it right, providing built-in, topically-arranged resources for program use, as well as hosting a knowledge center where users can exchange tips and tricks, share advice and gain information not readily available in the program.

For technical support, MAGIX features a dedicated support website, with additional email, phone and user forum support also available.

For a long time, I always read "Samplitude" as "Simplitude," which is mashup of "simple" and "attitude." This seems very appropriate, if not natural upon using Samplitude. It is simple and easy to use from import to export and seems the perfect tool for new, growing and emerging producers with a sample-friendly approach to audio production. It's not a replacement for Ableton,  Reason or KORE. But it's not an also-ran by any means, either.