Garage Band for windows??

[Passinwind]

On 27/11/2023 at 03:47, asingardenof said:

If you want a free DAW I can highly recommend Cakewalk: https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk?lang=en

Yep, much better than Reaper in my book. I am also a longtime N-Track user and am just about the upgrade my version for the first time in a decade or so. Even at this late date, it's only about $40 to jump into the latest version, but I;ll have to give the new one a go before I decide if I want to bother, since the v7 actually still works great for me.

[meterman]

29 minutes ago, ambient said:

 

 

I've used Logic for years and like it. I find it works how I want it to work.

Can I ask you a question about Logic? Is there a way to get into using it in a similar way to Garageband, like not getting too involved with the DAW technical stuff? Like, just setting up a mic and recording live playing in real time? 
 

I only kept Logic for a few months but never got too into it, and carried on using Garageband. As I use it basically like a digital portastudio (with a few extra bells and whistles) I sometimes think, hmmm maybe I shouldn’t have deleted Logic just in case..?

[ambient]

21 minutes ago, meterman said:

Can I ask you a question about Logic? Is there a way to get into using it in a similar way to Garageband, like not getting too involved with the DAW technical stuff? Like, just setting up a mic and recording live playing in real time? 
 

I only kept Logic for a few months but never got too into it, and carried on using Garageband. As I use it basically like a digital portastudio (with a few extra bells and whistles) I sometimes think, hmmm maybe I shouldn’t have deleted Logic just in case..?

 

It's as complicated really as you want it to be. I teach it on an evening course and start of very basically.

[BigRedX]

13 hours ago, meterman said:

Can I ask you a question about Logic? Is there a way to get into using it in a similar way to Garageband, like not getting too involved with the DAW technical stuff? Like, just setting up a mic and recording live playing in real time? 
 

I only kept Logic for a few months but never got too into it, and carried on using Garageband. As I use it basically like a digital portastudio (with a few extra bells and whistles) I sometimes think, hmmm maybe I shouldn’t have deleted Logic just in case..?

 

If GarageBand does what you want, especially from a recording PoV stick with it. If you want more control at mixdown you can load your GarageBand project into Logic with all the tracks and regions maintained.

[BigRedX]

Getting back to the OP, other than the fact that GarageBand does not exist for Windows there is no correct answer to what is best.

 

Different DAWs suit different people simply because of the way they work. These days nearly all DAWs have all the essential features required for recording and manipulating audio and MIDI and it is the workflow and fine details that set them apart.

 

There are a couple a caveats to this:

 

1. If you collaborate with others there are definite advantages to everyone using the same DAW. While there are file transfer protocols that in theory allow you to move a project from one DAW to another none of them work as seamlessly as everyone having the same version of the same program. I'm a Logic user simply because when I bought my first DAW I was in a band with someone who already was using Logic. Not only was transferring song ideas and recordings between us easy, but I was able to get technical advice from his experience until I was fully up to speed with the process. On a couple of occasions I've done recording on other people's systems, and have struggled - not because there is anything bad about them but simply because the functions and features I am used to are either located in a different menu or work in a slightly different way to Logic. After 30 years of using one DAW there is no point for me to try and learn something else.

 

2. Free isn't always the best VfM. While there is no need to ever pay for Reaper, unless you intend to only ever use it to record audio, you'll soon find yourself wanting to buy extra plug-in instruments and effects. If you are not careful you can find that you have spent the kind of money that would have bought you something like Logic, Cubase or Performer all of which come with all the plug-in effects and instruments that you will ever need.

 

To this end it may make sense for the OP to look at buying a second-hand Mac simply so they can run GarageBand (and maybe move on to Logic should they ever need something even more powerful).