Garageband to LE

[applescruff]

Hey guys...fairly new to this whole thing but I've been goofing around with GB (Macbook Pro w/Apogee Duet) and was wondering if anyone can offer an opinion on making the jump from GB to Logic Express.
I'm basically just putting down one track at a time for my own enjoyment but was wondering if it would be worth the $200 to make the next leap. I've become "adequate" at using GB and make decent recordings but would like to upgrade if it's not too complicated. I'm hoping that the basic process is the same but just offers the ability for more "tweaking."

Cheers!

[tojo]

logic is much more powerful and thus more confusing. I upgraded to express and that alone is an exteremly powerful tool.

once you learn all of garagebands abilities i would move up (do you understand automation for example?) if you feel you need more then i'd movve up. I feel that garagebands editing capabilities are weak, as well as the built in instruments and the interface.

[applescruff]

Thanks for the response.

No...not familiar with "automation" yet...guess I'll work with that next.

Any other procedures you'd suggest I master before making the leap to Logic?

[tojo]

i guess you could spend some time getting used to all the effects and learning all the functions (as much as possible) and then move up.

[KineticSound]

I agree with tojo here... I just want to add that moving from GarageBand to Logic or Logic Express is, depending on how you're using GB, like moving from a toy to something professional.

GB is a lot of fun, and you can make nice little demo's or voiceover commercials with it, but it's not meant for serious audio work. Logic is meant for serious audio work.

The initial workflow is very similar. You create a track (software or audio input), perform or import music, and edit in a very similar fashion. That's where the similarities end. As tojo pointed out, the mixing environment is completely different - in a good way - in Logic. While GB does support basic automation of pan and volume (automation, by the way, just indicates that some parameter - volume, for example - is adjusting itself as the song plays without the need to move a fader, mouse, etc.), GB doesn't support most plugins or any automation of those plugins - at least not to my knowledge.

You're moving from a basic volume/pan mixer like this:


To a full-fledged mixer with endless plugins and full automation like this:


Logic Express is absolutely worth the $199 Apple charges for it, and it will grow with you over time. Even in my commercial facility, I use the Express version (not Logic Studio) and it works amazingly well. It's solid software, has a good set of built-in plugins, has a great royalty-free library that comes bundled with it, and it seems to work with just about every interface on the market.

Good luck with your decision!

[tojo]

couldn't agree with you more kinetic sound (apart from one thing!)

garageband does let you automate effects now! I have ilife 08 and it allows for this and i'm sure ilife 09 does too.

and yes logic is def. a huge step out. I still have not learned many of its capabilities.

[KineticSound]

Whadd'ya know... I never looked at that "add automation" window. So it does.

It's been so long since I had even opened GarageBand for a project... I used to use it every once in a while to track a quick VO, but now that I've got my templates set up in Logic I can work just as fast with more options.

Good catch. To the OP, I stand corrected on the automation comment.

[tojo]

garageband is pretty powerful considering it doesn't have track limits. but i just couldn't do the editing, i found it so clumsy and cumbersom. other small things like not being able to resize the track bothered me as well.

@kinetic sound... how do you make a template in logic ? do you just set up the tracks with the inputs you usually use and file>save as template or something?

[applescruff]

Tojo & Dave...thanks for the responses...I decided to make the purchase and look forward to getting started. I also ordered an instructional book which I'm sure will come in handy.

Thanks again!

[tojo]

if you have questions check out this forum which is specifically for logic!

http://logicprohelp.com/

the modertor guy even has a book for logic! (i rented it from my local library)