Macbook pro + Logic Advise

[frank]

I want to start recording some of my stuff at home and eventually collect enough material for a C.D. and also to bring ideas or songs to bands or singer song writers.
I want to keep it simple basic and cheap, been thinking a while about computer recording.

Anyway tomorrow im meeting a guy who is emigrating and selling all his gear.
So im looking at a Mac Book Pro 17 " 2 GB ram comes with Logic Pro 9 and Pro tools (dont know version)
a Mbox audio interface i think it can take 4 inputs at once (2 xlrs ) ,Midi controller and some other odds an ends.

I have no experience with computer recording but im looking at this as a long term thing and can take it slow.
I used to have a tascam 4 track tape recorder years ago and was fairly handy with it got good results (for me anyway)

The guy selling says logic isnt the easiest to learn or use especially for someone like me, he reckons garage band would probably be enough.
But id like to mess around with samplers , effects , time streching,multitracking,making my own beats,just general creating and experimenting.
Im into all kinds of music from acoustic stuff through to heavy metal, most of what i will do will probably be made inside the computer and some recorded from mics.

So looking for advice and opinions please about this or what i should buy .

Im definately going to buy a Mac of some sort , my buget is an absolute maximum of 2000 euro
which has to include computer, interface,midi controller keyboard, and also a guitar so im really streching it.

Forgot about monitors but with neighbours, two young kids and most of this being done in the evening would it be possible or sensible to do this on a good set of ear phones.

Cheers

Frank

[Ian Savage]

As far as sequencer goes, I think your guy's right about Logic/Garage Band - the beauty of it is though that you can start out with GarageBand to get your head around how it all works and then move on to Logic (since it's there anyway!) if you find yourself needing to do things that GarageBand can't do, and almost everything you've learned in GB applies to Logic as they're pretty much made by the same people.

2GB of RAM should be fine for what you're looking at doing with it, the thing I found with my MacBook Pro though was that to get more than about a dozen tracks of audio in/out simulateously I had to start recording to an external drive, as the internal one (5600rpm as standard, IIRC) wasn't fast enough. You can pick up an external 7200rpm drive fairly cheaply though, should you find you need one further down the line.

[urb]

My one immediate thought is that while 2GB of RAM will do for basic two or three track recordings, the machine will struggle as soon as you start running a drum module, plug in FX and any VSTs (virtual studio instruments). Upgrade it to 4GB and it'll cope with all that stuff much, much better - the last thing you want is to be half way through a take and the machine crashes... the extra RAM can be bought quite cheaply and if you put 'upgrade to 4gb ram on macbook' into Youtube there are a load of very clear and helpful vids on how to install it.

Sounds like you have a load of great stuff to get going with - I can recommend EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer as good 'virtual drummers' - and EZ Pro as a way of editing your MIDI drum files - and a cheap M-Audio MIDI keyboard is worth getting as well - they are about £80 or less

[frank]

Thanks lads i forgot to mention i intend to upgrade to 4GB.

Have never used garage band is it possible to have a chord progression and have the loops-samples follow it,how much control
is there over the loops dynamics timing editing feel

Im wondering how easy or quick it is after you come up with an idea to get it recorded can you just plug in and go.
Also to start of with will i be able to get by without the extra VSTs drum modules and so on.
i was kinda hoping for a one stop shop within logic , suppose ill have to wait and see what i need.

I want to get into this but without it taking over from my bass.

Also well done URB seen you in Bass guitar today ,was the album done with Logic.

Thanks

[urb]

[quote name='frank' post='915488' date='Aug 4 2010, 11:21 PM']Thanks lads i forgot to mention i intend to upgrade to 4GB.

Have never used garage band is it possible to have a chord progression and have the loops-samples follow it,how much control
is there over the loops dynamics timing editing feel

Im wondering how easy or quick it is after you come up with an idea to get it recorded can you just plug in and go.
Also to start of with will i be able to get by without the extra VSTs drum modules and so on.
i was kinda hoping for a one stop shop within logic , suppose ill have to wait and see what i need.

I want to get into this but without it taking over from my bass.

Also well done URB seen you in Bass guitar today ,was the album done with Logic.

Thanks[/quote]

Hey Frank - yes i recorded my album mostly in Logic but the track 'Boogie' started life in Garage band - I re-imported back into Logic and redid the drums and keyboard stuff on it - sounds much better now!

Re plugging in and recording straight away with either GB or Logic that should be possible - the great thing with either program is that they come with a load of very useable samples and hundreds of drum loops - so rather than spending hours prgramming stuff you can splice together some drum loops and start layering up the bass parts i.e. chords, melody, bass line etc.

the only downside of this approach is that the backing could sound like it's come straight out of Logic or GB - it's funny when I watch Masterchef or some other crappy program I find it quite easy to spot a looped Logic drum beat... - they are good quality but ultimately you want to creat drum parts that are unique and fit the track.... Logic does come with Ultabeat which a fantastic drum sequencer - there are a stack of very good Youtube videos on how to use it:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=SFlogic+ninja+ultrabeat&aq=f"]http://www.youtube.com/results?search_quer...rabeat&aq=f[/url]

In fact any aspect of Logic has been well covered on Youtube - this guy SFLogic Ninja is a bit of a lgend and has thousands of subs - he's really cool and knows the program inside out: [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/SFLogicNinja"]http://www.youtube.com/user/SFLogicNinja[/url]

Re dynamics there are lots of ways of creating dynamics in your music - Automation is the way - look it up, it's great as you can bring in various effects and volume level changes across an individual track - again I'm sure it'll be covered in many Youtube videos.

Hope all that sounds good - the other top tip I can recommend is that Apple do year long classes in various programs like Logic on their One To One program - it's £79 a year and you can have a one hour lesson every week - I did it and even though I probably only went about 20 times I learned a lot and I feel a lot more confident now with Logic... but it's a massive proram and very powerful - so the learning never ends... not sure if you have an Apple store near you but I know the Regent Street store in London does the OneToOne lessons and they are really popular.

[url="http://www.apple.com/retail/onetoone/"]http://www.apple.com/retail/onetoone/[/url]

Mike