Published for the C64 and Amiga machines by Electronic Arts, Instant Music was a unique semi-automatic composition sequencer. Ready-made templates could be used to literally design musical patterns across the screen, which could then be replayed as technically correct melodies.

Such was the unbelievable ease with which the software could be used that it was pitched at the sub-dilitante level. None of the regular rules of music composition are left to the user here, though the way at which the program manipulates its markers can be anticipated and experimented with. It was as complete a self-composer as possible without dispensing with the operator altogether, though greater interactivity can be achieved by programming only one segment of a tune and then playing your own independent accompaniment to it.

Another of the software’s big attractions is its MIDI compatibility. All the user needs is a compatible MIDI cartridge, for example the Sonus or Passport, to be able to take advantage of this most powerful of peripheral features. With it all parts of the music can be ported in realtime to an outboard sequencer for further manipulation. Thanks to this, many Instant Music templates can be coupled together in sequence or concurrently, allowing for quite complex movements to be engineered with only a little forward planning.

In context, Instant Music is a powerful musical toy. Not only can it allow good music to be made by those who feel unable to grasp the art, but also more seasoned musicians can use it to inspire them and provide foundation or embellishment for their own original work. And for more advanced users, the program’s restrictions can be largely ignored as the MIDI data itself can be suitably mastered using other programs.