I’m only starting out with this really and currently use the latest Garageband for mainly creating and mixing my stuff but use a few other smaller programs too like Music Studio for the iPad.
But I was curious to know what other people here are using?
I’m considering upgrading to Logic Pro X as it runs Kontakt and I’ve heard some really nice libraries created for use through Kontakt… and the fact it’s similar to Garageband so it shouldn’t be a complete shock changing over?
I use Reaper…
Man, go for PreSonus StudioOne2! I have both, along with LogicPro X, and the Logic isn’t really as ‘logical’ as it sounds! Yes it looks cool and have some really great internal sounds, but StudioOne really beats it overall, as for me. 
JayPDC saidI’m only starting out with this really and currently use the latest Garageband for mainly creating and mixing my stuff but use a few other smaller programs too like Music Studio for the iPad.
But I was curious to know what other people here are using?
I’m considering upgrading to Logic Pro X as it runs Kontakt and I’ve heard some really nice libraries created for use through Kontakt… and the fact it’s similar to Garageband so it shouldn’t be a complete shock changing over?
I’ve been running Logic Pro X and I really love it. It’s amazing what you get for the cost. I think if you’ve been using Garage Band then it’s definitely a big step up, and you won’t regret it.
You’ll probably get a lot of differing opinions here - but I’d look at some YouTube tutorials of different DAWs before making your decision. What’s most important though is knowing how to use the one you have!
Of course, no matter which you choose…Kontact will be your best friend.
Good luck
Logic Pro X is a super duper choice. Of course each one has its pro’s and cons but Logic just tends to work wonders for me. Pro Tools is a great one for mixing on.
Go for it you can’t be wrong.
Best buy, unless you have to buy a mac first
especially since you’re already used to garageband, logic would be an easy transition. i’ve been a logic user since the days it was called notator on the atari, haha!
Logic is Incredible, I’ve used a several DAWs and never sounded very good. A friend of mine who owns a Pro Studio uses Protools and Logic and he suggested to try Logic because of it’s ease. I never sounded better even just using the presets on FX. You get lots of MIDI instruments and a Huge library of loops. Youtube has videos to do anything on it. It’s the only DAW I would ever recommend at all. It also has a effect called Sound Design that uses impulses and you can load custom ones off the internet. I found one that made a Marshall Stack sound that is perfect. It also has HD Reverb impulses that give your instruments a huge sound even on a preset. The Mastering Suite is Great too!
I also use Presonus Studio One. Tried out most of them and Studio One is the one that seems most complete, simple and logical. Great sound quality.
In my opinion, it should be a combination of sound and comfort during work that determine which software will suit you best. Logic’s main strength, apart from the great natural sound it has, is the fact that it works incredibly well on Apple’s OS X, stacking up those VST’s and effects at such ease has it’s perks.
The second thing you should consider is the many wonderful sounding embedded plugins Logic has, that will come to your advantage if you don’t have all those expensive plugins or VST suites.
I once heard some sound geeks talk about how wide the stereo is in Logic compared to other similar software, I haven’t really figured out if that’s really true.
Any way, I’ve really grown to like it. Good luck
MGAnalog said . I once heard some sound geeks talk about how wide the stereo is in Logic compared to other similar software, I haven't really figured out if that's really true.Any way, I’ve really grown to like it. Good luck
It is , just a plugin (direction mixer) anywhere you want it. I use it in mastering all the time. Also Surround Sound is incredible, too bad it doesn’t work on mp3s too.
Download Demos of all of them and check them out. Its like fighting about Fender or Gibson, or Chevy vs Ford. They all do the same thing.
Logic is great, but it has so much more to it than garageband. You will have to learn a new DAW anyway no matter if you use Logic, Cubase or whatever.
Advantage with Logic is that you get a lot of plugs and softsynts bundled with it. It’s not the best samples around but they can take you a long way. I have tracks made with only Logic instruments that have made me some decent money. Best bang for the buck DAW.
I havent been on Pro Tools since verison 8, but back then I didnt like it very much. Great for recording studios, but a bit akward fot composing. I think things are different these days maybe.
Studio One is also very good. Not so stuffed with plugs as Logic, but it is a really good and easy to use DAW. If I were to choose a new DAW today I would have a hard time choosing between Logic and Studio One. They do have a free version so you can try it out.
I highly recommend Logic X. But as always, it’s not about the tools but what you do with them. I think for price and features though you can’t go wrong with Logic. Spend a bit of time learning the features and you’ll get the most out of it. All DAWs can run Kontakt though so you have many options to choose from. I know many people who swear by Cubase and wouldn’t use anything else. I love Logic and been using it since v7.
JBlanks saidI highly recommend Logic X. But as always, it’s not about the tools but what you do with them. I think for price and features though you can’t go wrong with Logic. Spend a bit of time learning the features and you’ll get the most out of it. All DAWs can run Kontakt though so you have many options to choose from. I know many people who swear by Cubase and wouldn’t use anything else. I love Logic and been using it since v7.
Thanks for the replies, advice and opinions everyone! I do have Cubase for the iPad but I wasn’t impressed by the sounds you get with it, I thought the instruments sounded too virtual compared to Music Studio and Garageband… But maybe the full blown Desktop version is different.
I’m a huge fan of Logic X
The $199 price tag is worth the drum kits alone. They are way beyond any other drum software I have ever used including addictive drums, EZ drummer, etc.
For those saying it’s not logical, I think they just need to learn a bit more about the interface and how to customize it. You can make anything into a hotkey and really streamline your workflow. The one problem I have with it is Flex Pitch which is the built-in melodyne type pitch analysis. I like how it works within the session itself and you don’t have to open up a plug-in and feed audio in. But it leaves artifacts and there’s really no way to get rid of them unless you disable Flex Pitch for that section.
OutLoudMusic saidI’m a huge fan of Logic X
The $199 price tag is worth the drum kits alone. They are way beyond any other drum software I have ever used including addictive drums, EZ drummer, etc.
For those saying it’s not logical, I think they just need to learn a bit more about the interface and how to customize it. You can make anything into a hotkey and really streamline your workflow. The one problem I have with it is Flex Pitch which is the built-in melodyne type pitch analysis. I like how it works within the session itself and you don’t have to open up a plug-in and feed audio in. But it leaves artifacts and there’s really no way to get rid of them unless you disable Flex Pitch for that section.
Yeah, i totally agre. I know Logic so well that I feel Pro Tools is totallly confusing. Logical or not all comes down to how well you learn your DAW, and how well you customize your workflow and templates so that it fits your needs. Spend an hour now and then to adjust this to your needs and it will speed up your workflow a lot!
But don’t think that you can go straight from Garageband to Logic and know everything avout it. Spend some time to really learn all the great things that you can do in Logic. GB is really just a toy compared to Logic!
I use Reason 7 and am looking forward to the 8 upgrade. It’s very powerful but there’s definitely a learning curve. There are loads of video tutorials out there to get you up to speed though.
GarageBand is a great tool for getting things up and running quickly. My friend and I will often start sketching out ideas in GarageBand, then once we’ve got as far as we can I will bring everything into Reason to add more instruments, apply effects, mix it, then master. It’s surprising just how much Reason can add to an already great-sounding track made in GarageBand.
I’m planning to get Logic in the next few weeks, not to replace Reason but to use in tandem. It would be great if one DAW did everything I wanted but I would miss certain things from the others if I stuck with one. Logic is pretty affordable and you get a lot for the money, so it’s an easy decision to make.
I would not use PROTOOLS because PROTOOLS uses it’s own proprietary plugin technology (RTAS) and doesn’t natively support VST or Audio Units, which, in my opinion, makes it garbage for composing. Most plugins are authored in VST or AU, so why limit yourself? Most DAWS are pretty much the same. They all take floating point numbers or short integers and mix them together, change their volume, run algorithms, ect it all comes down to how you like the interface, the plugins that come with it, ect. On the MAC side you get a pretty nice sized library of Apple instruments with LOGIC. I’m not a huge fan of the LOGIC interface, but if you are used to it I’m sure it is ok. If you are used to GarageBand, Logic really is just a fancier GarageBand, the two programs seem to share almost the same interface and a lot of the same programming. I don’t really make music on a MAC, but I always liked the look of DIGITAL PERFORMER. I would also recommend looking into REAPER just for the simple fact that it’s (essentially) free and comes with some very nice DSP plugins.
adammonroe saidI would not use PROTOOLS because PROTOOLS uses it’s own proprietary plugin technology (RTAS) and doesn’t natively support VST or Audio Units, which, in my opinion, makes it garbage for composing. Most plugins are authored in VST or AU, so why limit yourself? Most DAWS are pretty much the same. They all take floating point numbers or short integers and mix them together, change their volume, run algorithms, ect it all comes down to how you like the interface, the plugins that come with it, ect. On the MAC side you get a pretty nice sized library of Apple instruments with LOGIC. I’m not a huge fan of the LOGIC interface, but if you are used to it I’m sure it is ok. If you are used to GarageBand, Logic really is just a fancier GarageBand, the two programs seem to share almost the same interface and a lot of the same programming. I don’t really make music on a MAC, but I always liked the look of DIGITAL PERFORMER. I would also recommend looking into REAPER just for the simple fact that it’s (essentially) free and comes with some very nice DSP plugins.
The new version of Logic was made to look like Garageband and have the option of a simple interface for people who are used to GB. But in reality, Logic is MUCH more powerful and has hundreds of features not found in Garage Band. I agree with you about ProTools, though a lot of great artists and composers use it exclusively.