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
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
