buying a macbook, should i buy logic express?

[jaxonmills]

the computer alone costs $999, logic express is $179 more. is it worth it or should i save my money and use garageband?

 

[usc96]

I bought Logic Express, but I've been using garageband for everything. I'm new to Apple and recording though.

 

[getbent]

start with gb.

 

[jaxonmills]

does garageband work well with presonus and motu firewire interfaces? are projects from garageband able to be imported to logic or other programs?

 

[bluesman]

Just got into recording with my Macbook Pro and thought I'd buy Logic Express but decided to start with GarageBand and see how it went. It's been enough for me to this point.

I'd recommend starting off with GB and it may give you all you need for now. You can always buy Logic Express down the road.

 

[the_Chris]

Just got into recording with my Macbook Pro and thought I'd buy Logic Express but decided to start with GarageBand and see how it went. It's been enough for me to this point.

I'd recommend starting off with GB and it may give you all you need for now. You can always buy Logic Express down the road.

That's been my feelings as well.

I'm happy enough with GB for what I'm doing right now. When I have the spare money and time, I'll experiment with Logic, but right now I'm saving every penny I can for mics, a FW-recording interface, quality monitors and interconnects.

 

[dognmoon]

You might hang tight until next week. Tuesday (1/15) is the next big Apple announcement at MacWorld San Francisco and you might be able to get your Macbook at a better price (or an upgrade for the the same price as you'd get today...)

 

[dewey decibel]

If you're just starting out I say stick with Garageband. It's easy to use, fun, but still deep enough to do some things. Plus Logic 8 has been reveamped and makes more sense coming from a Garageband background now, so if you decide to uprgrade later it will be an easier transition.

does garageband work well with presonus and motu firewire interfaces? are projects from garageband able to be imported to logic or other programs?

They should work fine with GB. It's usually more an issue of the hardware compatability than the DAW, especially with firewire. And yes, you can open Garageband songs in Logic 8 (just checked).

 

[pickaguitar]

does garageband work well with presonus and motu firewire interfaces? are projects from garageband able to be imported to logic or other programs?

I know it works well with Motu!

 

[tacorivers]

Why waste the time learing Garageband? Just jump right into Logic Express. I just got my mac with Logic Express, and its easy to start making basic multi-track recordings. Sure, the other stuff is a bit more difficult, but why not jump in now and learn the program.

 

[gixxerrock]

IMO, if you are planning on a long-term relationship with a serious program, go with Logic. There is no comparison between Logic and Garage Band. If your needs are very basic and you are not planning on ever getting deep, GB should suffice.

Shawn.

 

[jon71203]

i've used logic on my powerbook for several years now and love it.
garageband is great, but if you plan on recording frequently go ahead and get into logic, you be grateful down the road that you did..........

 

[nosignal]

i started out learning with garageband, i haven't got to use logic. but i found garageband to be really really easy

 

[scottlr]

IT depends on how well your learning capability is. If you're a quick study, and plan to record forever, go ahead and start with Logic. If you are a bit shy about it, GB is a great way to wet your feet. IF you can buy Logic at a discount with your new Mac Purchase, I'd get it now, even if you don't use it for awhile. Within 6 months or so of constant GB use, you'll soon reach some limitation in GB, and start thinking about moving on to Logic. Even once you are using Logic, keep GB loaded, as it's a great quick sketch pad for getting basic ideas down fast.

 

[GDking]

You might hang tight until next week. Tuesday (1/15) is the next big Apple announcement at MacWorld San Francisco and you might be able to get your Macbook at a better price (or an upgrade for the the same price as you'd get today...)

Dammit I wish I read this last week when I picked up a 15" 2.4ghz Macbook Pro that is the story of my life though I always buy and then something more awesome for less comes out the next week. I thought I was all slick because I figured out how to buy my own ram and save 500 bucks putting it in myself. Of course now probably in 2 days I will be all mad. I wonder if they will give me a refund of some money if they change the pricing structure Tuesday, as I literally got it last Friday.

Any rate I started messing around with garage band and when I use the keyboard (the keyboard you type on, nothing fancy) interface messing around, I am getting lag issues when doing 8th notes or better on the drum tracks. I have not really invested in anything yet, is this indicative of how the software is or is it a bug with using the regular keyboard interface? Is there any workaround or anything I can do on my end to remedy this? I am brand new to these machines. I have leopard installed.

Thanks guys.