Logic vs Cubase vs Pro Tools

[SlavikSvensk]

which do you prefer and why?

[josephjobling]

i personally prefer cubase - i think because it is the first one i used - never used pro tools though so can't give my oppinion on that - i found both cubase and logic very similar in functionality mind

[rhythmtech]

protools for mixing.. it just feels right

cubase for composition cause im on it a long time and know it inside out now. + the midi is superb.

[BloodStar]

ableton live

[force]

ableton live

+1

[RDR]

Cubase: Nothing else offers the chance to highlight a portion of the wave file and apply a VST plugin to it along with a lot of very very good file management systems.

Logic: Awesome collection of native plugs and exceptional MIDI functionality.

Ableton: Great scratch pad, ****ing awful sequencer and fantastic live program

Pro-Tools: Digi002 or better. Amazing recording / mixing tool .. wanky MIDI compared to the others

Fruityloops.. top quality loop creation and compositional tool

Reason: Bloody brilliant plugin when rewired. I use it for one massive synth with 10 subtractors loaded up and spidered together

IMO of course....

[morbid]

all cack....

octomed 8 on the amiga or **** off

[Jay Pace]

Cubase as a workstation, good midi, VST & audio handling - and offline editing is excellent.

Reason as a scratch pad (i love redrum and matrix pattern sequencers) and a plugin rewired into cubase.

No comment on logic or protools, never learned them sadly.

[SlavikSvensk]

thanks to everyone for the replies, first off. now to some individual replies.


ableton live

i love ableton, and certainly will be using this heavily in my electronic productions. but the reason i'm asking about logic/pro tools/cubase is that i'm also starting a non-techno project that involves mics and guitars. given that this is the reason i'm asking about logic, etc. would you still say "f*ck that, you have all you need in ableton?"


Cubase: Nothing else offers the chance to highlight a portion of the wave file and apply a VST plugin to it along with a lot of very very good file management systems.

Logic: Awesome collection of native plugs and exceptional MIDI functionality.

Ableton: Great scratch pad, ****ing awful sequencer and fantastic live program

Pro-Tools: Digi002 or better. Amazing recording / mixing tool .. wanky MIDI compared to the others

Fruityloops.. top quality loop creation and compositional tool

Reason: Bloody brilliant plugin when rewired. I use it for one massive synth with 10 subtractors loaded up and spidered together

IMO of course....


Cubase as a workstation, good midi, VST & audio handling - and offline editing is excellent.

Reason as a scratch pad (i love redrum and matrix pattern sequencers) and a plugin rewired into cubase.

No comment on logic or protools, never learned them sadly.

interesting stuff from both of you. jay that's what i'm looking towards. chris, thanks for the detailed info.

question...any practical difference between vsts and aus?

[DJPAUZE]

ableton live

++1

Just works for me, love recording edits on the fly. Love jamming in it as well.....

Some of the plugins are superb, you can pretty much throw down a wicked track with everything that is included in the package....

[josephjobling]

thanks to everyone for the replies, first off. now to some individual replies.



i love ableton, and certainly will be using this heavily in my electronic productions. but the reason i'm asking about logic/pro tools/cubase is that i'm also starting a non-techno project that involves mics and guitars. given that this is the reason i'm asking about logic, etc. would you still say "f*ck that, you have all you need in ableton?"







question...any practical difference between vsts and aus?

you have all you need in ableton - i love to record in both ableton and cubase - i personally prefer abeton for being creative cos once i've recorded i can warp and manipulte th sound to my hearts content - for streight songs an noodling i use cubase - logic is good for the latter aswell - i use it at college

[SlavikSvensk]

so ableton is sufficient in your opinion as a DAW?

RDR: agree?

[RDR]

so ableton is sufficient in your opinion as a DAW?

RDR: agree?

No.. i dont agree at all.

I know you're on the mac platform slav, which makes cubase not a very good choice. The coders at steinberg are PC centric and as such cubase on the mac runs slowly, more slowly than on the PC for sure. Still very reliable however.

Ableton in my opinion genuinely sux bigtime as a sequencing program, fantastic for live work which is where its core market is, and great for fun.

You're on the mac and therefore i would seriously consider Logic, its cheaper than any of the others, particularly if you get an education discount on it. its 50gb of samples, channel strip settings, plugins and effects are second to none by a country mile and its now a very well behaved program (it wasnt always thus in the past)

For recording its your mic/pre amp arrangement that gives the best results no matter what your recording program.

In your case i would hedge my bets...

Get Ableton Live (The cut down version so you can rewire it into something else and also get used to it) and buy Logic Express 8 or maybe the full version that way its cheap, you get the best of both worlds and you can upgrade later.

Logic Exp 8 is really cheap and will be more than good enough to record your guitars and do the mixdown and mastering afterwards.

Remember this is about WHAT you want to do, focus on the tools needed to do the job rather than the extended capability of the system.

Another option is to buy an Mbox from digidesign, this soundcard can be used quite well with logic and all the other programs as well...

The difference between VSTs and AU's isnt much. they're just different plugin formats. Ableton uses VST and AU, logic only uses AU, Cubase uses both if memory serves me. AU is what i would consider the more commercial plugin format with more free VSTs for the mac available.

[BloodStar]

i love ableton, and certainly will be using this heavily in my electronic productions. but the reason i'm asking about logic/pro tools/cubase is that i'm also starting a non-techno project that involves mics and guitars. given that this is the reason i'm asking about logic, etc. would you still say "f*ck that, you have all you need in ableton?"

I've been on cubase since vst 5 version the software itself is very good, has many cool features which seems will never be in ableon live, better midi and audio manipulation features to name few.

Nowadays I completely moved to ableton live, as it added value is much higher than what i am missing and i was used to while being on cubase. I am also recording mic and never had a single problem on ableotn,.

Dont know how it would behave when you will be recording a band, let say 8 channels simultaneously..
but still, I would say "f*ck that, you have all you need in ableton"

[rhythmtech]

im with chris on this. ableton would never be my choice when it comes to recording a band.

go logic or protools slav.

[RDR]

im with chris on this. ableton would never be my choice when it comes to recording a band.

go logic or protools slav.

+1 Ableton just doesnt have the tools for let's say 'comping' or even decent x-fades built into it. its not an audio editor really, it tries but for the most part fails.

At a push, for band work, i'd say PT, but if you havnt got the Digidesign soundcard it can be a very expensive purchase.

What's your hardware setup like?

[rhythmtech]

+1 Ableton just doesnt have the tools for let's say 'comping' or even decent x-fades built into it. its not an audio editor really, it tries but for the most part fails.


exactly, PT8 comping features are miles ahead of the rest of the game and non destructive inplace audio editing is a godsend.


At a push, for band work, i'd say PT, but if you havnt got the Digidesign soundcard it can be a very expensive purchase.

actually an m-box with protools and an m-audio lightbridge isnt such an expensive option these days and can give you up to 36 I/O (depending on the model)

[RDR]

exactly, PT8 comping features are miles ahead of the rest of the game and non destructive inplace audio editing is a godsend.



actually an m-box with protools and an m-audio lightbridge isnt such an expensive option these days and can give you up to 36 I/O (depending on the model)

How much?

And have you remembered he's on MAC?


(For your sister)

[rhythmtech]

How much?

And have you remembered he's on MAC?


(For your sister)

doesnt matter about mac as the digi m-box acts as the interface so it would be protools LE he uses. the lightbridge is just input by adat for extra channels.

the 31 in 36 lightbridge out works out about £230ste

[RDR]

Ok, so which mbox are you talking about AFAIK non of them offer Adat lightpipe...

Unless its the Digi002 which s/h is gonna be about 400 quid. |(about 500usd)

[SlavikSvensk]

No.. i dont agree at all.

I know you're on the mac platform slav, which makes cubase not a very good choice. The coders at steinberg are PC centric and as such cubase on the mac runs slowly, more slowly than on the PC for sure. Still very reliable however.

Ableton in my opinion genuinely sux bigtime as a sequencing program, fantastic for live work which is where its core market is, and great for fun.

You're on the mac and therefore i would seriously consider Logic, its cheaper than any of the others, particularly if you get an education discount on it. its 50gb of samples, channel strip settings, plugins and effects are second to none by a country mile and its now a very well behaved program (it wasnt always thus in the past)

For recording its your mic/pre amp arrangement that gives the best results no matter what your recording program.

In your case i would hedge my bets...

Get Ableton Live (The cut down version so you can rewire it into something else and also get used to it) and buy Logic Express 8 or maybe the full version that way its cheap, you get the best of both worlds and you can upgrade later.

Logic Exp 8 is really cheap and will be more than good enough to record your guitars and do the mixdown and mastering afterwards.

Remember this is about WHAT you want to do, focus on the tools needed to do the job rather than the extended capability of the system.

Another option is to buy an Mbox from digidesign, this soundcard can be used quite well with logic and all the other programs as well...

The difference between VSTs and AU's isnt much. they're just different plugin formats. Ableton uses VST and AU, logic only uses AU, Cubase uses both if memory serves me. AU is what i would consider the more commercial plugin format with more free VSTs for the mac available.

yes, you are right about being on the mac platform.

let me fill in a bit of info...i've had cubase for years but i HATED it when i switched to mac (slow!). then os x came out and i needed to upgrade and decided not to. so i'm in a position where i can upgrade my license for about $150, get logic at the educational discount for $199 or pro tool at edu discount for $150.

also, i've got an m-audio fw410 from several years back, which isn't a terribly good interface but is serviceable.