LP7 questions from new user

Question

Hello,
I am a composer, producer and engineer working in the Los Angeles area. I've been using Pro Tools and Digital Performer for a long time now, and I'm growing increasingly frustrated with them for MIDI and virtual instruments. I have been testing the Logic Express free trial for the past month, and I am very impressed, especially how efficient the CPU usage is compared to PT and DP. I can really accomplish a lot more, without having to freeze or bounce tracks all the time. As a result, I am seriously considering switching to Logic Pro for my composing / sequencing work.
During this free trial period, I have been browsing this forum, as well as reading the PDF's for Logic Express and Logic Pro and I have had most of my questions answered that way. However, I have been keeping a list of questions that remain unanswered.
I will be attending the "Power of 7" demo at RSPE here in L.A. on May 4th. I plan on covering these questions with the rep's there. I would also like some feedback from the users "in the trenches". Should I post my list of questions here? Would anyone mind filling in some of the gaps in the owner's manuals for me?
Thanks for your time!
PM Quad G5; PB 17" G4; iMac 15" G4; PM 500MHz G4   Mac OS X (10.4.5)   PTLE7; Digi002R; Mbox; DP4.61; MachFive; Komplete2; EWQLSO Gold; MemoryMoog+

Answer 1

Michael,
I was in a rush when I responded last. I didn't answer the other questions because I don't know their answers. I was eager to see what the experts say. On this topic, luckily, there are a bunch of very helpful, experienced and intelligent people (as in unicornation) who are here to help- like the guys (not me) who have been answering. I would imagine you'd want to know this, since it's helpful when starting. (the unicornation forum, while stodgier, well... there're a couple of strange posts here once in a while.) (what i think would be great is a forum for multiplatform folk -- like a dp-logic-pt forum.) Or, a translation book. Like mac os for windows folks. (the move is kind of the same thing -- different language, basically you do the same thing-- different vibe)
So, now hearing what the experts have to say:
1. General routing: so, compared to DP, this seems to be a weakness. It seems that folks' complains about logic's mixer may be in part due to this. While a little annoying, if comparing to DP, for what's important to me, I don't find this to be a deal breaker. Also, I'd imagine there's a relatively simple work around to achieve what you need. And you mentioned, you'd do more audio in PT.
I'd like to know more about this. I'll ask when I figure out what I need to ask.
Here are other things I have found to be cool, when compared with DP:
1. mute of an individual midi note. It's like the same concept when muting audio, but for a midi note. Never figured why it wasn't available in DP.
2. multiple tempo tracks ( i haven't used it yet, but seems useful)
3. oh, here's something that's revolutionized my workflow -
bounce direct to an aac & add to audio window & itunes & make a full res (24 bit) pcm bounce all with one step. So, in about a minute, with 2 steps (bounce & email) I can send what I am listening to the director/collaborator/friend - bam. This is terrific. DP has an aac option, I just never incorporated it.
4. i haven't used it yet, but you can bounce music to quicktime video (as in DP, which was wonderful -- ) supposedly, you can also do just the selected by locator section. that's useful.
5. i really enjoyed & got very fast at using DP's consolidation window. this is very cool. i thought this would be a problem with Logic. However, you can make a window stay in the foreground by selecting option, before you select it. Also there's a stack windows horizontally/vertically -- which can quickly organize it -- but not as fast as consolidation. However, with screensets, which are easy to configure, I figure this is again, is not going to be a problem. I'm using 2 screens now which is helpful in this regard.
6. it's good to have a very capable, efficient sampler well integrated (with regards to resource management, etc....) I've been getting good results with the exs, using my .gigs + . Also, kontakt 2 runs. A crash with this once in a while.
7. space designer -- I bought altiverb when i was setting up my new dp system. Figured I wouldn't need space designer. However, altiverb does not run well when I'm running buffer under 256. So, space designer fits this composing-pre mixing stage bill wonderfully.
8. I like seeing the midi notes in the region view. It's a nice combo of easy region handling + seeing what's inside.
9. the quantization & region parameter thing -- this is nice as well. I laid down a 2 measure 8th note pulse. Then, painted it across the screen -- this is nice (actually this is the loop function). Then instead, I pressed R-16, and there were bunch of copies of it. Then, in the right places, I quantized the pulse to 1/4 notes, 1/2 notes, whole notes, even triplets -- in such a simple step --
so, overall -- what i've read seems to be true -- it's a great creation tool
dp is elegant, and mixer is (may be) more conventional (PT)
but the learning curve is not that bad -- at times, it's annoying -- but i imagine it's like learning a new language as an adult -- or a new instrument.
10. so, i like having the region/track parameters. reminds me of my old cubase days.
11. I have my right click hardwired to mute. Then use option for whatever task i'm currently doing. today, i was working extremely fast selecting, muting, fading/cross fading -- overall view, deeper view -- moving from section to section -- by either simply dragging the cycle bar (which is wonderful) or,
clicking in new cycle start-stop points (as i used to do in DP) --
as in DP, I use the period in the number pad to enter a transport location (so this feels just like DP (just quicker) -- then i use the + & - in the number pad to change start & stop times of cycle mode,
then the / in the number pad to toggle cycle on & off.
Then, ctrl = to set cycle length to length of region;
oh, and ctrl-click is hardwired to zoom,
and ctrl double click on empty arrange goes back a zoom level
so, with these things i was editing extremely fast.
My recommendation, which is what I did -- before purchasing, if you are not in a rush, spend the money on the macprovideo.com logic tutorials. these are incredible. martin sitter's explanation style is great. also, go through his & dvorin's text tutorials. do this before you purchase -- if you feel you need more hands on.
but let me be honest, i was incredibly excited to see things done in logic, and then to do them myself, and to be up to speed super fast
and, as i said earlier, my intent is to master one -- 'cause it's too complicated (for me) to master several --
anyway --
i still believe pro tools is elegant,
as is DP
and i miss working in both.
i would like to work in all --
but, fancy PT does not make sense for me, & i'm not pro enough to require it's compatibility requirement --
before logic, i was looking for something that was dp, pt, & live -- but, 1st, the easiest to create on -- it's possible logic may be it
but, if my biggest reason to move to logic was due to a feeling of sluggishness in DP, that can be addressed by either farming out VI chores to external computers -- which, in the end, (for me) has to be done in logic as well (i'll explain shortly) or getting a newer computer more often --
so, in the end, i guess, it depends which simply feels best for what's most important
so, my original reason to move to logic was 'cause it could handle more in one box -- which seems to approximate the fancy PT approach of one session file/folder for everything -- quick recall -- this is incredibly helpful when time is limited, or you have to put something on the backburner, etc.... And, this is most important to me.
However, loading the large sample libraries in a Logic file becomes a real chore -- 'cause load up times are so long. now, i am being incredibly spoiled - of course. But, there's something convenient about having another computer(s) deal with sampling (& loading) so, you can switch between songs, & not get bogged down as quickly. Also, I have not tried to optimize my workflow yet. And, I was using at one point almost all of my 4.5 G of RAM, using pretty high quality libraries.
Oh, i forgot to mention, when i 1st got logic express, i kept slamming in altiverbs- i had a little DP project where i was using 7 of them, inefficiently + some MW eq & comps.
Well, I got to 20 altiverbs in Logic, same system -- before it began coughing & still navigating & saving were incredibly responsive.
Also, i enjoy "file save as" while playing -- DP couldn't do this.
And, at 1st, i found logic channel eq to be annoying to deal with, compared with DP MW eq -- but, i got the hang of it & enjoy it.
Oh yes, automation -- it's fast & easy. I read about problems with this. I haven't experienced them yet. It's very fast. There's not a bunch of tools to do what you need to do -- you just kind of do it (it's more than that), but meaning, what you want to do can be accomplished with what seems to be fewer clicks.
I miss the following in DP: the ability to type in a value - for automation for example.
Oh, coming from DP, check out the Event Float (options window, or opt e). I liked how DP displayed and manipulated this info; it's mostly (if not all) available in logic -- i've got to figure this out.
So, I'm not as experienced and aware of what Logic can do as the experts here who have been very helpful to me, but I hope this is somewhat helpful.
I tried because I was in a similar situation as yours; except, I did not have as much time invested in DP as you have. This complicates your decision more, I believe.
Oh, and basically everything that's in the logic pro book tutorial (dvorin) is not in express -- so, it's ok to judge the basics of logic with express -- but, it's not enough to really judge it.
i guess, it is a $1000 question.
so, i know i'm wordy -- & not very informative, & i am unable to answer the 10 questions -- but, i was trying to address it from a recent dp -> logic perspective.
a yoga teacher asked me if i read thriller novels; my wife laughed & uncomfortably said, "uh, he doesn't read books. he reads manuals, textbooks, and gear mags." well, i'm currently happily not subscribed to any gear **** mags -- they're great -- just figured, now i got to get into what i have -- & not look around anymore. but of course, i've been seeing what the reaction to dp5 is. seems that's is possible that they've done something that's got the snappy thing done -- oy vey. (& the audio window enhancement, with live elastic audio - like functions, & folders, & a basic sampler, and possibly audio instrument like channels, and i wonder how they're freeze is doing.) Maybe I am insane. Not much more than others here. Which is why I stop by. Kind of 12-stepish.
danny