View other reviews for this product:
beatsbyclos « Logic Pro X Review by C-Los »
Published on 04/24/15 at 21:41
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Anyone
Everyone says that Pro Tools is the industry standard. But for me as a primarily hip-hop producer, Logic is the logical solution. With this DAW you will be able to record, mix, master, create using MIDI, or even edit and sync video to music. You have over 200 tracks available for each session, 15 slots for plug-ins, and eight slots for your sends. This is enough to handle even the most extreme sessions.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I’ve been using Logic Pro X for seven months now and overall I am very satisfied with the improvements from Logic Pro 9. I run Logic Pro X on two different Macs, one of them being my oldest and main workhorse, a late 2009 iMac 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 with 8GB RAM with the MAvericks OS. Occasionally, I may have a buffering issue that stops playback, but simply pressing play again, my sessions will playback fine.
I’ve also had sessions where I was pretty heavy on plug-in usage and my sessions were able to playback just fine. I use Avid’s MBox mini for my audio playback and microphone inputs, and they have worked flawlessly. I’ve also had the opportunity to produce a song where I had a guitarist lay down electric and bass guitar tracks using the stock amps and pedals that Logic offers.
However, because Logic Pro X is now a 64-bit application, this could very well mean that you may not be able to use any of your previous 32-bit plug-ins (but there’s ways around that). If you have 32-bit plug-ins that you covet, I would consider researching solutions before fully committing.
Another problem I have yet to figure out is the solo-safe feature. In my mixes, I use submixes to sum similar tracks to one fader. In Pro Tools, I gray (or disable) out the solo button on my submix auxiliary tracks so that even if I have to solo one or more tracks, they will still be heard. Logic offers the same feature, but it simply does not work like it’s supposed to.
STAND-OUT FEATURES
One feature I frequent often is Logic’s addition to Flex Time. You are now able to adjust individual notes of singers with Flex Pitch. When activated, MIDI notes are created on the piano roll to reflect what the singer sung across the keyboard. From there it’s quite simple to click and drag notes to their desired position. This feature is very similar to Melodyne, and really helps dial in those sharps and flats where redos are not an option.
Another feature that is new to Logic Pro 9 is Track Stacks. Track Stacks offers a better way to help organize those big sessions by combining multiple tracks and managing them with a master fader. One way I find summing tracks to a “Folder Stack” useful, is stacking background vocals. I do this in addition to sending background vocals to their own submix for extra control.
One feature I believe is underrated, is Logic’s new stock compressor plug-in. The compressor still offers the seven different modules within the compressor, but now some of the modules also have a distortion knob to help your sounds cut through the mix better. The VU-style metering also help give a refreshing look to the new compressor. Next, I found that Logic’s stock compressor also has a mix knob to allow me to do a bit of parallel compression, mixing the original unprocessed signal with the processed signal. Once I’m finished adjust parameters on the compressor, I can use the new output knob to boost or attenuate the processed signal’s level.
MY OPINION
I love Logic because it fits my needs as a creator of music. There’s plenty of loops that come stock to help spark inspiration, but Logic also offers some of the best stock virtual instruments I’ve heard from any DAW. Some say that “it’s not which DAW you choose, but how you use it.” But Logic Pro X is a music producer’s DAW. And if your plan is to produce music in any capacity, I highly recommend making the logical choice, and purchasing Logic Pro X for your studio.
PROS
New Flex Pitch mode
New features on stock compressor
Track Stacks
Tons of virtual instruments
New Studio Drummer
Great Affordability
CONS
64-bit only application
Solo-safe does not work properly
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I’ve been using Logic Pro X for seven months now and overall I am very satisfied with the improvements from Logic Pro 9. I run Logic Pro X on two different Macs, one of them being my oldest and main workhorse, a late 2009 iMac 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 with 8GB RAM with the MAvericks OS. Occasionally, I may have a buffering issue that stops playback, but simply pressing play again, my sessions will playback fine.
I’ve also had sessions where I was pretty heavy on plug-in usage and my sessions were able to playback just fine. I use Avid’s MBox mini for my audio playback and microphone inputs, and they have worked flawlessly. I’ve also had the opportunity to produce a song where I had a guitarist lay down electric and bass guitar tracks using the stock amps and pedals that Logic offers.
However, because Logic Pro X is now a 64-bit application, this could very well mean that you may not be able to use any of your previous 32-bit plug-ins (but there’s ways around that). If you have 32-bit plug-ins that you covet, I would consider researching solutions before fully committing.
Another problem I have yet to figure out is the solo-safe feature. In my mixes, I use submixes to sum similar tracks to one fader. In Pro Tools, I gray (or disable) out the solo button on my submix auxiliary tracks so that even if I have to solo one or more tracks, they will still be heard. Logic offers the same feature, but it simply does not work like it’s supposed to.
STAND-OUT FEATURES
One feature I frequent often is Logic’s addition to Flex Time. You are now able to adjust individual notes of singers with Flex Pitch. When activated, MIDI notes are created on the piano roll to reflect what the singer sung across the keyboard. From there it’s quite simple to click and drag notes to their desired position. This feature is very similar to Melodyne, and really helps dial in those sharps and flats where redos are not an option.
Another feature that is new to Logic Pro 9 is Track Stacks. Track Stacks offers a better way to help organize those big sessions by combining multiple tracks and managing them with a master fader. One way I find summing tracks to a “Folder Stack” useful, is stacking background vocals. I do this in addition to sending background vocals to their own submix for extra control.
One feature I believe is underrated, is Logic’s new stock compressor plug-in. The compressor still offers the seven different modules within the compressor, but now some of the modules also have a distortion knob to help your sounds cut through the mix better. The VU-style metering also help give a refreshing look to the new compressor. Next, I found that Logic’s stock compressor also has a mix knob to allow me to do a bit of parallel compression, mixing the original unprocessed signal with the processed signal. Once I’m finished adjust parameters on the compressor, I can use the new output knob to boost or attenuate the processed signal’s level.
MY OPINION
I love Logic because it fits my needs as a creator of music. There’s plenty of loops that come stock to help spark inspiration, but Logic also offers some of the best stock virtual instruments I’ve heard from any DAW. Some say that “it’s not which DAW you choose, but how you use it.” But Logic Pro X is a music producer’s DAW. And if your plan is to produce music in any capacity, I highly recommend making the logical choice, and purchasing Logic Pro X for your studio.
PROS
New Flex Pitch mode
New features on stock compressor
Track Stacks
Tons of virtual instruments
New Studio Drummer
Great Affordability
CONS
64-bit only application
Solo-safe does not work properly