Cubase User, thinking of Switching to Logic 8

Question

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let everyone know that first off, I have been an avid user of Cubase SX3 for quite some time now, and it is all I have ever known (aside from Reason).
I bought a mac a few years ago and realized that it didn't run as smoothly as I wanted it to with Cubase. I tried taking the jump into Logic 7 last year and test ran it for a few months before i realized it was probably not something I could get used to. It seemed like the transition was too rough and learning curve was steep. Overall, it just seemed counter-intuitive. I wasnt quite sure if it was really because it was much steeper, or i was not comfortable leaving the comfort zone.
Anyhow, to make a long story short. I am interested in giving 8.0 a shot to see if there is a big difference. For the past few years, i have been using Cubase's step designer plugin to randomize midi notes. This is when i have writers block and need some inspiration.
I found that in 7.0, i simply couldnt do this effectively. Is it true that you still have to "build environments"? I found that to be so confusing when i first started. I thought it would be just turning on a midi track and inserting a VST plugin and away I go.
Anyhow, to make a long story short, i assume that logic will run smoother on my mac than my cubase sx3 would. Also i have an unused Mackie C4 that i cannot use with cubase due to incompatibility issues.
Overall, to make a long story short, does anyone know if there is really a huge difference between 8.0 and 7.0? does it have a midi step sequencer that can randomize notes for me? Do i still need to build environments? Is it generally more user friendly than previous versions?
Thank you!!

Answer 1

I can say that in comparing to Cubase 4 Logic 8 is a lot easier to use and more intuitive. I had bought Cubase 4 and returned it after 30 days because to me it was just too convoluted to get around in it. My other issues with Cubase 4 had to do with the fact that the plugins available simply didn't work with it, and Steinberg was still holding onto the VST 3.0 spec and therefore vendors could not take advantage of the new features, and everyone needed to update the plugs to 2.4 spec. Don't know how true that is anymore, I've long since stopped looking.
With Logic 8 I gained the fact that I get a one window environment. Before, you had to have multiple windows going at the same time, and to me that was too much clutter while I worked. I got 2 screens because of it, and it was still too distracting. With the single window to do everything I need I can work a lot quicker and hence it is a lot better for me to use it than Logic 7. Now I'm looking to sell both my 23" screens and replace them with one 30" screen.
Naming convention changes in logic also helped me. Funny how a little thing like that can help. The fact that I don't have to go to the arrange window, or the audio window to create new audio objects helps a lot. Another HUGE thing for me, and again it's a time and efficiency thing, is that with ever channel strip you see on the left, you will have 2 faders. One for the channel itself and one for the bus or aux it uses. If there are multiple buses simply click the bus above the fader, and the second fader will change to reflect that setting. Very quick, very visual and intuitive, very Apple. Logic 7 was not very 'apple' like when it came to usability and user interface IMHO.
From a feature standpoint, comping is amazing, I love it. Midi-wise the piano roll is more readable, but I don't do midi only work, so randomization and all those things are not features I can answer on. I just use the midi to lay down basic keys tracks and drums.
Last but not least, most, if not all, available plugins work in Logic 8 (I think there are very few exceptions due to deep changes in how multi-channel plugs are handled in logic, so BFD for example is busted right now), which means no real surprises if you want to use an AU version of a plugin you might already have as VST. Most plugs I think come with both, so there shouldn't be any re-buying for you.
Like Rohan suggested, if you know someone who has a copy of 8, you might be able to install it for a day or so and just try it. Of course I don't know that apple would be happy with us suggesting such a thing, but the ULA does allow for 2 installs of logic 8 as long as they're not running simultaneously (one on desktop and one on laptop), so technically you're not breaking the rules.
You might also want to consider Logic Express. Take a look at the feature sets of both and see if it doesn't cover the things you need. I discovered the express has almost all the features of 8 but less bundled apps. It used to be that express was pretty limited in aux and buses but not anymore, and it includes some of the sample synths. If its price was not the same as my Logic 8 update, I would have likely considered it.
R