Logic 7 or Ableton Live 4 (and/or Reason)?

FlameBoy

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Hi - after many years of (mostly bedroom) DJing, I'd like to make a start on writing my own (psytrance and fucked-up funky psy house) music using my computer. On the hardware side of things I have an aluminium Apple Powerbook, an M-Audio Transit USB soundcard and an Edirol PCR-30 MIDI/USB keyboard controller. I'm a complete novice at computer music production (apart from some very basic dabbles with Fruityloops on my old PC) and I can barely play the keyboard, but I'm pepared to invest a considerable amount of time in learning how to use some software (and in learning a how to play the keyboard a bit better), and I have some ideas about what music I would like to write in my head.

The thing is, I don't want to waste time learning the "wrong" software and am not sure which software would be best for me to commit to learn. The main options I'm looking at are Logic Express or Pro 7 (I can get the former for under £100 and the later for not much more than £200, as I work for a Univeristy), or going the Ableton Live 4 plus VSTs and/or Reason 2.5 route.

I'm very tempted by Live 4, as I really enjoyed playing around with a demo of it, though I would also need to acquire some VST instruments and/or Rewire Reason into it - I don't just want to do stuff with loops.

Reason I'm not so sure about, the rack looks tiny on my Powerbook, though it has good documentation (good for learning about stuff) and has everything in one package. The sequencer looked crap, though, so if I was to use Reason, it may be with another sequencer, like Live 4 (or Live 3, which I already have a dodgy copy of...)

Logic seems to have everything (synths, sampler, effects), but I've heard its very complex to learn and there is no demo (although I do have a friend who uses Logic 5.5 on a PC who might be able to help me to get started).

What do people think I should learn, given that the difference in cost is not so much of an issue (if anything Logic would be the cheapest route!)?

thanks

FlameBoy
 
If you're using a Mac, go with Logic.

Sure it's not so much a learning curve as a learning escarpment at first, but once the basics are down, it's very easy to suss the rest.

There's more than enough people on here that can help you if you get stuck, too. :)

J.
 
JPsychodelicacy said:
If you're using a Mac, go with Logic.

Sure it's not so much a learning curve as a learning escarpment at first,

:excessiv:

JPsychodelicacy said:
but once the basics are down, it's very easy to suss the rest.

There's more than enough people on here that can help you if you get stuck, too. :)

Okay, may well give Logic a go... Now do I just go for Logic Express at £98.70 or Logic Pro at £278.48? Are the extra goodies in Logic Pro worth it? I'm not sure with the educational discount thingy whether I would be able to upgrade from Express to Pro later.

FlameBoy
 
Yup - I'd *definitely* say that Pro was worth it, especially at this early stage when you'll be wanting to play with as many new 'toys' (plugins) as you can, before deciding on a set you'll like.

And at that price, as tweaks says, you'd be mad not to. :)

J.
 
JPsychodelicacy said:
Yup - I'd *definitely* say that Pro was worth it, especially at this early stage when you'll be wanting to play with as many new 'toys' (plugins) as you can, before deciding on a set you'll like.

And at that price, as tweaks says, you'd be mad not to. :)

Right, better check to see how bad the state of my finances is...

FlameBoy
 
FlameBoy said:
Right, better check to see how bad the state of my finances is...

I'd like to state for the record that mine are utterly f***ing dire at the moment.

On the other hand, my room is now full of enough cables, boxes, microphones, amplifiers and esoteric junk that I could probably re-make My Bloody Valentine's Loveless in there.

Hence I'm a happy camper... still not sure about Ott's patented Lentil Diet(tm) tho ;)

J.
 
I'm sure the Lentil Diet is a winner. I for one have lived for fairly long stretches before on solely Ramen noodles and water.

You can buy a 36 pack for about 5 dollars at a Sams club here. That's 2.80 pounds. 3 meals a day means you can live for a nearly half a month with 2.8 pounds. Never quite lasted that long though
 
Ramen's kinda a Stateside phenomenon as far as I know - when I achieve my ambition of living over there for a couple of years, no doubt I'll see what it's all about up close and personal, like. :D

J.
 
JPsychodelicacy said:
FlameBoy said:
Right, better check to see how bad the state of my finances is...

I'd like to state for the record that mine are utterly f***ing dire at the moment.

On the other hand, my room is now full of enough cables, boxes, microphones, amplifiers and esoteric junk that I could probably re-make My Bloody Valentine's Loveless in there.

Choon! :-)

I've still got my 12" of this :-)

FlameBoy
 
FlameBoy said:
JPsychodelicacy said:
My Bloody Valentine's Loveless

Choon! :-)

I've still got my 12" of this :-)

FlameBoy

Aye - you can tell it was produced by a guitarist though... "I've got 2 inches of tape, and I'll be buggered if the drummer's going to have more than a millimetre of it!" ;)

J.
 
andrew said:
Colin said :
Check out Aldi... a case of chinese-style noodles (3 flavours) is under a fiver.

I can vouch for those noodles.... they taste pretty good

:smokingr:

Andtrew

Nutritionally limited though, surely? :unsure:
 
"chinese-style noodles" ?!?!

Sounds a bit vague to me.

Several points:

1. Learn Logic cos everything else is a stoopid kid's toy.

2. Loveless is a superb album. One of my favourites ever.

3. Ramen noodles are pretty injurous to health if eaten to excess. The noodles are pretty harmless, but the hydrogenated palm oil is a real artery-clogger and the monosodium glutamate gives you cancer.

What do you expect for 11p a packet?

£ for £ and calorie for calorie, lentils, garlic, carrots and onions work out much cheaper and are infinitely more nutritious.
 
Ott^ said:
3. Ramen noodles are pretty injurous to health if eaten to excess. The noodles are pretty harmless, but the hydrogenated palm oil is a real artery-clogger and the monosodium glutamate gives you cancer.

What do you expect for 11p a packet?

£ for £ and calorie for calorie, lentils, garlic, carrots and onions work out much cheaper and are infinitely more nutritious.

Well in partial defense of my belovedly cheap Ramen, the MSG is only in the flavoring, which I always throw out because it tastes much better plain. Partially Hydrogenated Palm oil is relatively low on the ingrediants list too (and in a billion other foods.) No denying that a diet based soley on Ramen isn't healthy though. Caffeine is absolutely shit for your too, but I'm sure we all enjoy more than one cup of tea!
 
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