The Steel Guitar Forum

My son is looking to get either Pro-Tools or Logic for his new Apple MacBook. At the college student discount, Logic costs about $99 more than Pro-Tools. Is it worth the difference? He's a saxophonist, not really a technology/recording guy, but he might take a tech class along the way at some point.

Will appreciate any comparisons from folks who know both systems.

Thanks,

Jim

p.s. There's also 'Final Cut Studio 2' which seems to be more for video editing (which he's not likely to do much of), but if it also did what Pro-Tools or Logic do, and could be essentially used for just sound recording without the video, then maybe he'd get it and just have the video capacity on there in case he gets interested in it later. (Of course, it does cost quite a bit more). Anybody know if FC can be used just for music recording?

I use both and can say that Logic is quite challenging to comprehend due to it's tremendous flexibility while PT is like using a regular mixer and straightforward for the most part. If he is not into heavy composition and manipilation of electronic music and midi I would steer clear of Logic adn go with PT Le. DO not underestimate the power of GarageBand though - just different

Final Cut .......bad idea.......cannot really be used for true multi tracking, unless you didnt want any control over your tracks. I wouldnt use it for audio any more than I would use Pro Tools for video.

I would actually reccomend Logic Express.....should be around $250 with student discount.

My understanding is that Pro Tools requires hardware, no? I could be wrong.

And like John said.....dont underestimate Garage Band.......I use it all the time, and its basically a very light version of Logic. And its FREE.

Use Garageband. it is not, for clarity's sake, a crippled version of Logic, its code base is very different and while it ships with new computers it isn't free it is part of the iLife suite (which is very inexpensive.)

It will be plenty for your son to get started... when he wants to update Logic Express is great and can 'read' garageband files.


The huge differentiators between Pro Tools and Logic for the average person is that the interface for Pro Tools is more immediate and simpler. Logic is much more adept at midi, the stock sounds within Logic are really really good (the electric pianos are exceptional)

I've used logic for so long that I find it 'deeper' but both are stellar products.

I'd check the prices you found though... I've never seen pro tools be less expensive than logic except when they had the free version available.

Final Cut is for video production as stated.
Great for that. Definitely pro level stuff.

You can get a nice Finale/ProTools/Hardware bundle at a decent academic price.

My students nearly always end up using both Pro Tools and Logic on their Mac books.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that Pro Tools has no inbuilt sounds. If you want to generate music and sounds inside the box, either need to use an external sound module, or Rewire a software synth such as Reason into it. Plug-in soft synths are available, and some of the starter packs include Xpand, which is one that I like.
Logic comes with a very useful set of soft synths and a sample player as standard.
So most students use Pro Tools for recording audio, and Logic for composition.
It is easy to use both on the same piece, once you learn the ropes.
Incidentally, I do know a very well known TV composer who does all of his pitches for jobs using Garageband.
He has been observed putting together a TV theme on the fly, while actually talking on the phone to a comissioning producer, and after ten minutes, saying,
"Something like this?" and playing a rough version that got him the job. Garageband is very good, but don't forget that it is basically a sample player- the results depend on the quality of the samples chosen (or recorded)- and both Pro Tools and Logic will play Garageband samples too.
Cheers
Dave

If I were a student on a budget with a Mac, I'd get Logic Express. I paid only $99 for the academic version. It's a very capable program, and doesn't give up much to the pro version. It can also play the very good virtual instruments from GarageBand, which are not accessible from any other third-party software like Pro Tools.

Also worth considering is MOTU's Digital Performer, which I prefer for audio work to just about anything else, and is also a MIDI powerhouse. Whether you like it better than Logic just depends on what you get used to and your preferred way of working. For myself, I find that I am most productive in a mixed MIDI / audio environment when using Logic.

So most students use Pro Tools for recording audio, and Logic for composition.

But it sounds to me like Logic can also do the recording functions, e.g. from live instruments, so what does Pro Tools offer that Logic doesn't? Anything?

Jim Cohen wrote:

So most students use Pro Tools for recording audio, and Logic for composition.

But it sounds to me like Logic can also do the recording functions, e.g. from live instruments, so what does Pro Tools offer that Logic doesn't? Anything?

Many people started on pro tools and it feels "easier" to them. Logic can do all the same recording functions as Pro Tools.

I'd start with Garage Band, it does play samples, but it also records very well and very simply, and it has pretty awesome midi capabilities as well and it ships with your new computer. If you find you need more, then go the logic express route....

the finale, protools idea is a good one too although I would choose the previoius.