Your Opinion?, home studio, for fun Options

[earmuffs]

im looking into audio/midi sequencing software (for OSX ONLY), and would like to get some opinions on them.

Who/what gives the most bang for the buck?

Who/what is easiest to learn (im new @ this, obviously)

pros/cons

compatability with my equip. listed below

looking for some general experiences.

thanks

[editbrain]

I would suggest Logic Audio. There are 3 versions.
Logic Audio
Logic Gold
Logic Platinum

www.emagic.de

[earmuffs]

is the emagic big box a good option?
does it fully operate under osx, or do some components only work in os9/
is the software interface "easy" to use?
will i be able to upgrade with the big box?
thanks in advance

This post has been edited by earmuffs: Mon 29 Dec 2003, 23:44

[editbrain]

yes, logic big box is fully upgradable and supported in os x. i use it everyday. i did not need the functionality of logic platinum. if you buy big box you might have to call emagic and have them send you os x versions of the exsp24 and the evp73. i did. they sent them within a week.

the interface is extremely easy to use and figure out, and to be frank there isn't much you can't do with the effects that the big box comes with. i am very pleased. it is a great way to jump into the world of music creation and audio arrangement. i have not used it for video yet, but am contracted to do a soundtrack on an independant film here in Memphis, TN. should be finished in the summer of 2004. I usually use final cut for video editing, but i will have to use logic to write the soundtrack. so we will see how logic works with syncing to video soon enough. i have read that logic is just a powerfull for soundtrack syncing as it is for straight music creation. i hope this has answered some of your questions. i hope others reply.

ciao, jeremy

This post has been edited by editbrain: Tue 30 Dec 2003, 09:04

[bevlev]

Earmuffs:

Can't see your equipment list, but I'll tell you that I'm running Digidesign ProTools LE (5.2 on my PowerMac G4 Quicksilver on OS9.2.2 and PT6.2.2 on my new G4 PowerBook running Panther) and love it. I've worked with MIDI, straight audio and recording soundtracks for iMovie presentations at work. PT is very RAM&CPU intense (surprise), but I'm glad I chose it - also, the Digidesign website offers all kinds of user tutorials on several different levels and the company also offers references to authorized training facilities for ProTools classes which includes Berklee School of Music and on-line classes. The manual is also intimidating in size, but I think very well-written and not overly technical - good resource.

The Digiddesign USB mBox audio interface is a dream - very simple to use.

Good luck!

[bibiche]

hi bevlev !
about your mbox, i know the powersupply is made by the usb fom your mac, but i've heard some saying that it is why the sound of this card is not as good as for example th e audiomediaIII (so old but brillant !!!, i use it even if old asio)
tell me what you think of it?
i'm french and on the french side of this site, a guy compared both of those audio interfaces
according to him in the case mbox is powered by usb, for him it is clear it doesn't have much punchas audioIII
i wait for your answer cuz i'm in full doubt
if i go to osx, i guess my audiomediaIII is not compatible

[Metro SE]

Who/what gives the most bang for the buck?
Metro

Who/what is easiest to learn?
Metro

compatability with my equip. listed above?
Yes

[gkdoty]

I agree about Metro Le or Metro 6.
I've used Cubasis and Logic Audio. But at the time I got my new eMac I was running OSX and wanted a Audio/Midi program
without having to reboot in OS9. I already had Metro 5 from Cakewalk and I liked the program but were gonna drop all Mac support
and programs.
At that time the original programmer of Metro bought back all rights to Metro.
Jeremy Sagen then programed Metro 6 for OSX and OS9 one program for both and it was priced right so I upgraded
and I have been very pleased with the results!! Also he continues to upgrade the program and offers excellant support!!!
Metro support VST plugins and AU Plugins
I really like Metro 6.1.0.5 which is the most recent version.

Gary K. Doty Sr.
eMac/700mz
Alesis QS6.1
Yamaha TG500
Casio CTK-671
Roland MS-1 Sampler
Zoom MRT-3 Drum Machine
BR-532 Digital Recorder
Zoom PS-01 Digital Recorder

[editbrain]

go with some industry standard. get Logic 6 or Pro Tools.
you will not be let down.

[kaboombahchuck]

Yeah shure, you could go with the industry standards... might as well get a tec degree, a fat bank account, be happy with lagging updates (if they ever update) so on and so fourth.
Metro is the by far the simplest out there. Yet it has no limitations. It just keeps on going. Jermy rapidly keeps up with updating, and add ons. I don't know of anything Metro won't do, except write the music

[editbrain]

yeah. try working hand in hand with a professional studio, or better yet try working on a soundtrack for a movie with metro. professional studios do not use metro. when you get tired of writing playstation (not saying you make playstation music, kaboombahchuck) music you have to find something else.

people need to know what is professional and what is project/playtime. why would anyone want to waste time learning or using mediocre tools.

you do not need a tech degree to use pro tools or logic. you do not need a fat bank account. you don't even have to keep patching the software.

you can get pro tools free. you can buy logic big box and do anything right out of the box you could want in a semi-pro/pro studio. you could buy an mbox and get pro tools le as a bundle.

don't be mislead, earmuffs. you want to learn don't you. you asked what was good. i haven't seen to many posts about metro being used in top studios. these large music application companies (logic and pro tools) have given you an option with scaled down, but not disfunctional software. use what the pros use. you will be happier knowing that your music will come out pro quality, and if you have to go to a major lable studio...you won't be left in the dark. you will have the knowledge and lingo to talk to the engineer and get the results you want. try going to virgin or what ever indy label you like studio and say "well in metro you can click click here and click click there." i am sure you will not be understood.

anyway--he asked about logic. i have been using logic for sometime now. very, very powerfull. you have full control over the routing and environment. very good with video. nothing i can say that is discriminating about the app. i learned the interface and did not want to change. with the freeze option in logic 6 you can cut your cpu usage down tremendously. i mean way down. you have full automation. you have vst and apple audio unit support. you get a great wav/aiff audio editor. event editor, matrix editor, score editor. you could go on and on about the power tools built into logic.

i am not trying to question anyone's professional ability as a muscian or engineer with this post. just thought his question should be answered with some depth. not just a back and forth my app is better waste of time explanation. thank you.

This post has been edited by editbrain: Mon 5 Jan 2004, 12:01

[earmuffs]

thank you for all of your "opinions"!

i should have stated my question a little better.
im sure that metro is an outstanding product, however (like editbrain said, and i thought is a very good point) im looking for something that is more commonly used. (eg. protools, sonar, logic, dig. perf.)

not that i plan on being recruited into any fullblown pro studio any time soon, although if i decied to send my projects out to another studio, i would like to know that my stuff would be more compatable. does that make sence?

i have used protools free before, however im not too high on it (since i need to do my work in os9, and that made my system unstable at times), also not having any documentation on how to "get started", although i could get around it after hour of frustration. Does protools have (or planning in the near future) a version for STRICKTLY OSX?

I have also used cubasis (i think thats the name of the free ver. of cubase) again in OS9, which i do not prefer to do.

does logic have a free demo ver. so i can try the app. out? does the big box come with the documentation a "newbee" can understand and help advance my projects?

also editbrain you mentioned contacting emagic for the OSX ver. of some of the products that come in the package. what was that like? how was the cust. service?

again thanks for ALL of your help!

[editbrain]

earmuffs, you can use logic platinum for 28 days without an XSkey. All logic versions come with full text on all the features. this includes text on effects, setup, arrangement, everything. tryout logic trial. if you like i would buy the big box version. logic 6 runs on osx. i currently use it in both studio's.

if you need more features (i wouldn't see why you would at a beginning stage of a home studio) you can upgrade to gold or platinum version of the software.

i hope what you decide on will be exactly what is best for you.

check here for comparisons of the different versions of logic.
logic audio is the big box
logic gold is the next series
logic platinum is their gem.

Logic Series Comparison Chart

[editbrain]

oops... i forgot to answer your question. the service is very helpfull. see here was my issue. i bought logic big box 5 from a music store. i talked them down because i convienced them that logic 5 for mac was depreciated (which it was) cause logic 6 had been out for awhile.

i registered my software. called them after i got the confermation email and told them my issue about not have a logic version for mac os x (logic 5 big box came with os9 version only) CONFUSED YET? haha . the CS rep told me he would mail me cd's of the instruments that come with logic big box, and he would give me a XSkey for logic audio 6. which he did. it is all good. i got the cd's in 4 days, and had the email for logic 6 the next day.

if you buy logic 6 big box you should not have to do what i did, but then again i bought version 5 for $180 and upgraded for free.
so it was worth the wait for me. we use logic platinum in the main studio. which i did not buy the studio did, but we use there support line and email all the time. they are willing to help.

This post has been edited by editbrain: Tue 6 Jan 2004, 07:20