New To Mac What's Better?, Cubase sx or logic pro Options

[professorpious]

I Just got my powerbook, yay! its the 1.33ghz 512mb ram, with the fast harddrive (7800rpm i think). I've got the Edirol fa-101 for my audio interface.
Right now I'm using reason 2.5, I'm lookng to add audio to my tracks. Should I go with Cubase or Logic for this? they both support rewire as far as I know. I have no experience with either program so will be learning which ever I choose. Seems like most people talk about using logic in this forum and a friend said "logic hands down". Just wondering what some others think before I go dropping a grand.
thanks in advance,
JS

[Presto]

Try using the search button. If you're not very good with keywords or are just lazy, try this:

http://www.macmusic.org/agora/forums/index...base&s=&lang=FR

[professorpious]

Thanks, for some reason I didn't see that buttton

[gdoubleyou]

I don't suggest SX for single cpu machines. From my observation SX uses 40%-60% more CPU than DP4,and Logic 6, with the same load.

Performance was so bad on my 1GHz Powerbook, that I moved my SX licence to my PC.

SX choked my Powerbook at 8-10 tracks. the same machine can easily handle sessions of 32-48 tracks using DP4, and Logic6, with Logic being slightly more cpu effecient than DP4.

[jklimeck]

Used DP for years, DP4 is the first incarnation of DP for OS X, as such I still think it needs to be optimized.



Logic or DP, cant go wrong

(Forget Cubase / Nuendo)

And I am seriously considering Logic over DP these days

[pdgood]

Here's the opinions I have gathered from years of forum searching and conversations:
Cubase is the sequencer of choice for PC users.
Logic is the sequencer of choice for Macs, although DP has a very strong following.
Logic has better CPU efficiency and is quicker to keep up with the changes in the marketplace (first to add AU).
DP (which I use and love) is very stable, has good tech support, is far cheaper than Logic, is a smaller company and its fans are very close knit. It strongly resembles Opcode which was a very popular sequencer of old.
The only negative I've heard about Logic is that it is more complex to learn (less user friendly at the beginning). Logic users say that once this hurdle is cleared, it does more than other sequencers and does it better. (Also rock solid).
My opinion:
I could not keep Cubase from crashing on my Mac. I could not afford the $1000 price tag for pro logic and bought DP4. I've been very happy with that decision.

[Riverdog]

I agree with the your opinion of Opcode...
I was an Opcode user for years until they got eaten by Gibson...

My move to Logic was somewhat painful but worth the move...
Logic Pro offers a wonderful package with all the synths, improved audio function and unbeatable MIDI implementation...

I've never seen Logic Express...
But, if you want a great package Logic is the one...

[swilder]

Just my 2 cents.

I do use Cubase on both mac anc pc and have no issues. It's the exact same experience on both platforms.

It's very powerful and super-intuitive to learn.

I use a firewire hard drive so I have not had issues with track count.

But maybe this week I'll do a test to see how many tracks it takes to max out my powerbook

Scott

[guitar]

Cubase SX is an excellent program but the plugins are very average. Also you can't boot a 24bit session without pluging your sound card in. Logic has better plugins by far. I use protools.They all have problems but they all do the job.

[Arnolfo]

Try the Ableton Live 4 demo. You might like it.

[swilder]

Stress test update.

Started the stress test today:

15" powerbook
867 MHz powerPC G4
512 MB RAM

OS X 10.2.8

ADCOM Firewire Drive

Cubase SX 2

24 simultaneous audio tracks so far without breaking a sweat.

Also used two TC Reverbs as send effects

and a handful of Compressors and Limiters as inserts

Hear it here: http://homepage.mac.com/scott_h_wilder/world2.mp3

This post has been edited by swilder: Wed 1 Sep 2004, 01:27

[swilder]

I'll add more tracks tomorrow to try to max out the drive

Maybe even a few soft synths. (Those will max out the cpu fast)

[gdoubleyou]

1GHz 12inch Powerbook Logic Audio

32 audio tracks channel eq, 10 tracks with compression,16 frozen audio instruments CPU=40% HD=20%

SX2 10 tracks sx dynamics, pops, clicks at all buffer settings CPU=80%

[swilder]

gdoubleyou,

Are you using an external drive or the internal hard drive?

[professorpious]

hey thanks for all the opinions much appreciated. So all this talk from swilder about external hard drives makes me have to ask.
My Pbook only has the 1 firewire port being that its the 12" model. I'm useing it now for my audio interface. If an external harddrive is on the same bus (via a firewire hub i guess) will I see improvement in performance? Not that I'm anywhere near needing an external drive yet. Just thought I'd ask , since you all brought it up
JS

[Presto]

I recorded audio on my G3 ibook before getting an external fw drive. I didn't go over 16 tracks (often just 8) in protools LE on OS9, used few plugins and parcimoniously. The problems I encountered were: learning how to get things done, my slowness, getting lost due to not giving names to all the bits and bats, and particularly accepting how far I was from being a musical genius. If there were any problems due to using the internal drive, I didn't notice.

Alot of people on here try for technical perfection, but I don't think it's worth getting worried about that too much until I'm satisfied with some of the music I try to compose. I did listen to advice here when I started out and knew, when I got a usb interface, that the single FW would be available for the external drive. I discovered MacMusic just in time.

When you start doing good stuff, then you should get an external drive. If you want to use 32 tracks and bulldoze with plugins right from the start, you'll probably need it very soon and will have to either change the PB or get a usb sound interface. But if you don't demand too much of your set-up while you're learning and you're as slow as me, the problem shouldn't worry you for quite a while.

[swilder]

Having the audio card and hard drive on the same firewire port is of no consequence.

In a session I usually only record a few tracks at a time which is nowher near the full bandwith of the firewire pipe. Even is you record 8 to 16 tracks at a time, you should have any problems.

Scott

[gdoubleyou]

gdoubleyou,

Are you using an external drive or the internal hard drive?

I'm using a Pro Tools certified 80Gb hard drive from Pacific Pro Audio.
http://www.pacificproaudio.com/drives.asp



My pain is over, now i sold my SX licence this weekend.


This post has been edited by gdoubleyou: Wed 8 Sep 2004, 18:18

[landlox]

I have read this thread with interest - I am a MIDI beginner and would like software to build up some simple amateur arrangements of my little attempts at songs.

Any reccomendations appreciated -
I have a B&W G3 Mac that has a G4 500mhz upgrade chip. OX X 10.2.8, 512 ram.

I have a consumer Casio (WK-1300) MIDI keyboard sitting here for noodling on. I'm not up on all the jargon etc.

It seems that the choice for my needs is either Cubase SE ($99 at Sam Ash) or Logic Express ($133 with student ID at college stores). IF I understand, they have similar features and would work with such a keyboard

I would say I need 4 - 6 tracks each of audio and the same for Midi (at least for now).

I could use audio pitch shifting (given my limitations as a player) and if i understand right, they both have this.

That aside, all I need is for these things to work with my Mac and keyboard.

Are there any serious differencs - i don't really understand all the 'effects' the web sites mention - or if they're important (I assume its simple things like audio 'echo' or 'reverb' kind of stuff my voice could use).

Finally 2 tech questions -
in the CUBASE SE 'system requirements' it says:
"Sound Card: CoreAudio compatible audio hardware"

Is that something beyond whats in a B&W Powermac?? (what IS it?)

for Logic express the requirements say:
"Low latency audio hardware recommended"

Same question - what is this? is my equipment up to this? Do I NEED to buy things to make it work?

Thanks - Landlox

[xingu]

Landlox - no need to post the same question(s) twice - someone will find you and answer if possible. See my answer in the other thread.

[landlox]

My apologies again for the repetition. I'm BRAND new here, Sorry sorry sorry. And thanks for your answers.

So for this thread I'll stick to my original question - given my Mac's specs (see prior post, this thread) -

How do Logic Express and Cubase SE compare for features?
It sounds like my computer can handle them. I have the G4/500 cpu - just wonder if the B&W has a slower internal speeds (bus?) and if that matters.

As to features - I've read the web sites but the long lists are a bit overwhelming. You are all saying CUBASE is MUCH easier to understand (beginner-wise) but more demanding on the CPU.

Is the main difference that Logic Express just has more sounds and effects?

Thanks for your patience.
Landlox