Logic or Digital Performer?

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Trick Fall
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Logic or Digital Performer?

Post by Trick Fall » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:18 am

I just got a new macbook and would like to use it to record some live multi channel rehearsals. I've had Pro Tools M Power for a long time, but haven't really been doing much recording lately and was unhappy with the upgrade path. I think it would cost me 400.00 to upgrade to PT 11. I can get Logic or DP for 199 as I used to use DP way back in the day. Anyway I'm wondering which would be better for tracking a live band. I'm more interested in the recording mixing side than software instruments.

Thanks

kuene
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Post by kuene » Sat Mar 22, 2014 7:53 am

I'd steer clear of both if those honestly. Logic is porky designed workflow, dark and fussy.

For like 50 bucks you can get Tracktion or Reaper which are great for live tracking IMO. Hell you can track with reaper for free as you evaluate it. I found it is great for live tracking, not so great for midi/vst instruments.

WillMorgan
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Post by WillMorgan » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:13 am

I used and liked Tracktion a version ago before it was resurrected but am now using Logic X and like it better than the old version of Tracktion.

I don't see how there is anything wrong with Logic's work flow, what I do:

I create a new project from a template I made from a previous session by doing a 'save as template' that routes my firewire inputs into the appropriate number of logic tracks and puts basic processing on those channels as appropriate. I arm the tracks, the feedback that sound is coming in is real time and visual unlike the old version of tracktion. I record a session.

For rough mixing a multiple song session you could use automation to tweak levels etc.. on your rehearsal but if I want to focus on one song I trim out all but the one song I want to mix and save that song as a separate project ( you have the option to copy the source files or not ) and trim and mix away. If I then want to pseudo master that song I export it as a stereo file, open my mastering template and import the file and use multi-pressor, eq, limiter etc.. all setup from an earlier session.

Especially if you are recording yourself the iPad App Logic Remote which can control transport, show you markers ( slightly buggy ), arm tracks, change levels etc.. from the touchscreen over wifi is no additional cost past Logic and the iPad and is very useful.
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drumsound
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Post by drumsound » Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:01 pm

I find Digital Performer to be terribly unintuitive and an all around pain in the balls. I'd avoid the piece of shit program at all costs.

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JWL
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Post by JWL » Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:26 pm

Check out Studio One. I've been loving it. Simple, fast, sounds great.

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Nick Sevilla
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Post by Nick Sevilla » Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:18 am

Roll with a 2" tape machine.

Or a Tascam MX2424.

Sepsy...
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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tjcasey1
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Post by tjcasey1 » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:05 am

drumsound wrote:I find Digital Performer to be terribly unintuitive and an all around pain in the balls. I'd avoid the piece of shit program at all costs.
And I've been using it for years and love it.

Hope these two posts help!

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analogika
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Post by analogika » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:34 am

FWIW, I like the Chunks feature of Digital Performer, but other than that, the interface drives me up the wall.

Logic has got better and better over the years, and the current version (10.0.6) is probably the nicest (read: least annoying) it's ever been.

kuene
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Post by kuene » Sun Mar 23, 2014 5:40 am

Trick fall, to your original question. I def go with logic over dp. But that said...

Just give tracktion 5 a spin. I've been using it and 4 before it. The original developers took it back from Mackie and rewrote it from the ground up. One of the most intuitive daws out there (if you aren't going for the analogue console emulation model). Everything good about version 2/3 but minus all the instability issues - plus they added some seriously great features like track comping and editable freeze points, etc.

You'd think I work for tracktion I recommend it so often. But I don't. It's just good, no nonsense concept.

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Post by chris harris » Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:58 am

In my opinion, it depends on which interface you intend to use. With DP and a MOTU interface, you get basically zero latency direct monitoring, without any separate "mixer" app or hoops to jump through. The DP/MOTU interface combo gets you closest to the fully-integrated workflow that is very similar to Pro Tools, for less money.

This is a difficult question to answer because everybody LOVES the software that they've settled on. And, everyone HATES the other software that they've used on the way to making a decision.

I started with Cubase in 1999. I used it exclusively for years. Then, I used Digital Performer exclusively for a few years. I've also used Reaper, Garageband, Logic, MixBus and Reason. I ended up with Pro Tools after they made the jump to PT9 and allowed 3rd party interfaces.

I initially purchased PT because explaining the process of consolidating and exporting audio to a home recordist became more frustrating and time consuming than just doing it myself. I tried PT on a couple of personal projects and just came to prefer the workflow. Most of the work that comes to my studio from another engineer is coming in on Pro Tools.

In a commercial studio setting, it definitely helps to know at least a little bit about the workflow of all of these DAWs. But, if that's not a concern for you, and you don't care about compatibility with clients or other studios, then just try as many of them as you can and get the one that you like best. They pretty much all do the same things.

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JWL
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Post by JWL » Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:59 am

chris harris wrote:This is a difficult question to answer because everybody LOVES the software that they've settled on. And, everyone HATES the other software that they've used on the way to making a decision.
+1. Truth here. Bottom line is that any modern DAW will allow you to produce quality recordings, so find the one that best matches your workflow.

I was a Sonar user for years, and switched to Studio One a year or two ago and love it. If I was looking to move away from S1 I would personally look at Reaper, or possibly going back to Sonar (since they have made it a lot more like Studio One with X3).

For what I do I would not consider Pro Tools as my primary DAW under any circumstances, because of the limitations about which plugins I can use with it. I might consider running it alongside my DAW of choice at some point in the future, if I need to do so to maintain compatibility.

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Jeff White
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Post by Jeff White » Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:07 am

I've been a long-time Digital Performer user (since 4.12 back in 2003, and in the 1990s at college when it was known as Performer). Though I have no plans of budging because I know DP quite well, I have considered a jump to Reaper or PT. But I really like where it has gone in the past few years (I'm still on DP 7). I *may* start a record of my own in Reaper this year, knowing that I can always move it to DP if I feel that it's getting in the way.

I have to say, if I was going to start over these days, for me I would go with Reaper or PT. I think that the main reason that I went with DP over PTLE back in 2003 was due to PTLE's limit on tracks (24 at the time, which seems insane these days) as well as lame hardware. DP was unlimited even back then, and I was running a Black Lion-modified 828mk2 in 2007 that was making my PTLE-using friends very jealous. Reaper just seems to be a very powerful alternative to PT (which, let's admit, is the industry standard), and it does what it should do. I love their business model/philosophy. And the price is right.

Jeff
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Trick Fall
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Post by Trick Fall » Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:07 am

Thanks for all of the thoughtful responses. It seems like I can download a trial version of DP so I may do that just to check it out. I will also look into Reaper and Tracktion. I"m also thinking of saying to hell with computers and getting a portastudio.

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Post by mrpicholas » Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:58 am

JWL wrote:Check out Studio One. I've been loving it. Simple, fast, sounds great.
BIG plus one for Studio One. Especially for live tracking and editing.

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alexdingley
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Logic

Post by alexdingley » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:23 pm

I'm a fan of Logic... and for anything where long, live, recordings are involved... I think that Logic rules. One major advantage is the ability to set your default recording file-Type to .CAF audio files. They're the same as .wav or .aif in concept, but there's one benefit for the live recordist: Whereas .wav & .aif files can easily be corrupted if something goes awry during a long recording... .caf files are bulletproof. Like, if the power goes out during a recording. If I'd been recording for 2 hours straight, and the power goes out... my .aif / .wav files are all shot... totally unusable. .caf files will be perfectly fine.

So... an oddly specific reason, but whenever I do location recordings or live jam-session recordings... i always use Logic with .CAF files. They're easily exportable to .wav / .aif if I ever need to transport my session elsewhere.

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