Any opinions on Logic (Express)?

[Israfel]

I have this irrational but completely compelling desire to chuck Windows and move over to the Mac. Now, on the music side of things the software I'm looking at is Logic--probably the Express version given the cost. Would I likely be happy with this? Is it pretty decent software? Anybody have any experiences, or horror stories, about Logic that they can relate?

I mostly just need it to have good sequencing capabilities, but I'd be interested in hearing about anything that it does particularly well or poorly.

[The Vagrance]

I have heard multiple times that Logic is the best sequencer around and countless professional electronic producers use it, but I'm not sure about how stripped down the express version is. I think Cerrax uses it so try finding him and PM'ing him.

[analoq]

don't kid yourself, there's nothing irrational about wanting to chuck Windows.

however i did start with Logic4 on PC. i switched from Cubase5, once i got used to Logic's interface and workflow i could work faster with it; getting stuff done in Logic is pretty painless compared to most of the high-end sequencers.

Logic Express is what i use these days. Logic Pro has some nice features but for the (ouch) price i'd skip it and spend money on some 3rd party plugins instead. the only thing i really wish the Express version had was the ability to do side-chaining -- but that probably isn't a big deal to you.

the Quick Tour on the Logic Express page gives you a decent run-through. beyond that, if there's an Apple Store near where you live then drop by and get someone to demonstrate it for you, or just play with it yourself. also, the MacWorld expo is on Tuesday, so stay tuned for announcements if you plan on buying a Mac in the near future.

i'd be happy to go into more detail on this if you want more info.

[Patrick Burns]

all of my recent work has been done with Logic Express 7 out of the box plus a few free plugins.

pros:

synths are great

included samples are fine and plentiful

plugins are super

my two biggest gripes are a few minor bugs (none of which I don't have a workaround for) and the lack of sidechain input. that means no midi controlled gating - all of the gating done on my Revisiting the Ruins uses DestroyFX's random midi gate, which has enough controlls to satisfy my needs.

To be fair, though, about the bugs, I still have OS X 10.3.9 and I can't update logic anymore.

It is definitely the best $200 I've ever spent. I don't plan on updating to Logic Pro... ever, really. If I did, though, I get $200 dollars off the update!

[Cerrax]

You'kll probably find that I love Logic to the point of fanboyism, but it really is an amazing piece of software.

As others have said, it is considered the industry leader interms of an all-in-one music program. Patrick also pretty much hit the nail on the head with some of the ups and downs of Logic. The built-in synths are great. I find myself making entire songs with just the ES 1 (Emagic Synthesizer 1, which is just a basic analog synth).

Here's my rundown of it:

PROS

100% Compatible with GarageBand

Excellent audio processing power (I only have 512 MB of RAM and I rarely have a problem)

ReWire capability

EXSP 24 Sample Player (with literally hundreds of samples and presets)

Compatability with AudioUnits, VSTi, EXS, SoundFonts, DLS and more

On-the-fly tempo, time signature, and key signature editing

Score Mode allows you to transpose, view and print sheet music for any instrument

Tool memory remembers what velocity, length, and interval the last note you touched was for easy editing

CONS

Overwhelming interface can confuse newcomers

Drum kits are not the best (workable, but not terribly useful)

MIDI can be frustrating

Hyper Edit is not as easy as it sounds

As you can see there are lots of pros and few cons. I really enjoy it. After a year or so with GarageBand, Logic is a breath of fresh air, and a mighty fine program.

[Patrick Burns]

CONS

Overwhelming interface can confuse newcomers

Drum kits are not the best (workable, but not terribly useful)

MIDI can be frustrating

Hyper Edit is not as easy as it sounds

For any newbies reading this looking for software, I'd like to stress the point about the interface. The Express interface isn't any less complex than Pro. It was the first sequencer I really ever used, and it was a pain learning it all before I could make quality music. I forced me to learn stuff quickly, but it was no fun for a while there.

And yes, getting other MIDI devices set up is frustrating. It's really the nature of the MIDI beast, though. I felt like I could have taken on the world after I mapped out the instruments in my keyboard.

[zylance]

As an obligatory Cubase fanboy, I'd like to point out that it still indeed has full Windows AND Mac support.

Just pointing out the fact that logic isn't the only way to go. Regrettably, I have never used Logic, but I hear the capabilities between it and Cubase are nearly the same. It's an interface preference thing, I guess.