Logic Pro or Logic Express? Help.

2. FX in general are very good. The standard Logic FX are better than pretty much every other package's native effects.

3. Explain what you're trying to do here. It can certainly handle large projects (I've arranged a musical for a big theatre on it). If you're current 'loop catalogue' is in .wav format then things'll be fine.

Unless you're going to be doing something really intense with it I'd stick with the Express version.

Large projects meaning whole dance-pop albums I guess. Composed using the above technique plus vox through whatever I can dredge up, basically. I've been playing with the laptop internal mic on Garageband with simple noise gate+compression and had decent results, but then again that's all in relative to the context.

"really intense" - so what does Pro do that Express can't, for real?

I sell Logic, Pro Tools, and their incumbent doo-dahs for a living, so let me give you my standard rants:

* As it stands, there are enough FX and virtual synths in Logic Pro that you could theoretically use nothing else to make music.

* The BIGGEST drawback of Logic Express is that the built-in sampler (EXSP24) is playback only, so you can't use it to import your own samples and make your own patches. That alone makes it a deal-breaker for me.

* Both versions of Logic are pretty efficiently coded, so there's no real need to worry about getting bogged down. If you're planning on running a lot of FX, you can always re-render your tracks.

* If you're doing full albums, get yourself two extra things:
1) a decent Firewire audio box, like a MOTU or an M-Audio
2) an external Firewire hard drive, like a Lacie D2

The box will let you plug in a decent microphone, and the drive will not only store your audio tracks, it will play back more tracks than the Powerbook drive will allow.

What Pro mainly offers over Express to the home user is a range of plug-ins and other fun toys. The Space Designer, ES2 synth and the full featured version of the EXS24 Sampler are all worth having. Pro 7 also has a drum machine that I'd really like to get my hands on (I'm stil running Pro 6).

Logic Pro is amazing. As mentioned above, you can use it entirely on its own to make music. But one pretty significant caveat is that the learning curve is steep. I found it to be an enormous pain in the arse to learn how to use. I spent more time in the first year I had it figuring out how to do stuff than I did actually doing stuff. I currently run Logic Pro 6 on a 1ghz Powerbook with a gig of RAM and it handles okay. I can't push it too far, esp. when using processor intensive components like the Space Designer but it does everything I need it to.

If you do decide to go for Logic Pro, a cheap way to get the most up to date version is to buy a second hand copy of Logic Platinum or Gold 5. You should be able to pick one up for under $100 (be sure to get the original discs, documentation and USB 'ExsKey'). Once you have the registration transferred, you can opt for the $300 upgrade to Logic Pro 7 instead of paying the full $999.

Logic Pro sounds fascinating. I think perhaps I will visit an apple store and fool around with it, and read up more on what it comes with. Thanks tons to Tantrum especially for the advice on hardware, I've been considering those purchases, you say they're absolutely essential?

* Pro Tools is an audio multitracker/editor with some MIDI sequencing capabilities.

* Logic places equal emphasis on both MIDI sequencing and digital audio multitracking, and offers a much more powerful sequencer than Pro Tools.

* Pro Tools requires you to purchase and use a Digidesign audio interface box - the software will not function (or even boot) without a Digi box attached. There are two tiers of Pro Tools hardware: LE systems (which you'll find in home studios) are CPU-dependent, HD systems (which you'll find in pro facilities) are not (as they have their own high-end DSP chips).

* Logic allows you to run your choice of audio interface, and, in a pinch, will work with the microphone built into your laptop.

* Pro Tools comes with a basic FX suite (reverb, compression, chorus, delay, etc).

* Logic has an extensive FX collection, including an extensive collection of plug-in synths, and a surprisingly powerful sample library.

You're welcome! Yes, I would say they're absolutely essential. They may seem a little expensive upfront, but they'll save you HOURS of frustration, and thus pay for themselves.

Just out of curiousity, what kind of deal are you getting on Logic Pro?

Any hints/tips for what I ought to try out first or how to get a good feel for playing around in the store? I might be in an Apple Store this weekend (again).

Thanks.

OK I think that Ultrabeat and the vocoder features alone are probably worth it for getting Logic Pro, but as far as usability goes am I going to be able to make anything by playing around or is this going to be something where if I don't have some kind of master plan in mind beforehand I'm screwed?

Not at all - you can absolutely play around, in fact, that's the fun of it.

Basically my problem with sequencing software in a lot of cases especially packages like Logic Pro that claim to be all-encompassing is that there are no limitations which makes it next to impossible for me to get any work done. Does anybody have any comments on this?

Logic was the first computer sequencer I ever learned, so even though I'm aware of Logic's "hard to learn & use" reputation, I never thought it was deserved. I found that the basics of Logic can be learned over a few days. The more advanced processing & editing can be learned, piecemeal, over time. The program is admittedly VERY deep, but I've found this to be more helpful than anything else as there are usually at least two ways to get a desired result.

Incidentally, TOMBOT, that's an excellent deal.

Bearing in mind that Logic is now a Mac-only application, it's like Coke versus Pepsi - they're essentially the same thing, feature-wise, and it's just a question of personal preference. I've always preferred the Logic interface, but some people can't stand it and swear by Cubase.

Logic is built around the sequencer, Pro Tools is built around the sample editor. Each one is better at its specialty, so buy the one you need. Most people with home studios & keyboards trying to flesh out full tracks from scratch prefer sequencers. Most engineers / editors / arrangers who already have lots of recorded audio files in the can, and want full, flexible control over what goes where, (and pro features like auto-delay compensation to eliminate phasing etc.) prefer a comprehensive sample editor like Pro Tools or Nuendo. (Nuendo also has notably advanced surround sound implementation.)

But it should be said; since Ableton Live v4, many friends of mine have begun simply tracking straight into Live. It's becoming their central workstation.

The first couple of versions of Live focused on looping, processing and multi-tracking digital audio. Live 4 now does MIDI as well, but I haven't used that version so can't really comment (I hear it's good though).

Live automatically stretches or compresses audio files as you introduce them to a composition so that everything syncs up. At its most basic level of use, you select a sample or loop, drag it into a track and Live will make it play at the right speed in the right place. The program then allows you to manipulate these samples or loops in a number of different ways while the rest of the composition is playing in the background. You can mix and process tracks as they play (hence 'Live'), recording the actions for later tweaking. It's very, very easy to use and you can dive straight in and get stuff done pretty much as soon as you install it. It also has the nicest looking and most intuitively laid-out GUI of any music software I've used. It's perfect for doing mash-ups or remixes and is increasing being used in live performances.

Logic is a different kind of beast compared to Live. It has a lot of extra bells and whistles for sound generation and processing, and I can't imagine that Live's MIDI implementation is comperable, but these may or may not be things that you need. With the price difference you could always pick up some second hand hardware synths or a softsynth like Tassman or Absynth. I've put enough time into working with Logic that I'm fairly committed to it, but I'd love to pick up a copy of Live 4 as well. One of my friends, who does most of his work with external sound sources and samples, that he hadn't even opened Logic since Live 4 came out.

You should be able to download a demo here: http://www.ableton.com/

Ok, I don't really know much about logic. BUT, what I want is something that is a step up from garage band, and here are some of the things I want:

1) I want to be able to expand the soundsets beyond just the crappy pre-packaged ones that come with the program (e.g. add drum sound sets by people other than the company that makes the software)

2) I want to be able to maybe create my OWN drum sounds

3) I would like greater sampling/sequencing capability than garage band

4) I want to be able to program more easily in non 4/4 time signatures

Does Logic give me any/all of these capabilities?

All. But so does pretty much any other sequencing package these days.

So is there one that you recommend other than Logic Express in same or cheaper price range?

(for Mac)

There's Reaper (http://www.cockos.com/reaper/index.php), but I wouldn't particularly recommend it over Logic Express, especially since you'd want third-party instrument and FX plug-ins, and your free options for these are limited on Mac.

Hmm - 30 days free use then $60 "discounted" license seems tempting.

may also be worth looking at ableton live or reason (w/ record if you need to be able to record audio)

ableton live intro is $99 and i imagine offers everything you are looking for.

love ableton. if you buy any DAW and are a student, get the student discount (pretty much all of them have one)

I find Ableton somehow irritating. There are all these "clips" and you can click on them etc. But then there is the other, more standard DAW view. I can't seem to make the connection between the two views, their tracks, and the actual audio information on them. How are they related? Plus Live changed the sampler around some time around version 7 and I stopped being able to chop up samples the way I want to.

Hi everyone. I found this thread while trying to educate myself before purchasing a christmas gift for my teenage son. I am completely new to these products and would love some advice. I have a mac and have been considering the Logic Express 9 or the Logic Studio 9. I have also looked at the Ableton Live 8 and the Live Intro. I am open to comments on other brands as well. My son would like to be able to create his own music (multiple styles or genres) with the software. He would eventually like to plug in a guitar and/or mic and add his own voice/instrument to what he has created on the computer. He would also like to be able to mix and remix the songs he has on his iPod, for fun. Obviously this is not for professional use, but more for his education and entertainment. I don't want to buy garbage though. I would like him to get the most for my money, as well as get the easiest to use and the best quality for the money. Any thoughts?

ableton is regarded as easy to use and can do pretty much all the above. however, i keep hearing people saying about logic pro being the professional choice as ableton has a crappy engine, anyone know more about this?

i'm considering a move to logic but ableton was such a chore to learn (the first DAW / music-making programme i ever sat down with) and i'm wary that logic might be a reach too far, for now

hey how would you guys redesign music creation software, if you could? I've completely abandoned trying to learn any of these things and figure it is actually easier to create a program from the ground up. (Max/PD is pretty neat, but it gets very messy very easily!)

logic is deep - a professional level program - multiple manuals, etc. i find its depth not always conducive to creativity, and i know how to use it. All the things that Logic can do better than other programs are the things you can only take advantage of when you have the fundamentals down (ie great extended MIDI capabilities, sample-accurate editing, etc.). Or, to put it another way, I thought it would be a good deal at $1000 (a couple of years ago - now $500) because it had all the necessary synths and samples built in, but I found myself worrying to much about EQ settings without having actually finished my song. I am getting a lot more down with a secondhand synth and drum machine, total cost $375. From what I can tell, Ableton is closer to the software equivalent of this setup - ie a bit more straightforward.

if you are not opposed to buying secondhand, you might look at older versions of logic or ableton on ebay. i bought logic pro 7 (back when 8 was the most current version) for about $100, and it comes equipped with some very good synths/drums/plug-ins imo.

5Jules, to plug in a mike or instrument cable and record on his Mac, he will need some kind of audio interface as well as software. Others here can explain the options better, but this might help:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/audio_interfaces_for_your_mac.html

actually easier to create a program from the ground up

I thought about doing this for a while, but really it isn't. Audacity is probably the easiest to get into, although it has it's flaws. REAPER is better - if you approach it like a 4 track cassette portastudio to start with and then gradually get familiar with the other features.

anyone know how i can adjust the sample start/end in logic's exs24 in realtime with a controller? "s.start" parameter in the modulation matrix seems to be doing nothing. i want to be able to assign it to the mod wheel on my keyboard. is this even possible? setting it up in the controller assignment window seems to also do nothing

got it, sample playback needs to be set to one shot

any other software samplers worth a look?

Whoa... Logic X shipped today. It's in the app store.

Lots of notes on today's update:
https://cdm.link/2020/05/logic-pro-10-5-new-sampler-workflows/
https://9to5mac.com/2020/05/12/logic-pro-x-10-5-live-loops-exs-24/
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2020/05/12/apple-logic-pro-10-5-a-massive-release-for-electronic-musicians/

Taking an online class on Logic, finally got fed up with Reaper. Getting my old MacBook fitted with an SSD and 16gb of RAM, looking forward to using this