I don't know about Logic, Josh. I do know that Sonar allows different audio I/O's simultaneously, but you have to get into the audio-options menu and select/check the I/O's that are recognized by the computer, at which point they become available as input choices on the track level.

Have you tried it yet?

If Logic won't let you take a MIDI stream via USB while sampling audio via FireWire, you could try aggregating the two devices in the OS and see if that solves the problem. There's a guy on the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://duc.avid.com…"]Avid DUC[/]="http://duc.avid.com…"]Avid DUC[/] board who does exactly this with PT, so I would be surprised if it didn't work with Logic.

Seems that Logic actually figures it out and just allows the USB connection from the kit to control my Superior Drummer track, and my Firewire interface does the rest.

Thanks guys!

JoshHPMusic, post: 415663, member: 46107 wrote: Seems that Logic actually figures it out and just allows the USB connection from the kit to control my Superior Drummer track, and my Firewire interface does the rest.

Thanks guys!

I find Logic incredibly user responsive. But I'm curious as it is the only music software I have used. Pro Tools is the industry standard I know. I'm interested to hear what other music software people are using, what they think of it and why?

Usually, when you plug a midi device via USB, it adds the interface and you may need to activate it in the DAW I use 2 all the time
The other way around is to use the Midi Out of the DM8 and plug it to the Midi input of the saffire.
Set the midi output channel in the DM8 and midi input in your DAW...

Brian Cleary, post: 429653, member: 49100 wrote: I find Logic incredibly user responsive. But I'm curious as it is the only music software I have used. Pro Tools is the industry standard I know. I'm interested to hear what other music software people are using, what they think of it and why?

There are certainly far more choices now than there used to be. Studio One, Reason, Reaper, FL, Pyramix, Sonar... almost seems as if there's a new platform coming out every year.

PT may be the industry standard, but that's only through marketing - and because they pretty much got there first. It has remained as such over the years, because most guys who use it as their platform have so much invested into their Avid based rigs over such a long period of time, ( some probably go as far back as when it was Digidesign) that it probably wouldn't be financially feasible for many of them to switch to another platform.

I have three friends who are Mac based, and all three have told me that they prefer Logic to Avid. I can count the number of times on one hand that I've worked in Logic, so I can't comment. I'll just have to take their word for it.

Personally, I use Samplitude Pro X Suite. I still work in PT and Sonar occasionally...sometimes in Reaper or Reason - but only when clients bring in their tracks and prefer to stay in one of those formats mentioned that their project is sourced in.

As far as my own stuff, or, for clients who are starting on a project with me from square one, I stick with Samplitude exclusively.

The audio is honest, Object Based Editing is an extremely powerful, well-designed and well-developed feature, midi integration (both external and internal VSTi) is seamless, and along with having some of the best stock processors I've ever used, it also supports every third-party plug/processor I've ever thrown at it, both 32 and 64 bit, and it does so automatically without me having to do any bridging or adaptation myself.

I can honestly say, in terms of digital production, that it upped my game considerably. I have absolutely no reason to look back at any of those other DAW Platforms that I used for so long. (Far too long).

IMHO of course. :)

d.

WOW! lol, thank you Donny, I appreciate that reply and will check out them out. That is quite an arsenal, I need to get my finger on the pulse I think. By the way I deleted my initial post just before I read your response as I thought it wasn't relevant to the original post, but thanks again for the info. And also for your interesting opinion on Pro Tools, they do go back a long way for sure.

It shouldn't matter Josh, USB and fireware, it's just another input source. It really comes down to the speed of the system at that stage.
I have USB midi coming in and a PCI interface for my audio hardware in/outs.

Regarding Logic vers PT:
I can't speak for the others, but I was just on the phone with my recording friend from back home who also said along the same line as what Donny's friend said.
My friends been an engineer fro 40+ years, has worked at CRC studios Chicago, Sony Nashville, and use to do the music for the Bozo show. He's from the time board cut-outs were used for automation..lol. From his perspective, Pro tools in the last 5 years has just started coming out with things that had been in Logic for more than 10 years. Logic had environments long before Pro tools and the bouncing of files off line was in logic long before. Also, the stereo tracks was something that PT never had till recently. It's amazing that PT made it so big being in dark ages as long as they have. Digi was able to sell everyone into getting trained on TP and the fact that their hardware was top of the line, (and linked to their software) made it a choice for high end studios. Seems most people today who've used both prefer logic. It's personal preference really, but the midi capability's of Logic's environments is what made Logic so great years ago. PT had nothing like that till recent years.

Logic Reminds me of Photoshop. Even with all the new versions today, you could go back to Photoshop 5.0 which is over 15 years old now, and it would still be a powerful editing tool even today. Logic is no different, just better now. Apple is a smart company, they knew exactly what they were getting when they bought it.

thanks for that post, very happy to read the support for Logic. Interesting information also, I appreciate you taking the time. Great read.

waveform, post: 430252, member: 49116 wrote: It really comes down to the speed of the system at that stage.

Yes, the speed of the system AND how the driver was written. I switched form a focusrite to an RME interface, both in FireWire and there is a world of difference.
The RME offers me a more stable system and less latencies.

What RME do you have pcrecord? How do you like the conversion with that RME? Do you find the AD conversion very natural to the source?
I've heard many people use other DA units for their monitors. What's your opinion on the sound going back to your monitors?

RME is well known for quality, in both their pre's and their converters. I've used them several times, and was always very impressed by their performance; one of the main things I've been impressed by is the pristine transparency they have, which is a testament to both their preamps and their converters. Grace is another contender in that range; and of course, Millennia, although they are pricier, channel for channel. I haven't listed them all, of course, but there is a lot of gear that has been developed in the last few years that makes the "pro sound" available - and within the reach of - those of us who strive for the best quality they can afford.

Upper level pre's and converters like these are popular choices for studios - of all levels, at least for those who are serious about what they do - there will always be the hobbyists who are happy with Behringer caliber gear, and there are many of those types of home "studios"... but the number of serious home studios are growing pretty fast. There are now many "home studios" who come pretty close to being just as well-equipped as some of the "big" rooms are, just on a smaller scale.

For example, when Chris ( audiokid) had his analog rig, he had some gear in his racks that even a few "pro" rooms didn't have. He still uses top of the line pre's and converters that would rival - and in some cases be better - than what some of the pro facilities are using. Marco (pcrecord ) is using OB UA and Focusrite gear, models that you could absolutely come across in places like Ocean Way, or Criteria, or many of the other big name rooms. Same thing with Kyle ( kmetal ), he works with pro caliber gear every day. None of these guys' studios are as well-known as the big rooms we always hear about, but that doesn't mean that they don't also release hi quality, pro sounding mixes, that often rival the quality that is coming out of those well-known rooms.

Another example... there are more than just a few of us here on RO, myself included, who have mic collections that can be found - globally - in any pro level facility - Neumanns, AKG's, ADK's, Cathedral Pipes, etc.
There are exceptions of course... Not everyone can afford a U47, but if you have the money, and you really want one... you can.

In today's DAW world, with technology moving at such a blazingly-fast speed, if you have quality preamps, converters, and mics - and have the skill and the knowledge - you can indeed sound "pro", and it doesn't cost nearly as much to get that sound now than it did a decade ago.

I've actually heard some stuff coming out of smaller, $40-$50 per hour pro rooms - and even from some home studios, too ( very well-equipped home studios) that I think sounds just as good as what I hear on commercial radio these days - and in some cases, the smaller studios are turning stuff out that I think sometimes sounds even better. ;)

IMHO of course.

d.

Thank you Donny.
I've heard great things about RME, I've just never had the chance to test one. But they're not cheap either, and at that price range some people say it's wise to spend a few more hundred to get Apogee, then there's Lunux Aurora. It's all pricy at that level. But I agree, there are so many affordable options for good quality. I think Oktava makes some good mics regarding that subject, though I would love to have a pair of SM81s for micing my acoustic. Speaking of audiokid, I was just asking him in a PM about his UA LA2A. I've head so many great things about them, apparently he loves them.
Like you said, Pre amps, good Mics, converters, and some good knowledge of proper EQing, minimizing phase cancellation by isolating instruments to their own frequency spectrum at specific moments in the recording all makes the sound.

My converters suck. I have the Delta 66, which is dinosaur technology now. But I have to tell you that when I bought my [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.pyramid-…"]John Hardy M1[/]="http://www.pyramid-…"]John Hardy M1[/], even with these low quality converters, and the Blue mic, the sound was like night and day. I need to explore some converters. Some of the Motu stuff seems very impressive, and natural for the price. I just don't want USB interfaces. Latency is a huge negative when it comes to keeping the feeling natural. My friend has a new Power mac and uses the Apogree X16 with some kind of PCI express card I believe and he has his buffer down to 16. If you're busing reverbs and other external effects (letting the processors in these units do most of the work) you can achieve really low latency. Another thing he does is: He took a Roland mixer/ recorder, I forget the model. He ripped all the pre amps out and put very high quality pres in himself. He sometimes records with that when he has large bands because there's like (0) latency and he's able to let people monitor themselves with effects. Then he dumps the audio into Logic and goes from there.

I know I am late to the party, been tied up with settling into the new house still. Logic Pro X is certainly a very capable DAW and produces very good results whether doing midi or audio. I personally run it and have an RME HDSPe card running then on MADI to an Orion 32. You can't beat the clocks in RME. I am not a fan of USB in for audio either. The amazing thing is, we are at a point where it's truly possible to get by with far less external gear now.

Tony

waveform, post: 430329, member: 49116 wrote: My converters suck. I have the Delta 66

I had 4 of them if you could imagine... I replaced them with a focusrite interface and now with the RME fireface 800 that I bought used recently.
I didn't have time to put the converters to the test yet. I use the converters of the UA 4-710 so I intend to use Both converters to compare them with null tests and other forensic Tools...

Thing is those Delta cards were good in 2000 but are obsolete now compared to the Advanced in quality in prosumer gear.
A presonus audiobox will sound a lot better now a day.

You are in for a real treat when you'll be able to hear the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.pyramid-…"]John Hardy M1[/]="http://www.pyramid-…"]John Hardy M1[/] through better converters.. ;)

Makzimia, post: 430330, member: 48344 wrote: The amazing thing is, we are at a point where it's truly possible to get by with far less external gear now.

It's very true about comp, EQ, effects, etc.. The one place that is still very important to have good hardware is the preamps ! ;)
That's where I've been investion for the past 3 years...

Makzimia, post: 430330, member: 48344 wrote: The amazing thing is, we are at a point where it's truly possible to get by with far less external gear now.

Agreed. Unless you're after "character", of which there are plenty of different ways to go (transformers, tubes, etc) most of what comes stock with DAWs that are considered to be of a "professional level" really are of very nice sonic quality.I love the 116 EQ in Samplitude, and while I do have character options through the use of various plugs - along an external ADK transformer based mic pre ( that I can swap out both the input and output transformers in to get different textures), but when it comes to straight-ahead, accurate, transparent EQ, the 116 is tough to beat (although I've recently tried the Eiosis Air-EQ, and I like it a lot too). The only thing I feel that I'm missing is one top-notch uber-transparent mic pre... and I've looked at both the RME and Grace Designs models. I haven't pulled the trigger on that missing link yet, but it won't be all that far into the future.

Chris (audiokid) would likely be the first to tell you that you can get by on a lot less OB gear these days. There will always be guys that prefer the LF consoles, the OB racks filled with classic pieces, but last time I heard, he had sold off a fairly large portion of his OB rack, with models like LA2's, 1176's, etc., because he can get the same results - sometimes even better results - working almost completely ITB. He'd have to chime in here to confirm it, but he has said that he is able to achieve the same tonal/sonic results by using various ITB processors. I think that there are exceptions, of course ...those "character" pre's I mentioned above for one, and, if you want the quality of room simulation that a Bricasti provides, then you just have to bite the bullet and buy a Bricasti. ;)

But, there are so many great tools at our disposal today, and for a fraction of the price of what they used to cost. I've worked on real Neve and SSL desks, and from what I can hear, there really isn't all that much difference sonically between the real thing and the various VST emulations. These developers at companies like UAD, Waves, IK Multimedia ( T-Racks) and Steinberg are getting to be so good at modeling, that they've actually been able to come amazingly close in simulating the sonic character of these "classic" channel strips - Gain, EQ, GR... and for a whole lot less than what a real 1073 will cost you. I'm not knocking these real pieces ... I know I'll probably take some heat from our analog purists, and I can understand the attraction - I learned this craft recording and mixing on several of those desks, and there is a certain "something" about the way they sonically react and respond... but, VST's are getting damned close to the real thing these days in terms of the character they provide.

As Marco mentioned, it really all comes down to the mics, the pre's and the converters. If you have these pro caliber components, you can absolutely get a pro sound, if you know what you're doing with them.

Modern technology is incredible, and growing at a rate that is just as impressive. The things we can do now - and sometimes even take for granted - were only dreams... and not all that long ago, either. ;)

d.

If I would be in touch with UA or other plugins maker, there's one thing I'd like to say.
Please stop recreating the past !!! We all know that a real 1176 and LA2A sounds great and many emultions already exists.
Why not creating new plug-insthat sounds great regardless of if something similar exists.
Why not crafting the sounds of tommorow ??? (hardware or software)

Same for mics.. Endless copies of the U87 with different accuracy isn't helping producing new or better sounds!

We've come up from the birth of digital recording with the emptyness of not knowing where to go from there. And instead of going foward we've backtracked to the analog area.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good thing that we realised we were facing a wall with digital and recordings has never sounded so good since then.
But in the last 5 years. I feel many turned to the past with no indication to innovate and that is sad.

When is the last time a musical instrument was created from scratch ? ( a part form sci-fi movies)

Sorry for my off topic blurps ;)