Why not Garageband?

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Codeseven

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Hi guys, I've been spending the last few weeks trying out various DAW's to record my drums. Since all the DAW's I've tried so far are very capable my main focus has been finding the one with the best UI and work flow for me.

Since I'm using a MacBook Pro I gave Garageband 11 another go. It's simplicity is great and to my ears, the recordings sound on par with the more expensive and complicated DAW's I have tried out. But....

Should Garageband be viewed as nothing more than a really great 'starter' DAW that most, if not all users just learn the basics on then eventually stop using in favor of a more capable, 'professional' DAW?

I want to devote allot of time getting great recordings from a single DAW even if it is much more complicated, at first, but much more capable and where I would end up anyway after using Garageband for awhile.

What do you guys think?
 
Just from what I've heard and read, GB is a starter daw. I don't see why ya couldn't just use it til ya grow outta it tho.
 
I do love Plug in's. I know GB is an AU Plug in only app., that would limit it for sure, even though there are some great Au Plugs out there.
 
Im not too familiar with GB... but i use big brother Logic Pro 9.

But.... my assumption would be plugins/editing capabilities/automation capabilities/bussing capabilities/stability/"mastering" capabilities/formatting/metering

logic pro can also utilize everything that GB has to offer as a logic plug in in itself.

pretty nifty.

Also virtual instruments/kits/loops... etc.
 
Simply put, GarageBand is a starter DAW. I used it for a couple years when I first started recording. After I switched to Logic, I realized everything I was missing.

The sound quality won't differ between DAWs, but the built-in features, the accessibility, and the smoothness of your workflow will.
 
I think it's great for starting out and deciding if you like this hobby or not, but I don't think it's cut out for the big sessions.

You might find logic to be a suitable upgrade as it's native to macs. Check out a few youtube videos yourself and see if you like it.

There's nothing wrong with sticking at GB until you outgrow it though. It's all the same principles, even if it is simpler.
 
Have you tried logic yet? It has a lot of the same features which would, i imagine, make it a similar workflow.
 
Thanks guys. Nope, haven't tried Logic yet, just about all the others though. Also, when I say the recordings sound all the same thats only because i'm new at this stuff so there is very little I know how to do to take full advantage of a DAW's potential.

There's so much to learn. I've already spent allot! of time simply checking them all out. I really want to just devote all my efforts to learning just one.
 
My honest opinion to you is that DAW's are like Sneakers and Guitar Strings, your gonna go thru lots till you find your true love. The nice thing about DAW's is almost all of them have a free trial. I think i went thru about 6 before i found my DAW of choice.
 
Atom Bomb said:
My honest opinion to you is that DAW's are like Sneakers and Guitar Strings, your gonna go thru lots till you find your true love. The nice thing about DAW's is almost all of them have a free trial. I think i went thru about 6 before i found my DAW of choice.
Click to expand...

Hi AB. I'll take your advice :)

The only bummer is, why don't they 'all' have Demo versions? They can't expect someone to just go out and buy an expensive DAW like Logic or Pro Tools just to see 'if' you like it! Being a Mac user I would really like to use a DAW taylor made for OSX, such as Logic, but that's tuff to drop that much cash especially after reading a few comments about it being possibly difficult to use compared to others and not knowing if it's UI and workflow fit me. Also, all of the DAW's that I have tried so far work just fine on my Mac so really, thinking about it, compatibility shouldn't be a factor.
 
There ya go. Your learning. And in a diligent and optimistic fashion. Good job.

Not that it helps, but i finally settled on Reaper. It's free trial is fully functional and infinitely free, however on the honor system it won;t break your bank to buy a full license cause it is only 60 bucks i think.

Why i chose it?

It was easy as hell to figure out and use, the manual was helpful as shit, it used far less system resources then ANY daw i demoed (or bought) Which was awesome casue i spent more time tweaking technical stuff and figuring out bugs then i did recording and now with reaper is completely opposite. My list goes on and on. But those are the key factors right there.

I dont get alot of time to sit and be creative, so when i do idon;t want have to sort out technical shit. I just wanna go. Reaper allowed me to do this. So....

It's worth a try, you got nothing to lose and there is a mac compatible version.

REAPER | Download
 
Garageband is really fun to play around with. Its biggest flaw....limitation rather is the fixed sample rate of 44.1kHz. IMHO, anyway.

In addition to seconding Atom Bomb's Reaper reco, I suggest checking out Audacity. Also free. And awesome.

audacity.sourceforge.net [You are only allowed to post URLs to other sites after you have made 10 posts or more.] :(
 
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