Protools will support any VST applications. Logic is a good program if you want to completely mix down your recordings differently to how they sounded when they were recorded.

Most recording studios will use Protools over Logic.

swanmusic wrote: What is good on Powerbook 1.67GHz with 1.5/2 GB RAM? I want to use a lot of VST plug-ins like EWQL Silver/Platinum. (Oh! does protools have VST support at all?)

Also, do they use Logic in professional/commercial studios?

swanmusic,
I've seen a demo of protools at sweetwater and this software is way nice. I would say protools.

Warmest Regards,

neither protools nor logic can use vst....

protools uses rtas..... logic uses audio units...

fxpansion sells software that can be used to (sometimes) convert vst plugs to rtas etc.

as said protools is used in the majority of prostudios....

logic has some nice features for composition and midi work

protools is leading in audio recording/editing/mixing...

thats true, you need a crack to run VST on Protools, which i found a crack for a while back.

don't use the c word in here .... the moderators don't like it... :)

Ok protools but which version and where do I get it from? I don't want a limitation from the software side of how many tracks I can record/playback.

Everybody on this forum is great! Thanks for all your help ya'll !

protools has become the standard for studios but that doesn't mean that you can not get results with other software. I use Digital performer and it is a great daw. however if you are just starting out protools is like the defacto standard and its great to learn...

swanmusic wrote: Ok protools but which version and where do I get it from? I don't want a limitation from the software side of how many tracks I can record/playback.

Everybody on this forum is great! Thanks for all your help ya'll !

then don't use protools le.... as it is limited to 32 tracks....

Pro Tools is kinda standard in pro recording enviroments, that doesn't mean it's the "best" it's certainly a very good and powerfull prog for recording / editing, and usefull to know if you are going to work in different studio facilities...

but if you are into midi and creation / songwriting within your DAW then i would go Logic (the probably best when it comes to midi, IMHO the Don apps for THAT!) or DP they are somehow more versatile and the most common apps after PT in Studios, saying that in Europe Logic is very wide spread in Studios!!!

and PT as good as it is, sucks for midi! (getting slowly better, thou...)

so it depends on your needs and what you want, they have all pro and cons as you see...

As far as the 32 track limit is concerned do you guys really think his powerbook would really be able to do much more than 32 tracks anyway? I wouldn't think so.

Powerbook can do only 32 tracks? Is there anybody who has done more tracks on a powerbook?

jonnyc wrote: As far as the 32 track limit is concerned do you guys really think his powerbook would really be able to do much more than 32 tracks anyway? I wouldn't think so.

with an external 7200 hd yes!!!

easy more, i have seen 450mhz G4s running more... (the max i have seen with own eyes was 52!) with 7200rpm audio drive, easy... plus a real decent amount of plugs.

a.

I was thinking of getting an internal harddrive of 7200rpm. (With new model you can customize it). Is that a good idea? Or should I just get an external harddrive and leave the one Internal one of 5400 rpm as it is? But what can I use it for (Internal harddrive), just program installs?

The 32track limit is a limitation of the PTLE software, not to be confused with the industry standard PT|HD sytems.

Check out the differences in price and features at the Digidesign site.

I'm using Logic Express, and DP4.1 on a 1GHz Powerbook. I have no problems doing sessions of 32-48 tracks. It can do more tracks I just haven't had a song that uses more than 48 tracks yet.

Logic is more of a composition tool it's designed for writing songs.

Pro Tools is more of a recording tool, engineers love it because it's more like operating a tape deck.

They both have overlapping features, but in my opinion Logic is a more complete package.

8)

i use both logic and protools. Logic comes with some really good plug-ins and rules in midi, i like to record rap and r&b in logic. protools is easy to use and good for editing audio, but (protools le) comes with limited features and you have to use digi's hardware, where as in logic you can use pretty much what you want. logic definetly has better included plug-ins, it also has the abitlity to use nodes to process more plug-ins where you would have to upgrade to a protools TDM system to have the ability to do something similar to that. I started with protools, then i moved to logic because i wanted more.... but the choice is up to you.

swanmusic wrote:

I was thinking of getting an internal harddrive of 7200rpm. (With new model you can customize it). Is that a good idea? Or should I just get an external harddrive and leave the one Internal one of 5400 rpm as it is? But what can I use it for (Internal harddrive), just program installs?

in any case a seperate 7200rpm drive for audio data only is a good choice (in case of a powerbook as Firewire!!), and highly recommended. if you can afford it buy the internal as an 7200rpm as well...

also if you just starting out i can highly recommend logic express, it's very good for the compared little money you pay and will give you about everything you need for recording / songwriting.
i actually do not understand the price / value difference between express and the full pro version, i think express is that good...
or in other words the pro verssion really gives you super advanced posibilities... (you might not need for years!) express is just fine.

a.

some input to the logic express vs. pro discussion...i own logic pro and i know that logic express is crippled in many ways, starting with short cuts. not all of them are available in express and once you worked with pro and adjusted the key commands to your needs its really painful to go back to express and find out you can't maintain your workflow.

i can tell you why there's such a big difference in price between express and pro. what express does not have is: space designer (great convolution reverb, first time a software reverb came close to hardware boxes, this is the absolute minimum you need to be able to really mix within logic), es2 (great analog style synth), the clavinet plugin, the b3 plugin, sculpture (physical modeling synth), ultrabeat (i don't use that too often, but some people like it), a cool ring modulator, guitar amp pro (amp simulation, well, not that great, but usable), a nice fm synthesizer and many more plugins are missing in express. it totally makes sense to get pro, whether you're a musician (but especially then!) or an engineer.

as for protools vs logic: i do work in logic but for audio editing i really like the protools interface much better. i can edit much faster with protools. which doesn't mean i won't get the job done with logic of course. but the protools interface is more intuitive when we're talking about cutting audio.

If I decide to get Logic pro and if I'm working on editing audio (within the box) and midi, would the sound card that comes built-in with Powerbook work? What is the latency like?

johnthemiracle wrote:

some input to the logic express vs. pro discussion...i own logic pro and i know that logic express is crippled in many ways, starting with short cuts. not all of them are available in express and once you worked with pro and adjusted the key commands to your needs its really painful to go back to express and find out you can't maintain your workflow.

i can tell you why there's such a big difference in price between express and pro. what express does not have is: space designer (great convolution reverb, first time a software reverb came close to hardware boxes, this is the absolute minimum you need to be able to really mix within logic), es2 (great analog style synth), the clavinet plugin, the b3 plugin, sculpture (physical modeling synth), ultrabeat (i don't use that too often, but some people like it), a cool ring modulator, guitar amp pro (amp simulation, well, not that great, but usable), a nice fm synthesizer and many more plugins are missing in express. it totally makes sense to get pro, whether you're a musician (but especially then!) or an engineer.

john i am fully aware of it, i am working on logic pro myself, but i have used express a few times and was rather impressed with it, comparing to the money you pay, however, no question that pro rocks, but if you start of, it might be better to spend the extra cash say on a better interface, i think you can get better recordings with express and a damn good interface like a RME fireface 800 for example... that's all, but of course if the cash is there, then PRO VERSION :-))

a.

well i guess you're right, express is surely a great program for the money. it's just...when i look at what pro has to offer, of course it's more money, but i think space designer alone is totally worth it. with express you don't have a usable reverb , unless you own some hardware, then i would agree it might be a good idea to get a fireface or something...and if you're creating music in the box...i mean all those instruments, it's amazing what pro has to offer!!! anyway, that's one of the reasons why i can't switch to protools yet: the instruments in logic. it's so convenient and easy to use...i love it. and btw: i also like my fireface a lot, i think it's the best interface on the planet at the moment...killer device!

johnthemiracle wrote

...and if you're creating music in the box...i mean all those instruments, it's amazing what pro has to offer!!! anyway, that's one of the reasons why i can't switch to protools yet: the instruments in logic. it's so convenient and easy to use...i love it. and btw: i also like my fireface a lot, i think it's the best interface on the planet at the moment...killer device!

i second that.

if the money is there, buy pro and a decent interface, otherwise go express first and buy a decent interface and upgrade to pro later...

a.

IF YOU CAN AFFORd IT GET NUENDO

steinberg's code isn't exactly cpu friendly on mac.....

so if you if you don't care if you lose 15% of your cpu.... go ahead....

seniorFedup wrote:

IF YOU CAN AFFORd IT GET NUENDO

please don't missunderstand this as a personal insult, but do you have ears?? or did you ever compared any of the steinberg stuff in an A-B TEST on the same system... to any apps like DP, LOGIC, PT or talking PC, SEQUIA?????????? i did and it was embarrassing for SB.

however, not to get in a damn endless discussion about steinberg, but certainly it ain't any good on a mac at all, the pure performance apart from my PERSONEL "how the engine(s) sound opinion" is very, VERY poor on a mac...

After being a longtime VST5, and sx user, i have to agree that they do sound different.

But to my ears the sound engines of DP, and Logic seem to reproduce more precisely what I hear from my monitors.

The Steinberg products to my ear attempted to add an analog like element to the bounced file. What I didn't like was that I didn't have control over it.( A/B a bounced file to your actual realtime mix)

So I would rather have the accuracy than the color. It's a real subtle difference that the average person and most musicians cannot detect.

Either way they both are acceptable, and it's more about the music, not the engines.

8)

if your on pc use nuendo. if your on a mac go dp.