Customer Reviews

Apple Logic Studio [OLD VERSION]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

So you want a whole music studio for under $500? What are you, some kind of crazy Mac user?

Apple's generous price drop for this version of what many consider to be the ultimate music tool (and I'm one of those) has removed any excuse one may have for putting off this purchase any longer. Meaning they cut the price in half and added twice the features of the original: Not only do you get a leaner, meaner and much easier to use version of Logic Pro, but they've thrown in updated versions of Soundtrack Pro and Compressor (previously only available with Final Cut), a live performance module called MainStage, all five Garageband Jam Pack titles, WaveBurner 1.5 for CD mastering, new effects such as Delay Designer .... all you need supply is lots of time and about 45 gigs of hard drive space.

As a happy user of Logic since version 6, I found the upgrade (available for just under $200) easy to grow into, especially being used to Apple's other pro apps, and really appreciated the addition of Soundtrack Pro 2, whose predecessor I'd used more for track mastering. The newer interface for Logic is more self contained now, with sliding panels replacing all those open windows you used to have to deal with ... although that is still an option if you're a person who thrives on complexity. Now you can look at both the Arrange Window and Matrix Edit (now called "Piano Roll", how quaint) in the same window, just roll it in and out as needed. Same with Audio Mixer, Score View, Hyper Edit, etc. In keeping with this more streamlined method, some of the tools are more hidden away which, along with other changes, I'm quickly getting used to. Another rollaway panel gives you access to instrument settings (and other audio resources) by way of a Soundtrack-like browser -- don't like that piano sound and don't feel like scrolling through all of them? Just pick one off the list, and it's there!

Another nice feature you'll see right away is some handy standard templates: Now, instead of trying to figure out how many blank tracks, and what kind, you may need for a certain project, just click one of the template buttons and you're on your way. You can easily customize them if you're a seasoned user. The one that has this user the most excited is the orchestral template ..... a whole symphony orchestra, ordered the same as it would be in a classical score, with instruments already loaded and regions just waiting for note entry. Now that's power. You can transcribe classical works using Logic's score editor, which by the way will also print out scores should you ever hire live musicians for your compositions.

One thing that will make Logic veterans happy is, now you don't need the USB XS-Key to be plugged in to run the software. Upgraders only need it to install, then just unplug it and drop it in the box. New users won't even have to deal with it. They don't know what they've missed, and they're better off.

In summary, Logic is the solution for the Mac-based musician, as far as composing, arranging, recording, looping, producing, scoring, sound designing, whatever-ing in an audio capacity. No messy cables and reels of tape all over the place like in the old days, just launch and bring musical dreams to life. I can't emphasize enough what a good deal this is (without sounding like a salesman), and once you get over a slight learning curve you realize the possibilities are virtually boundless for what you'll come up with. Just be aware: this ain't no Garageband. Logic is for the serious musician or music producer for whom music matters above most other things. This is what obsessed people do with their time. If this sounds like you, well, you owe it to yourself to make the most logical investment.

Nowadays, there are so many different DAW's (Digital Audio Workstations) out there, that it's hard to know what to start with. Everyone has heard of Protools, and most have heard of Cubase. And then there's Sonar, Audacity, Ableton, Digital performer...and there are even more opinions floating around as to which one is the "best."
The truth of it is that every DAW has it's strengths and weaknesses, and knowing what YOU need to do with your setup is vital to picking the right software.

Here's why I've chosen Logic.

Logic Studio has literally changed the way that I make music.

There are SO many features and programs packed into this application that I STILL have not covered everything, and I'm certified by Apple in the program!
Audio editing, MIDI editing, Composing, Arranging Scores, Electronic music, Rock, jazz, world, hip hop, live recording, Live gigs, post production, Sound to video, mixing, mastering, Guitar and Bass effects, synthesizers, sound synthesis...and the list goes on!

You can literally do everything that you want to do creatively with your music.
It comes on board with a fantastic set of plug ins and effects for any application, a mind-blowing set of software synthesizers that can be used to make completely unheard of sounds, a fantastic drum editing software instrument (Ultrabeat) that lets you program sequences, either live or in recording, or create your own drum beat from scratch in any tempo or time signature that you want...with any drum kit that you want. Oh, and if you can't find any drum kits out of the 50+ kits that you like, then just make your own, either through samples, or synthesis, or editing an already existing kit in the software.

You can mix in mono, stereo, or surround, and most of the complex software instruments have surround instances where you can automate any one of the synthesizer's parameters in stereo or surround.

As a guitarist, I can plug in my guitar directly to the interface and have a really good set of effects and settings right on board. And if that doesn't work, I can always just mic up my amp and record that way.
Take recording is easy, and post record editing is a breeze. Vocals (obviously dependent on the mic's and the preamps) are easy to record, edit, compress, and do whatever you want...even a Vocoder if that's your fancy.

I have so much control over everything involved in the songwriting process, and I can try completely new and different sounds just to see if it works. It's hard to cover it all in a little review.


Now, all that being said, every program has it's weakness. Here are the negatives to the program.

1) Learning curve. Don't let this intimidate you, because there are plenty of great resources to get you started and it's just worth the time it takes to learn it. But Logic is no joke on it's complexity. If you have used another DAW before, then this is not as much of an issue...although you will still have to relearn some things.
If you have NOT used a DAW before, then the first time Logic opens, you will have to just look at the screen for a little bit just to try to see what all is there.
If you aren't willing to delve into taking a little time to learn how to use software, then maybe you should look towards another DAW that's a little more straight forward on the front end i.e. Garageband.
If you are looking to open the box, plug in an instrument and record a few tracks and put some vocals on it...and that's it...then I would definitely steer clear of Logic.

2) This one goes to Protools users. Logic does NOT have a few of the in depth tools that Protools has. There aren't many that it doesn't have...and there are workarounds for everything. So you can do almost all of the FUNCTIONS of protools, but not in the same way. So if you were raised on Protools, that might be a frustration for you. Here's an example, if you are just in love with your "play from cursor" command, you won't find it in Logic. For me, I've just altered my workflow a little bit, and I don't really miss it. But if that's a big deal to you, then it's something to think about before purchasing Logic.

3) Know your system! There are several plug ins in Logic that are memory and CPU intensive. If you are not running a top of the line Mac, then you will need to learn how to most efficiently use your system resources to get the best results. Logic will quickly let me know when there is too much going on with "System overload" messages. That was very frustrating at first. Now I have a better plan in place to handle each task in my workflow. So either get lots of RAM, or prepare to learn how to allocate your resources.

4) Hard drive space. This isn't necessarily a negative, but for anyone looking to take Logic on a laptop, Logic uses about 40GB for a full installation. Definitely look into external media. On the install, you can choose to install some of the loops and other space takers onto external drives, which will help when you are working with less space. So if you are only working with 100GB or 120GB drives, then this is going to take a huge chunk of your space.
For everyone else, this shouldn't really be an issue...and besides, it shows how much comes with Logic on board. ;-)

Overall, I am going to stick with Logic for quite some time. It is the centerpiece of my studio, and has greatly enhanced my songwriting and composition workflow.

Hope this helps.

Logic 8 is great. I have it running nicely on a MacBook Pro 17" running Leopard 10.5.1. It also runs great on my iMac G5 PPC running OS X Tiger 10.4.11. I still have Logic 7 on the iMac and it runs nicely as well. It is quite a fantastic piece of software. And at a bargain price. As it comes with really 3 main apps (Logic 8, SoundTrack, and Mainstage plus a number of nice utilities) and all 5 of the loop packs that originally sold for $100 each. Logic tho is difficult to learn in that it has some much capability and power.

I would recommend this highly to any user of Logic Pro 7 running G5s and/or Intel-based macs. Since I can run either Logic 8 or 7 on my PPC G5 I am not quite sure what the other reviews are complaining about performance issue are. I have experience none. But then again I don't record 5 plus real time musician and numerous realtime audio instruments jams simultaneously either. So a grain of salt is to be taken here.


Mickster

I am a 15-year veteran of using DAW and midi software, and this new version of Logic Pro (in the Logic Studio bundle) blows away everything I have used in terms of power, ease-of-use, and sound. While everyone will need to find the best software for their use and workflow, I am selling my copies of Digital Performer, Pro Tools, and Live so that I can focus on Logic. It does everything I need, and more.

The set of included software instruments, plug-ins, loops, sounds, is robust. The "one-window" layout is easy to navigate. So far I have ported over some tunes from my other DAWs (as audio and midi files), and it has been painless....and I am already able to get better sounding mixes and masters with MINIMAL need to look up stuff in the manual. Its pretty darned intuitive. Logical, I suppose!

If you are into audio and midi recording, songwriting, audio production, etc...Logic Studio would be a great addition to your portfolio of applications. And, like me, you may find yourself selling off all of the old software you have struggled with to focus on this one.

Thanks Apple team, for such an elegant work!!

Apple Logic Studio The Logic Pro Studio is Great I got going right away but I did have to upgrade my hard drive since a program this size 49 gig of hard drive space needs more than the standard 160 gig hard drive that comes with the MacBook Pro.

I've used Cubase for many years for my personal production and ProTools whenever I'm in the the studio. I purchased Logic Studio for 3 reasons.
- The price
- No dongle
- I wanted an upgrade from Cubase

Logic Studio met my 3 needs and surpassed them by miles! This program runs circles around Cubase for more reasons than I can count so I won't spend time there but the thing that surprised me was the out-of-the-box functionality that eclipsed anything I could've gotten in ProTools (for less than a few thousand). Plus the MIDI functionality rivaled my other favorite program, Reason 4.

I run LS on my MacBook 2.4GHz, 4GB, Leopard 10.5.5 and it runs smoothly without ANY issues. The LS track count embarrasses ProTools. So far, I've run 24 tracks of MIDI instruments (6 ReWired to Reason) and 24 audio tracks simultaneously with no clipping.

At that point, Logic Pro 8 had surpassed my expectations but once I started configuring MainStage and using WaveBurner, I was in love. I haven't touched SoundStage or Compressor yet.

There will be some arguments from the ProTools faithful. I know everyone has their personal preferences but I think it would be difficult to argue that at just under $500, LS is a steal for the out-of-the-box functionality.

Apple finally has a program that not only competes but excels. You can bet that Apple support for DigiDesign will diminish now that LS is out (I've already started to see this dropoff).

I highly recommend it!

I've been working with this upgrade for a few days now and all I can say is wow! Logic has always been a powerful tool, but now its learning curve has gone way down and the new interface is very slick and extremely intuitive. They managed to do all this without losing any functionality and power "under the hood". If you've always wanted to try Logic but have been slightly intimidated, don't be anymore... this is the time to go for it, especially with the price cut and the added content, it is truly an amazing deal. Many of the plug-ins have retained their stability and functionality but with updated "leopard-like" interfaces that somehow seem to be easier to use. Also the instruments (Clavinova, B4, EP etc.) and synths are top notch and every bit as good as many native instrument and other standalone plugs I've worked with. The bottom line is: you truly get everything you need not only to start, but to finish in this one box... from the first track to CD mastering with the Wave Burner program. With the combination of Logic and the stability of Mac you will have more time to create and will be spending less time reading tutorials and searching for functions. Get this!

I bought this software not knowing much about Mac, as I recently got my first Mac. I bought this software to produce trance and house music. After playing around with this for a couple of days, I have come to a conclusion. This is the greatest software ever made. I used to use Reason in the past, and it is a poor substitute for Logic. If you want professional software, this is your best bet.

This is the most solid music software I've ever used - it barely moves my CPU meter with heavy plug-in's instantiated on 15 tracks (w/ 4 gigs of ram) - and it's tremendously stable; I've been using it for 8 hour sessions w/ Rewire for months and have had no problems. However, I also installed on a G5 and it simply wasn't coded for PPC processors (it's obvious it was an afterthought). Apple probably saw no reason to dedicate engineering resources to a fully stable port of Logic for PPC - as most pro users end up upgrading hardware anyway (and it's incidental incentive to drive their hardware business). If you're considering the upgrade to Intel Macs - this program is such a steal that it might be worth it. I'm only using the IMac 2.8 ghz and it screams - making the whole experience far more fluid and enjoyable. So - if you're still on PPC - hold off, you're better off w/ Logic 7. If you've already made the switch to Intel, you're in for a treat!

I got an Intel iMac in 2007, and I used Garageband for about 6 months. Compared to FL Studio on the PC, I found it much easier to use, and I quickly fell in love with it. Lately, though, I have been thriving for something a little more complex and feature rich. Logic Studio turned out to be my answer. The amount of content you get for the price is overwhelming; the first 5 Jam Packs are included (a ton of instruments and loops) that alone cost what this software costs. In addition, you get Logic Pro 8, and other programs like Soundtrack Pro and Waveburner. If you've used Garageband, the interface will be a little easier to pick up. Logic definitely takes some getting used to, but it is completely worth it. With the Apple Pro Training book (the basics one), I was able to use Logic's basic functions comfortably within a week. If you're looking to produce any type of music on your Mac, you need Logic Studio. Highly recommended.