software advice needed

[tony moore]

i've been having a go at logic for the last 6 months or so and am afraid i just don't have the time to devote to really learning it. i left my old trusty adat/analog rig so i could make music on my laptop while traveling for work and such. i've been using an mbox as the interface with logic on my mac pb 12" g4 and have no problems at all technically. i dig pro tools le as it seems to be more "old analog fart" friendly, but i HATE that i have to lug my mbox around just to use it. stupid, stupid, stupid...

sooooo, anyone wanna recommend another mac audio software that i can use unplugged? oh, and something that's just simpler to use than logic? i essentially just use my daw like a tape deck...

thanks!

tony

[nlmd311]

Hi Tony,
Have you tried the free download of Tracktion? http://tapeop.com/tracktion.php
Extremely user friendly and overall smooth. If you haven't read all the reviews and talk on here already try searching Tracktion and see what everyone has been saying about it. Sounds like it might be what you are looking for. ?

-Darrill

[drliebs]

Man I don't know if Cool Edit Pro runs on Mac, but as far as simple "like a console" this app fits the bill. I think there are those basics that you learn on an app that apply to other apps, and it becomes a matter of finding the button or menu to do what you are looking for.

Cool Edit Pro is basically two windows, the multi track view and the waveform edit view. Other apps that I know (and love) can become confusing with all of the seperate windows that open for various functions. That is one of the features that Tracktion is touting. I installed it on my Mac, looked at it but haven't done much with it to give an honest oppinion. I really believe once you learn one, it becomes much easier to learn the others.

I like Cubase SX overall as I don't own any Digi hardware.

[misterock]

How about one of these...

http://korg.com/gear/info.asp?A_PROD_NO=PXR4

[drliebs]

My personal oppinion on these devices is that they are great to take on the road and laying down ideas or recording simple stuff that you don't really intend to do a lot of post production on. They are limited usually in the fact that the tracks stay in the box, the A-D D-A converters are going to be a notch down from dedicated hardware, and the effects, editing and automation that the device comes with is pretty much all you get. Some may have inserts, but most don't.

That is because they are scratch pads, or entry level gear. They do what they do great and I wrote a lot of stuff on my old vestax 4 track cassette. Great for capturing ideas without having to mess around with computer based recording, setting up tracks, inputs, outputs, destination directory, vst instruments and all the stuff that can kill your vibe before you got it out of you. You just plug into this baby, press record and go. There is definitely merit to that.

[syrupcore]

I'd second tracktion. It's pretty swell.