The Music System (TMS for short) sells in two versions: the original TMS on cassette and Advanced TMS on disk only. We'll start with the latter.

TMS comprises six separate but interactive modules: step-time editor, sound editor, real-time composer, MIDI composer, printer driver and linker module. All are accessed from a central menu.

Taking the Music Editor first, notes are entered simply on the on-screen staves, and all musical functions like sharps, flats, ties, triplets and repeats are implemented. The music scrolls to the next position as you enter notes. Simply pressing a key changes voice, and you're positioned immediately at the point you left off.

Notes can also be input in real-time, using the C64's keys as a keyboard, the note's name and position being duplicated on the on-screen keyboard. Nice touches are a metronome to help you keep time and pictorial cassette recorder keys for record, playback etc.

Pop-up menu are used to adjust all parameters, including time and key signatures, and which of the three voices you're working on. Above the stave window, you'll find control windows for volume, the bar of music currently in view, note counter and bar-meter that tells you where you are in the composition and which voices are on or off.

Any combination of voices can be selected for playback. Using only one voice, you can watch the music scroll across. The linker module lets you string together pieces for a longer combination for playing consecutively.

On to the sound editor, which lets you alter ADSR and effects values, by playing around with the shape of a graph - novel idea. Helpfully you can hear the sound change as you experiment.

Finally, the printer module lets you print out a score and add lyrics to it. Various printers are catered for, including Commodore's MPS 801 and 802, the Epson RX and FX range and Star SG10. There's also a MIDI interface that lets you connect to an external synthesiser keyboard and play music back to synth using its own sounds.

The original Music System on cassette uses the same structure but leaves out the step-time editor, MIDI printer and link modules. Funnily enough, you get both the TMS and 'advanced' manuals, excellent as they are, with the cutdown cassette version, probably to show you what you're missing.

TMS is not only a remarkable piece of software but a very comprehensive and easy to use music package. Its added advantage is that you can choose your level of sophistication.