FFGreen
Strat-Talker
Recreational recording , just guitar and vocals, maybe some percussion. Minor mixing, a bit of plug ins ect.
Protools or Logic?? Thoughts, reasons why?
Protools or Logic?? Thoughts, reasons why?
ProTools or Logic?
- Thread starter FFGreen
- Start date
I use Cakewalk still after 10+ years, it's now free if I'm not mistaken, but I paid for it for years. Reaper's another free software many recommend.
Either Pro Tools or Logic work fine but free is a good alternative, especially if your intent is limited in scope.
Either Pro Tools or Logic work fine but free is a good alternative, especially if your intent is limited in scope.
El Gobernador
fezz parka
Logic. Because I like it.
Logic. Clean and straightforward, I’ve come to prefer Logic after 25 years as a MOTU user.
Personally I like Logic for home stuff but Reaper is pretty versatile especially for the cost. The downside to Reaper is that you spend a small fortune on plug-ins from my limited experience. But you can get skins for reaper that make it look and function like ProTools if you prefer. Logic has just seemed much more intuitive (to me) for somebody that isn’t a professional and just wants to have some fun with home recording as a hobby. I learned a bunch from a friend that has some professional recording experience and learned that things like mic placement have just as big of an impact on your recording as the software you use. If you can find someday like that near you, tap into their knowledge. They’ll likely appreciate and foster your interest in recoding.
Not to be that guy, but… When I was producing music for a living, I had neither the time or the desire to share my knowledge with an audio grasshopper. I would always recommend a couple of good books on mic placement, encourage them to keep at it, and go back to work.
Logic isn’t geared toward beginners: you’d be surprised how many records and film scores are produced in Logic. Don’t let the easy interface fool you: there’s more power under the hood in Logic than just about any other DAW.
Logic isn’t geared toward beginners: you’d be surprised how many records and film scores are produced in Logic. Don’t let the easy interface fool you: there’s more power under the hood in Logic than just about any other DAW.
stratocarlster
Most Honored Senior Member
I chose Reaper because it seemed the easiest of the DAWs to get started on. The interface made sense to me.
omahaaudio
Senior Stratmaster
Logic Pro is $200, with unlimited updates, the equivalent in ProTools (feature-wise) is $600, with annual updates that usually cost $$$.
But if it's simple stuff, how about GarageBand?
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Been using Calkwalk since it first come out. Still using the last paid version of Calkwalk Sonar Platinum. The newer free version from band labs is just as good, with a few less plugins. But it still has everything one would need. As with most Daws there is a learning curve but there are loads of how-to YouTube vids
ak-25
Strat-Talker
Studio One - it just works
Alas, we live in an age when the solution to most needs is met by buying something. "Want to sound like your guitar hero? This is the guitar you need…"
Does ownership of PT or LPX (Logic) confer the ability to make great recordings on the owner? Nope. Are they the right tools for making professional quality recordings? Yes, and in the right hands they will deliver on that promise. The problem, as you rightly point out, in there is nothing in this packages that actually confers the necessary skill set. I've had this confirmed multiple times when helping out novice LPX users. I'd say about 5% of the battle is how to use application-specific features, while the other 95% is craft skills, such as mic placement, appropriate reverb times, compressor settings.
That said, how does anyone get on the path to making decent recordings without choosing a DAW in which to do it? Not an easy decision, not least because they al,l more-or-less, do the job.
Assuming an Apple Mac is the platform (as nothing else will run Logic/LPX) maybe the best start is GarageBand. If the initial results are encouraging, and it builds and appetite for more advanced recording techniques, all GarageBand files are LPX compatible, so there is an upward path.
It's perfectly possible to use LPX as a 'first DAW' by simply ignoring most of the more advanced features. It's just a rather expensive way of getting basic recordings, especially as GB is included with Macs.
I am considerably biased towards LPX, and have never particularly got on with PT. However, that doesn't mean it's automatically the best choice for anyone else.
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I bought my 96 EC because it DID sound like my hero. Added bonus - noiseless/TBX/boost and a super nice neck. Still play it, still love it. Now I sound like me playing an EC.
pazman6
Senior Stratmaster
Neither. Cakewalk. Still free for a few more months and then going back to paid for. You should be able to get the free version now. Great DAW with all the features and plugins you will ever need. I have been using versions for almost 20 years. Still use Sonar X2 from 2012 to do my live tracking on an XP box - then move to a modern PC and Cakewalk to mix and master. It still does and always has looked and acted like using a mixing console.
omahaaudio
Senior Stratmaster
The ability? Absolutely.
That's splitting hairs. Having the tools could be said to give the ability from a certain point of view, but if someone has never used those tools or others like them then initial results are unlikely to be good. And some people just handle tools better than others.
somebodyelseuk
Senior Stratmaster
Try ALL the demos and use whichever one you find easiest to work with.
I use Reaper, because 15 years back I couldn't afford anything else. I'm still using it, because it does everything the rest do, and I can't be arsed learning a new DAW.
As far as plugins go, I mostly use the ones that come with it - they don't look flashy, but I get the results I want to get.
I use Reaper, because 15 years back I couldn't afford anything else. I'm still using it, because it does everything the rest do, and I can't be arsed learning a new DAW.
As far as plugins go, I mostly use the ones that come with it - they don't look flashy, but I get the results I want to get.
Ability (noun):
1. possession of the means or skill to do something.
2. talent, skill, or proficiency in a particular area.
If you could buy ability, no one would bother with driving lessons, they'd just go out and buy a car. Bingo! Instant driver! While I couldn't move at 100mph without a vehicle, there was nothing about sitting behind the wheel for the first time that gave me the ability to drive the car.
It's the same with anything: a set of surgical tools does not give you the ability to perform operations; a baton does not turn you into an orchestral conductor, and a restaurant without a qualified chef is just a building with some furniture and food ingredients.
While Apple, Avid et al tend to give the impression that access to a DAW automatically equates to the ability to produce high quality music recordings, I'm afraid it's not quite that simple.
Cakewalk is great and free, but last I checked it was Windows only. To answer OP's question - Logic all the way and here's why:
Logic is only $200 and is a perpetual license. Pro Tools is an annual license that costs well over $200 a year.
Avid was recently purchased by a holding company. That never ends well
There are VERY few things you can do in PT that you cannot do in logic. Beat Detective used to be one redeeming aspect of PT, but something similar can be done in Logic and others.
The Logic Live Loops feature is fun to use, and makes quick work for arranging songs on the fly.
Logic has a better selection out of the box of virtual instruments.
While Logic is geared towards the home user it is incredibly powerful. While completely subjective, I also find the various forums for Logic much 'friendlier' than PT forums lol
/rant over
And for the record, I use Ableton
Logic is only $200 and is a perpetual license. Pro Tools is an annual license that costs well over $200 a year.
Avid was recently purchased by a holding company. That never ends well
There are VERY few things you can do in PT that you cannot do in logic. Beat Detective used to be one redeeming aspect of PT, but something similar can be done in Logic and others.
The Logic Live Loops feature is fun to use, and makes quick work for arranging songs on the fly.
Logic has a better selection out of the box of virtual instruments.
While Logic is geared towards the home user it is incredibly powerful. While completely subjective, I also find the various forums for Logic much 'friendlier' than PT forums lol
/rant over
And for the record, I use Ableton
